82 FACILITIES FOR LANDING. [1839 



of San Antonio, containing about a dozen guns, which stands 

 in the southern inlet of the bay ; el Castillo del Rosario, 

 which has six guns, is in the northern part of the town, and 

 the remaining fort, mounting five guns, in the southern. 



Formerly, there was no facility for landing goods at Val- 

 paraiso, except by launches moored to the shore, across which 

 packages were carried on men's shoulders, or by boats ; but 

 a mole has been recently built at the most favorable point 

 for landing. This is considered perfectly safe, except during 

 the prevalence of north winds, when it is exceedingly danger- 

 ous to approach it, on account of the violence of the surf. A 

 wooden jetty stretches out into the sea about sixty paces, 

 which is frequently submerged by the waves, and has been 

 several times demolished. The harbor-master's boats, and 

 those belonging to men-of-war, land on the right side of the 

 jetty, and those of merchant vessels on the left. Small boats, 

 usually manned by two Indians, are always to be found near 

 the landing-place, ready to convey passengers to and fro the 

 vessels in the harbor. Whenever a stranger makes his ap- 

 pearance on the muele, or mole, he is sure to be greeted with 

 the importunate inquiry — Vdmos abordo, senor? (Going 

 aboard, sir?) — which sometimes gives place to, "Want a 

 boat? — want a boat ?" in English. 



On reaching the shore, almost the first object that attracts 

 the attention is the motley crowd of Choloes, or country peo- 

 ple, dressed in their long coarse ponchos,* who congregate 

 here for the purpose of disposing of their wares. Passing 

 through the clamoring boatmen and jabbering peasantry, you 

 approach the custom-house, a large and fine building erected 

 on the mole. Near the custom-house is the exchange, a more 

 unpretending structure, but containing a spacious and elegant 

 reading-room well supplied with foreign newspapers. This is 

 the favorite resort of ship-masters and commercial travellers, 



* The poncho is a long blanket, varying in color according to the taste of the 

 wearer, with a hole, or slit, in the middle, through which the head is thrust — 

 thus permitting the ends to hang down behind and before. 



