was more bullion carried out of this kingdom, than was coined in it. The air here is similar to that of Conception, neither hot nor very cold. I never saw ice in Chili, in latitude as low as 37° south, more than once or twice, and then not more than the thickness of window glass. Farenheit's thermometer is never higher than eighty-eight or eighty-nine degrees; commonly standing at about eighty at Valparaiso and Conception in summer. The distance from Valparaiso to St. Jago is about sixty miles. I have passed both winter and summer at Valparaiso and Conception, and made the coast of Chili and Peru my home for five years. This has given me an opportunity to obtain a correct knowledge of them, and enables me to render a just account of their manners and

customs.

In the harbour of Valparaiso there are great numbers of the hump-backed and right-whale. Spermaceti whales are caught off this coast; but it is said they never come on soundings, the truth of which I have reason to doubt, however, as I have known them taken near this coast; and the squid, which they feed upon, is frequently found in this harbour. I often caught squid here, which This species of fish is said to be

were three or four feet long.

the only food the spermaceti whales ever eat.

I had frequent opportunities of being acquainted with many captains who are employed in the whale fishery on this Ge lat These men are possessed of a great share of courage and uth pidity in the pursuit of their business; but are in the habit ake asting of their superiority, when in company, and of exaggerat, their exploits. While lying in the harbour of Valparaiso, captain George Howe was on board my ship, who had been frequently in company when the subject of killing whales was discussed, and one calm and very pleasant day, we discovered a large whale asleep within twenty rods of some of the ships. We thought this a good opportunity to try our skill in killing whales. We fitted out a whale-boat belonging to captain Howe, which was properly manned, and my boatswain, who had been in the business before, was to steer and direct the expedition. We prepared and rigged a lance, which was made for the purpose of killing sea elephants, having an iron shank about two feet long, with a pole to it, six or eight feet in length, and a small line attached to it, with the other end fastened to the stem of the boat, to prevent it being lost. Thus equipped we

rowed up softly, within twenty feet of the whale, when I threw the lance into her, a little abaft the fore fin, which entered more than the length of the iron part. The whale, on feeling the hurt, raised its tail fifteen feet in the air, and brought it down with such force, within six feet of the boat, that it was half filled with water; and produced a most violent agitation in that element for a great distance around us. It may be considered a fortunate circumstance that we escaped injury; for had it hit the boat it would have been staved to atoms, and probably some of us been killed. Her head lay towards the shore, and she started in that direction, brought her head out of water, making the most terrible bellowing that can be imagined; turned herself round and went out of the bay, spouting blood till out of sight. Thus ended our first and last enterprise in killing whales. The experiment convinced us that it was a difficult and dangerous business, and ought never to be attempted by any, except those who have been bred up to and perfectly skilled in the art. The method we adopted was correct, excepting the first instrument thrown, which should have been a harpoon; which is an iron made with barbs to it, to prevent it from drawing out. To this should be a line or warp attached, three or four hundred fathoms in length; by which means we could have held on to the whale, and pulled the boat up so as to throw the lance with the most sure effect. The shank of a lance made use of by whalemen is four feet in length, with a pole fixed to it like the one we used. I have since had frequent opportunities of seeing whales killed by those who understood it, and was perfectly satisfied that it required courage, judgment, and activity.

Having mentioned the name of captain George Howe, who was my associate in the above described frolic, I shall for the satisfaction of his friends, give some account of him; some of the particulars of which are probably known to no one but myself. He was born in Stonington, state of Connecticut, and sailed out of the port of New London, in command of the schooner Oneco, on a sealing voyage. He arrived at Massa Fuero in 1800, and was compelled by misfortunes to go into Valparaiso and sell his vessel. Being disappointed in not receiving payment according to contract, he was obliged to go to St. Jago, the capital, before he could obtain justice. He got his money and returned to Valparaiso, and de posited upwards of twenty-two hundred dollars in the hands of a

Spaniard, at whose house he resided, and was taken sick soon after. When I was at Valparaiso, in 1805, I made inquiry and found the house in which he lay sick. I was not a little surprised at finding him, and at the strange conduct of the people belonging to the house, as I had dined there several times since my arrival, yet they had neglected telling me of his being at the same time in the house; especially as it was well known to them we were friends, and had been particularly intimate, when in this port on a preceding voyage. I found him in a back room, no better than a hovel, in a most deplorable situation. He was lying on a miserable bed, or couch, in a very languishing state; his flesh wasted, till he was almost a skeleton; and no one near to afford him assistance, or friend to offer him a word of comfort. There was a well of water in the room adjoining, not more than twelve feet from his bed, from which was drawn all the water used by the family, with a door opening into his room, which was most of the time kept open. He had laid in this situation for five or six months. My feelings on the occasion can be better imagined than described. We had spent many happy hours together; and I could not help contrasting those times with what I now saw. I endeavoured to raise his spirits, and told him that I would take him on board my ship, and bring him home. I procured a barber and had him shaved, his clothes shifted, and dressed him in a decent manner, putting on his handsome Spanish cloak, and led him into the parlour, with an intention of giving him an airing; but the poor man was so reduced, that he fainted and was obliged to be placed on a sofa, and soon after carried back to his room, from which he never again was removed till a corpse. I visited him daily while I lay in this port, and each day sent him a kettle of soup; but I found he was too weak to be removed on board the ship. He died in about ten days after I left Valparaiso. Thus ended captain George Howe. He was a man of a noble mind; sincere in his friendships; honest and honourable in his dealings; and a remarkably pleasant companion: but his misfortunes broke his spirits.

