5 



islands that are inhabited by some Spaniards and 

 Indians. The largest of these islands, which has 

 given its name to the Archipelago, is Chiioe ; it is 

 about 150 miles in length; the capital of it is Castro. 



All these islands are near the coast, except those 

 of Juan Fernandez, the first of which is 330, and 

 the second 420 miles distant.* 



Chili properly called, or that part which is situated 

 between the Andes and the sea, is at least 120 miles, 

 in breadth : It is commonly divided into two equal 

 parts, that is, the maritime country, and the midland 



* In the same sea, but very remote, are situated the little 

 islands oí St. Ambrosio, St. Felix, and that of Pasqua, much ce- 

 lebrated for the great number of statues which the natives have, 

 erected in various parts of it, either as ornaments, or, what is 

 more probable, as tutelary divinities. The two first, which are 

 desert, are distant 200 leagues from the coast of Chili, and are 

 situated in 26 deg. 27 min. south latitude; but that of Pasqua, 

 which is probably the same with Davis's land, and is in 27 deg. ^ 

 and 5 min. south latitude, and about the 268th deg. of longitude, 

 is 600 leagues distant from that coast. This island is but a little 

 more than five leagues in extent, and its inhabitants, who do not 

 exceed 800, are whiter than most of the Indians, and permit their 

 beards to grow. The statues that are met with throughout the 

 island are very numerous, and of various sizes ; some of them 

 being 27 feet in height, and others not exceeding that of a man. 

 To the sight and touch they appear like stone ; but as they are all 

 of a single piece, and there are no quarries on the island capable 

 of furnishing stones of that size, it is probable that they are form- 

 ed of some kind of plaister or cement that, when dry, assumes 

 the consistency and colour of stone. The Dutch admiral, Rogge- 

 wein, who was the first that visited this island, in the year 1722$ 

 says, that these statues were wrought with much skill. Don 

 Philip Gonsalez, commander of the ship of war Rosalia, who was 

 there in the year 1770, and Captain Cook, in March, 1774, both 

 agree with Roggewein as respects the number ;ind size of these 

 statues. 



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