184 THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



site of old Callao is at present, and probably was when Ulloa 

 left Peru (1744), a loose shingle filled in with light sand.* 



At present there are three castles which completely com- 

 mand the anchorage and the road to Lima ; one on the point 

 that stretches towards San Lorenzo, called generally the south 

 battery, one on the north of the town, called the north battery, 

 and a third between the two. La Independencia, formerly 

 named San Felipe. The last is large, and well calculated, even 

 with a large garrison, to withstand a long siege, as was demon- 

 strated by the protracted resistance of Rodil in the late war. 

 The castles were begun in 1747, just after the earthquake ; in 

 the same year Bellavista was built, about a quarter of a league 

 from Callao, as the port, in order to be beyond the ingress of 

 the sea in the event of another earthquake, for Callao was lite- 

 rally swept from its foundation by the rolling in of the ocean, 

 rather than by the shaking of the earth. The castles have pre- 

 vented the augmentation and improvement of the town ; pro- 

 prietors of the land always are at the risk of having the houses 

 torn down, in case the place should be attacked or even threat- 

 ened by an enemy, and that too by their own guns. 



Though these castles, and the arsenal immediately under the 

 walls of San Felipe, also defended by heavy brass guns, have 

 a formidable appearance, they are totally useless in preventing 

 invasion from any maritime foe. They could only serve as a 

 strong hold when driven to extremity, to enable the besieged 

 to gain time, and draw succor from the interior resources of 

 the country. True, they completely protect the immense bay 

 of Callao, and might save all the shipping in it, in the event of 

 an attempt to cut them out. For many leagues to the north 

 and south, landing can be effected without risk, even in small 

 boats and canoes. > ' " 



Besides the bad repair in which the ancient defence of Cal- 

 lao was kept, the garrison was small and without discipline. 

 Many dishonest persons in Lima, attached themselves to the 

 artillery nominally, in order to escape the prosecution of cre- 



* For a description of Callao as it was previous to 1746, see Frezier's Voy- 

 age to the South Sea, in 1712^13—14. 



