72 ovalle's historical relation of chile. 



foldiers to proted his men : there they drew up a trench, with a kind of half-moon, 

 to fecure their retreat againft the Spaniards, who began to appear upon the hills ; but 

 they did not flay for them, but embarking again, followed their courfe towards Peru, 

 not landing any where elfe ; but they commend the land extremely. 



After thefe follows the port of Coucon, or Quillota, which ferves to embark the 

 product of thofe valleys ; and hard by that, the port of Val Paraifo, where are landed 

 all the goods brought for the city of St. Jago : from whence they are diftributed all 

 over its territory, and as far as Cuyo, and Tucuman : this port is every day more and 

 more inhabited ; and there is building a convent of Auftin friars, which will be of 

 great relief to the fouls of the inhabitants, and of all thofe who go and come, who are 

 not a few ; for this is the port of the greateft commerce with Peru : it is diftant from 

 St. Jago twenty-four leagues, all plain and good way, fit for carriage ; and fo all the 

 commodities of both kingdoms are conveyed and exchanged by it. 



Near the port of Val Paraifo is that of St. Antonio, which is alfo very fafe and good, 

 and is at the mouth of the river Maypo. There is a miftake in authors about this ; 

 for they place the port of Val Paraifo at the mouth of a river, which they make in their 

 maps to come from St. Jago ; which is a very great error, becaufe at Val Paraifo there 

 is no river of any note, but only fprings and fountains, which rife out of the rocks 

 clofe by the fea, which are moft excellent waters. There are alfo others of a coarfer 

 nature, with which the fhips fill their provifion, becaufe they having more body, they 

 refift better at fea againft corruption. 



There are feveral other ports between that and the Conception, in the bays and mouths 

 of rivers ; but not much ufed, becaufe they are not neceflary ; all thofe valleys from 

 Maule to Quillota fending theio commodities to Val Paraifo. I believe, in time, other 

 ports will be employed, becaufe the products of that kingdom multiply apace, and fo 

 people will be willing to feek out the neareft ports for embarking their goods. All 

 the produft from Maule upwards, is carried to the harbour of the Conception, which 

 is the beft bay in all thofe coafts ; and it being a very large one. Providence placed at 

 its entrance the ifland of Quiriquina ; under which, as under a mole, fhips are fecured 

 in foul weather. At the largeft entrance of this bay is the port of La Herradura, or 

 Horfe-fhoe, it being in that form ; and oppofite to that is that of St. Vincent ; and a 

 little farther, that of Carnero, called fo for the refrefhment it afforded to one of the 

 fhips of the bifhop of Palencia, who, by order of Charles V., pafTed the ftraights of 

 Magellan with fix fail, and having loft their Patache, were forced to the Moluccas. 



Next to thefe are the ports of Tirva and Quedal, La Baia Chica, that of Puralla, 

 the port of St. Cebrian, that of Sanfta Clara, that of St. Domingo, St. Efteran, Los 

 Reyes, that Baixas, that of the Innocents, and many others lefs confiderable, as far 

 as the ftraights of Magellan. 



Befides thefe ports which we have marked upon the Terra Firma, there are feveral 

 others, well known in the iflands of Juan Fernandes, La Mocha, Sanfta Maria, in the 

 iflands of Chiloe, Alfie, where the moft frequented are that of Carlemapo, and that 

 called the Englifh Port, becaufe formerly an Englifh fhip landed there, and the men 

 and fhip, with all its artillery, were made prize. There are alfo feveral other ports in 

 the Archipelago of Chiloe, which I forbear rnentioning, becaufe I have not a perfect 

 account of theqi, 



CFIAl* 



