TOWN OF CONCEPTION. Q1 
lie scattered here over a lovely plain, watered 
by the small river St. Peter. Nature here 
appears more luxuriant and productive than at 
‘Talcaguana. The mountains which encircle this 
valley rise gently to a moderate height, and de- 
light the eye by the freshness of the shrubs with 
which they are covered. 
While we gave chase to many kinds of birds 
and insects for the improvement of our collec- 
tion, the sailors threw out a great net, and took 
a quantity of shell and other fish with which the 
sea abounds in this neighbourhood, and which 
make the chief subsistence of the poorer classes 
of people. The environs of this village are con- 
sidered the loveliest district round the bay, and 
infinitely surpassing Talcaguana in the beauty 
of itsscenery. Few remains of the old town are 
- visible. The earth seems to have actually open- 
ed and swallowed it up, leaving scarcely a trace 
behind. Even the yawning gulph in which it 
sunk has filled again, so that it is only here and 
there upon the plain that some fragment of a 
former dwelling reminds one of the fearful ca- 
tastrophe. 
The inhabitants of Talcaguana and Concep- 
