a64 A VOYAGE TO Book VIII. 



ception, iliall be the miiitary commander in chief; 

 and, c mfequently, it is to him that the appointment 

 of the genera] properly belongs ; but this, from very 

 povvf rf^j' reafons, is diipenfed with, the proper difcharge 

 of theic two pofis being utterly incompatible j and the 

 civil and military requifite here very rarely meeting in 

 the fame perfon. But when this obftacle does not 

 exift, and the corregidor is onj of thefe extraordinary 

 perfons, the prefident, agreeable to the royal expref- 

 fion, confers the poft of Maeilre de campo on the cor- 

 regidor of la Conception. 



II. Valparaiso is the fecond military government. 

 Bur tne particular account of it, I fliall refer for a more 

 proper place. 



III. Valdivia has a miiitary governor nominated 

 by the king. Here is alfo a good body of troops, 

 both for garrifoning the place, and the forts built to 

 defend the entrance of the river and harbours in it. 

 Clofe to the river ftands the town, the inhabitants of 

 ■which are chiefly whites or Meftizosj but a village 

 forming a kind of fuburb is inhabited by friendly In- 

 dians. This government has undergone fome vicifii- 

 tudes in point of fubordinaiion, being fometimes inde- 

 pendent of the prefidcnts of Chili, and immediately 

 fubjed to the Vice-roy of Lima; and at other times a 

 part of the former. At lafi-, on weighing the difficul- 

 ties for providing for any fudden exigence, or having 

 a watchful eye over its neceíTary concerns at fo great a 

 diilance as Lima, it was annexed to the jurifdiólion of 

 the prefident of Chili, as being nearer at hand to fee 

 that the forces are always "n a good footing, and con- 

 flantly in a proper poÜure of defence. 



IV. Chiloe has a military governor, who refides 

 at Chacao, the principal harbour of the ifiand, be- 

 ing well fortified and capable of making a good 

 defence. Befides Chacas, which has the title of a 

 city, is anpther place much larger, called Calbuco, 



where 



