What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

SANTA LUCIA.
to the already surpassing dominion of Spain. But for the foresight which contemplated the probable perils that would beset
hinm, and the military sagacity that instructed him to occupy
so defensible a position by his small force, the wonderftfl achievemeints of Valdivia would never have made his name famous in
history; although the Spanish -Alonarch, it is reasonable to
suppose, might have eventually subjugated that portion of Chile
not ruled by the unconquerable and still LLnconquered Araucaian. Nor was it long before Valdivia had cause to congratulate
himself on the prudencee which had led him to secure a place of
refuge in case of hostilities with the natives; for scarcely had
he founded the town of Santiago, so named in honor of the
patron saint of Spain, when thie -liapochin Indians, then inhabiting that part of the valley, becoming awakened to the
purposes of the invaders, attacked them, and utterly destroyed
the town. But for the almost inaccessible fort on Santa Lucia,
it is probable that the Spaniards would have been exterminated.
As it was, they were barely able to maintain their position until
reenforced friom Peru.
The west side of the hill is rugged and precipitous: the
suimnit is reached from the east by a steep, rudely-terraced
path. At the outbreak of the Chilean war of Independence a
battery on this hill commanded the city. It is now dismantled,
to prevent revolutionists overawing the Government by seizing
it. A little lower than the site of the battery is still seen the
building of the former astronomical observatory, not now used
as such, the instruments having been removed to the Agricultural College. A short distance from the foot of Santa Lucia,
to the east, is the small, one-story, adobe, tile-covered hoise
occupied by the conqueror of Chile more than three centuries
ago. It is carefully preserved as a monumnent of the old Spanish
pioneer. On the way from this'remnant of the olden time,
another relic of the past was seen-the residence of the Countess
del, one of the few who persisted in retaining the title,
witlh the pride and many of the customs of ancestry; among the
last, that of driving four horses to her coach. IHaving been
notified that such was the exclusive privilege of the President,
she haughtily retorted, " If any more such communications are
251