1835. 



ALAU — CALBUCO — DOCKS. 



387 



On the little uninhabited island, Chiut, in the middle of 

 Ancud Gulf, Mr. Sulivan found a great number of wild straw- 

 berries : they were not very good, being unripe. Near the 

 islands beyond Chiut (called Desertas), on the shore of the 

 main-land, he saw several piraguas stranded, evidently during 

 a late gale, as their crews were engaged in repairing them on 

 the beach. 



In the island Alau, Lieut. Sulivan met an old native, about 

 112 years of age; who had great-grandchildren about him, 

 from twelve to fourteen years old. His eyesight and intel- 

 lectual faculties were still good, and he walked firmly. From 

 the inhabitants of Alau, Mr. Sulivan heardf that an English 

 armed brig, accompanied by a Spanish vessel of war, had an- 

 chored at that island about seventy years before 1835 (1765). 

 Our boats visited Calbuco, and happening to arrive during the 

 time of Mass, found nobody stirring. At last one man came 

 out of church — ran back instantly — as if to tell the news, and 

 immediately hundreds came pouring out to see the strangers. 



Calbuco, called also El Fuerte, is much superior to Castro 

 in appearance as well as size. It ranks next to San Carlos, in 

 consequence to the Chilotes. Near here it was that friendly 

 Indians helping the distressed inhabitants of Osorno to escape 

 from the Araucanians (1599-1605), raised a cry of Calbu-co 

 (blue water), when, emerging from the woodland, they caught 

 a glimpse of the sea. 



Our party examined places on the east coast of Chiloe, where 

 docks might be constructed, or vessels laid ashore with much 

 facility, as the tide rises from fifteen to twenty-five feet in 

 several land-locked coves where the swell of the ocean never 

 penetrates. 



Round Childethe flood tide-streams run both ways, from the 

 south-west ; and meet in the north-west part of Ancud Gulf; 

 the times of syzygial high water, in all the archipelago, vary 

 only from noon to an hour and half after noon. In December 

 and January our boat expedition found that the night tides were 

 always higher than those of the day, and the inhabitants said 

 that was always the case in summer. In the months of July and 



VOL. II. ^ c 2 



