Page:Tupper family records - 1835.djvu/76

 54 MEMOIR OF COLONEL TUPPER.

two years afterwards, in allusion to some remarks relative to the Chile troops, as follow : — " The obser- vations in F 's letters, respecting our troops, are

not at all just ; the Chile soldiers are as fine a class of men as I have ever seen, extremely brave and very capable of fatigue, indeed to a degree of which your English soldiers have no idea. Moreover, they are

very robust, and so contrary to what F supposes,

we have not a single black in the regiment. The dis- cipline is tolerable now, and the clothing is superior to any I have seen in Spain. I perhaps speak passion- ately, as I dote on all my brave fellows, particularly on my old company of grenadiers, with the fondness of a brother ; the feelings of absolute adoration with which they regard me, and of which so many have given me such melancholy proofs, are surely sufficient to draw my heart towards them. I wish you could see my gallant servant as he now stands before me, — his dark and sparkling eye intently fixed on my countenance, his sun-burnt visage, his black musta- choes, and his athletic figure, altogether forming as fine a soldier as can well be seen."

Early in the year 1825 Major Tupper expressed an anxious wish to obtain an appointment in one of the British mining associations, which at that period were established in Chile, and, as his letter on the subject contains other information, we extract the following particulars : —

"Santiago, 25th May, 1825. — Military services are here no longer required, and foreign officers are therefore looked upon as a burthen, which, sooner or later, must be shaken off. A feeling of envy attends us, which renders our situation extremely galling to every man of honour ; and some of my companions

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