Dark Days in Chile. An account of the Revolution of 1891. With ... illustrations

Preface

Whatever may be the verdict in store for this volume, it may at least claim the merit of being a faithful record of the writer's experiences, observations, and convictions. With the exception of the last chapter, the book is based upon notes made regularly and methodically in Chile. And that the author's views upon the merits of the political questions at issue are not those commonly held by his fellow-countrymen is entirely due to the conflicting sources of information upon which those views are respectively based. Whether Jose Manuel Balmaceda was a bloodthirsty tyrant or a well-meaning, if also ill-advised, patriot, will not be decided, either in or out of Chile, until

PREFACE.

VI men's minds shall have overcome the bitter par tisan feeling begotten by civil war. My thanks are due to Messrs. Laird Bros., for kindly lending photographs of the Imperial and other vessels built by them, for the purposes of illustration ; and to the proprietors of Black and White, for permission to reproduce some sketches that appeared in its pages. Maurice H. Hervey. London, November, 1891. PAriE 1 14 30 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE I. OUTWAKD BOUND. Modern Journalism — A Voyage at Short Notice — The Portugal — My Fellow-Travellers — Discipline v. Gallantry — Dakar — A Moribund King and his Subjects — Eio de Janeiro — Monte Video — Buenos Aires — A Contrast ...... CHAPTEE II. AEGENTINA. An Interview with President Pellegrini — The Man with the Iron Mask — British Preponderance — A Good Time — I form an Opinion upon the Argentine Situation — ' Go on to Chile ' — Pellegrini's Opinion of Balmaceda — Sensational Telegrams — The Andes reported infested by Bandits — I engage a Fighting Secretary — And take a Frenchman under my Wing - CHAPTEE III.

CROSSING THE ANDES. A Long Eail Journey — Travelling en Prince — Mendoza — A Lift to Uspallata — Fifty Miles on a ' Cow-catcher ' — Scenery — Uspallata — A Lost Child on my Hands — Eoughing it — A Facetious Muleteer — A Dry Stage — An Independent Yankee — Eio Blanco — Las Vacas — A Goatherd-subscriber to the Times — Montes Corrales — Monte de Los Penitentes — A Mule Eace — ' Corresponsal ' wins — Val de la Tolorzia — Cajou del Eio de Las Cuevas — Puente del Inca — A Posada — A Night in a Menagerie — The Juncal Volcano — The Summit of the Cordillera — A Slippery Descent — Lake Portillo — A Primitive Hostelry — The Soldier's Leap — The Meeting of the Waters — Juncal — A Wild Drive — Santa Eosa de Los Andes CONTENTS VIII PACE 62 112 158 CHAPTEE IV. CHILE AND ITS CONDITION. Santiago — A State of Siege — Eevolutionist Opinions of President Balmaceda — Wanted, Evidence — I hear the other Side of the Question — An Interview with Balmaceda — His Views — A Eeview of the Situation — A Sketch of Chilian Society — Chile and British Enterprise — Colonel North and his Mission — Dr. Bussell upon ' Chile and the Nitrate Fields ' — Eealized Prophecy — Eevolutionary Tactics — I arrive at Conclusions — Eight or Wrong ? - CHAPTEE V. THE TEOUBLES OF A SPECIAL COBEESPONDENT.

How to correspond — Telegraph Lines closed — Mails supervised — An Ultimatum to the Government — Pozo al Monte — A Eeview of Government Troops — Opinion in the Provinces — My Lost Child gets into Trouble — Valparaiso — Opinion there — An Expedition against the Eevolted Fleet — A Tempting Offer — I accept — My Fighting Secretary deserts me — And follows in the Footsteps of my Lost Child — Stick v. Bayonet — Political Memoranda — The Times and I — ' Go, but wire Facts only ' — An Interview with Bear- Admiral Hotham — I refuse Good Advice .... CHAPTEE VI. MY FIEST CEUISE WITH THE SQUADE0N. A Difference of Opinion — Practice makes Perfect — The Plan of Operations — A Compromise — En route for Caldera, — We lose our Consorts — Stirring News — Fever on Board — A Warning — The Sinking of the Blanco Encalada — The Quartermaster's Yarn — Valparaiso — Captain Moraga's Account of the Blanco Exploit — ' One Good Turn deserves Another ' — The Eevolutionists try Orsini Tactics — A Chilian Heroine — The Elections CONTENTS IX l'AOE 189 224 CHAPTEE VII.

