Account of the Earthquake in Chilt. 39 
feature is its formation into valleys, surrounded by hills, many of 
them rising to a considerable elevation. . 
The whole country may be divided into two regions or climates, 
the one humid, the other dry, separated from each other by the 
river Maule, which in 35° 10’, falls into the Pacific Ocean. 
South of the river Maule the climate is variable; rain falls at 
intervals during the whole year, and timber trees are in abundance. 
North of the river Maule the rains are periodical, and fall only 
during a particular time of the year. At Valparaiso, the principal 
sea-port of Chili, and for about forty miles to the northward, the 
rainy season commences in May and terminates in September. 
Further to the northward, the rainy season is of shorter duration, 
diminishing gradually, until at the northern extremity of the coun- 
try, it totally ceases. To the southward of the Maule the time in 
which rain falls gradually increases, and, at the southern extre- 
mity of the country, there are but few intervals of dry weather. 
Chili is never free from earthquakes ; scarcely a week ever passes 
without one or more being felt, in some part of the country, but as 
the shocks seldom do any damage, the inhabitants pay but little 
regard to them. 
It is now nearly a hundred years since the former great earth- 
quake, and a persuasion seems to have prevailed among the peo- 
ple that no very considerable earthquake would happen oftener 
than once in twohundred years. Partial earthquakes, doing much 
damage, have always happened at intervals of a few years. The 
town of Coquimbo was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1820. 
The shock, was local, and produced no alarm in other parts of the 
country. 
On the fourth of November, 1822, the town of Copiapo, in S. 
lat. 27° 10’, was visited by a severe shock, which damaged many 
houses; this was followed, the next day, by a much more violent 
earthquake, which nearly destroyed the town, and did considerable 
injury to the town of Coquimbo, in 8. lat. 29° 50’. 
The great earthquake on the night of the 19th of November, 1822, 
was felt over the whole surface of the country, from the mountains 
to the sea, and from one extremity to the other. Its force seems to 
