■ H l r
I flWP
1 79S* April.
bifhop of St. Jago, but under the direction of a vicar, who refides at
Valparaifo, and is amenable for his conduft to the archbifhop. The
town and its neighbourhood are under the jurifdiftion of the governor,
who receives his appointment, with a falary of four thoufand dollars per
annum, from the king of Spain; but he is neverthelefs under the immediate
orders and controul of the Captain-general. All civil and military
caufes are heard at St, Jago. Capital offences are feldom committed
; a man was found guilty on a charge of felony, and hanged about
three years before our arrival, a punilhment that, we underftood, was feldom
known to be inllict.ed.
I could not afeertain what were the revenues of the king of Spain
on the exports and imports at Valparaifo, the colleftion of which is an
important part of the governor’s bufinefst nor was I able to fatisfy my-
felf as to the amount of dollars which are annually fent from this port
to Old Spain, but I had reafon to believe it was not lefs than one million
and an half. The quantity of gold and filver coined into money at
Mexico is prodigious ; I obtained an account of the coinage there, from
the iff of January to the 31ft of december, 1793, by which it appeared
that the total amount was as under:
In gold- In filver- ■ Totalpefos,
or hard dollars,. pefos, pefos,.
884,262. 23,428.68c. 24,312,942.
This, however, was the greateft quantity of fpecie ever known in one
year to have been coined in the money-houfe at Mexico.
In anfwer to a letter, which by the defire of Senr- Don Ambrofio I had
written to him, acquainting him with our fafe return to Valparaifo, he
had the goodnefs to exprefs the molt ferious concern for the decayed
Hate in which I had the misfortune to find our main-yard; and in a letter
to Governor Alava, he directed him to ufe his- utmoft endeavours to fup-
ply us with a new one, by fearching among!! the traders in the port ; , .and
Rating that he had underftood from the fhip Mercury., a main-yard, for
the Difcovery might be procured. Although we could not on this occa-
fion avail ourfelves of the Prefident’s. kind attention, yet thefe letters
breathed
breathed not only fo much friendlinefs and anxiety for the prefervation
of our little community, but exhibited fuch earneft folicttude for the fafe ' . 1
return of our expedition to Europe, left the important information we
had to communicate !hould be loft to the world, that I cannot refill
noticing this circumftance as an additional proof of the goodnefs and
magnanimity of His Excellency the Prefident of Chili.
The wind, which had been generally in the fouthern quarter, blowing ThurHay^,
gently, and fubfiding into a calm towards the evening, changed to the
north, and' was accompanied by a very heavy rain, that continued with
little intermiflion all the following day. After the ram ceafed, the wea- Friday 24.
ther was cloudy and unpleafant until faturday, when the wind returned Saturday 25.
to the s. s.vv., with fair and moderate weather, notwithftanding which
the Chatham’s fmall bower cable, in confequence o f its being completely
worn out, broke, which obliged Mr. Puget to warp the veffel nearer in
fliore, and to-moor to an anchor on the beach ; after, which the anchor,
with the remainder of the cable, was recovered. On the monday fol- Monday 27,
lowincr the. carpenters, finifhed the main yard, and it was got on board
and rigged,, the caulkers had nearly finifhed their bufinefs ; . and; as I was
very anxious to ..take gur departure, I gave .orders for the obfervatory
and inftruments to be received on board, and the veflels to be made
ready for proceeding to fea the firft favorable opportunity. :■ It was not, i Mw- <
however, until the 5th of may, that we had fuffieient wind to encourage Tuciday 5.
us to- unmoor, which was done about fix in the morning, with a light
breeze of wind from the fouth ; but this, foon dying away, we returned
nearly to the place from whence we had come- On a frefh breeze fpring*-
ing up, about noon the next day, from the fouth and s. by w., we un- Wcdntf. 6.
moored, and after faluting the fort with thirteen guns, (which were equally
returned) and taking our leave of Governor Alava,.and the reft of- our
very hofpitable friends at Valparaifo, we made- fail from the port, in
company with the Chatham and a Spanifh brig and fchooner. '
The’ trade of'this port is carried on in fliips from two hundred and
fifty to feven hundred tons burthen ; in which is annually exported, to
Lima about fifteen thoufand tons of wheat: and wheat-flour, large quantities
of fmall cordage, dried fait fifh, and apples, pears, and peaches, in
3 . Sreat