MY SECOND CRUISE. The Plan of Operations — Troops for Coquimbo — Scenes on Board — Coquimbo — British Naval Station — La Serena — Moraga's Advice to Admiral Hotham — En route for Iquique — Coaling at Sea — I tranship to the Condell — A Contrast — A Desperate Adventure — ' The Last Watch ' — Captain Cook — Moraga the Wolf — Un Mauvais Quart d'Heure — In Iquique Harbour — The Union Jack saves the Eebel Transports — An Alarm — A Difficult Torpedo-shot — Moraga's Dilemma — The Ironclad Cochrane bears down — A Harebrained Exploit — What the Prisoners said and did — Northward to sink the O'Higgins in a Peruvian Port — A Sea- Lawyer — The Huascar and the Magellanes — A Naval Skirmish — Adios — Moraga the Lamb — A Clever Euse — Captain Cook saves us — A Naval Duel declined — We rejoin the Imperial — Bombardment of Iquique — Bombardment of Taltal — An Attack in Boats — Capture of Taltal — A Banquet and a Bill — Coquimbo — Valparaiso ------- CHAPTEE VIII.

MY THIED CEUISE. A Spell Ashore — Chilian News from Abroad — Balmaceda believes in Moral Effect — At Sea once more — A Tempting Bait — A Narrow Escape — Pisagua bombarded — Iquique bombarded — Tocopilla captured — Nitrate-duties for Balmaceda — The British Vice-Consul's Opinion — Antofagasta bombarded — A Deserted Village — Chafiaral — The Condell in Peril — Eeprisals — A Starving Population — Mr. Sherriff's Account — The Imperial becomes an Emigrant Ship — A delayed Telegram — Farewells .•_--- CHAPTEE IX. HOMEWAED BOUND.

How I missed the Liguria — A Hot Ten Minutes — A Friend in Need— Travelling made Easy — A Meeting — Concepcion — Coronel — I catch the Liguria — The Old CONTENTS X PAGE 252 268 Story— Magellan Straits — A Wreck — Monte Video — Eio de Janeiro— Bahia— A Negro Polyglot — Pernarn buco — Lisbon — The Errazuriz — Plymouth — Home , Sweet Home ! - CHAPTEE X. THE TEIUMPH OP THE EEVOLUTION. ' Back from the Grave ' — Smart Paragraphing— News from Chile — The Cumming Incident — The Invasion — A Close Shave — Barbosa the Eash — The Battle of Colmo or Concon — The Attack upon Viria del Mar — Strategy — The Insurgent Army receives Accessions — Balmaceda a Bad Strategist — The Battle of Placilla — Eesults — Sauve qui pent — The Lynch caught Napping — A ' Eevel of Fiends ' — How the Triumph was celebrated in Santiago — Balmaceda vanishes — Seiior Montt and the Bump — ' Convey, the Wise it call ' — A Model Correspondent — Balmaceda's alleged Suicide — Prospects of Future Peace — The Trouble with the United States — How to bring about a Conservative Eeaction — Conclusion - Note on the Chilian Constitution - 310 Appendix A. — The Transandine Kailway - - 315 „ B.— The Value of Torpedoes in Naval Warfare 320 C. — Chilian Characteristics and Customs - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR - FrontUjiiece FUENTA DEL INCA, ON THE ROUTE OF THE TRANSANDINE RAIL- WAY --------- 33 ATTACK ON THE ' COCHRANE ' BT TORrEDO-BOATS - - -75 BOMBARDMENT OF IQUIQUE - - 79 JOSE MANUEL BALMACEDA - - - - 87 REVIEW OF TROOPS AT VALPARAISO - - - 117 THE ARMED CRUISER 'IMPERIAL' - - - - - 133 DON CLAUDIO VICUNA ------- 149 CAPTAIN CARLOS MORAGA - - - - - - 161 A CHILIAN HEROINE - - - - - - - 183 THE TOKrEDO VESSEL ' CONDELL ' - - - - 199 THE ' HUASCAR ' - - - ... - 235 CHILIAN SOLDIERS - - - - 247 AFTER THE BATTLE ------- 285 RUINS IN VALPARAISO ------- CHILE ,>Ko«

Chapter I. Outward

bound. Modern Journalism — A Voyage at Short Notice — The Portugal — My Fellow-Travellers — Discipline v. Gallantry— Dakar — A Moribund King and his Subjects — Eio de Janeiro — Monte Video — Buenos Aires — A Contrast. Perhaps few persons who daily scan the great London journals for foreign intelligence ever pause to reflect upon the marvellous foresight, energy, and expense necessary to produce results which can be purchased by the readers for a few pence. Let them, however, but consider the number and the length of the telegrams, from all parts of the world, published in any ordinary number of, say, the Tim supplemented, as these are, by dc-<:riptivc letters from correspondents, and they will be constrained to admit that modern journalism spares nothing to maintain its position in the vanguard of modern pro gress.

