( ^38 } 



league of the town ; but this only in the 

 very fine months, as you lay mnch expofed. 

 The heft anchoring-place is Talcaguana, 

 the fouthernmoft neck of the bay, in five 

 or fix fathom water, good holding 

 ground, and where you are (heltered 

 from the northerly winds. The town 

 has no other defence but a low battery, 

 which only commands the anchoring- 

 place before it. The country is extremely 

 pleafant, and affords the greatefl: plenty 

 pf provifions of all kinds. In fome 

 exGurfions we made daily from Talca- 

 guana, we faw great numbers of very 

 large fnakes ; but we were told they 

 were quite harmlefs. I have read fome 

 former accounts of Chili, by the jefuits, 

 wherein they tell you that no venomous 

 creature is to be found in it, and that they 

 even made the experiment of bringing 

 bugs here, which died immediately; but I 

 never was in any place that fwarmed 

 with them fo much as St. Jago 5 and they 



have 



