They supported themselves on the produce of a garden and a little field, but were very poor.

Capital is here so deficient that the people are obliged to sell their green corn while standing in the field, in order to buy necessaries for the ensuing year.
Wheat in consequence was dearer in the very district of its production than at Valparaiso, where the contractors live.

The next day we joined the main road to Coquimbo.

At night there was a very light shower of rain: this was the first drop that had fallen since the heavy rain of September 11th and 12th, which detained me a prisoner at the Baths of Cauquenes.

The interval was seven and a half months; but the rain this year in Chile was rather later than usual.