,f- 



48 OVALLE S HISTORICAL RELATION OF CHILE. 



even in the midft of winter, that there is not a cloud to be feen in them for many 

 days ; then the fun fhining upon that prodigious quantity of fnow, and thofe coafts 

 and white fhelvings all covered with extended woods, produces a profped:, which 

 even we that are born there, and fee it every year, cannot forbear admiring, and draws 

 from us praifes to the great Creator for the wonderful beauty of his works* 



CHAP. VI. — Of the vulcanoesy and the mines nfgold and filver of the Cordillera. 



THERE are in this Cordillera, or chain of mountains, fixteen vulcanoes which at 

 feveral times have broke out, and caufed effects no lefs admirable than terrible and 

 aftonilhing to all the country ; amongfl: the reft, that which happened in the year 1 640 

 is worthy to be remembered. It broke out in the enemies country, in the territory of 

 the Cacique Aliante, burning with fo much force, that the mountain cleaving in two, 

 fent forth pieces of rock all on fire, with fo horrible a noife, that it was heard ma^ny 

 leagues off, juft like the going off of cannon. In all that territory the women mifcar- 

 ried for fear, as fhall be related more particularly in its proper place, in the account I 

 ihall give of the fubjedion of all that country to our Catholic king, being moved 

 thereunto by this and other prodigies. 



^ The firft of thefe vulcanoes is called the vulcano of Copiago, and is in about twenty- 

 fix degrees altitude of the pole, about the confines of Chile and Peru ; in thirty degrees 

 is that of Coquinbo ; in thirty-one and a half that of La Ligua ; in thirty-five that of 

 Peteroa ; in thirty-fix and an half that of Chilau ; in thirty-feven and a quarter that 

 of Antoco : this is followed by that of Notuco in thirty-eight and a half ; that of 

 Villarica is in thirty-nine and three quarters ; near this is another whofe name I know 

 not, in forty and a quarter ; and in forty-one is that of Oforno ; and near that in lefs 

 than quarter of a degree, that of Guanahuca ; and in a little more than forty-two de- 

 grees that of Quehucabi ; and laft of all are two more ; one without a name, in forty- 

 four ; and that of St. Clement, which is forty-five and a half. 



Thefe are the known vulcanoes of Chile : we have no knowledge of others, which 

 may be as far as the Terra del fuego, becaufe till this time our difcoveries have not 

 gone fo far ; but there is no doubt but there are fome, as they are to be found before 

 one comes to Chile, in the kingdoms of Peru and Quito. Diego Ordonnes de Salvos, 

 in the third book and eighteenth chapter of his "Voyage through the whole world, " 

 mentions among the reft, one that is near the fall of the river, in the valley of Cola ; 

 it is on a mountain in the form of a fugar-loaf, like that of La Plata in Potofi ; and 

 that in winter it throws out fo much fmoke and aflies, that it burns up all the grafs 

 within two leagues round about it. 



He likewife mentions another in the entrance of the province of Los Quixos, near 

 the town of Mafpa ; and fpeaks of another, which broke out near Quito, in a moun- 

 tain called the Pinta : and he affirms, that the afties fly two leagues and a half from 

 the mountain ; and he has feen them lie on the houfes about four feet deep in the 

 neareft places to the mountain. 



Laftly, he tells of that of Ariquipa, which buried the vineyards, and had almoft 

 overwhelmed the city. To this day there are feen the effefts of that defolation, which 

 ruined many families, by deftroying their houfes and poiTeffions. At the fame time he 

 obferves, that the earthquakes which before were frequent, ceafed from that time ; 

 and this perhaps may be the reafon why the earthquakes in Chile have always been 

 confiderably lefs than thofe of Peru, becaufe Chile has more breathing holes for the 

 vapours to exhale by. 



