:jo9 



who liiid fitted out a considerable fleet to retake it, finding it 

 on their arrival ubandiiierl, re{. aired and fortified it in u better 

 manner than before, adding four stroni; castles or forts upon 

 both sides of the river towards the sea, to defend it from 

 foreign invasion, and aiiotlier on the north, to protect it from 

 tiie uieursions of the Arancanians. These precautions have 

 liitherto succeeded in securing it against external eiicniies, but 

 it has suflfered severely from fire, winch has twice alaiost en- 

 tirely destroyed it. The haiboiir i.-; situated in a btauti'ad bay, 

 formed by the river, and is the safest, the strougest from its 

 natural position, and the most capacious of any of the ports in 

 the South Sea, The island of Manzera, situated just hi the 

 mouth of the river, forms two passages, bordered by steep 

 mountains, and strongly fortified. As this is a post of the 

 most importance of any in the Pacific, a governor is always 

 sent from Spain, who possesses reputation as a military officer, 

 and is under the immediate direction of tlie president of the 

 kingdom. He has under his command a considerable number 

 of troops, who are otiicered bv the five castellans, or com- 

 manders of fhe castles, a sergeant-major, a proveditor, an in- 

 spector, and sevral ca]>!;>iiJ3. For the jtay of the soldiers 

 thirfy-six tliousand cr(iwn are annually sent hiiher troin the 

 royal treasury of Peru, and the provisions recpiisile for their 

 subsistence from the other ports of Chili. The Jesuits led 

 formerly a college here; there are be^<ides some convents (-t 

 Franciscans, and of the Brothers of Charity, with a roval hos- 

 oital, aiiv! the parish church. 



THE ARCIIIPELAC.O OF CHILOE 



Is a great gnl))h or bay at the southern extivinily of Cliiii, 

 .-coo))ed out, as it were, in a circular form by the South Sa 

 ?o llie skirts of the Andes. Thi? gulph c\tenvi> from latiftMlc 

 -11. 20. to -14. 40. and from h^iujitude 303. to o()4. 50. The 

 >!a!;(l- tliat it contaiiis auiouiit to t:)rty-s,cvcn, ol" wliith t'!;;i'v- 



X ; 



