Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-09-04
FROM SOUTH AMERICA.

By the way of E1gar,own per ship
Friendship, We received the following
interesting letter from youdg gentle.
m,n Of PnllAdel phia now at Lima, da.
led
Luna, May 9, 1928.
81 was IN the at of wrIting you by
the Corinthian, Of Baltimore, when
heard vi her aaviag sailed; l now give
tbs ne ,h,nee OF reaching you via Rio
J.neiro, to inform you ut my arrival
here on The Slst of December. in 10
DAYS om Va par ,Iso, where | arrived
o. ne 2JIh of the same Month, In ia
daS, from the Capes Of the Delaware.
We mad generally tiTe weather until we
pissed he entrance of the Straits OF
Magellan, when II became extremely
cold aud tempestuous; we were from
the 18th 10 the 30th of December, in
doubling Cape Horn; during hat peri.
OF we eSperien ed one gale after apoth-
sr, accompanied with rain, hail and
H'y, aud l can truly say thai never
Suffered so much by the coid as | did
OF he Horn. We we're twice blown
the SO degree of 3. latitude before
we we're enabled to make sufficient
Hes"Dg to wea nsr the Coast of Terra
a. Fuego. la the la,I,ude of 81 10 ).
We teli IN with all Island of Ice. which
We aSed TO be about 25U feet high -
how tony ,his vast body If Ice will float
Arolgh that region OF eternal winter is
amys,ecy 20 ne. The Gays off Cape
Horn sere very toug, the cum rose a
ptle after 2 and set little before 10
Q lock and Wright contInuesa all night.
Wecouid see on deck 10 read q book of
h.ge pain, al nisnt. Although we had
n" darib"ss, YET, a NOS gloomy scene
vas presented to our view, the sea ran
| generally mountains high, so much so
ma. attlme- we could rot see more than
5oya,ds around US; but did not find
'he weather worse than 1 expe. ed,
,eOld ex epted) nor near SO bad as some
represent 1t, particularly Com, Porter:
zee his ac, Gun uf the weather Oft Cape
Horn; I, IS enough TO deter any person
iron attempting it.
When we arrived at Valparaiso, we
'on"d the town IN ruins, by the Earth
qnsSe, on the lSth of November, an
account of which you will no doubt
lave seen ere this reaches you; while
twas there, which was 8 0ays, there
wee tour shocks, bur none very violent
"ne ASSeser threw down house.
en- the great srock took place, many
the lnhanltan,s rushed into large
'alreh which fell and crushed every
''a' 20 death. Whenever shock took
F'ee the natives were excessively a
''hed, all the inhaoi ants that could
ave the town did go, and had not re.
%'0ed when we left there the most of
~O,e that 'emained. slept in tents and
p's'a The shlpp ny, fearing that a.
rNner shock wouii threw down the
ered houses thai renamed.
!, 'he climate OF Chlii is most delight
ram Is seldom known IN Summer,
~ u The Winter season il sometimes
down IN torreuts for two or three
without intermls>ioD. Along the
= coast SO far as have been, it is
mountainous, and not tree Is to
zen; but the Interior 10 extremely
'e' and produces al the Injuries of
't 10 the greatest abundance.
rom Valparaiso we could distinct.
snS 'ae Andes-they are covered
h. ''ow all the year round, and
- ven the tops above the clouds.
N,n ne Markets at Valparaiso were
M;., uOl'' and nothing doing there.
:" ,noue"d me to come down here
:. - found business just as dull and
D., n npn'fy involved in war. No per
o. purchase more than for imme.
s' Tor they do net know how