Santiago de Chile, 1st Dec. 1821.[1]
Before this reaches you, the taking of Lima by San Martin, will be known in England. I need not expatiate upon this subject to you. You must see at once how much our field is thereby extended. I may truly say, the fall of Lima is as great a blow to the kingdom of Satan here, as it is to the cause of Spain in South America.
From what I have learned of San Martin, I am sure he will prove a great forwarder of our cause there, and indeed wherever he may be. The rejoicings here on account of the fall of Lima have been very great, and they still continue. The fall of that strong hold of the Spaniards, is at once the liberty of Peru, and the stability of Chile; and I may add too, the independence of South America.
We are about to form a School Society in this city, which I hope will be attended with happy results. The Director condescends to be the Patron of the Society, and his first minister is to be President. We are looking around us for the most patriotic and liberal men of the city to form a Committee. Our Society may not be able to do what a similar Society would do in England; but it may, however, do something, and may considerably forward our objects here on behalf of the inhabitants of Chile. Besides the establishing and superintending of schools throughout the state, there is another object to which the Society will greatly contribute, I mean, the printing of some elementary works for the schools, and for the children to read in their own houses. This is a part of our work, which I consider of great importance, and to which I intend to turn a considerable part of my time and attention, so soon as other matters will allow.
I believe I wrote you, before leaving Buenos Aires, that I had sent a Master to Monte Video, or that I was about to send one. He had not left Buenos Aires when I came away, as he was occupied in printing a grammar, which he had written for the use of our schools. I have lately received a letter from him, of which I shall give you an extract.—"On the 4th of this month (July) I arrived in this city with the slates and lessons you gave me for the schools here. On the following day, I presented myself to Laranaga, (the chief ecclesiastic in Monte Video,) and he introduced me to General Lecor, the Governor, to whom I gave your letter. I met with a very hearty reception from the general, as also from Laranaga, and the magistrates. On the 9th, we had assigned to us for a school-room, a large hall in the Fort. This hall will hold 200 children. The general sent the joiners and masons of the Government to prepare this school, and I am in hopes we shall be able to open it in three weeks. I am making endeavours to form a School Society here, which may take under its management the schools of this city and province. I am in great expectation of succeeding in this object, as the members of the Government are very well disposed to it."
In the end of this month, I am thinking of crossing the Andes, to verify my long intended visit to Mendoza. The printing of our lessons is nearly finished, and I shall thus be enabled to take some with me for the supply of that place. You will see by the extracts of letters I gave from Mendoza, in my last letter to Mr. H. (Nov.1st), that things there are very promising. I hope my expectations regarding their improvements will be more than realized. The snow still continues on the mountains, as I am informed by a gentleman just come over them. I hope it will be nearly all gone by the time I set out. It has continued, I understand, for an unusual length of time this season.
I shall leave the schools in my absence, under the care of an Englishman lately come here from London. This gentleman was engaged by the agent there of this Government, for the purpose of establishing Lancasterian schools here. Upon his arrival, it was the intention of the Government to send him to Conception. I thought, however, it would be better that he should stay here to instruct the schoolmasters in grammar, geography, &c., whilst they were studying the system in our school. To this proposal the Government cheerfully agreed. We have in consequence a separate class in the school, in which Mr. Eaton instructs the masters, and two or three more who choose to attend. This arrangement will prove, I hope, highly advantageous to the education of the country at large, as those, who in future take charge of schools, will be better qualified for this important office.
[1] Letter to BFSS. James Thomson. Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America. (London: James Nisbet, 1827), pp. 22-25.