The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-11


 sion is formed to march down to the ocean. A Hfe-sized wax or wooden fig ure. richly dressed, representing the apostle Peter. is carried at the head or the procession with great pomp and ceremony. Arrived at the waters edge, the image is placed in a boat and held over the sea, and at Talcahuano it 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 saintly patron age, the poor fishermen, are highly taxed to pay for the performance
 Pone, on the opposite side of the bay (pronouneed Poe-nay, accenting the final syllable), is a favorite summer re- sort for the people of this section A tiny steamboat. fifty feet long by fifteen wide, with canvas awning to protect the passengers from sun and rain, plies continually between Talcahuano and Pone. It was brought one day by an energetic German, for what loose change he happened to have in his vest pocket, and now he realizes no less than ten thousand dollars a year carrying pas sengers across the bay. It seems strange that so much of the business on Chilfs coast is in the hands of foreign CTS. At Pone one hears more English, French and German spoken than Span ish: and frequently, when wrestling with the native dialect in an effort to buy something, you are surprised by the question, Don't you speak Eng fish, madame?" They make barrels in Pone, and wine. khiskey and brandy to fill them; also flour, brick. tiling and an excellent quality of wooden cloth. The bathing is said to be exceptionally good, but there are no bath houses, and am informed that it is the custom for parties coming here to bring along small tents, in which matters of dress may be adjusted: or matters of un-dress rath- CT, for strollers on the beach at almost any hour may see men, women and children disporting themselves gleefuliy in the water in a perfectly nude condi- tion, who appear neither startled nor embarrassed by the gaze of beholders. ] The city of Conception, formerly named Penco, was situated on the eastern side of the bay; but it's repeated destruction by the sea, earthquakes and the Araucanian Indians, finally drove the inhabitants nine miles inland, where they located the preset city upon the northern bank of the river Bio-Bio. a large, navigable stream. Old Penco, as the former town is now called, possess es peculiar interest from it's historical associations, for it was here that Pedro de Valdivia first raised the Cross of Spain in southern Chili in the year 1550 All that is now to be seen of it's former greatness are the remains of an ancient ! fort, or water-battery, with walls six feet thick and of great extent. On the facade the Spanish coat of arms, cov- ering a space eight feet square, is cut in stone. The road from Talcahuano to 4 Conception traverses a sandy plain, dotted here and there by bushes and dwarf trees. As the traveller approach es he sees what at first appears to be a few scattered huts at the base of a Irange of sand-hills, and not far off the mighty Bio-bio; and is amazed to find himself almost immediately afterwards in the midst of q city of twenty thou sand people, It was noon when we V reached Conception, and in passing through long street to our hotel we saw only three animated objects-a lmuleteer a boy and a donkey It was the siesta hour, and the whole city was lasleep; and in broad day. among thou 1sands of human beings, utter silence ireigns. The hotel to which we were di- irected is quaint enough to merit de- isoriptien. There is passage in the icenter, through which donkeys, laden with wood, bags of water, sacks of coal, baskets of vegetables, dead pigs, sheep, letc., are driven on their way to the kitchen. The only room to sit in is the ldining room which is fioored with brick and has bar of liquors in one corner. I All the bedrooms open on the central court, and if you are partial to light and lair enough to keep door or window open, their interiors may be scanned at leisure by all the neighbors.
 That the quaint old city has made many advances in civilization the fol- Towing true story will show; A little Imore than forty years ago, a beautiful girl, whose parents were among the wealthiest citizens of Conception, mar Tried the son of another equally promi- nent family, and the pair settled down Ito housekeeping with flattering pros Ipeets of future happiness. Children Jeanne to the casa, and for a few years Itheir domestic felicity was undisturbed. Then the demon of jealousy took pos tsession of the wife (whether on reason- Iable grounds, I do not know); and one might, while the husband slept, she de- liberately poured kettle of boiling water over his face and head. After a few hours of horrible torture he died; ; land so did she, seven days later, in a no