Page:A history of Chile.djvu/130

 ii8 A HISTORY OF CHILE in the Araucanian style, and on the frontiers, spoke both the Indian and the Spanish languages. In the Chilean cities, Lima prescribed the fashions for the women and France for the men ; but the country peo- ple adhered to primitive customs and manner of dress. At the close of the last century, the Chilean people of wealth were fond of display. San Martin, when he had styled himself the Protector of Peru, imitated all the ways of the European courts, though professing to found a republic ; so also the wealthy families of Chile made a splendid display in dress, servants, coaches and titles. A few of the leading citizens obtained high titles in Spain — Don Fernando Irrazabal was made Marquis of Valparaiso, Don Fermin Caravajal, became Duke of San Carlos, Don Juan Covarrubias was given the title of Marquis of Covarrubias, Don Ambrosio O' Higgins, formerly of Ireland, became Marquis of Osorno and Baron of Ballenar. The South American republics had their Virginia blue-bloods and imitated Spain as the United States imitated England in the pre-revolutionary days. In 1766 smallpox had been introduced into the pro- vince of Maule, and cow's milk was resorted to as a remedy. This disease, as we have seen, had once nearly depopulated the Araucanian territories. If we may credit legendary accounts the plague had several times, in preceding centuries, spread its terrible rav- ages among the Inca nations at Cuzco, so that it may have been known on the Pacific coast before the advent of the Spaniards. It was not until the time of Gov- ernor Guzman, in the first part of the nineteenth cen- tury, that vaccination was introduced into Chile by Doctor Grasales. At this time Chile was divided into two dioceses, Santiago and Concepcion. Valdivia had first intro-