Ch.L south AMERICA. 195 



fhip is very fortunate to perform it in forty or fifty 

 days ^ apid even if after fpending that time in conti- 

 nual labour, (lie be not obliged to return again to 

 Paita ; fuch accidents being very common ; and it is 

 nothing extraordinary to meet with two or three mif- 

 fortunes of the fame kind fucceffively, efpecially if 

 the fhips make a great deal of lee-way, when it is 

 often a twelvemonth's tafl<. I'hey relate here a flory 

 to this purpofe, that the mafter of a merchant fhip, 

 who had been lately married at Paita, took his wife 

 -on board with him, in order fo carry her to Callao. 

 Jn the vefiel fhe was delivered of a fon, and before 

 the fliip reached Callao, the boy could read diftinctly. 

 For after turning to windward, two or three months, 

 provifions growing fhort, the mxafter put into fome 

 port, where feveral months were fpent in procuring 

 a frefh fupply ; and after another courfe of tacking, 

 the fame ill fortune ftill purfued him and thus four 

 pr five years were fpent in tacking and vi61:ualling to 

 the ruin of the owner, before the fhip reached Callao. 

 This misfortune was, in a great m.eafure, owing to the 

 ill conftrudion of the fliip and every other circum- 

 ftance tending to obftrucl her paflage, the tranfadion 

 has nothing very wonderful in it. 



According to obfervations made by Don George 

 Juan at Paita, in the year 1737, its latitude is 5° 5' 

 S. It is a fmall place, having only one Itreet, and- 

 about 172 houfes ; and thefe only of Quinchas and 

 canes covered vinh leaves the only houfe built of 

 ftone being that of the governor. It has a pariih. 

 church and a chapel dedicated to our lady of mercy, 

 and ferved by a religious of that order. A little to 

 the fouthward of the town is a mountain, called from 

 its figure Siiia de Paita, or the faddle of Paita. The 

 foil round Paita is wholly of fand, and extreamly 

 barren ; for befides the total want of rain, it has not 

 a fmgle river for the conveyance of water ; fo that it is 

 entirely deftitute of that nccefTary fluid, iinlefe whai; 



O 2 is 