Let but aught of public interest occur in the most distant quarter of the globe, and forthwith > CHLLE 2 an envoy is despatched to inquire into the matter. Thus it fell to the writer's lot, early in the present year, to be selected for service in South America, when the vexed question of Argentine finance and the recent outbreak of civil war in Chile had become topics of considerable interest to English readers. My orders were clear and concise. I Avas to get to Buenos Aires as quickly as pos sible, and I was to report upon what I saw to the best of my judgment. A few inquiries made it plain that the first steamer would leave Bor deaux upon the 4th of February ; and within twenty-four hours of receiving my instructions I had bidden farewell to my friends, and was en route for Paris. There I had but barely time for an interview with General Mitre, the popular candidate for the presidency of Argen tina, to telegraph the results of the said inter view to the Times, and to catch the night mail for Bordeaux.

I had even less time to spare here, for I arrive^at 8 a.m., and the Messageries Maritimes steamer^Portugal, lying some thirty miles down the Garonne, was due to sail two hours later. I followed the mail-bags, well know ing ifeat she could not start until they were aboard, wa^ politely accommodated upon the mail-tender, and got safely on deck at least ten minutes before the good ship steamed away from La Belle France. A fine boat of 4,500 tons is this same Portugal, and fairly well up to date in the matter of speed. By the captain and his officers I was treated from the first, and throughout the voyage, with the most marked courtesy, the commissaire making himself especially amiable in the important matters of a most comfortable cabin (all to myself) and a seat of honour at table. Doubtless the facts that I was the only Englishman on board, and special correspondent du grand journal Anglais, com bined to secure for me all these attentions, of which I shall always have the most pleasant recollections.

Fortunately, French is almost as familiar to me as my mother -tongue, so that within a very few hours I felt thoroughly chez moi. Life on board an ocean-going steamer has been described so often and so well, by far cleverer pens than mine, that I need not dwell at any great length upon this portion of my late ex periences. A few points of comparison between English and French mail services may, however, be of interest to intending travellers. Nor can I wholly overlook my fellow-passengers. As regards accommodation, attendance, manage ment generally, there is little, or nothing, to choose between the two — both are as good as can reasonably be expected. With respect to the important (to many persons the all-important) subject of the cuisine, the sys tems differ widely — in accordance, of course, with national usage.

Upon the English vessels three solid meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are pro vided, whereas their French rivals, condensing breakfast and lunch into one repast, supply but two. People, as a rule, eat a great deal too much on board ship, where the opportunities for exercise are so limited, and the temptations to lie down, or sit, so great. And, for this reason, the French plan is probably the better. Again, the French dishes are far daintier and lighter than their Eng lish equivalents, and consequently better suited to most stomachs at sea. But in one noteworthy particular the English regulations show to distinct advantage : separation of the second-class from the first-class passengers. Upon the Portugal both classes had equal access to the promenade deck, and as we had the misfor tune to carry a troup of theatrical artistes, male and female, bound for Rio de Janeiro, the presence of certain members of the band, travelling second class, was a very distinct nuisance.

So intolerable, in fact, did the noisy, and at times indecorous, behaviour of these young women become, that even the commissaire's sense of gallantry gave way. After several ineffectual warnings, he had no alter native but to relegate the most obstreperous fair ones to confinement in their cabins ; after which there was a marked improvement in the behaviour of those still left at large. The directors of the Messageries Maritimes would do well to rectify this serious defect in their otherwise excellently conducted service. It is at present a very distinct obstacle in the way of securing the patronage of English travellers who do not believe in liberty, fraternity, equality — and least of all on board ship. A few pleasant companions are essential to one's existence at sea ; and it so chanced that a trio of foreign financiers needed a fourth to make up that best of all evening pastimes, whist.

