457 



CHILI. 



CHILI. 



458 



ward, we soon reach Quintero Bay, another spacious and tolerably 

 sheltered harbour. A little farther north are the dangerous Quintero 

 Rocks, east of which is Horcon Head, the southern headland of Horcon 

 Bay, off which during nine months in the year there is secure anchor- 

 age in from 10 to 15 fathoms. The coast now bears slightly to the 

 west for about 25 miles, to a low rocky point called Lengua de Vaca, 

 which forms the southern side of Tongoy Bay, once frequented by 

 American whalers. About 14 miles farther is the much-frequented 

 Coquimbo Bay, and immediately south of it is the small land-locked 

 harbour called Herradura Coquimbo. Proceeding northward, the 

 coast continues to be broken into numerous cores and small bays, 

 among others are Tortoralillo, Chungunga, Huasco, and Herradura de 

 Carrisal ports, while many small rocky islands and reefs lie off the 

 shore. From Cape Leones the trend of the coast is north-north-east. 

 The spacious bay of Salado is rendered dangerous for shipping by 

 the presence of numerous rocks, some sunken and others visible. 

 Copiap<5, the next harbour of any magnitude, is also unsafe, owing to 

 dangerous shoals and want of shelter. Off it lies the singular island, 

 Isla Grande. Port Ynglis affords anchorage for small vessels, but 

 Port Caldera to the north of it is a much finer harbour. A pier was 

 erected here two or three years back, and a railway formed in connec- 

 tion with it several miles inland, and it appears probable that this 

 port will concentre in itself much of the traffic of the rich agricultural 

 and mining district of Atacama, which has hitherto been carried to 

 Copiap<5. Several of the small ports recently named, and others not 

 noticed, are used occasionally for the shipment of a cargo of copper 

 ore. A few miles farther north is another very good harbour, Port 

 Flamenco, as yet however very little used except by the native fisher- 

 men. No other harbour of any consequence occurs before Point 

 Taltal, the boundary between ChUi and Bolivia, is reached. The rise 

 and foil of the tide along the coast of Chili is about five or six feet. 

 (' Admiralty Charts ' and ' Sailing Directions for South America.') 



Surface, ffydroyraphy, cfcc. The Andes, which from the Strait of 

 Magalhaens as far north as the Bay of Ancud press close on the shores 

 of the Pacific, appear to turn east at the northern extremity of that 

 bay, but soon resume their northern direction, in which with some 

 slight bends to the east and west, they continue along the boundary- 

 line of Chili. The Chilian Andes, as they are here termed, will be 

 found sufficiently described under ANDES and ARGENTINE CONFEDE- 

 RATION. Several of the peaks of the Chilian Andes rise above the 

 line of perpetual snow, which in these latitudes is found at about 

 14,000 feet above the sea. The summits which are covered with 

 perpetual snow are the Peak of Aconcagua (south of 32), the highest 

 volcano in the world, being 23,200 feet above the sea, the Peak of 

 Tupungato (south of 33), the Volcano Penquenes (near 34), the Peak 

 of Descabezado (north of 36), and the Volcano of Antuco (north of 

 37). The mean height of the whole range seems to be lower south 

 of 35 than north of it, though the summits in the whole range seem 

 to attain nearly the same elevation. This portion of the Andes con- 

 tains many volcanoes. They are extremely numerous to the south of 

 35, where about twenty are known to exist, and it is supposed that 

 many are still unknown. Between 35 and 30 only a few occur, and 

 at great distances from one another. Still farther north no volcano 

 is known to exist in the Andes between that of Coquimbo (south of 

 30), and that of Atacama (south of 21"). 



Several mountain passes traverse this range. The most frequented 

 is that of Uspallata, which passes over the range between the peaks 

 of Aconcagua and Tupungato, traverses the valley of Uspallata, and 

 unites Santiago de Chili with Mendoza in La Plata. Its highest 

 point, called La Cumbre, is 12,454 feet above the sea. The Pass of 

 the Portillo traverses the Andes south of the Peak of Tupuugato, 

 passing through the northern part of the valley of Tuuyau. Its 

 highest point is on the eastern range, where it rises to 14,365 feet 

 above the sea. The Pass del Planchon traverses the range between 

 the Volcano of Peteroa and the Peak of Descabezado, and is less ele- 

 vated than the others, reaching only about 11,000 feet : vegetation 

 extends to its summit. The Pass of Antuco, which crosses the range 

 near the foot of the volcano of that name, probably does not rise 

 above 12,000 feet. As it traverses the country of the independent 

 Indians, who occupy the Pampas of La Plata, it is not much used. 

 Besides these passes there are others over the Andes, but all of them 

 are nearly if not quite impracticable for mules in winter (from June 

 to September). 



The districts of Chili north of the Rio Chuapa (31 30' S. lat.) 

 resemble the coast of Peru, and the whole of that country may be con- 

 sidered as the western declivity of the Andes. Near the high range 

 the country is still between 6000 and 8000 feet above the sea, and it 

 lowers gradually to the west, till it terminates near the sea in an 

 extensive plain, about twenty miles in breadth, and from 60 to 80 

 feet above the sea. The country between this plain and the chain 

 of the Andes is very uneven, exhibiting numerous ridges of low hills, 

 which hi some parts, especially near the Andes, and near the plain 

 along the shore*, run parallel to the great chain and the Pacific ; but 

 in the intermediate country they continually change their direction. 

