Saturday August 13^th
"Sighted land and made Valparaiso light house. But it being too late in the evening stood off and on till the morning."

Sunday 14^th
"Squadron stood in for the anchorage. Flagship anchored about 8.30am but we did not anchor until 10.30 owing to it falling a calm and it was the means of me winning a �3 lottery."

"The town is built on a lot of hills and straggling all about. The bay or anchorage is open to the north and when it blows from that direction it is very dangerous for shipping. There are many fine shops in the town but everything is very expensive. The mode of conveyance is by street cars that run on tramways. I did intend going up to Santiago by rail (it is about 50 miles) but I had to go on our sick list. The laws here are very stringent, you must not walk about after one in the morning on account of the Spaniards who came and blew the town about their ears in 66. They have let some of the shot remain in the walls of the custom house till the present day."

"Sunday is the great day here � reviews opera etc."

"There is rumour of war between France and Prussia so the squadron are coaling and preparing for sea by the time the mail comes in."

"When the Chileans returned our salute on arrival they shot two men away from one of the guns by accident."

"The English people here keep a pack of hounds and hunt twice a week. The foxes are grey and the country is very heavy. You have a fine view of the Andes on a clear day. Many of our officers went up to Santiago. It is about 6 hours journey by rail and it hardly repays you. The Cathedral where the 2000 young women were burnt is raised to the ground and the site is now to be built on again." ¹

August 28^th
"The English mail came in with orders for us to proceed at once home. The Austrian flagship Donau received her orders for Europe by same mail and started two hours before us."

(Click on the image for a superb panoramic picture of the harbour)

¹     Massacre at the Cathedral

© Copyright Charles Fountain May 2002

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