52 



ou s, they never inundate the adjacent plains, from 

 the beds of the rivers being, as I have already ob- 

 served, very broad. Though many of these streams 

 appear to be shallow, frequent instances have oc- 

 curred of persons being drowned who have attempt- 

 ed to ford them on horseback. The common opin- 

 ion that snow-water produces goitres, appears to be 

 unfounded, if we may be allowed to form a judg- 

 ment from that of these rivers. Their waters which 

 are excellent, and constantly drank by the inhabi- 

 tants, cannot be considered as any thing but lique- 

 fied snow, yet is this disease wholly unknown in 

 Chili. 



Sect. II. Lakes, — Lakes of salt and fresh wa» 

 ter are common in Chili. The first are situated in 

 the marshes of the Spanish provinces ; the most 

 remarkable ar^ the Bucalemu, the Cagüil and the 

 Bojeruca, which are from 12 to 20 miles in length. 

 Those of fresh water are contained in the interior 

 provinces, and are the Ridaguel, the Aculen, the 

 Taguatagua, the Laquen, and the Nahuelguapi ; 

 the two latter, situated in the country of the Arau- 

 canians, are the largest. The Laquen, which the 

 Spaniards call the lake of Villarica, is 72 miles in 

 circumference, and in the centre of it rises a beauti- 

 ful little hill in the form of a cone. The Nahuel- 

 guapi is 80 miles in circumference, and has like- 

 wise in the middle a pleasant island covered with 

 trees. These lakes are the sources of two conside- 

 rable rivers ; the first of the Talten, which falls into 

 the Pacific Ocean ; the latter of the Nahuelguapi, 



