great quantities of very good wine; and have all the quadrupeds that are common to this country, and so plenty, that the people purchase them from one another at the following very low rate: for a good bullock, four dollars; good horse, twenty, and common ones

from four to eight dollars; sheep for half a dollar; and other flesh meat in the same proportion. Foreigners are charged more for what they purchase.

The feathered race of animals far exceed any thing of the kind I ever saw, particularly for those good to eat. The Spaniards here are not allowed to use fire arms in common, and as they have no Indians who hunt them, they are very plenty and tame. I have often gone out by permission on horse back, and shot a horse load in three hours; killing seven different kinds of ducks and teal, with various other sorts of fowls. The shores, water, and pastures in this vicinity, are covered with them. They have the finest fish, and in the greatest variety, of any place I ever visited. There are gold and silver mines near Conception; but not plenty enough to make much account of. The riches of this country consist in what is produced from the land, not from what is dug out of it. This city was founded two or three leagues further to the northward than it now stands, on the easterly side of the bay, and was called Pinko. It was removed to where it now is because of earthquakes; the old town or city being now quite deserted on that account.

The ladies of this place vie with any I ever saw in point of beauty. They are modest, mild, and very agreeable. Their dress is a little singular, as they wear the old fashioned hoop round the waist, of an extraordinary size; but to a gentleman who has been accustomed to travel, it would not be worthy of much notice. They are rather partial to the Americans and to Englishmen. I never can think it a crime to reciprocate their sentiments. The Spanish gentlemen are the noblest spirited men I ever was acquainted with. The idea that is entertained of their being a very jealous people, is not true. I never saw gentlemen more free from it.

In the city and port of Conception and its vicinity, there are about fifteen or twenty thousand inhabitants of all descriptions.

I shall here introduce the subject of Valparaiso, with Capt. Vancouver's remarks, which we found generally correct. He says "ships destined to the port of Valparaiso, should endeavour during the summer months, to make the coast well to the southward of

the bay, in order that a fair wind may be insured for entering it. The southerly winds, which in general extend sixty or seventy leagues from the coast, mostly prevail until the month of May; and from the middle of that month during all the months of June, July, August and September, I was given to understand the prevail. ing winds were from the north. These winds are commonly attended with great quantities of rain, and very foggy weather; but they do not often blow with much violence, as soon as the wind returns to the southward the dry season commences, and so it continues, with little variation, during the remainder of the year. These winds, however, frequently blow very strong, so as to break vessels adrift, though well secured by anchors on the shore near to the town of Valparaiso. Within four or five leagues of the point of Angels, which is the western point of the bay, is a low rocky point, near to which is a detached high barren rock. These points lie from each other north 51° east to the northward of the above low rocky point, are some scattered rocks, that lie about two miles from the point, and about a fourth of that distance from the shore, and to the northward of these rocks, is a sandy bay, on the north east side of which is a house. In this bay, I was led to believe that anchorage might be had, though the situation is certainly very much exposed.

"The point of Angels, (off which are also some rocks, lying very near to it,) may be approached by sailing at the distance of half a league from the shore, and as soon as the point is passed, the town of Valparaiso is instantly discovered. About seven miles to the northeast of this point, is a cluster of rocks, lying at some distance from the shore, on which the sea breaks violently; but we had no opportunity for ascertaining their situation with any degree of precision. The bay is about four miles wide, and about a mile deep, apparently free from any sort of danger; but as it is greatly exposed to the northerly winds, the trading vessels constantly moor with two good anchors and cables in that direction, and with other cables fast to anchors on shore, in five or six fathoms water, soft sandy bottom, near the custom house; by which means it is expected that the officers of the revenue may be enabled to prevent any contraband trade, by vigilantly attending to their duty in the day time, and rowing guard during the night. The depth of the wa ter gradually increases with the distance from the shore, to thirty

six fathoms, and the bottom becomes more tenacious. In the depth of sixteen fathoms, in which we took our station, it is very stiff clay. Here we moored a cable each way to the northward, and to the southward; the point of Angels bearing by compass north 35° west. The fort in the town, north 86° west. The redoubt on the hill, south 5° east. The church of Almandrel, south 65° east. The east point of the bay, north 57° east, and the nearest shore south 7° west, a cable's length distant.

