custom house, which, by the way, is a fine building, went into a number of stores, and finally came round to the market, where we found an abundance of fruit, similar to that of New York. We regaled ourselves on peaches, pears, plums, grapes, &c., but soon discovered a boy lying near us on a couch, and partly covered with a rug. We enquired what the matter was with him, and were informed that he was just recovering from the small pox. Looking around us, we saw a number in a similar condition, and concluded that we should give the virtue of vaccination a faithful trial. Tying up some fruit in our handkerchiefs for our families on board, we returned to the vessel for the night. Not being able to weigh anchor the next morning as we expected, we entertained ourselves with another excursion on shore. Purchasing a few articles to take back to the ship when we returned, we bent our course up the beach, south of the city, and taking a narrow footpath, which wound up a steep declivity, soon found ourselves on an artificial steppe of some thirty or forty feet square, and which commanded a beautiful view of the bay and harbor of Valparaiso. From this we ascended another declivity one hundred feet high, nearly perpendicular, and from its top enjoyed a lovely prospect of the city and surrounding country. Continuing our course, we passed a number of deep ravines, climbed a number of high bluffs, and came to the lighthouse, which stands on the summit of Valparaiso Head. From this place, we discovered, near the shore, a cross erected on a rock, and approaching it, found that it was the sign of a burying ground, or rather a depository for dead bodies. In the language of scripture it might be called "Golgotha, the place of a skull;" for the ground was literally covered with human bones. Here had been dug a deep hole about twelve feet square, into which those who had died with the small pox in the city, had been indiscriminately thrown. They were conveyed here from the hospital, and other places, in carts and wheelbarrows, so soon as they were dead, and perhaps sometimes before; and, uncoffined and unshrouded, were cast into one common reservoir, where their bones will mingle, undistinguished, till the resurrection morn. Turning from this sickening sight, we proceeded over a high point of land, and came down to the shore of a beautiful bay, which constituted a resort for a variety of sea fowl; and having refreshed ourselves with bread, and bathed in the ocean, we collected a few shells and other curiosities, and turned our course backward towards the landing. Rising over a high and barren hill, in the rear of the city, we entered a deep ravine, very narrow at the botton, and forming a channel for a small rill of water. Each bank was covered with a spontaneous growth of the sage plant and other shrubbery, while, by the side of the brook, groups of females from the city were seen, who had resorted thither for the purpose of washing their clothes. As we passed down the narrow path which had been cut into the almost perpendicular sides of the mountains, we met a large number of donkeys driven by natives, with two casks slung across each one of their backs for the purpose of conveying into the city. For some distance up this ravine, there are dwellings erected where there is sufficient room, and in many places small mud-walled cottages have been stuck into the side of the mountain, where places have been excavated for that purpose. This ravine led us directly into the back part of the city; and, after taking a view of the cathedral, which had been rebuilt on the same site since its destruction by the earthquake, and collecting a few necessaries for the comfort of our families on our continued voyage, we bid adieu to the Chilian coast, very unfavorably impressed as regards the condition of the country. One thing which particularly struck us on examining the city of Valparaiso and the country in its immediate vicinity, was the wonderful discrepancy betwixt the name and the place. Valparaiso signifies Vale of Paradise; and certainly no word has ever been more abused than this, in its application to this place. Considering its irregularity; the narrowness and filthiness of the streets; the squalid appearance of many of its inhabitants; the obscenity which presents itself in almost every direction; the loathsome diseases which prevail; the gloomy character of its religion, and the barrenness of the surrounding country, Valparaiso is well entitled to a rebaptism, and might appropriately be called, the "Valley of the Shadow of Death. CHAPTER IV. Pacific ocean Journal continued - Raising anchor-View of the Andes — Brig - Arrogance of On the morning of the 22d of February, we were all ready to proceed on our voyage, and commenced raising our anchor, but the anchor of a French barque getting foul of ours, we were obliged to raise both at the same time, and were consequently detained until four o'clock in the afternoon. At this time a land breeze favored our departure, and again unfurling our canvass to the wind, we directed our course for the Sandwich Islands. After we had proceeded a few miles from the shore, we enjoyed, from the deck of our vessel, a clear and distinct view of the towering Cordilleras. This astonishing range of mountains, which extends from the Isthmus of Darien to the Straits of Magellan, is situated here, sixty or seventy miles from the shore, and there is something peculiarly grand in their appearance at this vast distance; and surely a near view must be sublime beyond description. Some of them present a white appearance, as if covered with snow, and others assume a sombre hue, representing the moral darkness which surrounds the whole country. Some of them lift their towering summits far above the clouds, and seem to look down with contempt upon the storms which howl around their base. While contemplating this most stupendous range of mountains on the globe, a fine breeze from the south filled our already expanded sails, and in forty-eight hours we had run four hundred miles. On Tuesday, the 25th, an American brig showed us the stars and stripes; we returned the compliment, and passed on. On the 28th, we passed into the torrid zone, but still found the weather comfortably cool, the mercury standing at sixty-seven degrees in the shade. The small pox not appearing among us the tenth day out, we concluded that all had escaped without catching the disease. For this indication of Providential care, we felt to offer unfeigned thanksgiving. The ocean which washes the western shore of the continent of North America, is pacific, both in name and nature. Nothing could exceed the pleasantness of our sailing for twenty-five days after leaving Valparaiso. The wind was constant from the south-east, never strong, and consequently the ocean was smooth; and, with little perceptible motion, we were borne along from one to two hundred miles per day. On the 19th of March we re-crossed the equinoctial line at west longitude one hundred and sixteen degrees. We found the weather, in the region of the equator, not so warm as we anticipated, yet, at night, the heat in the cabin was somewhat oppressive; but during the day we were constantly fanned by the gentle and cooling breeze which wafted us onward towards our destination. On the 23d, the monotony of our voyage was broken in upon by the capture of one of the monsters of the deep. Two uncommonly large sharks appeared on our stern, attended by pilot fish, and a number albicores. The pilot fish is the jackall of the lion of the deep, and it is said that the albicore usually follows in the train, for the purpose of sharing in the prey taken by the shark. We fastened a rope to a large shark hook, which we baited with a piece of pork, and cast it into the sea. The sharks were soon attracted by it, and one of them seizing the bait, the sailors drew upon the rope, and the hook fastened to his upper jaw, but it required several men to draw him up along side the ship, and it was necessary to rig a pulley before he could be hoisted over |