fOATER's JOrRNAl,, 



coast, except in one instance, when a fire was liglit^d in t!i^ 

 evening in a small cove, probably by some Indians, or per- 

 sons engaged in smuggling, and intended, no doubt, as 

 an invitation for us to laud. 



On the morning of the 13th, we discovered that our 

 main-topsail-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 

 that day we made the point three or four leagues to the 

 southwest of the bay of Valparaiso, and called by the Spa- 

 niards Quaranmilla. This point, as you come from the 

 southward, may be known by its sloping off gently towards 

 the sea ; and close to the end of it is a small rugged island, 

 or rather large rock, about the height of a ship's masts. 

 At eight P. M,, I brought the point to bear N. N. E., dis- 

 tant about four leagues, and then hove to with the hope of 

 intercepting some vessel in the morning, bound to Valpa- 

 raiso, as all vessels bound there endeavour to make this 

 point. At sunrise, not discovering a sail, I determined to 

 look into the harbour, and see at once what hopes we had 

 in this quarter; and accordingly steered away for Point 

 Quaranmilla under all sail, doublins: it at the distance of 

 half a league. After passing this point we perceived some 

 scattering rocks lying some distance from shore, and short- 

 ly aftenvards opened a handsome bay, with a fine sandy 

 beach, where we perceived a few fishing boats engaged in 

 fishing ; and wishing to have some communication with 

 them, I hoisted the English ensign and pendant, and a jack 

 for a pilot, but none of them appeared disposed to come 

 along side. In the bottom of the bay was a small enclo- 

 sure with a hut, and on the top of the next projecting point 

 was another small building, apparently covered with tiles* 

 On the sides of the neighbouring hills were several cattle 

 grazing. These were the only marks of civilization we 

 had yet met on the coast, and nothing whatever appeared to 

 indicate our approach to the most important city of Chili, 

 With the exception of the few cattle that grazed on the arid 

 rocks, the two huts before mentioned, and the miserable 

 looking fishermen, the coast here had the same desolate ap» 

 pearance as the rest we had seen, and since we left Mocha, 

 but little of it had escaped our observation. It was in vain 

 that we sought for those handsome villages, well-culti- 



