476 CONCEPCION RE-BUILDING. July 



Until the 10th, it was necessary to remain at anchor, a"? 

 there were accounts to settle between the commodore, the 

 consul, the pursers, the officers, and the owner of the schooner ; 

 there were visits to the Authorities, to thank them for their 

 assistance, and, as usual on board men-of-war, there was much 

 to do in very little time. To Don Jose Alemparte, the ynten- 

 dente of the province ; to Colonel Boza, the principal military 

 authority ; to D. Miguel Bayon, the governor of Talcahuano ; 

 and to Don Pablo Delano, captain of the port, sincere thanks 

 were really due for their earnest exertions. Mr. Rouse took his 

 leave of us on the 10th, and we then sailed. 



While the Blonde was lying off Talcahuano, I had a few 

 opportunities of looking about, and seeing that both Concep- 

 cion and Talcahuano were rising out of their ruins, and that 

 their unfortunate inhabitants had, at least, roofs over their 

 heads. Concepcion was, and is still nominally, a city : but it 

 ■will be long before it again appears as such to the eye of a 

 stranger. Some idea may be formed of the low scale to which 

 every thing was there reduced, when 1 mention that it was 

 very difficult to find a carriage of any kind in which the Com- 

 modore could go to visit the Yntendente. 



Great discussions had arisen on the subject of rebuilding the 

 city. The government party wished to remove the site to a 

 better position ; but there was so strong an opposition, that 

 the result was likely to be the gradual rebuilding of the town 

 in the same place, while the removal was still undecided, and 

 under consideration. Two situations were named as much more 

 eligible than the former : one on the banks of the little river 

 Andalien, about a mile from the old city ; and the other, on a 

 rising ground about two miles on the Talcahuano side of Concep- 

 cion. This latter position has many and great advantages, as all 

 acknowledged ; but people were reluctant to move ; each one 

 had or fancied an advantage in the old situation of his house, 

 encumbered as it was with ruins. Besides, many more serious 

 difficulties would arise in leaving small freeholds, and obtaining 

 equivalents in another place : however, an active government 

 might have accomplished so desirable a change without injuring 



