690 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



ligence, and having no orders to continue at Conception, we put to fea on the fixth of 

 February, and fleering for the place of our deftination, made, on the 20th, the ifland De 

 Tierra de Juan Fernandes, and at half an hour after ten, as we were plying to windward 

 along the coaft, and flanding towards the ifland which then bore two leagues weft from 

 us, we faw on the top of one of the mountains a bright light, which furprifed us the 

 more, as on the following day we faw no traces of any Ihip's being in the port fmce we 

 left it. I had a clear view of it from the inftant it began, and obferved that at firft it 

 was very fmall, and increafed, fo as to form a flame like that of a flambeau. The full 

 vigour of its light lafted about three or four minutes, when it diminifhed in the fame 

 gradual manner it had increafed. It did not appear again all the next night, nor had 

 we during the whole time we were at anchor in the port, any view of fuch a phaenome- 

 non. We fent fome of our people on fliore to examine all the mountains, and other 

 parts of the ifland, and they fpent feveral nights on that and the adjacent mountains, 

 but could not difcover the leaft veftige of any fire. As I knew the ifland to be abfo- 

 lutely deftitute, the fanguine colour of the flame inclined me to think there might be 

 fome volcano ; but having never feen any thing of the kind before, nor heard from 

 others that there was ever any eruption, I was far from being tenacious of my opinion. 

 We had indeed all our conjedures ; but the difficulty was not cleared up till my fifth 

 and laft voyage to this ifland, when Don Jofeph Pizarro fent fome people on fhore to 

 take an accurate furvey of this place, and the ground was found to be burnt, full of 

 fiffures and hot, which verified my firft opinion of a volcano. 



On the 21ft, after coafting along this ifland, we continued our courfe for Valparaifo, 

 where our little fquadron came to an anchor on the 24th, and were the more pleafed, as 

 we found there the prefident of Santiago, Don Jofeph Manfo, and our commodore ; 

 and in the harbour, befides the Callao fleet, three French fliips, called the Louis Eraf- 

 me, Notre Dame de la Delivrance, and the Lys, which had been freighted by four 

 merchants as regifter fhips ; and Valparaifo was the firft port they had touched at, for 

 vending their cargoes. 



From feveral obfervations made in this harbour by Don George Juan, in the laft voy- 

 age of J 744, its latitude appears to be 33° 02' 36'' 30% and Father Feuillee fettled its 

 its longitude at 304*^ 11' 45" from the meridian of Teneriff. This town was at firft 

 very mean, confifting only of a few warehoufes built by the inhabitants of Santiago for 

 laying up their goods till fhipped off for Callao, the harbour of Valparaifo being the 

 neareft port to that city, from which it is only twenty leagues diftant, though the na- 

 tives will have it to be more. The only inhabitants at that time were the few fervants 

 left by their refpedlive mafters for taking care of the warehoufes, and managing their 

 mercantile affairs. But in procefs of time, the merchants themfelves, together with 

 feveral other families, removed from Santiago, in order to be more conveniently fitu- 

 ated for trade ; fince which it has gradually increafed, fo that at prefent it is both large 

 and populous ; and would be ftill larger were it not for its inconvenient fituation, ftand- 

 ing fo near the foot of a mountain, that a great part of the houfes are built on its accli- 

 vity, or in its breaches. The broadeft and moft convenient part is that along the coaft, 

 but this is very unpleafant in winter, being fo expofed to the north winds, that the 

 waves beat againft the walls of the houfes, fome of which are built of unburnt bricks, 

 fome of chalk and pebbles, and others of bajareques. 



Valparaifo, befides its parifli-church, has a convent of Francifcans, and another of 



Auguftines; but very few religious, and the churches belonging to them fmall and 



mean. It is inhabited by families of Spaniards, and Cafts, both Mulattoes and Mefti- 



zos. In its neighbourhood are feveral villages, and the great number of farm-houfes 



I o give 



