DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY. 





westerly winds; and as the bottom IH both shoal and rocky, and a heavy swell immediately seU 

 in, the anchorage is very unsafe. 



When the island was under the rule of Spain, the port was in a good state of defence. There 

 were two fortifications on points of Lacuy peninsula, northwest of the town, which commanded 

 both entrance and anchorage ; several batteries on the town side, and one on Corona point, the 

 in.j-t lit-ni extremity of the island. Most of these were long since suffered to fall into decay, and 

 now only two, mounting in all fourteen pieces of artillery^ remain guarded ; even these can 

 scarcely be considered in serviceable order. What its commerce was under the laws of the 

 mother country, may be judged of very fairly from Byron's narrative of the loss of the Wager. 

 He says: " They have what they call an annual ship from Lima, as they never expect more 

 than one in the year ; though sometimes it happens that two have come, and at other times 

 they have been two or three years without any. When this happens they are greatly distressed, 

 as this ship brings them baize, cloth, linens, hats, ribbons, tobacco, sugar, brandy, and wine; 

 but this latter article is chiefly for the use of the churches: matte, an herb from Paraguay, used 

 all over South America instead of tea, is also a necessary article. This ship's cargo ia chiefly 

 consigned to the Jesuits, who have more Indians employed for them than all the rest of the 

 iiili.ibitants together, and, of course, engross almost the whole trade. There is no money 

 current in this island. If any person wants a few yards of linen, a little sugar, tobacco, or 

 any other thing, brought from Peru, he gives so many cedar planks, hains, or punches 

 (ponchos) in exchange. Some time after we had been here a snow arrived in the harbor from 

 Lima, which occasioned great joy amongst the inhabitants, as they had no ship the year before, 

 from the alarm Lord Anson had given upon the coast. This was not the annual vessel, but one 

 of those that I mentioned before which came unexpectedly. The captain of her was an old 

 man, well known upon the island, who had traded here once in two or three years for more 

 than thirty years past. He had a remarkably large head, and therefore was commonly known 

 by a nick-name they had given him of Cabu90 (Cabeza) de Toro, or Bull Head. He had not 

 been here a week before he came to the governor and told him, with a most melancholy coun- 

 tenance, that he had not slept a wink since he came into the harbor, as the governor was 

 pleased to allow these English prisoners liberty to walk about, instead of confining them, and 

 that he expected every moment they would board his vessel and carry her away ; this he said 

 when he had above thirty hands aboard. The governor assured him he would be answerable 

 for us, and that he might sleep in quiet ; though at the same time he could not help laughing at 

 the man, as all the people in the town did. These assurances did not satisfy the captain ; he 

 used the utmost despatch in disposing of his cargo, and put to sea again, -not thinking himself 

 safe till he had lost sight of the island." Great must have been the terror inspired by Lord 

 Anson's squadron, of which poor Byron's vessel formed one. 



Its safe harbor and abundant supplies of the provisions most needed by ships, made it a 

 favorite resort for whalers in the South Pacific ; and as soon as relief from the Spanish incubus 

 permitted the port to be thrown open, the number of vessels calling for refreshments rapidly 

 increased. The coasting trade, too, has augmented in far greater ratio than either the popula- 

 tion of the island or that of the entire country. An exhibit of the last four years is given in 

 the following table : 



