Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746Byron, John
History
Byron's Narrative of the Loss of the Wager: With an account of the great distresses suffered by himself and his companions on the coast of Patagonia from the year 1740 till their arrival in England 1746
Byron, John
Chiloé (Chile); Patagonia (Argentina and Chile); Wager (Ship)
It is usual for the governor to make a tour, every year, through the
several districts belonging to his government: on this occasion he took
us with him. The first place he visited was Carelmapo, on the main; and
from thence to Castro. At these places he holds a kind of court; all
the chief caciques meeting him, and informing him of what has passed
since his last visit, and receiving fresh orders for the year to come.
At Castro we had the same liberty we enjoyed at Chaco, and visited
every body. It seemed they had forgot all the ceremony used upon our
first landing here, which was with an intent to make us believe it
was strongly fortified; for now they let us see plainly that they had
neither fort nor gun. At Chaco they had a little earthen fort, with
a small ditch palisadoed round it, and a few old honey-combed guns
without carriages, and which do not defend the harbour in the least.
Whilst we were at Castro, the old lady, (at whose house we lay the
first night upon leaving the jesuits' college) sent to the governor,
and begged I might be allowed to come to her for a few weeks: this
was granted; and accordingly I went and passed about three weeks with
her very happily, as she seemed to be as fond of me as if I had been
her own son. She was very unwilling to part with me again; but as the
governor was soon to return to Chaco, he sent for me, and I left my
benefactress with regret.
Amongst the houses we visited at Castro, there was one belonging to
an old priest, who was esteemed one of the richest persons upon the
island. He had a niece, of whom he was extremely fond, and who was to
inherit all he possessed. He had taken a great deal of pains with her
education, and she was reckoned one of the most accomplished young
ladies of Chiloe. Her person was good, though she could not be called
a regular beauty. This young lady did me the honour to take more notice
of me than I deserved, and proposed to her uncle to convert me, and
afterwards begged his consent to marry me. As the old man doted upon
her, he readily agreed to it; and accordingly on the next visit I made
him, acquainted me with the young lady's proposal, and his approbation
of it, taking me at the same time into a room where there were several
chests and boxes, which he unlocked; first shewing me what a number of
fine clothes his niece had, and then his own wardrobe, which he said
should be mine at his death. Amongst other things, he produced a piece
of linen, which he said should immediately be made up into shirts for
me. I own this last article was a great temptation to me; however, I
had the resolution to withstand it, and made the best excuses I could
for not accepting of the honour they intended me; for by this time I
could speak Spanish well enough to make myself understood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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