126 LETTER V. 



a new Ifland, which was fome miles in circum- 

 ference. The Portngueze from Tercera took pof- 

 feffion of it (as foon as they durft venture on fo 

 hazardous an attempt) by fetting up a Crofs there- 

 on ', but alas ! it very Ihortly after funk down a- 

 gain as gradually into the Sea, and fo vanifhede 

 There is a Vulcano upon one of the Azores 

 which is for that reafon called Fuego ; and if I 

 am not much miftaken, there ifliied Smoak out 

 of a confiderable hole in the fmall Ifland, that 

 thus arofe out of, and funk into the Sea agaiuo 



15. I muft draw to a conclufion with this re- 

 markable inftancein behalf of fo indelible a truth^ 

 viz^ That about feven or eight years ago, there 

 was fuch a dreadful Earthquake in Chili or Peru 

 (or in both, ) as deftroyed the fine City of St. 

 yago in Chili y upon the River of St. y^^d?, which 

 waters a Province of that name (and fome others,) 

 befides many Villages for fome hundreds of 

 miles together : This horrid Ruin was doubtlefs 

 occafioned by the Vulcanoes with which all parts 

 of the Coafts in the South Sea abound, as well as 

 the Cordillera^ or Mountains of Aiides^ that part 

 the rich Kingdom of Chili from the vaft and ftill 

 more fertile Plains of Ciiio, Father Ovalle a Na- 

 tive of Chili and Procurator for it at Rome^ fays^ 

 That in thefe Mountains there are fixteen Vul- 

 canoes, which fometimes break out with dire 

 efFefts, cleave the Rocks, and iffue great quanti- 

 ties 



