31 



CHAPTER II. 



San Carlos, Chiloe— Osorno in Eruption, contemporaneously with 

 Aconcagua and Coseguina — Ride to Cucao — Impenetrable For- 

 ests — Valdivia — Indians — Earthquake — Concepcion— Great 

 Earthquake — Rocks fissured — Appearance of the former Towns 

 — The Sea black and boiling— Direction of the Vibrations — 

 Stones twisted round — Great Wave — Permanent Elevation of 

 the Land — Area of Volcanic Phenomena — The Connection 

 between the Elevatory and Eruptive Forces — Causes of Earth- 

 quakes — Slow Elevation of Mountain-chains. 



CHILOE AND CONCEPCION : GREAT EARTHQUAKE. 



On January the 15th we sailed from Low's Har- 

 bour, and three days afterwards anchored a second 

 time in the bay of S. Carlos in Chiloe. On the 

 night of the 19th the volcano of Osorno was in ac- 

 tion. At midnight the sentry observed something 

 like a large star, which gradually increased in size 

 till about three o'clock, when it presented a very 

 magnificent spectacle. By the aid of a glass, dark 

 objects, in constant succession, were seen, in the 

 midst of a great glare of red light, to be thiown up 

 and to fall down. The light was sufficient to cast 

 on the water a long, bright reflection. Large mass- 

 es of molten matter seem very commonly to be cast 

 out of the craters in this part of the Cordillera. I 

 was assured that when the Corcovado is in erup- 

 tion, great masses are projected upwards and are 

 seen to burst in the air, assuming many fantastical 

 forms, such as trees : their size must be immense, 

 for they can be distinguished from the high land 

 behind S. Carlos, which is no less than ninety-three 

 miles from the Corcovado. In the morning the 

 volcano became tranquil. 



I was surprised at hearing afterwards that Acon- 

 cagua in Chile 480 miles northwards, was in action 



