286 A VOYAGE TO Book VIIL 



the harbnur or along the coail, in comparilbn of what 

 may be taken in the father parts. 



The coait of Valparailo forms a bay, lying N. E. 

 and S. W, three leagues in lengrh, and having two 

 capes called Concón, and Valparaifo. In the S. W. 

 part of this bay is the harbour, of a conveni-ent iize, 

 and running above a league farther up the courtry. 

 The bottom is a firm tenacious mud. At the diftance 

 of a cable's length and a half from the ill o re, is from 

 fourteen to fixteen fathom water, which increafes in 

 depth proportional to the diftance, that at the diltance 

 of half a league there is thirty- fix or forty fathom. 

 The harbour is every where free from rocks and 

 ihoals, except to the Ñ. E. of the breach de los An- 

 geles, where, about a cable's length or two from the 

 land is a rock, which muil be the more carefully a- 

 A''oided, as it never appears above water, but fomc'times 

 has not a depth {"-ifncient for a (hip, of any burden to 

 pafs over it. The courfe into this harbour is to keep 

 near the point of Valparaifo, within a quarter of a league 

 from the fhore, where there is twenty, eighteen, and 

 iixtecn fathom water. After getting round the point 

 you muil itand nearer to the iliore, in order to avoid a 

 bank which lies thereabouts. Not, that it can be at- 

 tended with any danger, for the fide of it is fo bold, 

 that if the iliip ihould touch it little damage could en- 

 fue. This bank is always above water, and there is a 

 neceiiity for pafilng fo near it, in order to keep to wind- 

 ward, as otl^erwilc it would be difTicult to fetch the 

 harbour. Regard muil alio be had to che time proper 

 for entering the port of Valparaifo -, for it is by no 

 means proper to attempt it in the morning, as the 

 wind though blowing frefli without does not then extend 

 fo far into the bay, and thus the iLip, by having very 

 little way, and, confequently not aniwering her helm, 

 mi"ht drive upon the bank ; and to let go your anchor 

 in hity fathom water, which is the depth clofe to the 

 fand, wiii be very inconvenient. The common me- 

 thod 



