The wealth of the Catholic Church in Chile is still enormous, even after a considerable portion of it has been taken by the government for public uses. Many of the public school and college buildings were formerly the property of the Jesuit or other monastic order. It is said that the church property in Santiago alone is worth not less than one hundred million dollars in gold. It owns some of the best business blocks, as well as hundreds of houses, and great _haciendas_ upon which wine is manufactured and other products raised. A great part of this wealth is owned by the various orders established in the country. The Carmelite nuns of Santiago are a very wealthy organization and possess an enormous income. These nuns never allow their faces to be seen by men. The monastic order, known as the Dominican Friars, is also a very wealthy body. They dress in black hats and gowns, with white flannel undergowns which reach clear to the feet. This gives them quite a strange appearance to one not familiar with the sight of such costumes worn by religious orders. The Catholic Church of the west coast of South America is less liberal than on the east coast. The reason for this condition, probably, is that it has been less influenced by outside causes, because of the comparative isolation of the countries and remoteness from Europe. One will find still less liberality as you proceed along the west coast from Chile northward. In Chile, there is an element of tolerance towards other forms of worship, at least on the part of the officials. Protestant churches exist in nearly all of the towns of any size, and quite a number of mission workers are busily engaged in spreading their doctrines. In Peru, a few Protestant congregations exist. They are not allowed to own churches, and their congregations are gathered together by printed invitations, which is simply a means of evading the letter of the law that is permitted by the authorities. In Ecuador, although the government attempts to observe religious tolerance, yet the power of the priesthood is so strong that Protestant workers outside of Quito and Guayaquil are oftentimes exposed to danger of violence.