NOTICES OP CHILE. 



153 



Don Pedro Valdivia founded this place in 1544, thinking 

 that it might be a good retreat, in the passage from Chile to 

 Peru, and called it after his native place, La Serena — The Se- 

 rene, y 



Formerly this port was a common resort for whale ships, 

 but they have lately abandoned it, in consequence of being 

 too closely watched by the revenue officers, and from being 

 forbid to boil out their oil in the bay, and cast the carcass of 

 the fish upon the shore, as they were in the habit of doing. It 

 requires no stretch of imagination to fancy the offensiveness 

 of the air in the vicinity of such huge masses of animal matter 

 in a state of putrefaction. But they did not remain long ; buz- 

 zards, condors, and other carrion birds soon stript the bones 

 and left them to bleach upon the shore ; and from the great 

 number of them strewed along the road, and employed in the 

 structure of small bridges, we may form some idea of the many 

 whales which have been killed here. Besides the whales, 

 which it is by no means uncommon to see, the bay afibrds a 

 variety of fine fish, clams, and scallops, which last are not 

 found at Valparaiso, only one hundred and eighty miles to the 

 south. 



Immediately after our arrival, as is customary, the captain 

 of the port paid his visit ; and declined the compliment of a 

 salute, on the score that the guns of the forts had been thrown 

 down in the revolution of 1829, and had not been restored. 

 ^< In fact,'' said he, " we are now without defence ; the smallest 

 force would take the place ; there is not even a bayonet, much 

 less a soldier, in the garrison.'' 



Some years since, the commander of one of our ships of war 

 ofiered to salute the town, on the usual condition that it should 

 be returned gun for gun. The authorities replied, they would 

 be extremely happy to do so, but were entirely without pow- 

 der. The commander sent on shore a present of a barrel of 

 cartridges. The ship saluted. The fort commenced firing, 

 and continued till sunset ; then a message was sent on board to 

 say, <'as it was late, they would fire the remainder in the 

 morning !" 



Several of the balsas" of the bay came round us soon after 

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