"On the top of a hill, on the east side of the bay is an open, or barbed battery, lately erected with stone and brick, and capable of mounting ten guns; this battery commands all that side of the bay, the beach and the village of Almandrel. On the summit of another hill, is a stone redoubt, of a circular form, with embrasures. These command the beach and village of Almandrel to the eastward; the bay to the northward, and the town and harbour of Valparaiso, to the north westward. Although this fortification was in a most neglected and ruinous condition, we were given to understand, that the principal magazine was inclosed within its walls. The largest and most considerable fortification, is in the middle of the town, within which is the residence of the governor. It is situated on a small eminence, one side of which is open to the sea, and is separated from it by a very narrow pass. The height of the town wall, which is strong and well built with masonry, is about fifteen feet to the embrasures, of which there are six that point to the sea; two face the street to the eastward; and two look into the market place, to the westward. The upper part of the hill is surrounded by another strong wall, about ten feet in height; and half way up the hill a third wall crosses it, which shews three embrasures to the sea; immediately over the fort and governor's house. At the place where this wall terminates, which is near the summit of the eminence, the side of the hill falls perpendicularly down into a deep gully; by which the fort is encompassed, and which might be the means of rendering this fortification unassailable; and a place that might long be maintained, were it not for other hills within musket shot, which command every part of it. The space enclosed by the town wall, is about four hundred yards in length, and in some places about one hundred in breadth. Here are the barracks for the troops, and at the upper end is a building in which a court is held for the regulation of the police

of the town. A door in that side of the wall, which points to the market place, is the only entrance; and leads by a winding staircase to the different parts of the fortification. There is another fortification about half a mile from the fort, situated on the west side of the bay, at the foot of a high hill, and but little elevated above the level of the sea. This shews a face of five embrasures to the east, and in that direction commands the west side of the bay; three embrasures, to the northward, are so disposed as to be able to open upon any vessel, the instant she passes round the point of Angels; whilst two others, to the southward, command the ships lying in the harbour, or the bay. We computed that these several places contained about seventy pieces of cannon, many of which were without proper carriages, and some were lying dismounted under the walls of the town battery, in the town.

"From the western fort, some rocks extend into the bay, and the bottom is too foul for vessels of any force to anchor nearer to this fortification, than about four hundred yards; but they may approach and anchor in a very eligible situation, within about two hundred and fifty yards of the garrison, or principal fortress: and in neither of these places, in their present situation, would be able to resist a well directed fire from two or three frigates."-Vancouver's Voyage round the World.

If intending to sail into Valparaiso, always make the land to the southward of the harbour, for in the winter, the south winds are much more prevalent than any other. It is best to make the land ten leagues to the southward of the harbour. The land there trends nearly north and south; but is indented with small coves and bays. If a ship falls in with the land, and the latitude is not exactly known, (if to the southward) it is not easy to miss the port. There is a kind of cove or bay, with a sand beach, about four or five miles to the southward of the rocky point, which captain Vancouver speaks of, lying to the south west of the point of Angels, with a ragged rock off it; but the coast does not trend much to the eastward until the ragged rock, above mentioned, is passed. We did not find the coast make so much to the eastward there, as captain Vancouver describes; neither do I think it so far from the ragged rock to the point of Angels, as he states it to be.

The reasons, why I differ from captain Vancouver, respecting the winds in the months of June, July, August, and September,

(which are the winter months here,) and also in the courses and distances, are probably on account of my having entered, or been in the port of Valparaiso in nearly every month in the year; when he never was there but on one short visit of a month or two; and of course had not so good an opportunity of forming a correct judgment up on this subject, as I had.

It is not proper to sail out of Valparaiso with any but a fair wind; for should it blow from the westerly quarter, it will be difficult to keep clear of the land to the northward of the bay, as it makes out considerably to the westward, and the current is generally setting to the northward.

The harbour is very safe in summer; but in winter it sometimes blows from the northward strong gales; in which case the sea comes in so as to make it difficult riding. I do not believe the north winds ever affect vessels very much, as the land is so high to the southward, and so near to them, that it has a tendency to break its force. It is not considered a good winter harbour by the Spaniards. The productions of the soil here are like those of Conception, and it yields very plentifully. There are more fruit and vegetables in this market than at that place, such as peaches, apricots, oranges, lemons, melons, onions, and pumpkins. It is the port town of the capital of Chili, which is called St. James, or St. Jago. It has moree effe than any port on this coast. The number of ships that lade et in in the course of the season, with provisions of different kiince for Lima, and other ports, is considerable. There is considerao u-commercial intercourse by land between the River of Plate and this port. They march slaves over land, from Buenos Ayres, (to avoid carrying them round Cape Horn) and ship them again for the coast of Peru; as will be seen hereafter in the affair of the Tryal. There is one pass only that crosses the Andes, to go and come by. They transport from one coast to the other, many articles of merchandize across this pass. The herb of Paraguay is brought on the backs of horses, or mules, this way; and considerable quantities of gold and silver are carried in the same manner to be shipped for Spain. This kingdom is not so rich in mines as Peru; but there is a great number of them in the country. They have a mint at St. Jago, where they coin, as I was informed by good authority, two or three millions of dollars in gold and silver in a year. I have likewise been told, that there