Into this little set I at once dropped, and we contrived to sustain each other's spirits admirably up to the very end of the voyage. One never-failing source of amusement lay in the masher-like propensities of the eldest of the trio. Monsieur P , a gentleman of considerable means, had brought his confidential valet with him, and (there being nothing else to do) made it a point to change his attire at least half-a-dozen times in the course of the day. How many suits he had brought with him was a problem we others at tempted in vain to solve. Day after clay the changes went on, and, apparently, the same suit never did duty twice. To me, who affect flannels until dinner-time in warm latitudes, there was something almost fascinating in these chameleon like mutations. You might be pacing the deck discussing the latest phase of the Baring failure with Monsieur P , clothed in some rare shade of gray.

An idea would suddenly strike him. ' You would excuse him for a little moment ?' And in an incredibly short space of time he would reappear clad in immaculate white. Yet if, an hour later, you discerned a blue velveteen coat in the saloon, you would discover the owner of that coat, carefully preparing an absinthe, to be Mon sieur P . Of jewellery, also, he had enough to stock an average shop, and rang in the changes with equal originality and effect. No vulgarity about the man. Having an extraordinary taste for dress, and the means of gratifying it, he clearly humoured his fancy for his own satisfaction. Un fortunately, there were no young ladies on board, with the exception of the artistes already referred to, and of these Monsieur P had an utter abhorrence. His only rival was a young Peruvian aristocrat — a charming boy enough ; but, in the matter of permutations and combinations, Mon sieur P was master of the situation.

I have even seen his youthful competitor wearing the same striped jacket two days running, rather than do which Monsieur P would, I am persuaded, have retired permanently to his berth. Early upon the morning of February 8th the Portugal anchored off Lisbon, and, there being ample time, most of us went ashore. But beyond an excellent breakfast at the Braganza Hotel with the local agent of the Times, the visit to the Por tuguese capital scarcely repaid the trouble of landing. Upon the 12th we reached Dakar, one of the few French possessions upon the West Coast of Africa. It does not impress the visitor as a very flourishing township, although the harbour is a fairly good one and the outlet, as we were informed, for a considerable amount of inland trade. The market - square presented a lively enough scene, a perfect babel of uncouth cries proclaiming the excellence of the very uninviting looking beef and evil-smelling fish offered for sale by the gaudily-attired native women.

There are a few stores, nearly all kept by Frenchmen ; some fairly commodious barracks, and a neglected looking post-office, in telegraphic communication with Europe. But by far the most attractive sight is a neatly-planned boulevard, well worthy of a more imposing settlement. Dakar boasts (or then boasted) a 'King,' the most decayed specimen of monarchy I ever saw, with, perhaps, the excep tion of the Port Moresby sovereign, Boe-Vagi. His Dakar majesty's name I do not remember, nor can I find it amongst my jottings ; but this can scarcely be deemed an irreparable loss to contem porary history. It would seem to be the general custom of European Powers, when a slice of uncivilized territory is annexed, to pension off the heretofore reigning chieftain and allow him to retain the shadow of his former authority ; and it is, at least, a more decent policy than the old Spanish system of extirpation.

The pension allowed to the titual ' Roi de Dakar ' would appear to be inadequate, since a small present of money is greedily accepted at the close of an ' audience.' It does not seem to be in the fitness of things that a nominal monarch, although he be but a deposed savage, should be reduced to gleefully pouching a couple of francs backsheesh. Our Dakar royalty had evidently not long to live, and we understood that, upon his death, the ' King ' farce would be discontinued, he being the last of his line. Mean while his nominal subjects treat him with a certain amount of rough respect and kindness, making him presents of fish and vegetables, and occasionally enlivening the monotony of Court life by creating a fearful din, which is the local equivalent for a concert. The King speaks a few words of French, an accomplishment of which he is justly vain, and his guttural ' Merci, monsieur !' (accompanied by an outstretched palm) would extract largesse from the most penurious of visitors.

The men are remarkable for length of limb and leanness, in strong contrast to the women, who are extremely obese, short, and, it must be said, abominably ugly — which is, doubtless, one reason why garrison life at Dakar is regarded with such disfavour in the French service. The voyage to Rio de Janeiro, which we reached upon the 21st, was uneventful: a monotonous existence made tolerable by tobacco, iced drinks, scandal, and an occasional concert wherein our noisy artistes showed to better advantage. Our stay at Rio was but brief, and quarantine considerations forbade our landing. But here our theatrical nuisances left us, and, I hope, had a good time and full houses, for Rio just then was ' booming.' My diary up to the 26th is a complete blank, and for that date contains the bare entry: 'Arrived at Monte Video.' Here, however, we had ample time to land, and, as it happened, to stay one night ashore.

