Letter I.
Lima, 26th May, 1844.
Reverend and Dear Father Provincial :
Some time ago I wrote to you from Valparaiso; I now write from Peru. We arrived here the 11th inst., after a short and happy voyage from Chili. The distance is about 500 leagues (1500 miles). The ocean, appropriately called Pacific, was smooth and tranquil; the wind was favorable, not the slightest accident has troubled our minds during the passage; without taking in any of the sails which were unfurled at Valparaiso, and without deviating a single line from its course, our ship reached the road of Callao, which is about two leagues from Lima. On the day of our arrival I offered up the holy sacrifice, during which was sung the Te Deum to render thanks to the Lord for the signal favor which he had bestowed upon us. From Valparaiso I have sent your reverence a circumstantial account of our long voyage to this place from the mouth of the Scheld. As my letter may not have reached you, I Shall here repeat the substance.
On the 9th January we prepared to leave the Scheld with an eastern wind, for which we had waited twenty-eight days and to enter the North Sea. Early in the morning two masses were celebrated on board. All was animation around us. Several other ships made preparation to leave, and the air resounded with the naval songs of the sailors, who in their respective tongues bade farewell to the road of Ramnekens. One of the ships, commanded by Capt. De Cock and crowded with German emigrants for Texas, was carried forward by the force of the wind and current, and struck the stern of ours. The cries of distress uttered by the passengers responded to the crushing of the timbers. Both ships sustained some injury, but all ended in reproaches and expostulations between the pilots. We were more frightened than injured. At 3 o’clock P.M. we put to sea. When opposite Flushing, Mother Constantine, Superior-general of the Ladies of Notre Dame, and the Superior of the houses of Namur and Ghent, took leave of their Sisters (all were in tears), and were put ashore. Like a noble steed impatient of restraint, the Indefatigable sprang forward, bounding over the limpid deep. We soon beheld another scene. Neptune exacted his tribute. Each passenger offered his libation to the implacable deity. The night was dark and stormy; the wind unfavourable. After passing Calais, we were in danger of being thrown on the coast of France. On the 13th we were in de neighborhood of Plymouth, and on the following day we entered the broad Atlantic. On the 20th we were in sight of the island of Madeira. The next day we had a calm,- the sea was as smooth as a mirror; the thermometer indicated nineteen degrees of heat (seventy-five of Fahrenheit). During the calm we received a visit from a neighboring ship. Five men approached us in a boat. We invited them to come on deck. They refused, alleging that, as they were bound for Marseilles, they would be subjected to the quarantine, unless they could declare on oath that they had not been on board of any vessel during the voyage. The steersman informed us that he had been captain of the French ship La Félicité, which had been wrecked on the African coast, and that the Ant (the ship that lay near us) had taken him and his crew on board. After ascertaining our longitude and asking some questions about France, they took charge of some letters and left us. On Sunday, 28th, the sea was so much agitated that we could not celebrate. On such occasions all received the holy communion. On the preceding Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we had the happiness of offering up the holy sacrifice. It was also our custom to sing vespers on deck in the evening.
On the 1st of February we came in sight of St. Antony, one of the Cape Verd Islands. On the following day, the Feast of the Purification, we assembled at nine o’clock P.M. to sing canticles and the litany in honor of the Blessed Virgin. Never, perhaps, have the Atlantic and Pacific oceans resounded as long and regularly with the praises of this kind Mother, who is our hope and consolation in the dangers to which we are exposed.
“We felt how she can calm impart,
Who, though in heaven’s supremest place,
Bears-as on earth-a Mother’s heart,
We hoped that she would guard us-she,
Bright Mother of Him who walk’d the sea.”