The following particulars concerning captain Howe, which took place after I left him, I had from captain Bacon, whom I took with me when I left Lima, and who was with him most of the time after I sailed till he died. He informed me, that a short time before captain Howe died, the bishop, who was then at the port, had

baptized him, and that he had received the sacrament; thus he died a Roman Catholic. This is made an important point with the priests of that religion. Just as he was dying, the man who kept the house, and with whom he had deposited his money, undertook to make a settlement with him. He brought forward his books, and made Howe acknowledge the different charges which he had prepared, when he was so far gone as to be just able to articulate, yes-without probably knowing what he said; thus defrauding him of his money, besides bringing him in debt. This transaction very much displeased the Spaniards here; and a remarkable accident happening to him about eight days after captain Howe died, caused them to make many remarks upon his conduct, and say, that it was a visitation of the judgment of God. There was a very high bank that was directly back of his house, which in consequence of a great rain, gave way, and fell on the very part where Howe had lain, and buried it under more than a hundred tons of earth.

The inhabitants here are similar to those of Conception. The ladies in general, however, dress rather more after the European or American fashion. I should calculate the inhabitants of Valparaiso and its vicinity to amount to fifteen or twenty thousand.

There is considerable of a military force kept on this coast, which is stationed at all places of any importance. It is well known that all this country is governed, as to its religious affairs, by Roman Catholics, and I found the inhabitants contented and apparently happy under those laws. Knowing but little concerning that part of the government, I can only say, that Conception is the see of a bishop, and has one residing in that city. I think Valparaiso is not, as the bishop who governs there resides at St. Jago.

The inhabitants of the coast of Chili are but a very small part of them Europeans, who are principally Spaniards. They hold themselves much higher in their own estimation than the Chilian born. As the Spaniards have mixed their blood with the aborigines so much, that there are but few born in the country, I believe, but what partake in a greater or less degree of it, on which account the European Spaniards undervalue them. The native Indians of South America are better featured than those of the northern part of the continent. They are treated in the south in the same manner as they have been in the north. The Spaniards have made

war upon, harassed, and distressed them, till they have pretty much thinned them off near the sea coast. Some are made slaves by being taken prisoners in time of war, or by purchasing them from their enemies. I have been struck with horror to hear a Spanish priest call them brutes; telling me at the same time they were not Christians, and no better than cattle; when that same arrogant man's countrymen had robbed and despoiled the unfortunate Indian of all that was dear to him. Thus, "thinks I to myself," goes the world:-one man robs another of his country, his wealth, and his liberty; and then says he is a brute, and not a Christian. In such cases as these, I will say with the meritorious physician, to whom Bonaparte made the proposition to poison his soldiers at Jaffa, or Joppa: "If those be the requisites necessary to form a great man, I thank my God I do not possess them."

As I have remarked in another place, the dress of the ladies was not so graceful and becoming at Conception as at Valparaiso; at least, the extremely large hoops which are in general use at the former place did not strike me so pleasantly. I have been favoured with the sight of the hoop they wear underneath the outside petticoat. It is more than three feet in diameter, and is fastened higher than the hips, by some kind of linen or cotton cloth sewed around the hoop, leaving just room enough for the body. A string is reeved in the inner edge of the cloth, which draws it round the body above the hips, in the manner of a purse. This keeps the hoop in its place, and the body in the centre. As their petticoats are rather short, it gives them at first a very singular appearance; but any fashion in time becomes familiar, and its peculiarities are forgotten. The behaviour of the ladies was so delicate and pleasing, that a man must have more stoicism about him than I had, not to feel for them a strong partiality. Their dress was handsome, with gold and silver ornaments; such as gold hair combs, ear rings, bracelets for the wrists, chains round the wrist, and sometimes round the waist, and gold and silver shoe buckles. Many of these ornaments were inlaid with precious stones. Their head dress was the hair simply done up with four or five gold combs, tastefully disposed, which gave it a very charming appearance,

In horsemanship these people excel any men I have ever seen. Whether mounted on a well-broken, or untutored horse, they ride in the best manner, and shew great skill in the management of their