4 DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY. 



dian of Santiago with the 33 of latitude. Thence, bending to the south, it is divided into 

 two nearly parallel chains, the most easterly of which traverses the republic in a constantly 

 descending line, and terminates on the Pacific, opposite the north end of the island of Chiloe. 

 This, known as the central chain, is only interrupted where broken through by rivers. The 

 other branch, parting from it at Cerro de Chapa, in latitude 33 05', longitude 'TO 56' W., first 

 has a direction W.S.W. ; then, throwing off spurs into the province of Valparaiso, proceeds 

 irregularly in a south course ; and is lost as a distinct chain not far from the mouth of the 

 Maule. This is the coast range proper, though the central range is very often called la Cor- 

 dillera de la costa also. The greatest elevations of the coast range are in the province ot 

 Santiago, yet it rarely attains more than half the height of the loftier portion of the central 

 chain. Besides these continuous ranges, there are multitudes of isolated hills through the 

 length of the valley enclosed between the Andes and central chain, as well as on river margins 

 and terraces near the coast. Among the latter, none is so well known as the Campana de 

 Quillota, visible from the bay of Valparaiso. The great diversity in the forms of these emi- 

 nences, their geognosy and botany, contribute much to diversify and make interesting the 

 scenery of Chile. 



Very little reliable information has ever been obtained of the Cordilleras either north or 

 south of the central provinces. Bleak, precipitous, and barren sides deter all other natives 

 than professional mine-hunters from encountering the almost unendurable privations inevitably 

 attending their exploration, and these men have intelligence only of metallic veins. The few 

 scientific individuals who have taken a day or two from other occupations whilst in this 

 out-of-the-way quarter of the globe, have only traversed the beaten passes of the Portillo and 

 Cumbre, not unfrequently deducing general theories from knowledge of individual localities. 

 In the course of a trigonometrical survey for the government, Senor Pissis has explored from 

 latitude 32 20' to latitude 34, as far east as the culminating ridge, and he has kindly fur- 

 nished me with a small copy of his map. Except of the several passes into the Argentine 

 territory, and a few places of noted interest visited by Professor Domeyko, very little is known 

 beyond those parallels. There will be other occasions to refer to the journeys of the latter 

 gentleman ; here, I need only allude to one other fact relating to the mountains. 



On all the maps hitherto published, there will be found distributed along the Andes of Chile 

 a line of volcanoes, which the geographical student naturally infers are in constant activity, or 

 that, like J5tna and Vesuvius, during their intervals of comparative repose, smoke is seen to 

 issue from them. Two of these so-called volcanoes Aconcagua and Maypu are in sight from 

 the vicinity of Santiago, and neither of them gave the least evidence that combustion was going 

 on within it during the three years terminating September, 1852. In the absence of actual in- 

 formation, even in Chile it was believed, until very recently, that Chilian or, as it is more 

 generally named, Antuco near the 36th parallel, and Osorno, in 40 09', were incessant in 

 their emissions of flame and lava. This is not strictly so. Osorno was visited by Captain 

 Munoz in 1850, under an order from the government, and Dr. Philippi has more recently been 

 there. Neither of them saw anything more than an occasional puff of smoke ; so that there 

 has probably been no great eruption of it since that witnessed by Dr. Darwin just prior to 

 the earthquake which destroyed Concepcion, in 1835. Antuco has been burning from Novem- 

 ber, 1852, as was witnessed by E. E. Smith, Esq. Mr. Smith reached the village of Antuco, a 

 collection of ranchos near the foot of the Andes, on the 8th of January, 1853 ; from thence 

 the flames from the new craters could be seen plainly at night, and explosions were heard 

 similar in sound to the reports of distant cannon. The eruption had been going on since the 

 close of the preceding November, though so little interest appeared to be felt in the matter, 

 that no one at the village could give him the precise date. He started for the volcano on the 

 following day, under escort of a Capitan de amigos a sort of Indian agent the vicinity of the 

 Pehuenches of the pampas rendering such companionship essential. Ascending a fine, roman- 

 tic valley for five hours, with Antuco in full view, he arrived at the Castillo de Vallenar, for- 