On the 6th and 7th we had another calm, and the thermometer stood at thirty-five degrees (eighty-eight of Fahrenheit). It did not rise higher on the Atlantic, though I feared that under the line we would have had to suffer much from the heat. On the 10th we had ten vessels in sight. On the 13th, about eight o’clock P.M., we had a slight breeze, which brought a Dutch vessel near us. They approached us with the sound of music, and the soldiers on board sang military songs, which formed a strange contrast with the litanies of the Blessed Virgin which we were singing at the time. We hailed each other : “From Rotterdam to Batavia,” was answered by “From Antwerp to Valparaiso.” On the 14th we were near the line. At night the sailors gave three shouts in honor of Neptune. A tar-barrel was kindled and called Neptune’s fire. Soon after a gruff voice was heard from the mainmast, asking, “Captain, how many passengers have you ?” “Twelve,” was the answer. “Well, let them be prepared,- I am Neptune’s envoy; to-morrow he will come in person to administer baptism to them.” On the following morning a shout was raised : “Neptune ! Neptune !!” We accompanied the captain on deck to pay homage to his marine majesty and his court. We found the sea-god accoutred in such a manner that any one would have supposed that he had undertaken to personate Pluto. His courtiers vied with him in grotesque apparel. They were all over besmeared with tar. The pretended deity began by promising the captain a prosperous voyage; after which, turning to me, he requested me to submit to the operation of the razor. A superior of the passengers, I promised to treat for all. He insisted upon shaving us first. A spirited dialogue took place between us. At last he told me in a whisper that he would do the thing decently, and begged me not to deprive the sailors of their only fun. I submitted. His basin was a tub, his napkin a piece of sailcloth, and a hand-brush and wooden sword completed his implements. As son as I had gone through the operation, I withdrew, knowing what was to follow. My companions were called one after another to the barber’s stool. On a signal given, Neptune commanded baptism, and a deluge of water came down on my poor companions. The Sisters who were exempted from passing through the ceremony, enjoyed the laughable scene. Next came a sea-fight between the sailors. All the buckets were put in requisition, and were filled and emptied with astonishing dexterity. At length, exhausted with fatigue, all retired. After some time they reappeared in their best clothes, and played all sorts of antics. The whole terminated with an extra supper, and a donation to the sailors. On the 1st of March we had three vessels in sight, and at night we beheld a meteor of a most beautiful appearance. For a considerable time we had opportunities to admire the three nebulae of Magellan. Two of them are luminous, the third is dark. They seem to be at a distance of thirty degrees from each other; their undefined forms have about five degrees diameter. Their height on the southern horizon varies in proportion as the latitude increases towards the Antartic pole. On the 3d the thunder rolled in all directions, and at night a violent hailstorm burst from the clouds. Nothing remarkable occurred till the 16th, when we came in sight of the Falkland Isles.
Three days after we found ourselves close to the South Shetland Isles. During the night of the 20th two large icebergs floated by us; they appeared about a hundred feet above the surface of the sea. Soon after we saw the volcanic rock called Greenock, and the rocky islands of San Ildefonso and San Diego. A few days after we were overtaken by a violent tempest which tore our sails, and our ship became the sport of the wind and waves. Scarcely did we begin to breathe when we were subjected to still greater trial. A strong gale arose and drove us directly towards the land, which soon appeared to our view. The danger was imminent. The ship had become unmanageable. All on deck, in breathless expectation, had their eyes fixed on the frightful rocks that line the Patagonian coast. We awaited in silence the accomplishment of the designs of Divine Providence. I hastened down to the cabin to warn the Sisters of the danger, and to offer them the help of my ministry. They were engaged in imploring the protection of Heaven through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. You will naturally suppose that on my intimation of the danger, they gave vent to their feelings in lamentations and cries of distress. Quite the reverse. With a smile on their lips, and with that unalterable peace of mind which proceeds from a pure conscience and a heart inflamed with the love of God, they replied that they were not alarmed, and that they abandoned themselves to the will of God. I returned to the deck. The wind suddenly changed and wafted us away from the land. On the 2d of April we steered towards the coast, and on the next day we were near the Peninsula of the Tree Mountains. On the following Sunday, 7th of April, being the feast of Easter, the motion of the ship was so considerable that I ordered the altar to be transported to a private cabin, where, with the assistance of one of the Fathers, I celebrated the holy mysteries. All received the holy communion on that occasion. On the 8th and 9th we coasted along the shores of Chili, and after passing the dangerous rocks of Maca, we entered the port of Valparaiso on the 12th, about five o’clock, P.M.
We remained on board till the following day. The city presented a most picturesque appearance. Built on a range of hills, it presents the form of a semicircular amphitheatre along the coast. The sight was gratifying to us, who had been for more than three months confined to the ship, and had beheld nothing but sky and water, with the exception of an few barren coasts and frightful rocks. Early the next day I repaired to the city to look out for lodgings for our company. I soon returned with the welcome news that several Jesuits were assembled in Valparaiso, where they had been convened to make a spiritual retreat, and that a community of French ladies, belonging to the Order of Picpus, invited the ladies of Notre Dame to the lodge of their house. Great was the joy with which all hastened to tread the American soil, and still greater the joy with which we were welcomed to our respective lodgings. Nothing could exceed the kindness and attention that were bestowed on us all. The Fathers of the Order of Picpus have also an establishment here; for several years they have had a school, and they render great services to religion.
