Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

Feb. 1835. VALDIVIA — FORTRESSES — RIVERS. 897 ocean, not being higher than that near the Chonos Archipelago, and very little warmer than that of Magalhaens Strait ; this fact will also be recurred to again. Feb. 8th. We anchored in the deceiving port of Valdivia. I say deceiving, because it offers to the eye ample space and the utmost security, while, in fact, the safe anchorage is very li- mited ; so much mud and sand being brought down by the river that extensive banks are formed, and increase yearly. We were struck by the apparent strength of the fortresses, built origi- nally Ijy the Dutch in 1643, but improved and increased by the Spaniards. Now, however, their strength is but apparent ; for a closer inspection shows that they are almost in ruins and the guns out of order; indeed so nearly disabled, that they could hardly fire a salute without danger. Around the port are high hills, completely covered with wood ; and they attract clouds so much, that almost as great a quantity of rain falls there as on the western shores of Childe. Several rivers empty themselves at this one mouth, which is the only opening among hills that form a barrier between the ocean and an extensive tract of champaign country,* reaching to the Cordillera of the Andes. The principal of these rivers are the Calla-calla-j- and the Cruces; their tributaries are very numerous, few countries being better watered by running streams than that about Val- divia. Every facility and kindness in his power was offered to us by Don Isaac Thompson, the Yntendente : — and by his secretary, Don Francisco Solano Perez, I was presented with a rare edition of Febres's ' Arte de la Lengua Chilena,' which has been of much use in explaining the meaning of aboriginal words and names. Don Francisco wished me to take another curious work, but I dechned ; and have often regretted since that I did not ask him to let me copy a map in it which contained the tracks of Spanish missionaries from Castro in Chiloe to the lake of San Rafael, isthmus of Ofqui, and archipelago of islands in latitude * Called "Los Llanos," or the plains, t On which is the town of Valdivia.