Of the ports and rivers on the coast, from the City of the Kings to the
province of Chile, and of their latitudes, with other matters connected
with the navigation of these seas.
I have myself been in most of the ports and rivers which I have now
described, and I have taken much trouble to ascertain the correctness of
what is here written, having communicated with the dexterous and expert
pilots who know the navigation of these ports, and who took the
altitudes in my presence. In this chapter I shall continue my
description of the coast, with its ports and rivers from Lima until we
arrive at the province of Chile. But I am unable to describe the coast
down to the straits of Magellan, having lost a copious narrative which I
had from a pilot who came in one of the ships sent by the Bishop of
Plazencia.
When ships sail from the port of the City of the Kings, they shape their
course south, until they reach the port of Sangalla, which is very good,
and at first it was considered certain that the City of the Kings would
have been founded near it. Sangalla is thirty-five leagues from Lima, in
barely 14° S. of the equinoctial.[164] Near this port there is an island
called Seal Island. All the coast, from this point, is low, though in
some parts there are naked chains of rocky hills, and the whole is a
sandy desert, on which it has never rained, nor does anything fall
except a thin mist; but I shall treat of this admirable secret of nature
further on.[165] Near this Seal Island there are seven or eight other
small islets, some high and others low, uninhabited, and without wood or
water, tree, shrub, or anything else, except seals and sand hills. The
Indians, according to their own account, used to go to these islands to
make sacrifices, and it is presumed that great treasure is buried on
them. They are a little more than four leagues from the coast. Further
on there is another island, also called Seal Island, from the quantity
of those animals that frequent it, which is 14⅓°.[166]
From this island vessels continue the voyage, the coast trending S.W. ¼
S., and after twelve leagues more they come to a promontory called
Nasca, which is in 15° less one quarter.[167] There is here shelter for
ships, but not for boats, as they cannot land. Further on there is
another point called San Nicolas, in 15⅓°.[168] From this point of San
Nicolas the coast turns S.W., and after twelve leagues the port of Acari
is reached, where vessels take in provisions and water, brought from a
valley which is a little more than five leagues from the port. This port
of Acari is in 16°.[169] Continuing the voyage vessels next arrive off
the river of Ocona, and further on are the rivers of Camana and Quilca.
Near the latter river there is a cove, which affords good and secure
anchorage. It is also called Quilca, and forms the port of the city of
Arequipa, which is seventeen leagues distant. This port is in 17½°.[170]
Sailing from Quilca, vessels pass some islets, where the Indians go from
the main land to fish. Three leagues further on there is another island,
very close to the shore, and the ships anchor to leeward of it, for from
this place also goods are sent to the city of Arequipa. It is twelve
leagues beyond Quilca, in 17½° or more, and is called Chuti.[171]
Further on there is a great river called Tamboballa, and ten leagues
more bring us to a point which runs out for a league into the sea, and
there are three pointed rocks near it.[172] There is a good port,
sheltered by this point, called Ylo, where a river of very good water,
having the same name as the port, falls into the sea. Ylo is in
18⅓°.[173] Thence the coast trends S.¼E., and seven leagues farther on
there is a promontory, which the mariners called the Hill of the
Devils.[174] All this coast is dangerous. Further on, about five leagues
from this point, there is a small river of good water, and ten leagues
more bring us to another high point and some ravines. Off this point
there is an islet, and near it is the port of Arica, in 29⅓°.[175] From
Arica the coast runs S.E. for nine leagues, where there is a river
called Pisagua. From this river to the port of Tarapaca the coast trends
in the same direction a distance of twenty-five leagues. Near Tarapaca
there is an island a little more than a league round and one and a half
from the shore, which forms a bay in 21°. This is the port of
Tarapaca.[176] Thence the coast trends in the same direction, and five
leagues further on there is a point called Tacama. Passing this point
vessels come to the port of Mexillones, sixteen leagues further on,
which is in 22½°.[177] The coast then trends S.S.W. for ninety leagues.
It is a straight coast, with some points and bays, and in 26° there is a
good port called Copayapo,[178] with an islet about half a league from
the shore, and here the inhabited part of the province of Chile
commences. Further on there is a point of land forming a bay, with two
rocks in it, and here a river of very good water falls into the sea,
called Huasco. The point is in 28¼°.[179] Ten leagues further on there
is another point which affords shelter for ships, but here there is
neither wood nor water. Near this point is the port of Coquimbo, and
between it and the point there are seven islands. This port is in
29½°.[180] Ten leagues further on another point runs out, forming a
large bay called Atongayo,[181] and five leagues beyond is the river of
Limara. From this river vessels reach a bay after sailing nine leagues,
where there is a pointed rock, and no fresh water. It is in 30°, and is
called Choape.[182] Further on, continuing the same course for
twenty-one leagues, there is a good port called Quintero, in 32°,[183]
and ten leagues more bring us to the port of Valparaiso, and the city of
Santiago, which is what we call Chile, in 32⅔°.[184] Continuing the
voyage we next come to another port called Topocalma, in 34°,[185] and
twelve leagues further on is the river of Maule. Fourteen leagues
further on there is another river called Ytata, and twenty-four leagues
more bring us to a river called Biobio, in 38° nearly.[186] In the same
direction, after sailing fifteen leagues more, we come to a large island
five leagues from the shore, which is said to be inhabited. It is called
Luchengo.[187] Beyond this island there is a bay called Valdivia, where
there is a great river, the name of which is Ayniledos. The bay of
Valdivia is in 39⅔°.[188] To the S.S.W. of the port is the Cape of Santa
Maria in 42⅓° S. This is as far as the coast has been examined and
described. The pilots say that it then turns S.E. to the straits of
Magellan. One of the ships which sailed from Spain, belonging to the
expedition of the Bishop of Palencia, passed through the straits of
Magellan, and reached the port of Quilca, which is near Arequipa, whence
she went on to Lima and Panama. She brought a good account of the
latitude of the strait, and of what happened during the very difficult
voyage; but I do not insert that narrative here, because, at the time
when we gave battle to Gonzalo Pizarro in the valley of Xaquixaguana,
five leagues from the city of Cuzco, I had several of my papers and
journals stolen, and this among the number, which I regret very much. I
should have wished to conclude my account of the coast with this
narrative. Receive, therefore, my desire to give this further
information; for I have taken no little trouble to ascertain the truth,
and I have examined the new charts made by the pilots who discovered
this sea.[189]
Here I must conclude the portion of my work which treats of the
navigation of this South Sea. I shall now proceed to give an account of
the provinces and nations from the port of Uraba to the city of Plata,
which is a distance of more than 1200 leagues, and I shall describe the
government of Popayan and the kingdom of Peru.
I shall commence, then, with the port of Uraba, and pass thence to the
city of Antiochia and to other parts, as will appear presently.