THE 



NATURAL HISTORY 



OF 



CHILI 



CHAPTER I. 



Situation, Climate, and Natural Phenomena. 



v>'IIILI^ a country of South America, is situ- 

 ated upon the South Sea or Pacific Ocean, 

 between the 24th and 45th degrees of south lati- 

 tude, and the 804th and 308tli degrees of lon- 

 gitude from the meridian of Fcrro. 



Its length is estimated at 1260 geographical 

 miles, but it varies in breadtli as the great range 

 of mountainSj called the Cordilleras or the An- 

 des, approach or recede from tiie sea ; or, to speak 

 with more precision, a^ the sea approaches or 

 retires from those mountains. Between the 24th 

 and 32d degrees of latitude, tin; distance of the 

 sea from the mountains is about 210 miles ; from 

 the 32d to the 37 th it is but i;;:0 : and in the 

 broadest part of Chili, near the Archipelago of 