On Tuesday, the 16th, I set out for Santiago, the capital of Chili, in company with the Reverend Fathers Gomila, Superior of the Missions, and Landan. We had two carriages, and each carriage had two horses, one mounted by the postillion; another conductor, on horseback, aided us in the steepest places. Four spare horses followed or preceded us without rope or bridle, and never strayed from the carriages, though the distance between Valparaiso and Santiago is more than ninety miles. A part of the way resembles that of Mount Simplon, and is much frequented. We passed a large number of wagons with teams of six or eight oxen, several other vehicles, and droves of horses, mules and asses, all loaded with merchandise. We crossed two ridges of mountains that are linked to the Cordilleras. The two principal passes, remarkable for their height, are called Cerra-Puerto and Questa de Zapato. We lodged at a little village called Cura-cavi. The general aspect of the country between the two cities bears some resemblance to that of the Rocky Mountains, but the soil is extremely barren. On the following day we crossed the second ridge by the pass da Prado, and the torrent of the same name, which was forded, for bridges are almost unknown in this country. It seldom rains in Chili, and when the torrents are swollen by the melting of the snows or the heavy rains, the communication is interrupted for a few days. About noon we arrived at the mansion of Señior Ruiz-Tagle, on of the richest proprietors of the Chilean Republic. He received and treated us with the greatest cordiality. In the evening he took us to the city in his own carriage, which he left at our disposal.
The city of Santiago is situated in a delightful valley, at the foot of the Mapocho Mountains, 33° 35’ southern latitude and 73° 4’ longitude west from the meridian of Paris, 2410 Spanish feet above the level of the sea. It was founded by Don Pedro de Valdivia, in 1541. Its stately edifices, its public establishments, and its commerce and population, amounting to more than 100,000 souls, and still daily increasing, make it one of the principal cities of South America. It is surrounded by mountains that are called the crown of Santiago. Beyond them are seen the summits of the Andes covered with eternal snows. The streets of the city are large and straight. The vast public square is adorned with a beautiful fountain, representing the statue of Liberty crowning another statue that represents the country. The principal edifices are the governor’s palace, the mint, the archiepiscopal palace, the stately cathedral (not yet completed), the church of the Jesuits, and their college, which now belongs to the city. There are, besides these, ten other churches that are sufficiently handsome and capacious. Before the suppression, we had here four houses of the Society. At present there are two convents of Dominicans, two of Augustinians, three Franciscans, and two of the Order for the Redemption of Captives. There are also eight monasteries of religious ladies. The ladies of Picpus are the only ones that keep a boarding-school , conducted on the same principles as that of Valparaiso. They give a finished education to the young ladies belonging to the first families of the country, and they give gratuitous instruction to about three hundred children of the inferior classes. The people seem to be gifted with an excellent character and happy disposition, and are warmly attached to the religion of their forefathers. The government prospers under the shadow of peace, and the wisdom of a well-conducted administration. It extends its solicitude to the Araucanians, a savage tribe beyond the river Bobio to the south, and bordering on the country of the Patagonians. Preparations are being made to carry the light of faith to those tribes which have been so ling left in the darkness, but show the most favorable dispositions to correspond to the zeal of the missionaries whom it will please Divine Providence to send to them.
Valparaiso, by its commerce and population, about 40.000 souls, is the next largest city of Chili. Here as in Santiago, the buildings are of brick and but one story high, as earthquakes are frequent and violent in this country. The poor, who are very numerous, live in huts made of straw or boughs of trees. The interiors of the houses of the rich vie with the most splendid mansions of the European nobility. You are acquainted with the topography of this republic, which, on account of the beauty of the sky, the temperature of its climate, and the general fertility of its soil, is considered one of the most delightful countries in the world. The spring commences in Septembers, summer in December, winter in June, and autumn in March. From the commencement of spring till the middle of autumn, the heavens are ever serene. The rains begin to fall towards the end of April, and often last till the middle of September. In the province of Coquimbo it rains but twice or trice a year, and this only for a few hours. In the provinces of Santiago, Aconcaña, and Colcha, rain generally lasts three days, and is then succeeded by twelve or fifteen days of fine weather. The rains are more copious in proportion as we advance further south towards the Isle of Chiloe. The want of rain in the north is supplied by heavy dews which fall during the dry seasons. The temperature, which varies according to the seasons, is generally favorable to health.
