180 



CHILE. 



equal parts, the maritime and midland. The mari- 

 time part is intercepted by three ridges of mountains, 

 running parallel with the Andes, between which are 

 numerous well-watered valleys. The midland coun- 

 try is generally level, of great fertility, and enjoying 

 a delightful climate. The great chain of the Andes 

 traverses the country from north to south, and pre- 

 sents a number of summits, the heiht of which has 

 been estimated at upwards of 20,000 feet. Among 

 the Chilean Andes there are said to be fourteen vol- 

 canoes in a state of constant eruption, and a still 

 greater number that discharge smoke at intervals. 

 Chile abounds with vegetable, animal, and mineral 

 productions. Maize, rye, barley, pulse, wine, oil, 

 sugar, cotton, and fruits of various kinds, are culti- 

 vated. It 1ms luxuriant pastures, which feed nume- 

 rous herds of cattle. It is rich in mines of gold, 

 silver, copper, tin, and iron. All the metals are 

 found ; also a variety of earths and precious stones. 

 It is free from dangerous or venomous animals, 

 which are so much dreaded hi hot countries, and has 

 but one species of small serpent, and that perfectly 

 harmless. The climate is remarkably salubrious, 

 and the weather generally serene. In the northern 

 provinces, it rarely rains, in some parts never, but 

 dews are abundant ; in the central part, rain often 

 continues three or four days in succession, followed 

 by fifteen or twenty days of lair weather; in the 

 southern provinces, rains are much more abundant, 

 and often continue nine or ten days without cessa- 

 tion. The rainy season commences in April, and 

 continues through August. Snow falls abundantly 

 on the Andes, but is never seen on the coast. 

 Earthquakes are common. Chile was formerly a 

 colony of Spain, but, in 1810, the people took the 

 government into their own hands, and, in 1818, 

 made a declaration of absolute independence, which 

 has been hitherto uninterrupted, and recently ac- 

 knowledged by Portugal. The supreme authority 

 was administered by an elective magistrate, called 

 the supreme director, until May, 1827, when a presi- 

 dent was substituted, in imitation of the government 

 of the United States. The Roman Catholic is the 

 established religion of Chile, and the church is very 

 rich. There are said to be about 10,000 monks and 

 nuns in this country, and the religious institutions 

 with which they are connected hold nearly one-third 

 of the landed property of the country. The army, in 

 1818, was stated at 8400 regular troops ; the militia 

 at 28,960 men, and the revenue at 2,177,967 dollars. 

 The part of Chile lying south of the river Biobio, in 

 lat. 36 44' S., is inhabited chiefly by Indians. The 

 Araucanians, a celebrated and warlike tribe, inhabit 

 the region lying between the rivers Biobio and Val- 

 divia. They are enthusiastically attached to liberty, 

 and have never been subdued. 



Of the history of Chile, previous to the middle of 

 the fifteenth century, nothing more is known than 

 what may be derived from the vague traditions of the 

 natives. In 1535, the Spaniards first visited it. They 

 were at first received by the Chileans with the utmost 

 respect ; but a cruel massacre of some of their chief 

 men, by order of Almagro, the Spanish general, pro- 

 duced opposite feelings j and Almagro, advancing 

 into the country of the Promancians, was defeated 

 with loss, when the Spaniards, disgusted with their 

 general, and with the state of affairs, returned to Peru, 

 where they arrived in 1538. Two years afterwards, 

 Pizarro despatched Pedro de Valdivia, with 200 

 Spaniards and a numerous body of Peruvians, to Chile, 

 for the purpose of settling such districts as he should 

 conquer. Valdivia succeeded hi overcoming the re- 

 sistance of the natives, and founded the city of San- 

 tiago, Feb. 24, 1541. Hostilities with the natives en- 

 sued, till Valdivia, having settled his power in the 



northern provinces of Chile, turned his arms against 

 the southern portion of the country. In 155O, he 

 founded the city of Conception, and was soon after- 

 wards attacked by the Araucanians, with whom lie 

 fought several battles, and was finally defeated and 

 taken prisoner, Dec. 3, 1553. Many battles wen 

 subsequently fought between the Spaniards and this 

 tribe of Indians which, though they generally termi- 

 nated in favour of the former, were destructive to 

 them, and impeded the progress of the settlements. 

 In 1598, a general insurrection of the Araucanians 

 took place ; and, with the assistance of their allies, 

 they put to death every Spaniard whom they fount i 

 outside of the forts. Vilfenca, Valdivia, Imperial- 

 and several other towns, were attacked and taken, 

 and Conception and Chillar were burnt. To add to 

 the misfortunes of the Spaniards, the Dutch landed 

 on Uie Cliiloe islands, plundered Chiloe, and put the 

 Spanish garrison to the sword. Hostilities were con- 

 tinued for many years without any extraordinary re- 

 sult. Each party seemed obstinate in its determina- 

 tion, and each committed cruelties and outrages, with 

 which the history of South America is unhappily too 

 familiar. At length, in 1641, preliminaries of peace 

 were finally settled between the marquis of Baydes 

 then governor of Cliile and the Araucanians. By the 

 terms of the treaty, the two nations agreed to sus- 

 pend hostilities, and the Araucanians engaged to pre- 

 vent any foreign power from landing on their territo- 

 ries. Two years afterwards, the Dutch made an at- 

 tempt to settle a colony at Valdivia ; but, hearing 

 that an army of Spaniards and Araucanians were 

 marching against them, they evacuated Chile. The 

 peace between the Spaniards and Araucanians lasted 

 until 1655, when hostilities again broke out with their 

 former fury, and continued tor ten years with various 

 success. At the end of this period, a formal treaty 

 was made. This peace was more lasting than the 

 former, and, until the beginning of the eighteenth 

 century, the history of Chue presents little deserving 

 of record. Though tranquil for so long a time, the 

 spirit of the Araucanians was not broken, nor was 

 their aversion to the Spaniards abated. In 1722, a 

 general conspiracy was formed by the nations from 

 the borders of Peru to the river Biobio. At a fixed 

 moment, when the watch-fires were to blaze on the 

 mountains, the Indians were to rise against the whites, 

 and release the country from their yoke. The design, 

 however, miscarried : only the Araucanians took up 

 arms; and, after a short contest, peace was again 

 concluded. In 1742, don Josef Manto, then gover- 

 nor, collected the colonists into towns, divided the 

 country into provinces, and founded several new cities. 

 In 1770, an attempt of don Antonio Gonzago to com- 

 pel the Araucanians to adopt habits of industry, "and 

 to associate in towns, was the cause of a new war. 

 At length, peace was restored, one condition of which 

 was that the Araucanians should keep a resident min- 

 ister at Santiago a stipulation which proves their 

 power and importance. 



Chile appears to have enjoyed tranquillity during 

 the remainder of the eighteenth century, and, being 

 relieved from the hostility of the Araucanians, agri- 

 culture and commerce, which had been greatly ne- 

 glected, soon revived. The occupation of Spain by 

 the French troops, in 1809, caused a revolutionary 

 movement in Chile, as well as in other parts of Span- 

 ish America. July 10, 1810, the president Carrasco 

 was deposed by the native inhabitants, and a junta 

 of government was formed, under the pretext of hold- 

 ing the country for Ferdinand, but with the secret 

 intention of ultimately proclaiming independence. 

 At this period, the most active and influential per- 

 sons were the three Can-eras, Rodriguez, and O'Hig- 

 gins, the government being, in reality, exercised by 



