20 



the warmth of the soil far exceeds that of the at- 

 mosphere. The countries bordering on the east of 

 Chih do not enjoy these refreshing winds ; the air 

 there is suffocating, and as oppressive as in Africa 

 under the same latitude. 



Sect. VÎI. Meteors. — Meteors are very fre- 

 quent in Chili, especially those called shooting stars, 

 which are to be seen there almost the whole year, 

 and balls of fire that usually rise from the Andes 

 and fall into the sea. The aurora australis, on the 

 contrary, is very uncommon. That which was ob- 

 served in 1640 was one of the largest; it was 

 visible, from the accounts that have been left us, 

 from the month of February until April. During 

 this century they have appeared at four different 

 times, but I cannot tell their particular periods. 

 This phenomenon is more frequently visible in the 

 Archipelago of Chiloe, from the greater elevation of 

 the pole in that part of the country. 



Sect. VIII. Volcanoes. — That a country pro- 

 ducing such an abundance of sulphureous, nitrous, 

 and bituminous substances, should be subject to 

 volcanic eruptions, is not to be wondered at. The 

 numerous volcanoes in the Cordilleras would, of 

 themselves, furnish a sufHcient proof of the quan- 

 tity of these combustible materialsé There are said 



bought for a trifling süTn ; art unequivocal proof of the fertility of 

 the country, %vhere money is comparatively of little value.— 

 History of the European Settletnaits in Jmcrica^ vol. i. part 3- 

 chap. 11. 



