DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY. 37 



and the smaller islands between it and the main land, as far south as Caylin, are the most 

 austral settlements acknowledging Christian rule.* 



Chil6e, or the u ysla grande," as it is (lc>i;_Mi;itcd by the natives in contradistinction to the 

 numerous lesser islands about it, is the most northern of the series extending from Cape Horn 

 to the southern extremity of Chile proper. It lies between the parallels of 41 46' and 43 26', 

 and the western meridians 73 23' and 74 27', and is separated from the continent to the eastward 

 by the Corcovado and Ancud gulfs, whose average breadth is about thirty miles. The strait or 

 narrows of Chacao, between the northern end of the island and the main land, is only two miles 

 wide. The western and southern shore? are tolerably unbroken in the direction of their lines ; 

 the eastern and northern are deeply indented, so that the mean breadth of the island probably 

 will uot exceed 38 miles. This gives an area of 3,800 square miles, whose average elevation 

 above the sea is more than 500 feet. None of the hills rise higher than 2,600 feet; and except 

 in small cleared tracts about the towns, nearly all the land is covered with dense forests. 

 These embrace Kobles, Alerce, Maflu, Avellana, Muermo, and other varieties of useful woods, 

 of which large quantities are exported. From the numberless rivers interlacing them, the 

 forests render the country almost untravcrsable except along the road from San Carlos to 

 Castro, and in their immediate vicinity. On this account, and as most of the inhabitants live 

 within a short distance of the eastern shore, very little is known of the interior of the country. 

 On the western side there is a lake 12 miles long, which communicates with the sea ; several 

 smaller ones on the southern half of the island ; and many short streams flowing from the 

 central ridge in both directions. 



During six years' experience of Padre Agiieros, (Description Historial de la Provincia y 

 Archipielago de Chiloe,} ice had never been known even in the small streams, and frost or 

 snow was very rare. Bains, however, are continual during many months of the year, and are 

 known to fall without ceasing during an entire lunation, accompanied by violent winds from 

 the north and west. Nor can the weather be depended on when it is fine even in summer ; for 

 in the month of January he often experienced as heavy storms of wind and rain as during the 

 winter months, and good weather lasted only so long as the wind prevailed from the south. 

 Capt. King was led to believe that the longitudinal range of hills traversing the island, by 

 arresting a portion of the wind and rain from the Pacific, very sensibly modified the climate 

 of the eastern side and the islands in the Gulf of Ancud, these enjoying much finer weather 

 than was to be experienced about San Carlos. The inhabitants also say that their climate is 

 undergoing change, and rains are not so frequent as formerly. They attribute it to the gradual 

 clearing of the land and disappearance of the forests. Yet, cloudy and damp as writers have 

 made it, fine crops of wheat, barley, and potatoes, are raised every year. This archipelago is 

 one of the native localities of the potato, whose cultivation here, as elsewhere, has trans- 

 formed a watery and insipid tuber into one of the most valuable esculents known. Horses, 

 cattle, and swine, propagate rapidly and contribute to the commerce of the island, whilst its 

 coasts abound with fish, oysters, and other shell-fish, which enter largely into the consumption 

 of its inhabitants. 



Chiloe was first seen by the party under Don G. H. de Mendoza, who, in 1558, started from 

 Valdivia to discover the Straits of Magellan, at that time supposed to be the only opening be- 

 tween the north and south seas. Alonzo de Ercilla, the since famous epic poet, and one of 

 his companions, tells us of a supposed broad lake, with many beautiful inhabited islands, from 

 among which a gondola came to them, impelled by twelve oars. The Indian rowers leaped to 

 the shore, and saluted the Spaniards humbly and reverently, evidently regarding them as 



When the Intendente or Governor of the province visited Castro for the purpose of taking a census of the population, a 

 family of Indians waited upon him to render an account of their property ; who, upon being asked whence they came, replied, 

 "Del fin de la Christiandad." The name being new to the Intendente, it was explained to him that they belonged to Caylin, which 

 was more generally known by the above name, because there existed no Christian population beyond, or to the southward of that 

 island. Narrative of the Surveying l r oyagcs of H. B AT Ships Adtenture and Beagle, vol. . 



