104 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND BOTANY OF CHILI. 



unseen, ever present miasmas, will give fevers, and their effects 

 last for years, as I have found to my cost. In addition to these 

 discomforts one does not meet with fellow workers in these regions, 

 and man is a social animal, it must be remembered. I am, almost, 

 the only entomologist resident in Chili, while there are two or three 

 botanists, and I believe that the wish to have fellow workers 

 has induced me to me pay some little attention to the latter branch. 



The subject that I now venture to bring before you is the 

 botany of Chili, but first, perhaps, 1 had better give an idea of 

 the physical geography of this country. 



Chili is a long, narrow strip of land, extending from the twenty- 

 fourth degree of south latitude, to Cape Horn; bounded on the West 

 by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the summits of the 

 snowy Andes. 



The southern and eastern boundary, below the Archipelago of 

 Chonos, is not yet very clearly determined, so I now propose only 

 to consider Chili from the Desert of Atacama to Chonos (lat. 46, S.) 



Thus restricted, Chili extends from north to south about 1500 

 miles, while the width from east to west may be taken as about 

 130 miles. 



Chili derives its mountainous nature from two mountain chains 

 which run nearly parallel from north to south throughout its 

 entire length. The western and lower range is called the 

 Cordilleras of the coast. This range is situated very near the sea, 

 and may have an average height of 1000 feet, but few high 

 peaks are met with ; one of the highest, situated near Yalparaiso, 

 called the ''Campana de (Bell of) Quillota " rises to about 

 6130 feet. 



This range is much interrupted, as all rivers have to cut through 

 it to reach the sea. 



The other range, the ''Cordilleras de los Andes," is much 

 higher. Both these ranges are higher to the north, and thence 

 slope towards the south. The Chilian Andes are highest from 

 32^ to 34**. The following figures are taken from the best 

 sources that exist. 



