The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-02

! swept houses from their foundations and
bore away the ruins, together with iocks
and herds, leaving the town site desolate
and the citizens homeless and poverty
stricken.
Talcahuano has now q population OF
about four thousand, and. like other Gillian
villages, is mostly built of adobes, though
there are few brick and frame houses in
the place, belonging to German and Eng
lish residents. Its narrow, dusty streets
are generally pavementless, and there is
| one plaza whereof you share the native
fondness for that kind OF amusement-you
! may wander about among poems, dogs, don
keys and tieas and behold women sitting III
their doorways strunming on guitars.
During the summer time this port is q great
resort for whale ships, though they are now
much less numerous than formerly, and
then the streets abound with drunken sail
ors who are generally found in some sort of
disturbance.
Here, as at Valparaiso. notwithstanding
| the long pier, ships are laden and unladen
by means OF launches. The
BoLTMEN ARE DISTINCTIVE CLASS OF CITI-
ZENs,
! who follow no business but this from gen
Grafton TO generation. A launch is rowed
near the beach and then rowed up on it,
| stern foremost, as far as the depth of the
water will permit; and then the men,
naked, except for piece of cloth about the
loins and sometimes a calico shirt wade
through the serf, carrying articles ashore,
| no matter what their weight, from box of
candies 10 piano case. Their muscular
| frames become wonderfully deyeloped by
| this sort of exercise, and it is astonishing
| with what rapidity they perform their
work. The country in the neighborhood OF
Talcehuano amply rewards cultivation, and
some Of the valleys back Of Conception are
said TO be among tue richest in the world
All kinds of fruits, grains and vegetables
| are produced in abundance; beef, mutton
J pork and fowls are well fattened and cheap
and fish can be uetted in incredible auanti-
ties on the beach at flood tide Speaking
of the fisheries reminds me OF St. Peters
day. which is made a great fiesta in all the
coast towns of Chile. Peter was u fisher
man, you know, and this country has a
great many miles OF sea shore, while its
greatest width is not SO wide but that O
large proportion Of the people can journey
to the ocesn-on foot if need be-to worship
the saint in q ut and becoming manner. or
course, II Is made legal holiday, for no.
body dreams OF working at such a time
With the first peep of dawning all the bells
are rung, aud in every church the usual q
o'clock mass is celebrated. The largest
sanctuary in the place has been decorated
beforehand for the occasion. with flags and
flowers and votive offerings around the
snrines Of the holy fisherman: at 10 a m
the people congregate and a procession is
formed TO march down to the ocean. A life
size wax or wooden figure, richly dressed.
representing the apostle Peter, Is carried at
the head of the procession with
GREAT PoMP AND CEREMONY.
Arrived at the waters edge, the image il
placed in Q boat and held over the sea and
at Talcahuano 1t is rowed all around the
bay while priests bless the waters that they
may produce fish abundantly. Those who
expect to reap the reward of this SANITY
patronage, the poor fishermen, are highly
taxed TO pay for the performance
Tome, on the opposite side Of the bay
pronounced Toe NAV, accenting the final
syllable), is a favorite summer resort for
the people Of this section. A tiny steam
boat, about fifty feet long by fifteen feet
wide, with canvas awning to protect the
passengers from sun aud rain, plies contin-
ually between Talcahuano and Tome. 1t
was bought one day by an energetic Ger
man for what loose change he happened to
have in his vest pocket, and now he realizes
no less than $40 0co year CARRYING passen-
gers across the bay.
1t seems strange that so much Of the bust
ness on Chile's coast is in the hands OF for
eigners. At Tome one hears about az much
English, French and German SPOKEN as
Spanish; and more than once, when wrest-
ling with tho native dialect in an effort to
buy something, have been surprised by
the question: "Do you not speak English.
madamen They make barrels In Tome.
and wine. whisky and brandy to I'LL them;
also -four, bricks, thing and al excellent
quality Of WOODEN cloth. The bathing is said
to be exceptionally good, but there are no