Valparaiso did not impress me favorably at all.

Seen from the sea, it looked like a long string of houses along the narrow beach, surmounted with red banks of earth, with little verdure, and no trees at all.

Northward the space widened out somewhat, and gave room for a plaza, but the mass of houses in that quarter were poor.

We were there in November, corresponding to our early spring, and we enjoyed the large strawberries which abounded.

The Independence frigate, Commodore Shubrick, came in while we were there, having overtaken us, bound also for California.