ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 68 1 



ing into their condition, and, in cafe of neceffity, to haften to their relief. During 

 his abfence, the commanding officer of each is the captain of the garrifon, which 

 ufually conlifting both of horfe and foot with their officers, the perfon on whom the 

 command devolves is previoufly nominated. This important pod is in the difpofal of 

 the prefident, as fuppofed to be beft acquainted with the merits of the feveral compe. 

 titers when a vacancy happens; and that the fafety of his government will induce hinj 

 to prefer the moft deferving. Accordingly, whoever intends to offer himfelf a candidate 

 for this pofl, fhould folicit to be employed in the frontier fervice, procure a competent 

 knowledge of the flratagems of the Indians, and be very attentive to diftinguifh him- 

 felf on any alarm or encounter. It is indeed expreffed in the royal commiffion, that 

 the corregidor of Conception fliall be the military commander-in-chief; and, confe- 

 quently, it is to him that the appointment of the general properly belongs ; but this, 

 from very powerful reafons, is difpenfed with, the proper difcharge of thefe two pofts 

 being utterly incompatible ; and the civil and military requifite here very rarely meeting 

 in the fame perfon. But when this obftacle does not exift, and the corregidor is one 

 of thefe extraordinary perfons, the prefident, agreeably to the royal expreffion, con- 

 fers the poft of Maeflre de campo on the corregidor of La Conception. 



II. Valparaifo is theiecond military government. But the particular account of it, 

 I fhall defer for a more proper place. 



III. Valdivia has a military governor nominated by the King. Here is alfo a good 

 body of troops, both for garrifoning the place, and the forts built to defend the entrance 

 of the river and harbours in it. Clofe to the river (lands the town, the inhabitants of 

 which are chiefly whites or Meftizos ; but a village forming a kind of fuburb is in- 

 habited by friendly Indians. This government has undergone fome viciffitudes in point 

 of fubordinarion, being fometimes independent of the prefidents of Chili, and imme-f 

 diately fubject to the viceroy of Lima ; and at other times a part of the former. At 

 laft, on weighing the difficulties for providing for any fudden exigence, or having a 

 watchful eye over its neceifary concerns at fo great a diftance as Lima, it was annexeq 

 to the jurifdiftion of the prefident of Chili, as being nearer at hand to fee that tl^ 

 forces are always on a good footing, and confequently in a proper pofture of defence. 



IV. Chiloe has a military governor, who refides at Chacao, the principal harbour of 

 the illand, being well fortified and capable of making a good defence. Befides Chacas, 

 which has the title of a city, is another place much larger, called Calbuco, where 

 refides a corregidor, who is nominated by the prefident of Chili. It has alfo regidores 

 and alcaldes chofen annually. Befides the parifh-church here, is a convent of Fran- 

 cifcans, another of the fathers of Mercy, and a college of Jefuits. The ifland is 

 every-where well peopled with Spaniards, Meftizos, and Chriftian Indians. 



' The kingdom of Chili has continually a body of regular troops, confifling of five 

 hundred men, for garrifoning Valparaifo, a fort at Conception, and thofe on the 

 frontiers. One half of this body is infantry and the other cavalry. Under the major- 

 general who commands in chief, is a ferjeant-major, whofe duty it is to render them 

 expert in all the various parts of military exercife ; and that he may more conveniently 

 render them ready at their feveral evolutions, he refides at the fort of Jumbal, which 

 lies in the center of the others. To thefe alfo belong a commiflary-general of the 

 horfe, whofe poft is at Arauco, and in the abfence of the general has the command. 

 Thefe troops have alfo a mufler-mafter-general, who refides at Conception. The 

 ftanding forces of Chili, till the beginning of this century, confifted of two thoufand 

 men : but the great charge of fi^nporting fuch a body of troops occafioned them to 

 be reduced to the prefent number. 



VOT-. XIV. 4 R The 



