in the Pacific Ocean. 



on the coast, until we were about quitting it. Unfortunately, 

 the fog continued to envelope us, and prevented our extending 

 our view a mile beyond the ship, which rendered it unsafe to 

 keep so close in shore as I wished; for although the land is 

 very l^igh all along this coast, and in clear weather may be seen 

 from a great distance, yet the state of the atmosphere was such, 

 that before we could see it distinctly, the white foam of break- 

 ers, among the rocks which skirt it, was evident to us. We 

 were here surrounded by whales in great numbers, which gave 

 us strong hopes of soon meeting some of the vessels engaged 

 in catching them, as the whales generally go in shoals along 

 the coast, and the whalers keep in pursuit of them, following 

 their track north and south. We also saw many seals, and birds 

 in greater numbers than at any time during our passage, except 

 while in the heighbourhood of Mocha. 



On the latter part of the 12th, light airs sprang up from the 

 southwest, the weather began to clear off slowly, and every eye 

 was engaged in searching for a sail, as the fog moved to leeward. 

 Nothing, however, was to be seen but a wide expanse of ocean, 

 bounded on the east by the dreary, barren, and iron-bound coast 

 of Chili, at the back of which the eternally snow-capt mountains 

 of the Andes reared their lofty heads, and altogether presented to 

 us a scene of gloomy solitude, far exceeding every thing I ever 

 before experienced. The winds now freshening up, enabled us 

 to make sail to the northward ; and as the weather was clear, I 

 determined to keep close in with the coast, that no vessel might 

 be enabled to pass between us and the shore unobserved. In 

 the course of our run this and the next day we could discover 

 no vessels of any description, or the least trace of the existence of 

 a human being on the coast, except in one instance, when a fire 

 was lighted in the evening in a small cove, probably by some 

 Indians, or^ persons engaged in smuggling, and intended, no 

 doubt, as an invitation for us to land. 



On the morning of the 13th, we discovered that our main-top- 

 sail-yard was badly sprung, and were compelled to get it down 

 and replace it with another, which we were so fortunate as to 

 have on board. On the afternoon of the 13th, we made the 

 point three or four leagues to the southwest of the bay of Valpa- 

 raiso, and called by the Spaniards Quaranmilla. At sun-rise, not 

 discovering a sail, I determined to look into the harbour, and see 

 atonce whafe hopes we had in this quarter; and accordingly 

 steered away for Point Quaranmilla under all sail, doubling it at 

 the distance of half a league. After passing this point we per- 

 ceived some scattering rocks lying some distance from shore, and 

 shortly aferwards opened a handsome bay, with a fine sandy 

 beach, where we perceived a few fishing boats engaged in fishing ; 



