228 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



others. A crescentic indentation in the coast is called the harbor, for 

 want of any other name. All vessels must anchor far out, owing to 

 shallow water, the presence of reefs, or entire lack of docks. Cargoes 

 are lightered to and from shore, while passengers run the gauntlet of the 

 boatmen, or fleteros, and the surf, both of which at times are rather 

 unpleasant. Protection for the vessels is poor in most cases, but for- 

 tunately storms are not frequent along this coast. Around the harbor, 

 barren, colorless mountains rise to heights of 2,000 feet or more, and 

 at their base lies a featureless town sprawled over a narrow, flat or 

 sloping shelf. "Within the town, wide, unpaved, dusty streets are lined 

 with frame houses in varying degrees of dilapidation. Here and there 

 one may catch a glimpse of some carefully watered plants or even a 

 tiny patch of grass in a private " garden," and the main plaza of the 

 town is sure to have some highly prized and proudly exhibited palms 

 and other plants. But for the most part there is nothing to relieve the 

 impression of dinginess and dejectedness that hovers over the place. 

 Dirty hotels are crowded with patrons of a dozen nationalities, for all 

 who come and go must use the only accommodations offered. For a 

 time, the busy waterfront, and perhaps seals in the harbor, prove inter- 

 esting, but even these quickly prove boresome, since every lighter piled 

 with sacks of nitrate is like every other lighter, and after the seals have 

 bobbed up a few hundred times, only to disappear as often, it ceases to 

 be a novelty. Waiting for a steamer, the only means of escape from 

 these ports makes one wish he had staid in the pampa, where the world 

 seems big and less forlorn. 



Ships of many nations come to carry away the nitrate, while many 

 coastwise vessels bring supplies from the fertile valleys farther south. 

 Nearly half the oficinas operating in 1912 shipped their product 

 through Iquique, giving this port more nitrate traffic than is carried on 

 by any other two ports combined. Antofagasta and Tocopilla are next 

 in order. The value of nitrate exports is more than 70 per cent, of 

 the total value of Chilean exports, and its tonnage is as great as that 

 of any other South American export. As the nitrate goes out, the 

 Chilean government levies an export duty, just as Bolivia tried to do 

 when Chile took up arms on that account. The export duty sometimes 

 is regarded as a device for checking overproduction, whereas it is simply 

 an effective means of raising revenue for the national treasury. For a 

 long time nitrate duties and proceeds of sales of nitrate lands have 

 amounted to more than half, and in some years to not less than 85 per 

 cent., of the total national income. These revenues alone represent 

 more than ten dollars per capita or as much as the United States gov- 

 ernment spends from all sources of income. It is easy to see, therefore, 

 why Chile often is charged with extravagance. Yet large sums have 

 been employed wisely in the building of state railroads; something has 



