OVALLE S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE, fl 



wind proceeds from the courfe of the firft Mobile, which is proved by its perpetual 

 invariability, and the increafe of its vehemence, as it draws nearer the equinox. Some 

 difpute, whether it ought to be called a wind, or an impulfe which the air receives 

 from fuperior orbs, communicated to them by the firft fphere. So far this author. 



CHAP. XV. — 0/the Sea-coafts of Chile ^ and its Ports and Havens, 



IT would be too great an excurfion beyond my purpofe, to mention all the ports 

 and creeks along the coaft of Chile ; for they are very numerous. George Spilberg, 

 admiral of a fleet of fix fail, whofe names were, the New Sun, the New Moon, the 

 Hunter, the Pole-flar, Eolus, and Lucifer, fays, he obferved twenty-five ports in the 

 flraights of Magellan alone, before he entered the South-Sea : he commends them 

 mightily, but particularly he is much pleafed with the twenty-fifth ; for he ftaid in it 

 fome time, and gave it his own name : he calls it a noble port, by reafon of its fafa- 

 nefs for fhipping, as alfo for the pleafantnefs of the fields, which, he fays, were ail 

 covered with fruit ; which, I fuppofe, were flrawberries, according to the defcription 

 he makes of them. He found there likewife abundance of excellent oyfters, at the 

 mouth of a river, which beautified that port extremely, it falling into it from high 

 mountains. But this retreat did not ferve them long ; for having feen fome very fine 

 coloured birds, they purfued them on fhore, and hunted them ; which they had no 

 fooner begun to do, but they were affaulted by a troop of Indians, with clubs in their 

 hands, and fome of them were killed, and the reft forced to retire to their Ihips, and 

 fet fail in hafte ; which is a great mark of the valour wkh which thofe people engaged 

 them ; for though they had fire-arms, they could not withftand the charge. 



The moft famous port in all the coaft, befides that of Valdivia, which we have de- 

 fcribed already, is that of Coquimbo, mentioned in our feventh chapter ; and it deferves 

 all fort of commendation, as well for its lovely bay, where fhips ride as fafe as can be, 

 as alfo for the pleafantnefs of the country about it ; which is one of the moft deli- 

 cious of all Chile. The products of the country are particularly gold and copper, 

 which is carried from thence to Peru ; for the making of artillery, cafting of bells, 

 and other houfehold furniture. 



The ports alfo of Copiapo and Guafco are efteemed, and more defer vedly that of 

 Pacudo, which is a private hidden bay, where the fhips of Peru come to load with the 

 hides and tallow of Chuapa ; as alfo with tar and tackling for fhips, which is made in 

 that valley, and is whiter and better than any in Chile, by reafon of the excellent 

 waters they make ufe of in its making. 



The next good port to thefe, is that of Quintero, where the general of the fix fhips 

 above-named landed ; and it being a place uninhabited, met with no oppofition, but 

 refrefhed his men with a large fifhing which they made. They do fo commend the 

 place, that they cannot fufficiently (they fay) extol the pleafantnefs of the land, the 

 fweetnefs of the water, the fecurity for fhips, and, in fhort, all forts of conveniencies 

 for human life ; and after thefe many encomiums, the hiftorian concludes thus, portus 

 bic nulli fecundus ^ this port yields to none ; and yet this port of Quintero is none of 

 the famous ones of Chile ; by which it may be inferred, that he was but little ac- 

 quainted with the reft. He could not land in them ; for he found them all guarded 

 by the militia, who expected him ; and though coming to Val Paraifo, he had begun 

 to land fome men, yet, upon advice that the horfe of St. Jago were at hand to hinder 

 the defcent, he took them on board again ; and, failing at midnight, caft anchor at 

 Quintero, where they watered, and cut wood, the admiral himfelf landing with many 



1 2 foldiers 



