Ch. Iir. SOUTH AMERICA. 211 



and even till within these few years, the voyage to 

 and from Callao to Chili, was rarely jDcrformed in 

 less than a twelvemonth ; owing to a fear of stand- 

 ing off to a great distance from the coast : for by tack- 

 ing along the shore they made but little way ; and 

 consequently laid the shipsundera necessity of putting 

 into the intermediate harbours for water and provi- 

 sions ; but an European pilot making his first voyage 

 in the usual manner, observed that the course of the 

 currents was from the W. and S. W., whence he con- 

 cluded that winds from those quarters might be found 

 farther off at sea. Accordingly in his second voyage 

 he stood off to a great distance, in order to fall in 

 with those winds, and had the satisfaction to find that 

 he was not mistaken ; so that he reached Chili in little 

 more than thirty days. This being so very far short 

 of the usual term, he was suspected of sorcery, and 

 ever after called Brujo, a sorcerer. From this report, 

 and the evidence of the dates of his papers, persons 

 of all ranks were persuaded that he sailed by magic, 

 and thelnquisition caused him to be apprehended; but 

 on examining his journals, they applauded his saga- 

 city, and were convinced that if others did not per- 

 form the same voyage with equal dispatch, it was 

 owing to their timidity in not stretching off to a 

 proper distance from the coast as he had done. And 

 thus he had the honour of leading the way in 

 that expeditious course, which has ever since been 

 followed. 



In all this passage you have an easy sea, the 

 swell coming sometimes from the S. E. S. or E. be- 

 ing the points from whence the wind blows ; at others 

 from the S. \V. and W. particularly after you are 

 ten or twelve degrees from the coast. And it is only 

 near the island of Juan Fernandes, that you meet 

 with a hollow sea. The course of the waves is there 

 sufficiently manifest ; for on quitting the coast of 

 Callao, to about sixty degrees farther to the S. theif 

 P ti course 



