204 
SOUTH SEA 
ception which we passed, the scene of the dreadful 
earthquake that occurred in 1751, in which the town 
was swallowed up by the sea. The fruit trees at this 
place are obliged to be thinned of their produce, lest the 
overloaded state of the branches should weigh them 
to the ground. We touched at Valparaiso, as we sailed 
along the coast ; but I shall not detain the reader with 
remarks upon that place, except that I was much dis- 
appointed with its appearance ; the houses are meanly 
built, and placed in a very irregular manner. I was 
much surprised at the great number of dogs which I 
saw here, and also at the great number of idle persons 
which were lounging about it, but who, nevertheless, 
appeared to amuse themselves by devouring delicious 
water melons in considerable quantities, the shells or 
rinds of which were scattered all over the place. We 
obtained a small quantity of fruit here, consisting of the 
anana or pine-apple, with some water melons of extreme 
delicacy of flavour ; we also purchased some grapes in 
the fruit market which is here established,— but we 
were rather too earlv in the season to obtain them at a 
cheap rate. 
We soon continued our progress for Coquimbo, a 
town which stands upon the borders of a very beautiful 
bay, and which is situated at about three degrees distant 
from Valparaiso. When we arrived, and had entered 
the bay, we let go our anchor for the first time since 
leaving our own native land, for the purpose of refitting 
the ship and refreshing the crew, for which we remained 
about fourteen days, during which I managed to pass my 
