152 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



CHAPTER VIL 



€oquimbo bay — La Serena — Salute — Balsas — The Port — Commerce — Con- 

 dors — The City — Distress by drought — Society — Trade. 



We anchored about four o'clock P. M., on the 1st of Sep- 

 tember, in the bay of Coquimbo, after twenty-eight hours run 

 from Valparaiso. During the passage, the wind blew very 

 fresh, and the sea was short and irregular, rendering the ves- 

 sel's motion extremely uncomfortable. At this season the 

 strong south winds are not so frequent as at other times of 

 the year ; calms and light northwardly airs are much more 

 common. 



Coquimbo bay, like that of Valparaiso, is an indentation of 

 the coast, better protected, however, from the prevailing 

 winds ; like that bay too, it opens to the northward, and the 

 southern cape extends so far seaward, that vessels may lie com- 

 pletely land-locked, and out of all danger, even during the 

 severest weather. Its beach, which bounds a most beautiful 

 sheet of water, sweeps round for about twenty-five miles. 

 Vessels may securely careen and repair in this spot, at every 

 season of the year. The greatest objection to this port is the 

 difficulty of obtaining fresh water ; even that for the use of the 

 inhabitants is brought a league in kegs and skins. Water for 

 domestic purposes forms a considerable item in the expenses 

 of a household. 



The bay is surrounded by high ranges of mountains, which 

 increase in height as they recede from the coast, till the view 

 is closed by the snowy peaks of the main Cordillera, which ap- 

 pear through the valleys and quebrddas running to the sea. At 

 present they are naked and inhospitable to appearance, but in 

 rainy years, they are clothed in verdure. In the vicinity, 

 there is a great quantity of shell formation, and I am told by 

 an intelligent friend, that the hills are covered with shells, 

 many of which are not found in the bays of the coast. 



