Brian Condon: Diary of James Alipius Goold, 1848-1886

On 11th May [I sailed] for Valparaizo in the Garland of Liverpool. We were but few passengers, four including myself and Dr. Fitzpatrick. The voyage was one of greater length than I anticipated. The weather for the first fortnight was most unfavourable. On Sunday the 22nd of June we passed some short distance to the south of Juan Fernandez, distinguished in the celebrated narrative of R[obinson] Crusoe.

Tuesday 24th early in the morning the bold outlines of the S. American coast appeared in the distance. The lofty Andes with their eternal snows, stood out in the mild magnificence of a cloudless sky, rivetting in religious admiration and inspiring and exalted conception of the eternity and infinitude of the Creator. We gazed and wondered as this grand panorama of mountains spread itself out before us, the personification of the Deity's omnipotence. We are at this time 40 miles from the coast.

Wednesday 25th June through the kindness of the Harbour Master we are enabled to land soon after the ship had taken its place in the open roadstead of Valparaizo. This harbour is very unsafe, having no protection against the southerly winds, which sometimes blow with fearful violence on the shore. Lately several vessels perished in the fury of those gales from the south.

The aspect of Valparaizo from the sea is very picturesque. The town is built on the declivity of a low ridge of the mountains that run along the coast of Chile. The principal part of the town occupies a narrow strip of level land shelving out into the harbour from the base of the mountains.

At 2 o'clock we landed and immediately called on the resident Bishop, who is a Frenchman and V[icar] Apostolic of some islands in the Pacific which he seldom or never visits. By the permission of the Archbishop of Santiago - the Ordinary of the place - he exercises jurisdiction in the town. He has leave from the Holy See to reside at Valparaizo. We were received and welcomed by him with the greatest kindness. The steamer for Panama being ready to start on tomorrow at 12 o'clock, we could see nothing of the interior. I accepted the kind invitation of the Bishop to remain at his place until prepared to leave. Earthquakes are frequent here - one had lately happened in which the churches and public buildings suffered. The dwelling houses are slightly put together owing to those terrible visitations. The materials used are unburnt bricks, which are placed between linings of lath and plaster.

The Bishop has a Seminary wherein the laity's children are educated - it is under the roof and within the enclosure of his own residence. He has also under his own immediate direction an Ecclesiastical College at which Missionaries for the Islands under his jurisdiction prosecute their sacred studies. The Religious of St Augustine, St Dominic and St Francis have convents here. The Jesuits have also an establishment in the town. These latter give Missions throughout the Archdiocese. The people's religious faith is sound and steady - but the public morals but partially illustrate it. Generally speaking the religious tone of society is truly Catholic and good.

Thursday 26th June 1851. This morning I offered up the Holy Sacrifice in the chapel attached to the Seminary. I administered the Holy Communion to about twenty persons, all females with the exception of one man; females also chiefly comprised the congregation.

At 11 o'clock I went on board the steamer. Our passage cost £39 each. We are to be provided with everything but wine. She sailed at 12 o'clock. The coast we had in sight nearly the whole voyage to Panama. From Valparaizo to Lima it presented nothing to view but the unproductive barren steeps of the gigantic Andes which now and then, as the fogs in which they were enveloped disappeared, disclosed their lofty summits covered with perpetual snow.

Whilst in Valparaizo I learned that Santiago, the chief city of Chili [sic], distant 70 miles from the port, is built in the centre of an extensive plain, on either side of a large fresh water river. Its Cathedral was commenced by the first Spanish settlers. Its style of architecture is Gothic, highly ornamented. The late earthquake has done it considerable injury and rendered it unfit for divine service.

This vast plain on which the city is built spreads itself out under one of the loftiest of the Andes. Its elevation as measured by Captain Fitzroy is ascertained to be 22,000 feet. The most, and I may say the only, productive spots in Chili [sic] are the valleys. The soil there is rich, yielding extraordinary crops of wheat and other grain. The principle [sic] source of its wealth is the copper mines. Many of the neighbouring colonies, including N.S. Wales, obtain their supplies of wheat from Chili, when that great necessity of life is scarce through failure of crops in those countries. A failure having occurred this year in the crops of N.S. Wales, the colonists had to look to Chili for their supplies of wheat. But owing to the great demand for this article of consumption in California, whither the Chilians sent their grain, the market of Sydney was but scantily supplied.

The Government of this part of S. America is republican. The President (a military man) had completed his time [in] office as we arrived, and the election of [a] successor had already commenced. These elections are generally attended by great violence, and much bloodshed. Military men are for the most part the successful candidates for the Presidency in the several republics of S. America, and the administration is generally that of men accustomed to military despotism. Lima, Bolivia and Equador [sic] were governed by military adventurers. These men banished and otherwise punished the parties who opposed their elections and were disposed to be hostile to their governance. And vice versa.

The towns on the coast are small and miserable, badly supplied with water. Some few use distilled sea water, the natural fresh water being either not to be had, or so bad as not to be fit for use. Not a few of those towns obtain their supply of fresh water from Valparaiso. The rich silver and copper mines of the interior led to their establishment, and are at present the only inducement for their being occupied. Each settlement has church and Pastor, consequently a school. The clergymen charged with care of those Missions are in many instances seemingly unfit for the high responsibility: they seem to have a more than average share of ignorance.

We called at the seaport of Bolivia, named after General Bolivio [sic], the Emancipator of S. America. This port is destitute of everything necessary for the support of life. It has a little water, which is very bad - however it is considered useful for some purposes and consequently husbanded with the strictest economy. It is kept under lock and key, and distributed by the authorities at stated times, each in very small quantities.

The mines are far in the interior: they are exceedingly rich in silver and copper. The amount of silver put on board the steamer at this port was estimated at two hundred thousand dollars, it was in huge ingots or bars. Guano is to be had in large quantities here. It is a dry dust, without smell. Persons engaged in shipping this manure having [have been] cured of asthma and leprosy.