C H I L I. 



*ii<. the tea, ill first situation wit abandoned for one more 

 y *""Y"*' ft-iirf, and the city wa rebuilt (l"6l) about a Irague 

 from the shore. It contain* about 13,000 inhabitant!. 

 The bay of Conception ii the largest on the coast of 

 Chili, and ha* two entrance* f nn.-d by the I>l.md Ouiri- 

 quina at it* mouth, the east of which i* the safest and 

 most fr quc.-ttd. It* best port ii that of T.ilc'guana. 

 (.'oquimLo, or La Serena, founded by Valdiv.a in 154V, 

 preaent* a beautiful appearance, the wide (pace* be- 

 tween it* iquare* being entirely occupied by garden* ; 

 the house* are built of mud, cover, d with leaves. It i* 

 a large town, but not proportionately inhabited, t'ul- 

 farauo, the principal sea-port in Chili, from whence il 

 transacted all the trade with Peru, is large, populous, and 

 flourishing. It lies about three miles from the port ; 

 but there i* another town called Almendral, close upon 

 the harbour, which i* the residence of those employed 

 about the shipping. The harbour is capacious, and suf- 

 ficient to contain large vessel* up to the shore. Val- 

 paraiso ha* a military governor, or corregidor, nomina- 

 ted by the king. 



Forts. The. principal forts have been erected on the southern 



frontiers, to repress the incursions of the Araucanians. 

 On the north side of the Biobio, are the forts of Jumbt-1. 

 Tucapel, Santa Barbara, and Ptiren. To the south of 

 thr *ame river is the fort of Arauco, with those of Col- 

 cura, San Pedro, Santa Joanna, Nascimento, and An- 

 .gelt*. 



The Araucanians have neither walled cities, nor per- 

 manent fortifications of any kind ; but regarding these 

 as emblems of slavery and dependence, they reside in 

 scattered hamlets, which are commonly situated on the 

 banks of rivers, or on plains that possess the convenience 

 of an easy irrigation. 



Soil .The inland parts of Chili are the most fertile, and 

 the fertility increases in proportion to the distance from 

 the sea. The vallies of the Andes are superior to the 

 middle districts, and these to the maritime. In the ma- 

 ritime districts the soil is brown inclining to red, brit- 

 tle, and clayed, and contains marl mixed with marine 

 substances. In the interior, and in the vallk's of the 

 Andes, it is brittle, and of a yellowish black colour. It 

 every where possesses an extraordinary warmth, and 

 brings to perfect maturity those tropical fruits which 

 are natives only of the torrid zone. The inexhaustible 

 sources of fertility in this delightful country, renders un- 

 necessary the use of artificial manures, and experience 

 ha* taught the husbandmen of Chili their superfluity, if 

 not injury. The fermentation and putrefaction of ma- 

 nure is supposed to engender or multiply certain worms 

 destructive to grain in the blade. From these Chili is 

 entirely exempted ; and it is alleged as a known fact, 

 that the lands of St Jago, though they .have been con- 

 stantly cultivated fur a period of near two centuries and 

 a half, without receiving any artificial manure, have suf- 

 fered no diminution in their amazing produce. The 

 soil of Chili, by a very moderate calculation, yields, at 

 an average, 65 for one in the middle districts, and 45 in 

 the maritime. There are, indeed, lands which produce 

 120, and 160 for one; and, according to some authors, 

 there have been frequent instances of 300 fold ; but this 

 extraordinary increase has not been confirmed by later 

 and more authentic information. 



Climate. The climate i* mild, equable, and salubrious and not 



inferior to any in the new wrld. The transition from 

 heat to cold u moderate, and their extremes equally un- 

 known. The air i* so much cooled in summer by cer- 

 tain winds from the Andes, distinct from the east winds, 

 .that in the ihade no one i* evea incommoded with per* 



spiration. In the interior where the heat is greatest, Stiti.tic*. 



Reaumur's thermometer seldom exceed* 45, and in win- s ^y~~ i ' 



ter it very rarely link* below the freezing point. Chili 



enj <yb constant succession of fine weather from the be- 



ginning of spring till autumn. The rainy season commen- 



ces in April, and continues to the end of August. The 



southern provinces have much more of it than those ia 



the centre, while in the northern provinces of Cuquimho 



and Copiapo it rains very seldom. In these provinces, 



however, and throughout the country, the dews fall ia 



such abundance, as in a great measure to supply the want 



of rain. Snow, except on the Andes, i* very uncommon. 



On the coast it is entirely unknown, and though it some- 



times falls in the middle districts, it is often melted be- 



fore reaching the ground, and is seldom known to lie for 



the space of a day. On the Andes, however, from April 



to November, it falls in prodigious quantities, and ren- 



ders the passes for the greater part of the year altogether 



impracticable. 



The winds in Chili are considered as infallible in. 

 dications of weather, and serve the inhabitants for a 

 barometer. The southerly winds proceeding directly 

 from the Antarctic poU-, arc cold, attended with fair 

 weather ; the northerly winds, on the contrary, are 

 hot and humid, and usually bring rain. In the provinces 

 of Cujo and Tucoman, they are more suffocating than 

 the Siroc in Italy ; but in crossing the snowy summit* 

 of the Andes to Chili, their noxious properties are in a 

 great measure removed or qualified. The south wind 

 prevails while the sun is in the rout hern hemisphere. It 

 begins to relax about noon, and is then supplanted for 

 two or three hours by afresh breeze from the sea. which, 

 from the regularity of its returns, is called the twelve 

 o'clock breeze. The south wind returns in the after- 

 noon, and at midnight is once more succeeded by the 

 western breeze. Tlie east wind is seldom felt in Chili ; 

 and there exist* but one instance of a hurricane. 



Meteors, especially shooting stars and balls of fire pro- 

 ceeding from the Andes to the sea, are very frequent in 

 Chili. The aurora australis seldom appear. One of the. 

 largest of thei>e phenomena happened in IfilO, and re- 

 mained visible from February to April. 



Among the vast number of volcanoes in the Cordille- Volcanei 

 ra, there are fourteen in a state of perpetual combustion, 

 all of which belong to Chili, and are situated near the mid- 

 dle of the Chilian range : the lava and ashts discharged 

 from them never fall beyond the limits of the Andes. Oi.ly 

 two volcanoes are found among the maritime and midland 

 mountain* ; one at the mouth ot the river Kapel, which 

 is small, and emits at intervals only a little smoke ; the 

 ether is the great volcano of Villarica, distinguishable at 

 the distance of 150 miles, and said to be connected by 

 its bate with the Andes. It continues burning without 

 intermission, but its eruptions have seldom been violent. 

 The base is covered with forests, and us sides with a 

 lively verdure. The most remarkable eruption --it the 

 Chilian volcanoes was that of Peteroa, in the 3d of De- 

 cember 1760, when the volcanic matter opened for itself 

 a new crater, and a mountain in the vicinity suffered a 

 disruption to the extent of several miles. A lar;n' por- 

 tion of the mountain fell into the Lontue, and having 

 filled its bed, a lake which still remains was thus formed 

 by the overflowni:; tit thr river. 



Chili, so highly favoured in other respects, is render 

 ed, by its quantity of inflamnuble matter, extremely sub- 

 jcct to eauhquakcs. There are, however, t woof its pro- 

 vinces which would seem to be almost totally exempted 

 from their influence. It is a remarkable fact,tlint while 

 other parts of the country have been viol'-ntiy agitated, 



Eartli- 



