CALLAO, a strong town of South America, in Peru. It is the port of Lima, from which it is distant about two leagues. The town is built on a low flat point of land on the sea shore, not more than nine or ten feet above the level of high water mark; but the tide does not commonly rise or fall above five feet. The roadstead is beautiful, and one of the largest and safest in the South Sea. The water is without rocks, deep, and always tranquil. Callao is the rendezvous of from 16,000 to 17,000 tons of shipping, 5000 of which are reserved for the navigation of the Pacific. The houses are built of light materials; the circumstance of its almost never raining in this country rendering stone houses unnecessary, which are also more liable to be in-
jured by the earthquakes so frequent here. The most remarkable of these occurred in 1746, when Callao was entirely destroyed, and only two hundred inhabitants escaped. It was rebuilt on the same plan as before, but a little farther from the sea. The population amounts to about 5000. Long. 77. 4. W. Lat. 12. 2. S.