The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-10
COUNTRY LIFE IN CHILL.
4 Sailor Ashore Hospitality of the Chfl-
ians-The Country Dance.


ians-The Country Dance.
Valparaiso Cor Courier-JouinaI
The better classes Of Chilians are very
hospitable and do everything in their
power TO make their guests enjoy them
selves; in fact, in many respects they
overdO it by their continued attentions in
their endeavors to make you feel per-
fectly at home, and by deyoting them
selves entirely to your comfort aud pleas
ure. We were assured that the
entire hacienda, with everybody
and everything in it. was at our dis
posal, to do with it as we saw lit. and
SenOr Amor begged US to make the most
of our stay and leave nothing undone
that would promote our enjoyment. In
the first place they have five meals a day.
and everybody is expected to do Justice to
them all, or you will give offense to your
host. and as each meal has six or seven
courses, you have to be very judicious in
your eating to partake of everything that
is set before you. Several of our officers
who could not speak a word of Spanish
started in at first to eat very heartily, SO
that when the fourth or fifth course came
on they could not take a mouthful, and
they only saved themselves from numer-
Gus appeals from our host to eat more by
their ignorance Of the Spanish language
for that. OF course, was the language used
at all times
On the morning after our arrival We
found tlne lot of horses, saddled and
bridled. waiting for us after breakfast
with Senor Amor all ready TO show US
over his hacienda, so the entire party
with the addition of his three daughters,
mounted and started for an inspection as
we'll 80 for a pleasure trip. He provided
most of US with Chiiian outfit in the
way of s0mbTeros, ponchos, etc, and
when we We're all ready aud started of in
brisk canter he remarked that we looked
quite like huasos or countrymen. Stretch
ing off in front of his house was long
avenue of cottonwood trees, with fruit
orchards on either side, with pears.
peaches, figs. grapes, vines and other
and beyond were fields of wheat
and corn. All through these orchards
and fields were trenches or bitches
of water for irrigation, and the farm
hands were at work running it over the
land. This is Just the fruit season here,
and, in spite of hearty breakfast. most
of Us We're eating fruit while riding
through the orchards; for really it was so
tempting that one could not resist the
temptation to be eating it all day long.
In the evening a number of country
people wee ready TO give US sample of
the cuaca or country dance, but there is
too much sameness about it to enjoy il to
any great degree, and to my mind our
good country negro break down in the
south is worth a hundred cuacas. The
step Is slow waltz step, and but one or
two couples dance at the same time, but
each individual is entirely alone. and in
case any one makes q mistake he or she
Is at once superseded by some one
else. The music is made by the woman
alone, and the accompaniment is played
on a harp or guitar, sometimes both,
while all hands sing and keep time by
clapping their hands. The habinaro is al
most the same thing, but is danced more
like a wa.tz-quadrille, and in this we all
joined to please the country people.
Two of the necessary adiuncts of a
cuaca are the ponchi a lechi milk punch,
and ceryeza beer. which are served in
large glass cylindrical bowls. which are
passed around from time to time and
every person is supposed to take a sip of
each After this has gone on for several
hours a native wine (chicha) made of
grapes, is also passed around, and if one
is not tight before the chicha puts in ap-
pearance, d few mouthfuls of ii will soon
make you so.