On the 3d of May we left the port of Valparaiso with a favorable wind, and, as I have already mentioned, in eight days we reached the harbor of Lima. The city is seen from the roads, and also the town of Callao, situated on the coast, about two leagues from the capital. Father Gomila had offered to accompany us from Valparaiso and to act as interpreter, for he speaks Spanish and French, and with him I repaired to the city to find suitable lodgings for our company, who were to follow us on the succeeding day. The people of the city, which is very extensive, and contains a population of 40,000 souls, were soon apprised of the arrival of Jesuits. They came in crowds to kiss our hands. A respectful old gentleman exclaimed, “O Fathers, how happy I am to see my wishes accomplished ! You are the first Jesuits who set foot in my country since the suppression of your order. May God be praised ! Still happier would I be were you to remain among us.” We went to lodge at the house of a zealous priest named Mateo Aguilar. On the following day we paid our respects to the bishop (Lunapizarro), who has been presented to the Roman court as successor to the late archbishop. He received us with great affection, and spoke in terms of praise and esteem of our Society. We also visited the principal churches and establishments of the city, after which we prepared to return to Callao. The omnibus, with five horses, which I had hired to convey us from the port of Lima, was by some accident detained nearly half an hour. The people came from all quarters to see us, and the carriage was soon surrounded by a numerous crowd. Mothers, and among them ladies of distinction, pressed through the crowd, held up their children, kissed the hands and veils of the Sisters, and conjured them to remain and establish themselves in the city. The men, too, showed us the greatest respect. The same regard and affection were manifested along the road. The people were prompted to act in this manner by the conviction that the education of youth is neglected in their country, and they severely feel the want of it. When the Sisters arrived in Lima, they took up their lodgings at an old Carmelite convent, now converted into an orphan asylum. The crowd poured into the building after them. For four or five days they received visits from morning till night. The most respectable families came with their interpreters, and vied with each other in showing them marks of kindness and affection. They were obliged to accept three carriages, in which, accompanied by the principal ladies of the city, they visited the churches and other establishments. When they alighted at any place, the people crowded around them, even in the churches, to kiss their hands, their heads, and veils. The humble Sisters received this homage with reluctance, but they were to them a heartfelt consolation; and who knows they whether they may not prove instrumental in the designs of Providence to obtain the object of this kind-hearted people ? There is not a single order in this city that devotes its labours to teach the inferior classes. Hence their want and desire of instruction. I went with my companions to lodge at the former college of the Society, called St. Paul’s, where we all occupied the same room. The establishment is very extensive, covering one of the square blocks of the city, and is divided into four square buildings, each having an area in the middle, and supported by a double colonnade. The roof is flat, as are all the roofs of all the churches and houses in Lima, for here it never rains. At a distance the city with its numerous domes presents a beautiful prospect, but when we enter it all the buildings, apparently without roofs, give it the appearance of a city in ruins. The streets are drawn at right angles and paved with round stones. They are crossed by large sewers that carry the filth to the river Limac, which divides the capital. One of the great curiosities of Lima is the fruit-market, by the abundance and variety of tropical productions. There are seventy-two churches within the precincts of the city, including those of religious orders, which are numerous. The cathedral, whose architecture is of the 16th century, is a magnificent pile. It fronts the large public square, on which is also built their archiepiscopal palace. The other sides of the square are adorned with rich stores and colonnades. The main altar of the cathedral is a splendid peace of workmanship. It consists of three rows of columns supporting one another, and plated and ornamented with silver.
Peru ! Land of gold and silver, with its fertile and beautiful soil, and its temperate and healthy climate, once the terrestrial paradise of South America, now is the poorest and most wretched region : thy commerce languishes; the education of thy children is neglected; the officers of thy venal army fly from standard to standard; the ambition and faithlessness of thy leaders have exhausted thy treasury; thy chiefs, destitute of patriotism, seek their own aggrandizement, and oppress thy people;- such is the state of things in Peru at present, and it is feared the worst is still to come.
To-day (16th May, Feast of Pentecost) we shall leave Callao to continue our voyage. We expect to arrive at Fort Vancouver, on the Columbia, forty days, and shortly to embrace the Fathers sent from Missouri. I shall write again to acquaint you with whatever relates to me and my companions. Remember me most affectionately to the Bishop and his clergy, and to all the Fathers, Scholastics and Brothers of the province as if named, and believe me to be with great respect and esteem,
Very Reverend and Dear Father Provincial,
Your most humble, obedient Son in Jesus Christ,
P.J. De Smet, S. J.