There is always a certain pleasure in playing cicerone, and, being here thoroughly at home, I experienced considerable satisfaction in introducing my newly-made friends to the prettiest town in South America. That, beyond all dispute, Monte Video emphatically is. Picturesquely situated upon the northern bank of the huge estuary geogra phically known as the River Plate (how reconcile one's idea of a river with a width of one hundred and twenty miles ?) ; laid out upon a plan which admirably harmonizes the cuadra system of Madrid with the Parisian boulevard ; adorned with me morial statues and fountains which are veritable chefs-d'oeuvre ; boasting of streets full of shops which, whether in the matter of appearance or of clearness, are very good seconds to Regent Street or the Rue de Rivoli ; admirably supplied as to hotel, police, and cab service ; essentially clean and well drained, and the centre of a flower and fruit province : what more can one reasonably ask for ?

Anyhow, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and unanimously voted Monte Video charming. It was possible to gain a few hours by tran shipping to one of the river-boats which ply to and from Buenos Aires. But inasmuch as transhipping one's baggage is a distinct bore and the saving in time trivial, most of us decided to proceed next day with the Portugal. And in due course the big ship ploughed her way across the shallow river, and we dropped anchor off Buenos Aires. I had left the Argentine capital but six months before, soon, indeed, after the short but bloody revolution of July. Matters had then been in a bad way ; but with the fall of President Celman it had seemed probable that a change for the better would take place. The victorious Union Civica had set itself, or, perhaps more accurately, had promised to set itself, to the tasks of economy and reform ; and including, as it did, amongst its leaders men of known ability and integrity, there really appeared to be grounds for hope.

But, alas ! these sanguine expectations had been based upon the assumption that the foreign creditor would be forbearing, and allow the distracted Re public time to reorganize its chaotic finances ; nor had the nature of the Stock Exchange ' bear ' been sufficiently taken into account. Of course, so long as money-markets exist, the warfare be tween ' bears ' and ' bulls ' will endure, since it must ever be the object of the speculative buyer of stocks to buy cheap, and that of the specula tive holder to sell dear. But, surely, below a certain point it is little short of insanity to pro long ' bearing ' tactics, lest securities should become absolutely worthless, and the entire game collapse for want of material to work upon. Yet this is what has actually, over and over again, occurred, and stocks, by no means intrinsically valueless, have been ' beared ' into an everlasting moratorium.

And this is also what occurred with respect to Argentine securities. In vain did the ' bulls,' having, upon this occasion at least, common-sense and logic upon their side, endeavour to stem the downward current ; in vain did some of the leading financial newspapers (and notably the World in its money columns) counsel moderation and patience. The ' bears ' were masters of the situation ; they held the knife at the throat of Argentine credit, and they slashed away ruth lessly. They scouted the proposals made by the reformed Argentine Administration as mere devices to put off an inevitable crash ; yet better pro posals it was not possible to offer, with any reason able prospect of fulfilment. Paper-bonds, gold bonds, cedulas, were proclaimed from the house tops to be mere waste-paper, and a panic-stricken public believed the tale.

As a natural result Argentine securities became practically unsaleable, and any further loans an impossibility. The great house of Baring, holding these and kindred securities to the extent of a score of millions of pounds sterling, found it hopeless to unload in the face of a closed market, tottered, and would have fallen, with a crash which would have shaken the com mercial world, but for the timely intervention of the Bank of England and its associates. Now, evidently, were the ' bear ' gospel correct and Argentine securities worthless, no such interven tion would have taken place. The mere fact that it did take })lace afforded proof positive that, in the estimation of the highest authorities upon finance in England, the securities were intrinsically good, even though time might be needed to realize upon them ; which was precisely the argument advanced throughout by the World, and a few of its clearest-headed contemporaries.

