ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 69 1 



give the country a cheerful appearance. Here is a military governor nominated by the 

 King, who having the command of the garrifons in the feveral ports, and of the militia 

 of the place and its dependencies, is to take care that they are properly difciplined. 



The proximity of this port to Santiago has drawn hither all the commerce formerly 

 carried on at that city. To this it owes its foundation, increafe, and prefent profperity. 

 At prefent all the Callao fhips which carry on the commerce between the two kingdoms 

 come hither. The cargoes they bring are indeed but fmall, confifting only of the goods 

 already mentioned, as not produced in Chili. But in this port they take in wheat, tallow, 

 cordovan leather, cordage, and dried fruits, and with thefe return to Callao ; and a fhip 

 has been known to make three voyages in one fummer, namely, between November and 

 June, during which interval the droves of mules and carriages from all the farm-houfes 

 in thejurifdidion of Santiago bring frefh fupplies to the warehoufes, that trade is carried 

 on both by land and fea. The mafters of Ihips, who generally refide at Lima or Callao, 

 enter into partnerfhip with the landed gentlemen of Chili, that the cargo of every fhip 

 generally belongs in part to the mafter ; though fome fhips are freighted, and, if the 

 loading be wheat, greatly augments its value j for the fanega cofls here only ten or 

 twelve rials, or two dollars, and the freight is from twelve rials to two piaflers. An- 

 other circumftance which raifes the price of wheat at Callao, where it is fold for twenty- 

 four or thirty rials, is, that the fanega is there only five arobas and five pounds, whereas 

 at Chili the fanega is fix arobas and fix pounds. 



This commerce being carried on only in fummer, that feafon may be termed the fair 

 of Valparaifo ; but on the approach of winter the place becomes as remarkably defolate, 

 the crowd of traders repairing to Santiago, thofe only continuing at Valparaifo who can- 

 not afford to remove. 



Valparaifo is abundantly fupplied with provifions from Santiago, and other places in 

 its neighbourhood ; but fhips do not victual here fo cheap as at Conception. The fruits 

 cannot be viewed without admiration, both with regard to their beauty and fize, parti- 

 cularly a fort of apples called Quillota, being brought from that place ; they prodigioufly 

 exceed the largelt in Spain, and, befides their exquifite flavour, are fo lufcious that they 

 melt in the mouth. 



Among the feveral kinds of game, there is here fuch a plenty of partridges in their 

 feafon, which begins at March and lafts feveral fucceeding months, that the Santiago 

 muleteers knock them down with flicks without going out of the road, and bring great 

 numbers of them to Valparaifo. But few of thefe or any other birds are feen near the 

 town. It is the fame thing with regard to fifh*, very little being to be caught either in 

 the harbour or along the coafl, in comparifon of what may be taken in the other parts. 



The coafl of Valparaifo forms a bay, lying north-eafl and fouth-weft, three leagues in 

 length, and having two capes, called Concon, and Valparaifo. In the fouth-weft part 

 of this bay is the harbour, of a convenient fize, and running above a league farther up 

 the country. The bottom is a firm tenacious mud. At the diftance of a cable's length 

 and a half from the fhore, is from fourteen to fixteen fathom water, which increafes in 

 depth proportional to the diftance, that at the diftance of half a league there is thirty-fix 

 or forty fathom. The harbour is every-where free from rocks and fhoals, except to 

 the north-eaft of the breach De los Angeles, where, about a cable's length or two from the 

 land is a rock, which muft be the more carefully avoided, as it never appears above water, 

 but fometimes has not a depth fufficient for a fhip of any burden to pafs over it. The 



* They take their fifh by (hooting a barbed arrow into them, which has a long light fliaft, that fuffers 

 the fifh not to fink after it is wounded. A. 



4 T 2 courfe 



