24 VOYAGE TO THE 



ever, was immaterial : they were the troops on which 

 the people placed their dependence, which the result 

 of the expedition did not disappoint ; and the effect 

 upon their minds was equally exhilarating. Hither- 

 to obliged to act on the defensive against a few pi- 

 ratical Indian chiefs, they now found themselves 

 lending their troops to carry on a warfare in a dis- 

 tant province. Such was the prosperous state of af- 

 fairs at the time of our arrival ; and the highest ex- 

 pectations pervaded all classes of society. 



The town of Conception occupies nearly a square 

 mile of ground. It is situated on the north side of 

 the river Bio Bio, and is distant from it about a 

 quarter of a mile. Its site was chosen in 1763, 

 about twelve years after the old city of Penco was 

 destroyed by an earthquake, or rather by an inunda- 

 tion, occasioned by a tremendous reaction of the sea. 

 Such a catastrophe, it might be supposed, would be 

 sufficient to deter the inhabitants from again build- 

 ing on low ground ; nevertheless, the present city is 

 erected on a spot scarcely more elevated than the 

 other, and the river, when high, washes the thres- 

 hold of the nearest houses. It has no defences; 

 and is also very badly situated in this respect, be- 

 ing commanded by a range of hills close behind it. 

 Benavides was fully aware of this, and constructed 

 a battery upon the eminence, which still bears his 

 name : but the guns are spiked, and the fort is in 



ruins. 



During the late incursions, we were told, that the 

 mode of repelling an attack was to collect the inha- 

 bitants in the squares, and barricade the streets lead- 

 ins: out of them, with whatever came first to hand : 

 the musketry and the muzzles of the field-pieces 