With these considerations clearly before me, I was not surprised to find the general condition of affairs in Buenos Aires worse upon the last day of February (when we landed) than it had been six months before. Trade practically at a standstill ; shops, by the hundred, closed, or plastered with selling-off advertisements ; the streets swarming with beggars ; the erstwhile pandemonium -like Bolsa, a mere gossiping resort for seedy-looking brokers ; the native banks degenerated into vulgar pawn-offices, and their foreign rivals intent only upon raking in outstanding liabilities ; the best hotels deserted, and places of amusement unable to open their doors : all these, and countless other, ' signs of the times ' spoke but too plainly of wide spread insolvency. And when I mentally compared the Buenos Aires of 1891 with its proto type a few short years ago, my heart saddened to witness the change that had come to pass.

Then, nay, but two years ago, the Argentine metro polis was one of the liveliest, gayest, cheeriest towns in the world. Could this out-at-elbows look ing place be the same Buenos Aires which had formerly eclipsed Paris in the brilliancy of its nocturnal illuminations? Was this nowclosed theatre the same that had re-echoed to Patti's wondrous voice at a profit — to the diva — of one thousand pounds a night ? And where were the countless luxurious equipages, horsed by high stepping English bays or Russian blacks, that used to throng the route to Palermo Park ? Gone, all gone ! gone like the money (or the credit) which procured them ; gone like the hopes of foreign bondholders, who had supplied the money or given the credit ; gone (as I was credibly informed) temporarily to Rio de Janeiro, where a great ' boom ' had arisen, and where, no doubt, a still greater crash will, in the fulness of time, eventuate. But, ah me, poor Buenos Aires !

Chapter II. Argentina

An Interview with President Pellegrini — The Man with the Iron Mask — British Preponderance — A Good Time — I form an Opinion upon the Argentine Situation—' Go on to Chile ' — Pellegrini's Opinion of Balmaceda — Sensational Telegrams — The Andes reported infested by Bandits — I engage a Fighting Secretary — And take a Frenchman under my Wing. Mindful of the fact that Argentina and its affairs lay primarily within the scope of my mission, I worked hard for the next few days endeavouring to obtain clear ideas as to the actual situation — a task materially lightened as well by the very nature of that mission itself, as by the numerous letters of introduction with which I had come provided. Local English opinion was well-nigh unanimous : the country itself was sound and progressive enough ; all that was needed was time and confi dence in the future.

This sounded a very old story to one so long familiar with the country, but it faithfully reflected local British belief, and was therefore entitled to some credence. Moreover, the reports from the provinces had been encouraging ; good seasons and abundant harvests seemed to be ARGENTINA 15 the order of the day. But an interval, possibly a long interval, must necessarily elapse before metro politan trade could be expected to revive under the beneficial effects of these agricultural blessings. And hence Buenos Aires would probably remain commercially stagnant for some time to come. Upon the whole, this appeared to be a not unrea sonable forecast — provided always that Government could be relied upon to persevere in the paths of rectitude. I had many interviews with Ministers, and especially with the Finance Minister, Senor Lopez (whose clever son, Dr. Lucio V. Lopez, appeared to perform most of his father's duties, by the way), and so far as reports, statistics, and apparent candid statement of facts could carry conviction, there seemed to be no room for doubt that the exhausted exchequer was being nursed to the best advantage.

Nor can I here omit to acknowledge my indebted ness to the courteous kindness of Mr. H. Chevallier Boutell, manager of the River Plate Trust Loan Company, who was indefatigable in his efforts to pro cure for me the best and most reliable information. I paid my first visit to the President in company with Senor Lopez, who very judiciously selected the ' four o'clock tea ' leisure-hour for the purpose. (It may be parenthetically noted that afternoon tea has become even more firmly established an institu tion in South American upper circles than in England.) Dr. Pellegrini, a tall, well-built, intel lectual-looking man, somewhere about fifty years of DARK DAYS LN CHLLE age, received me with great cordiality, introduced me to such of his guests as I did not already know, and proceeded straight to business.

He untwisted me very neatly as to London opinion upon a vast variety of points, every now and then glancing to wards General Roca (then Minister of the Interior), as though for approval or inspiration. The gallant General's face is the most illegible countenance I have ever beheld : deadwhite in colour, rigid as though carved in marble — a face which affords absolutely no clue as to what is passing through the brain ; a face such as Napoleon's may have been in his most baffling moods. Only at rare in tervals did a movement of an eye-lid, or the ghost of a smile upon the firm-set lips, indicate his apprecia tion of some point scored by his more voluble chief. For physiognomical purposes his features might as well be hidden altogether, and I mentally dubbed him ' the Man with the Iron Mask.' It speedily became apparent that the proposed positions were being reversed — that the interviewer was being converted into the interviewed.