The governor we found here was a native of Chili.  The government, which is appointed by that presidency, is for three years, which appears to be a long banishment to them, as their appointments are but small, though they make the most of it.  The towns of Castro and Chaco consist only of scattered houses, without a regular street, though both have their places or squares, as almost all Spanish towns have.  Chaco is very thinly inhabited, excepting at the time the Lima ship arrives; then they flock thither from all parts of the island to purchase what little matters they want, and as soon as that is done, retire to their estancias or farms.

It was about the middle of December this ship came in, and the second of January, 1742-3, we embarked on board of her.  She was bound to Valparaiso.  We got out to sea with some difficulty, having been driven by the strength of the tide very near those sunken rocks mentioned before.  We found a great sea without; and as the ship was as deep as any laden collier, her decks were continually well washed.  She was a fine vessel, of about two hundred and fifty-tons.  The timber the ships of this country are built of is excellent, as they last a prodigious time; for they assured us that the vessel we were then in had been built above forty years.  The captain was a Spaniard, and knew not the least of sea affairs; the second captain, or master, the boatswain, and his mate, were all three Frenchmen, and very good seamen; the pilot was a Mulatto, and all the rest of the crew were Indians and negroes.  The latter were all slaves and stout fellows, but never suffered to go aloft, lest they should fall overboard, and the owners lose so much money by it.  The Indians were active, brisk men, and very good seamen for that climate.  We had on board the head of the Jesuits as passenger.  He and Captain Cheap were admitted into the great cabin, and messed with the captain and his chaplain.  As for us, we were obliged to rough it the whole passage, that is, when we were tired we lay down upon the quarter-deck in the open air, and slept as well as we could; but that was nothing to us, who had been used to fare so much worse.  We lived well, eating with the master and boatswain, who always had their meals upon the quarter-deck, and drank brandy at them as we do small-beer, and all the rest of the day were smoking segars.

The fifth day we made the land four or five leagues to the southward of Valparaiso, and soon after falling calm, a great western swell hurried us in very fast towards the shore.  We dropped the lead several times, but had such deep water we could not anchor.  They were all much alarmed when the Jesuit came out of the cabin for the first time, having been sea-sick the whole passage.  As soon as he was informed of the danger, he went back into the cabin and brought out the image of some saint, which he desired might be hung up in the mizen-shrouds; which being done, he kept threatening it, that if we had not a breeze