Two of our horses having cast their shoes, Malcolm and Jose walked them round to the blacksmith’s shop, where, after their losses were repaired, a stock of shoes, nails, etc., were to be laid in for future contingencies.  McPhail and our Spanish friend undertook at the same time to purchase a ten days’ supply of provisions for us, and Bradley agreed to look about the Fort and see if he could meet with another servant.  In this errand, I am sorry to say, he was not successful.

While these several commissions were executing, the Captain returned and walked with me through the Fort.  On our way he pointed out the guard-house, the Indian soldiers attached to which had deserted to the mines almost to a man; the woollen factory, with some thirty women still at work; the distillery house, where the famous pisco is made; and the blacksmiths’ and wheelwrights’ shops, with more work before them than the few mechanics left will be able to get through in a month.  Yet all these men talked of starting off to the diggings in a day or two.  The Captain told me he had only been able to keep them by greatly increased pay, and by an almost unlimited allowance of pisco and whisky.

It was not easy to pick our way through the crowds of strange people who were moving backwards and forwards in every direction.  Carts were passing to and fro; groups of Indians squatting on their haunches were chattering together, and displaying to one another the flaring red and yellow handkerchiefs, the scarlet blankets, and muskets of the most worthless Brummagem make, for which they had been exchanging their bits of gold, while their squaws looked on with the most perfect indifference.  I saw one chief, who had gone for thirty years with no other covering than a rag to hide his nakedness, endeavouring to thrust his legs into a pair of sailor’s canvas trousers with very indifferent success.

Inside the stores the bustle and noise were oven greater.  Some half-a-dozen sharp-visaged Yankees, in straw hats and loose frocks, were driving hard bargains for dollars with the crowds of customers who were continually pouring in to barter a portion of their stock of gold for coffee and tobacco, breadstuff, brandy, and bowie-knives:  of spades and mattocks there were none to be had.  In one corner, at a railed-off desk, a quick-eyed old man was busily engaged, with weights and scales, setting his own value on the lumps of golden ore or the bags of dust which were being handed over to him, and in exchange for which he told out the estimated quantity of dollars.  Those dollars quickly returned to the original deposit, in payment for goods bought at the other end of the store.