272 A VISIT TO THE PROVINCES 



person accustomed to the decencies of life could creep into until morning, nor a carriage of any- 

 kind to be had for money. No one expressing a desire to know what my half dozen cases con- 

 tained, they were at once taken from the mole to a store for safe-keeping ; and a travelling 

 friend on hoard, who had long resided here, went with me to try and obtain lodgings at the 

 house of a native, who occasionally provides hungry travellers by sea with a dish of shore- 

 prepared edibles. We found her obliging and quite willing to make up a bed in the only vacant 

 room at her command ; but alas 1 there had been heavy rains only the preceding day, and the 

 mud-plastered roof of her old house had been washed through to its floor. It was thoroughly 

 saturated ; the sky overhead as seen through the vacant crevices was ominous of another 

 sprinkle, and rheumatism would have been a sure reward to him who lodged a night within it. 

 We next went to one of his tenants, who kept a dram-shop and billiard table. He was not less 

 civil offering a bed on a sofa in a little ante-room, and only asking the privilege of passage 

 through it for himself, wife, and child, as there was no other access to their chamber. If pre- 

 ferred, he would make a pallet on the billiard table as soon as his customers had left for the 

 night. Fortunately, relief from this dilemma was at hand ; and the courteous hospitality of Mr. 

 A., during four or iive days of my visit in this vicinity, will always be pleasantly remembered. 



Coquimbo bay, in latitude 29 57' south, is by far the best anchorage on the coast between 

 Callao and Talcahuano ; unless Puerto Yngles, near Caledra, be an exception. It is broad and 

 capacious, easy of access at all times, and protected from the violence of the sea whenever the 

 effect of distant winds might otherwise be thus felt. A line of the coast which would effectually 

 prevent heavy swells from thence extends across its mouth to the north, if by chance the wind 

 should ever blow violently from that quarter ; and there are two or three rocky islets just to the 

 westward of the entrance, aiding to diminish its effects from that direction. The western side is 

 bounded by a high promontory of rocks, having a nearly vertical face on the seaward side, and 

 a steep slope on that next to the bay. Over the latter, arborescent cacti and a few equally fleshy 

 shrubs are scattered. These have found sufficient soil among disintegrated portions of the rocks. 

 The southern and eastern shores are low beaches, rising by steps or terraces towards the interior, 

 at this season of the year covered with verdure ; the southern part of the promontory and a 

 peninsula connecting it with the main land form the northern shore of Herradura bay, distant 

 from Coquimbo bay about one mile. On the highest part of the table-formed peninsula is the 

 residence of Mr. A., from which there is a fine view of both sheets of water. GTood water for 

 shipping may be had in abundance. A supply of fine fish is always at command ; and when 

 Heaven propitiously bestows three or four showers, a moderate supply of vegetables, fruit, and 

 excellent meat may be obtained. 



Coquimbo, a village of two or three scores of houses, is on the western side of the bay. 

 It has only one street, portions of which have a sort of sidewalk ; though uniformity of direc- 

 tion, level, or paving, has not been attempted. As there are rarely more than two or three 

 moderate rains in any year, and its inhabitants are generally operatives, most of the houses are 

 of slight materials, and have roofs of reeds, plastered with mud ; but the quantity of copper 

 obtained from the mines of the province having very greatly increased of late, a number of 

 furnaces for smelting have been erected ; more vessels have frequented the port in search of it ; 

 several very creditable-looking buildings are in course of construction ; and Coquimbo may one 

 day really claim to be a town. At present it is uninviting enough to a stranger ; and its popu- 

 lation of 800 souls, mainly dependent, as they are, on the visits of ships for constancy of employ- 

 ment, make their extortionate demands with airs which one soon tires ot. 



There are smelting establishments for copper ores at the two extremes of the town, the larger 

 one having eight furnaces. Both seem carelessly conducted ; want of order and tidiness, as well 

 in the work as the workmen, being rendered more apparent perhaps by the contrast which is pre- 

 sented in the establishment at Herradura. In addition to these, a church, a custom-house, and 

 a post-office are the -only other buildings of a public nature. The last two occupy part of a 

 private house near the little mole. When I landed, there was no officer to receive the letter with 



