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CALLAO

Volume 5 · 281 words · 1810 Edition

a strong town of South America, in Peru. It is the port of Lima, from which it is distant about five miles. The town is built on a low flat point of land on the sea-shore. It is fortified; but the fortifications were much damaged by the last great earthquake, and have not since been repaired. The town is not above nine or ten feet above the level of high water mark; but the tide does not commonly rise or fall above five feet. The streets are drawn in a line; but are full of dust, which is very troublesome. In a square near the sea side are the governor's house, the vicerey's palace, the parish church, and a battery of three pieces of cannon. On the north side are the warehouses for the merchandise brought from Chili, Mexico, and other parts of Peru. The other churches are built with reeds, and covered with timber or clay, but they look tolerably neat. There are five monasteries ries and an hospital, though the number of families does not exceed 400. The trade of Callao is considerable. From Chili they bring cordage, leather, tallow, dried fish, and corn; from Chiloé, cedar planks, woollen manufactures, and carpets; from Peru, sugars, wines, brandy, masts, cordage, timber for shipping, cacao, tobacco, and molasses; from Mexico, pitch, tar, woods for dyeing, sulphur, balsam of Peru both white and brown, as well as commodities from China. At the port of Callao the watering is easy, but the wood is a mile or two distant. Earthquakes are very frequent in these parts, which have done vast mischief to Lima and Callao. W. Long. 76° 15'. S. Lat. 12° 29'.