Ch. V. SOUTH AMERICA. 235 



Conception to their former poileffions, v/ith the greateil 

 apparent fecurity. But the year 1603 gave birth to a 

 new and more general confederacy, by which means 

 Conception, La Imperia, and Baldivia, with fix 

 fmaller places, were deftroyed ^ being the greatefl part 

 of the places in this kingdom. Conception, however, 

 received freih fuccours, the city was again repaired, 

 and has continued ever fmce. 



Its latitude, according to an obfcrvation we made 

 in the year 1744, at Talcaguana, which lies exadly 

 E. and W. v/ith the city, is 36^ 43^ 15'' S. and its 

 longitude from the meridian of Teneritr, according to 

 Father Feviilee, 303° 18^30-^. The city is built on 

 the S. W. Hiore of a beautiful bay, on an uneven 

 fandy ground, and on a fmall declivity, having a little 

 river running through it. The city in its extent, is 

 fcarce equal to one of the fourth clafs. The deftruc- 

 tion it fuffered in the dreadful earthquake of 1730, oc- 

 cafioned all the houfes to be built low, though it had be- 

 fore been fubjedto thcfc fudden convulfions of nature. 

 This was, however, ths lafh of thofe remarkable for 

 their melancholy confequences, which extended to San- 

 tiago, the capital of the kingdom, which was involved 

 in the fame ruin. On the 8th of July, at one in the 

 morning, the firft motions v^ere felt, and the concuffions 

 increafing, the fea retreated to a confidcrable diftance; 

 but in a flnaii time returned fo impetuoully, and with 

 fuch a fwell, that it overflowed the whole city, and the 

 neighbouring countries. In this fudden calamity the 

 inhabitants had no other afylum than the neighbour- 

 ing eminences. This inundation wasfocn fucceeded by 

 three or four ihocks; and at about four in the morning, 

 a little before day break, the concufiions returned with 

 the mod tremendous violence, demolifliing the few 

 building which had withftood the firft iliocks, and 

 the rapid motion of the fea. 



The houfes are all either of topias, or mud walls, 

 pr adoves, unburnt bricks ^ but covered v/ith tiles. 



The 