 The surface presents either bare rocks, or is covered with sand, and 

 nearly without vegetation, except a few stunted shrubs, which gene- 

 rally occur in the narrow glens and ravines, with which it is sparingly 

 ntersected. A few rivers rising in the Andes run in deep beds 



through this country, but most of them have only water in the spring 

 (September till December), when the snow is melting in the upper 

 region of the Andes, and they are dry during eight or nine months of 

 the year. Only three rivers, the CopiapcJ, Guasco, and Chuapa, have 

 water all the year round. On their banks are the few cultivated 

 spots, which are irrigated by water drawn from the rivers. But the 

 greater part of the small level tracts along the watercourses are unfit 

 for cultivation, being covered with incrustations of salt, which in some 

 places are five or six inches thick, and occupy the whole surface, 

 covering even the low grasses. The few spots which are cultivated 

 produce only maize, potatoes, a small quantity of wheat, and consider- 

 able quantities of fruits. Few countries of equal extent possess 

 greater metallic wealth, especially gold, silver, and copper, but the 

 extreme sterility of the country prevents the working of these mines, 

 except when they are very rich. In climate these districts resemble 

 Peru. It never rains, but sometimes a pretty strong dew falls in the 

 morning, which refreshes the plants. This extreme dryness of the 

 air is accompanied with a very moderate degree of heat, the thermo- 

 meter in summer rarely attaining more than 70 ; and in winter the 

 temperature is sometimes so low that the morning dew is changed 

 into snow. This general description applies only to the country 

 north of 30, south of which the cultivable spots are more extensive 

 and more numerous, and the country is annually refreshed by a few 

 showers of rain. 



From the snow-capped peak of Aconcagua a mountain ridge runs 

 directly west, and terminates at a short distance from the sea. It is 

 called Cuesta (ridge) de los Angeles, and attains a considerable height, 

 which however greatly decreases as it proceeds westward. Another 

 ridge, branching off from the Andes at the Peak of Tupungato, runs 

 first north-west, and is called Cuesta de la Dahesa : it then turns 

 west, and may be said to terminate at the Campaua de Quillota, a 

 mountain which rises to about 2500 feet above the sea, from which it 

 is about 12 miles distant. A much lower ridge extends farther west, 

 terminating not far from the shore and the mouth of the Rio de 

 Aconcagua. The country inclosed by the Cuesta de los Angeles, and 

 those of La Dahesa and Chacabuco, is drained by the Rio de Acon- 

 cagua, which rises on the north-west declivity of the Peak of Tupun- 

 gato, and runs more than one-third of its course in a narrow and 

 elevated glen, nearly parallel to the chain of the Andes in a north- 

 north-west direction. It then gradually turns west, but the valley 

 through which it flows is still narrow, till it has terminated another 

 third of its course, when it enters the valley or plain of Aconcagua, 

 a beautiful level tract, extending from east-south-east to west-north- 

 west 15 miles, with a breadth of 13 miles where widest. This plain is 

 about 2600 feet above the sea, but as the river has water enough to 

 irrigate the whole, it is well cultivated, and perhaps the most popu- 

 lous portion of Chili. At its western extremity it lies nearly con- 

 tiguous to the valley of Putuendo, which in smaller, but also fertile 

 and well cultivated, and extends northward to the Cuesta de los 

 Angeles. After the junction of the Rio de Aconcagua with the Rio 

 Putuendo, the mountains again approach its bank, but soon retreat a 

 little farther ; and hence to the mouth of the river extends the valley 

 of Quillota, which is not much inferior in fertility to the others, and 

 is about three or four miles wide. 



South of the Cuesta de Chacabuco the level country begins to 

 occupy a much larger portion of the surface. The plain of Santiago, 

 beginning at the foot of the range, extends south to the banks of the 

 Rio Maypu. Towards the north it is from 6 to 8 miles wide, but 

 farther south it grows wider, and on the bank of the Maypu, from 

 east to west, it is about 20 miles. Its soil is stony and dry, and it 

 can only be cultivated where it is irrigated. Cultivation accordingly 

 exists only in the neighbourhood of the rivers, and of the canal by 

 which the water of the Maypti has been brought upon it. The 

 country between the plain and the Andes is filled by mountains of 

 various heights, with steep declivities, and nearly without vegetation : 

 the valleys intersecting them are narrow, and covered with an 

 immense number of greater or smaller stones, which have fallen down 

 from the adjacent mountains. The country between the plain of 

 Santiago and the Pacific is traversed by some ranges of hills, which 

 rise to no great height above the adjacent plains, and are southern 

 offsets from the Cuesta de Chacabuco. The plains between them are 

 pretty level, and of moderate extent : the soil is dry and stony, 

 without water and trees. 



The JRio Mayyd, has its sources in the Andes, between the Peak of 

 Tupungato and that of Cauquenes, and one-third of its course lies 

 between the high offsets of the Andes in narrow valleys. Towards 

 the plain of Santiago its valley widens. When the river has entered 

 the plain, the canal of Maypu conducts a portion of its waters to the 

 centre of the plain, while the river, continuing its western course, 

 traverses its southern portion. After its junction with the Rio de 

 Colina, which traverses the plain of Santiago, but has water only in 

 the rainy season, the Maypu enters the valley of Melipilli, from 4 to 

 6 miles wide, which contains large tracts of well-cultivated land. The 

 whole course of the Maypu is about 160 miles. It has a sand-bar at 

 its mouth. 



The country south of the Rio Maypu has a different character. 

 Towards the Andes it is covered with the high lateral branches of 

 that range, which inclose narrow and elevated valleys. But about 



