ficient to pay the charges to London; and my proportion fell fo fhort, that it was, by calculation, barely enough to pay for horfes, without a farthing for eating a bit upon the road, or even for the very turnpikes. Thofe I was obliged to defraud, by riding as hard as I could through them all, not paying the leaft regard to the men who called out to ftop me. The want of refreshment I. bore as well as I could. When I got to the Borough I took a coach, and drove to Marlborough-street, where my friends had lived when I left England; but when I came there I found the houfe fhut up. Having been abfent fo many years, and in all that time never having heard a word from home, I knew not who was dead, or who was living, or where to go next; or even how to pay the coachman. I recollected a linendraper's fhop, not far from thence, which our family had ufed. I therefore drove there next, and making myself known, they paid the coachman. I then enquired after our family, and was told my fifter had married Lord Carlisle, and was at that time in Soho-square. I immediately walked to the houfe, and knocked at the door. But the porter not liking my figure, which was half French half Spanish, with the addition of a large pair of boots covered with dirt, was going to fhut the door in my face; but I prevailed with him to let me come

I need not acquaint my readers with what furprife and joy my fifter received me. She immediately furnished me with money fufficient to appear like the reft of my countrymen. Till that time I could not be properly faid to have finished all the extraordinary fcenes, which a series of unfortunate

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As the old man doated upon her, he readily agreed to it; and accordingly, on the next vifit I made him, acquainted me with the young lady's propofal, and his approbation of it, taking me at the fame time into a room, where there were feveral chefts and boxes, which he unlocked, firft fhewing me what a number of fine clothes his niece had, and then his own wardrobe, which he faid fhould be mine at his death.-Amongst other things, he produced a piece of linen, which he faid fhould immediately be made up into fhirts for me. I own this laft article was a great temptation to me. I had the refolution, however, to withstand it, and made the beft excufes I could for not accepting of the honour they intended me; for by this time I could fpeak Spanish well enough to make myself understood.

After various changes of fortune and fituation, an order came from the prefident to fend Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton, who were known to be officers, by having faved their commiffions, up to St. Jago, which is the capital of Chili, while Mr. Campbell and I, who had loft ours, were committed to prifon.

There were, at this time, feveral fhips in the port from Lima, delivering their cargoes; fo that almost every day there were large droves of mules going up to St. Jago with the goods. The governor, at the folicitation of Captain Cheap, fent for one of the mafter carriers, and ordered him to take us up with him. The man asked him how he was to be paid for our expences, as he should be five days upon the road. The governor told him he might get that as he could, for he would not advance him a fingle farthing. A foldier who guarded us, though he had a wife and fix

children.

children to maintain out of his flender pay, humanely exerted himself to render our imprisonment more tolerable, and at our departure brought us fome little matters to carry with us. We travelled about fourteen miles the first day, and lay at night in the open field, which is always the cuftom of these people, ftopping where there is plenty of pafture and good water for the mules. The next morning we paffed over a high mountain, called Zapata; and then croffing a large plain, we paffed another mountain, very difficult for the mules, which each carried two heavy bales: there were above a hundred of them in this drove. The mules of Chili are the fineft in the world: and though they are continually upon the road, and have nothing but what they pick up at nights, they are as fat and fleek as high-fed horfes in England. The fourth night we lay upon a plain in fight of St. Jago, and not above four leagues from it. The next day, as we moved towards the city, our mafter-carrier, who was naturally welldifpofed, and had been very kind to us all the way upon the road, advised me very feriously, not to think of remaining in St. Jago, where he faid there was nothing but extravagance, vice, and folly, but to proceed on with them as muledriver, which, he faid, I fhould foon be very expert at; and that they led an innocent and happy life, far preferable to any enjoyment fuch a great city as that before us could afford. I thanked him, and told him I was very much obliged to him, but that I would try the city first, and if I did not like it, I would accept of the offer he was fo good to make me. The thing that gave him this high opinion of me was, that as he had been fo civil to us, I was very officious in affifting to

drive in thofe mules that ftrayed from the reft, upon thofe large plains we paffed over; and this I thought was the leaft I could do towards making fome returns for the obligations we were under to him.

When we got into St. Jago, the carrier delivered us to the captain of the guard at the palace gate; and he foon after introduced us to the prefident, Don Jofeph Manfo, who received us very civilly, and then fent us to the house where Captain Cheap and Mr. Hamilton were. We found

them extremely well lodged, at the house of a Scotch phyfician, whofe name was Don Patrico Gedd. This gentleman had been a long time in this city, and was greatly efteemed by the Spaniards, as well for his abilities in his profeflion as his humane difpofition. He no fooner heard that there were four Englith prifoners arrived in that country, than he waited upon the prefident, and begged they might be lodged at his houfe. This was granted, and had we been his own brothers, we could not have met with a more friendly reception; and, during two years that we were with him, his conftant ftudy was to make every thing as agreeable to us as poflible. We were greatly diftreffed to think of the expence he was at upon our account; but it was in vain for us to argue with him about it. In fhort, to fum up his character in a few words, there never was a man of more extenfive humanity. Two or three days after our arrival, the prefident fent Mr. Campbell and me an invitation to dine with him, where we were to meet Admiral Pizarro and all his officers. This was a cruel ftroke upon us, as we had not any clothes fit to appear in, and dared not refuse the invitation. The next day a Spanish officer, belonging

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belonging to Admiral Pizarro's fquadron, whofe name was Don Manuel de Guirro, came and made us an offer of two thoufand dollars. This generous Spaniard made this offer without any view of ever being repaid, but purely out of a compaflionate motive of relieving us in our prefent diftrefs. We returned him all the acknowledgments his uncommon generous behaviour merited, and accepted of fix hundred dollars only, upon his receiving our draught upon the English conful at Litbon. We now got ourfelves decently clothed, after the Spanish fashion; and, as we were upon our parole, we went out where we pleafed to divert ourselves.

This city is fituated in about 33 deg. and 30 min. fouth latitude, at the weft foot of the immenfe chain of mountains called the Cordilleras. It ftands on a most beautiful plain of above thirty leagues extent. It was founded by Don Pedro de Baldivia, the conqueror of Chili. The plan of it was marked out by him in fquares, like Lima ; and almost every house, belonging to people of any fashion, has a large court before it, with great gates, and a garden behind. There is a little rivulet, neatly faced with ftones, runs through every ftreet, by which they can cool the ftreets, or water their gardens, when they please. The whole town is extremely well paved. Their gardens are full of noble orange-trees, and all forts of flowers, which perfume the houses, and even the whole city. The churches are rich in gilding, as well as in plate. The cathedral and bifhop's palace are on the weft fide of the city. The houfes have, in general, only a ground floor, on account of the frequent earthquakes, but they make a handsome appearance.

Thus