404
'795* tions on our arrival from Senr' Don Lewis Alava, a colonel in the army.
>— u— 1 governor of this port, and brother to our friend of that name at Monterrey.
This meffage was accompanied by the ftrongeft aflurances on the part
of the governor of affording us every affiftance that we might require,
and which might be in his power to bellow, and with hopes that he
Ihould foon have the pleafure of feeing myfelf and officers on ffiore, where
we might depend upon receiving, every civility; adding, that the time we
might remain at Valparaifo Ihould pafs as agreeably as it was in the power
of himfelf and the inhabitants of the town to render it.
It was not'eafy to reconcile two reports fo very oppofite, though I
did not hefitate to give more credit to the latter than to the former, efpe-
cially as our firfl- impreffions were received from one not perfectly fober.
Had I entertained any doubts, my fufpenfe would not have been of long
duration, for on the return of Mr. Manby, every thing which the Spa-
niffi officer had Hated was confirmed; and we now uhderflood, that if
thofe on board the Lightning laboured under any uncomfortable reftric-
tions impofed by the governor, it was to be attributed folely to their own
indifcretlion and improper condufl, which had rendered fuch meafures on
the part of the" commanding officer indifpenfably neceffary for the prefer-
vation of good order.
Mr. Manby informed me that Sen'- Alava had Hated to him, that not-
withflanding he did not entertain the leaH doubt that Don Ambrofio
Higgins de Vallenar, the prefident and captain general of the kingdom
of Chili, would confirm all the promifes which he then made; yet
it was neceffary, before any material operations Ihould take place, to
obtain His Excellency’s fanflion and approbation for their being carried
into effeft. For this purpofe he Ihould difpatch a courier that
evening to the capital, St. Jago de Chili, the refidence of the Prefident,
and where he now was, and he hoped it would be convenient to me
to make fome communication to His Excellency by the fame conveyance,
on the fubjeft of our vifit, and the fuccours we required'.
With this requefl of the governor’s I inflantly complied; the meffenger
was tb.en difpatched, and we were given to underftand that a reply might
he
be expefted on the faturday or funday following; in the mean time there ^79*
Was no reHraint on the officers vifiting the town; the markets were open v.— .--- '
to us to obtain fuch immediate refrelhments as we might require; and
we were equally at liberty to recruit our flock of water and of fuel.
On thefe agreeable communications being made, the garrifon was fa-
luted with thirteen guns, and on this compliment being equally returned,
I waited upon the governor, whilfl the veflels were mooring by the bower
anchors in a n . n . e . and s. s. w . direftion, a cable each way; thefouthern
anchor in 10 fathoms,' the- northern in 16 fathoms water, on a bottom
of fliff muddy clay. The point of Angels bearing by compafs N. 35 w „
diflant about a mile; the faluting fort, on the weflern fide of the bay,
N . 5 3 w „ about half that diflance; the governor’s houfe in another fort,
s. 86 w., about three cables diflant; a rocky point running off from thé
town, being the neareft ffiore, s. 7 w „ one cable and a half diflant; a redoubt
on a hill, s. 5 E.; a confpicuous white church in the village of Al-
mandrel, s. 65 e . ; the eafternmoft fort, n . 83 E.; a remarkably lofty, rugged,
fnowy mountain, terminating partly in a flat and partly in- a peaked
fummit, being a part of the Andes, n . 61 e . ; theeaft point of thebay,
K. ,-7 K„ about a league diflant; a more diflant point,,N. 17 E., 3 leagues
off; and the northernmoft part óf the coaft in fight, N. 6 w. .
On thurfday morning, accompanied b y Mr. Puget and feveral of the
officers of both veflels; I paid my formal vifit to Governor Alava, and
had the pleafure of receiving every mark of polite and hofpitable attention
from him, with repeated aflurances that nothing Ihould be wanting
on his part to relieve our wants, or to render. Valparaifo as pleafant and,
agreeable to us as its circumftances would allow. Thefe ceremonies being
concluded we returned to the veflels, where our vifit was ffiort y
repaid by the governor, attended by moft of the principal officers and
inhabitants of the town; and on their coming on board they were faluted
with thirteen guns. From all thefe- gentlemen we received the moft
preffino-intreaties to vifit their families; which civilities we did not fail
to accept, exprefling our thanks for the cordiality with which they had:
been fo obligingly made.
The