On the top o f a hill, on the eaft fide of the bay, is an open or bar-
bet battery, lately erefted with ftone and brick, and capable o f mounting
ten guns ; this battery commands all that fide of the bay, the beach,
and the village of Almandrel. On the fummit of another hill is a ftone
redoubt, o f a circular form, with eleven ' embrafures ; thefe command
the beach and village of Almandrel to the çaftward, the bay to the
northward, and the town and harbour of Valparaifo to the north-weft-
ward. Although this fortification was in a moft neglected and ruinous
condition, we were given to underftand, that the principal magazine
was inclofed within its ruins. The largeft and moft confiderable fortification
is in the middle o f the town, within which is the refidence of the
governor. It is fituated on a fmall eminence, one fide of which is open
to the fea, and is feparated from it only by a very narrow pals. The
height of the lower wall, which is ftrong, and well built with mafonry,
is about fifteen feet to the embrafures ; of which, there are fix that front
the lea, two face the ftreet to the eaftward, and two look into the
market-place to the weftward. The upper part of the hill is furround-
ed by another ftrong ftone wall, about ten feet in height, and half way
up the hill ; a third wall croffes it, which Ihews three embrafures to the
fea, immediately over the fort and the governor’s houfe below. At
the place where this wall terminates, which is near the fummit of the
eminence, the fide of the hill falls perpendicularly down into a deep
gully, by which the fort is encompaffed, and which might be the means
o f rendering this fortification unaffailable, and a place that might long
be maintained, were it not for other hills within mulket-lhot, which
command every part of it. The fpace inclofed by the lower wall is
about four hundred yards in length, and in fome places about one hundred
in breadth ; here are the barracks for the troops, and at tftp upper
end is a building, in which a court is held, for the regulation of the
police of the town. A door, in that fide of the wall which faces the
market-place, is the only entrance, and leads by a winding flair-cafe
to different parts of the fortification. There is one other fortification,
about half a mile from the fort, fituated on the weft fide of the bay, at
the foot of a high hill, and but little elevated above the level of the
fea.
fea. This Ihews a face of five embrafures to the eaft, and in that
direction commands the weft fide of the bay ; three embrafures to the
northward are fo difpofed, as to be able to open upon any veffel the
inftant Ihe paffes round the point of Angels; whilft two others to the
fouthward, command the (hips lying in the harbour or the bay. We
computed that thefe feveral places Contained about feventy pieces
o f cannon, many of which were without proper carriages, and fome
were lying difmounted under the walls of the lower battery in the
town.
From the weftern fort fome rocks extend into the bay, and the bottom
is too foul for veffels of any force to anchor nearer to this fortification
than about four hundred yards ; but they may approach
and anchor in a very eligible fituation, within about two hundred and
fifty yards of the garrifon or principal fortrefs ; and neither of thefe
places, in their prefent fituation, would be able to refill a well-directed
fire even from two or three frigates.
It appeared to us to be very extraordinary, that, under the exifting
circumftances of Europe, and during a war between Spain and France,
the fortifications at Valparaifo flfould remain in fuch a neglefted, ruinous,
and defenCelefs ftate, and that no meafures Ihould either be reforted to,
or appear to be in contemplation, for putting them into a more re-
fpeftable condition; efpecially as it is from this port that the kingdom
o f Peru principally depends for its fupply of grain ; in return for which
fugar, tobacco, indico, and fpirits, are imported into Valparaifo. Tar
we found not only to be a very fcarce but dear article, as the expence
o f the quantity which was neceffary for our new cables,, was nearly
equal to that of the workrnanfhip and raw material of which they were
compoferi. .
The houfes in Valparaifo,' on account of the earthquakes which frequently
happen in South America, like thefe at St. Jago, COnfift of the
ground floor only ; the walls are built with mud, and plaftered over with
a preparation of lime; they are convenient, well adapted to the climate,
and are in general handfomely furnilhed. In the town and in the village
of Almandrel there are fix churches, within the diocefe of the arch-
3 N 2 . ' bilhop