44 



Return of the party from San Felipe. 

 Effects of earthquakes. Rise of the coast. 



CHILI. 



Volcanic mountains of Chili. Population of 

 Santiago. Population of Valparaiso. 



good deal of delay, owing to the stupidity of their 

 peon, who had indulged too much in his favourite 

 chicha. Nothing, it is proper to add, could exceed 

 the kindness and attention shown them by Mr. 

 Newman, his lady, and Mr. Chase. Mr. Alderson, 

 the agent, devoted himself to them for two days, 

 during which time he left nothing undone that 

 could promote and forward the object of their visit. 

 It affords me great pleasure to bear testimony also 

 to the numerous fine specimens of copper, &c., 

 from other mines, which Mr. Newmen presented 

 to the Expedition, and to return him our thanks 

 for them, and the kind attention of his lady. 



Having heard much about the rise of the coast, 

 from the effects of earthquakes, I was desirous of 

 gaining all the information in relation to this sub- 

 ject. From the residents the accounts are so con- 

 tradictory, that no correct intelligence can be ob- 

 tained. The decrease in the depth of the bay, I 

 have before said, can be accounted for, and un- 

 doubtedly is owing, so far as it has taken place, to 

 the wash of the hills ; and the formation of a new 

 street which has been reclaimed from the bay, has 

 given rise to the idea, and it is pointed out as 

 having been built upon ground left dry by the 

 eai'thquake of 1832. Several of our naturalists 

 made a close examination of the coast in the 

 neighbourhood, the result of which on the minds 

 of all was, that there was no proof of elevation. 

 That changes in the beaches, through the agency 

 of the heavy rollers and the northers that yearly 

 occur, are constantly going on, is quite evident ; 

 but these, as one would naturally suppose, increase 

 the shore only in some places, while in others they 

 are wearing it away. 



Earthquakes do not appear to happen at any 

 particular season. The great one of 1730 was in 

 July ; that of 1751, in May ; and those of 1822 

 and 1835, both of which did much damage, in 

 February. 



Slight shocks of earthquakes are experienced 

 very frequently throughout Chili. One during our 

 stay, on the 28th of May, started every one from 

 their beds, but the shock was not repeated. No 

 peculiar state of the weather, or other phenomenon, 

 seems to precede them. That of 1835 nearly de- 

 stroyed the towns of Conception, Talcahuana, 

 Arauco, Angeles, Coluna, Chillian, Talca, and 

 Cauquenes. It was very slightly felt in Valparaiso, 

 and scarcely at all further north. The sea receded 

 in Valparaiso two feet, and returned immediately. 

 The ground seemed to swell under the feet. In Juan 

 Fernandez it was very severely felt; and the follow- 

 ing extract from the report of the then governor of 

 that island to the supreme government is interest- 

 ing : " I was walking at the castle of Santa Bar- 



bara, with the commandant of the garrison, when 

 we suddenly observed that the sea had come over 

 the mole. Fearing great damage, I hastened to 

 have the boats drawn from under a shed, and pre- 

 pared for use. At the same moment we heard a 

 loud roaring, as of thunder, and saw a white column, 

 like smoke, rise from the sea, a short distance from 

 the place called ' hi Punto de Bacallao,' and then 

 felt the earth move. The sea retired about two 

 hundred feet, when it commenced returning with 

 great violence. This time it carried nearly every 

 thing with it ; broke down all the houses and huts 

 but the one recently built of stone and mortar to 

 contain provisions. Happily, this withstood its vio- 

 lence, although the water ascended more than six 

 feet up its sides. It then retired again to its usual 

 height. Constant shocks were felt during the 

 night ; and the sea, at the place before mentioned, 

 continued throwing up water and smoke like a 

 volcano." 



Chili abounds with volcanic mountains, but few 

 of them are in an active state of eruption ; which 

 may account for the frequency of earthquakes. The 

 peak of Tupongati is the only one in activity in this 

 section. Our travellers to the Cordilleras were not 

 fortunate enough to get a sight of it at night. 



The population of Chili may be estimated at one 

 million two hundred thousand. 



Santiago contains about sixty thousand inhabit- 

 ants, and is one of the few South American capi- 

 tals, perhaps the only one, that is increasing in 

 wealth and population. It has various private se- 

 minaries for both sexes, a national institute or 

 college, on a liberal footing, an extensive hospital, 

 a medical college, and a military academy. The 

 Congress meets on the 1st of June every year, 

 when the President delivers his message. 



Valparaiso numbers thirty thousand inhabitants, 

 and is one of the most flourishing sea-ports in the 

 world. Its population has quintupled within the 

 last twenty years, and it is rapidly advancing in 

 every improvement, growing out of an increasing 

 foreign commerce, and the enterprise of its inha- 

 bitants, fostered and encouraged as they are by 

 government. 



The mining districts are to the north, and the 

 grain country to the south. Extensive flour-mills 

 are now in work in Concession and its neighbour- 

 hood : the machinery is brought from the United 

 States. 



There is very little variation in the climate. 

 During what is called the winter the thermometer 

 occasionally falls for a few hours to 52, but the 

 mean of it throughout the year, at mid-day, would 

 be 65. In the evening and morning, it is at 

 60. 



