the South-Sea* 



a little running Water, crofs'd by a great reddlfli Road ; in 

 that Place there is a Shoal, on which there is no more than 

 two Fathom and a half Water. 



Ships generally anchor only in that Nook of the Road 

 which is before the Fort, for the Conveniency of Trade, 

 arid the more Safety ; yet after all, that Road is quite 

 naught in Winter, becaufe the North Winds which blow 

 in at the Mouth, without any Oppofition, make the Sea 

 there fo boifterous, that Ships have been fometimes forced 

 afliore. The South Winds are no lefs Violent there in 

 Summer ; but as riiey come over the Land, they make no 

 Sea, and in cafe they fhould force Ships from their Anchors^ 

 they can only be drove out to Sea. 



The next Day after our Arrival, the Captain went to 

 pay his Refpc&s to the Commander in Chief, calFd Go- 

 *vernador de las Annas, Governor of Arms, for fo he is 

 diftinguifli'd from the Prefident of Chilly who is calFd 

 Plain Governor. It was then Don John Covarrubias, a Man 

 of Birth, who having ferv'd in Flanders, had much Kind- 

 nefs for the French i tho' he is fubordinate to the Prefident, 

 he owns him not by that Name, but by that of Captain 

 General of Chili. 



The Fort where he commands, is of little Moment, as 

 well becaufe it is ill built, as becaufe the Road it defends 7fThe 

 is near other Creeks, which afford the fame Conveniencies 

 as that. Such an one is that of guintero, which is defence- 

 less, and but five Leagues from it. True it is, that the 

 Bay of Valparaiso, as neareft to the Capital, is the moft 

 frequented in all Chili ; for which Reafon, it has been thought 

 fit to fecure it againft any Infults of the Englijh and Dutch, 

 who have often ranged along thofe Coafts. Formerly, 

 there was only a little Battery level with the Water, but 

 within thefe laft thirty Years they have built the great For- 

 trefs, at the Foot of the Mountain : It ftands on an Emi- 

 nence of an indifferent Height, crofs'd towards the S. E. 

 and N. W. by two Streams, which form two natural 

 Ditches between twenty and twenty-five Fathom deep, 



N 2 funk 



