of the guitar, a soft, plaintive voice, and a fondness for
cigarillos, we thought her one of the most enchanting amourettes
imaginable. Poor Carmen! She had just lost by the fell destroyer her
lover, who was a superintendent of mines in San Felipe, but who had the
generosity during his last moments, to leave his tender sweetheart a
handsome legacy, a letter to the French consul, and his blessing. Pretty
Carmen! She preserved each and all of these interesting relics, with
great care, and although, "Souvent femme varie, bien fol est qui s'y
fie," she resisted all further assaults upon her heart--confessed that I
had _buen sentimientos_, but, nevertheless, she had resolved to live and
die within the severest rules of platonism.

I know not how or why, but there certainly is an irresistible charm,
that floats like a mist around Spanish creoles; indeed, creoles of all
nations have a style of fascination peculiarly their own, which renders
them truly bewitching, with the power of retaining their spells as long,
and as strong as any. Not that their features are more beautiful, eyes
brighter, or manners even as refined as those in older countries, for
they are not; but still they have soft, languishing eyes, rich, dark
hair, and pliant, graceful forms, combined with the greatest possible
charm in woman, earnest, unaffected, and amiable dispositions.

It is to be wondered at, too, that in remote countries, where so few
advantages are attainable in education, knowledge of the world and
society, that they should be so well supplied with pretty airs and
graces. It can only be attributable to that sublimated coquette Nature
herself, who provides those little goods the gods deny.

We had the pleasure of attending a number of _tertulias_, or evening
parties given in the houses of native residents, and witnessing the
dances of the country. The _tertulia_ is easy and sociable, without form
or ceremony. The _bayles_ are more staid affairs, where ladies are
seated in silent rows by themselves--men very hairy and grummy--taking
advantage of intervals in dancing to lounge on the piazzas, swallow a
few mouthfuls of cigar smoke, (not a bad institution this in warm
weather,) and exclaim, _dios que calor_! (how hot.) At one of these
assemblies we first saw a minuet called the _samacueca_. It was
undertaken by a beautiful young married lady, in company with a rather
corpulent old gentleman, and danced in a very sprightly, rogueish
manner. The