34 



CHILI. 



of the earthquake has been the diminution in the 

 only stream of water by which the town is supplied, 

 and to this cause, the most intelligent of the 

 inhabitants ascribe great part of the emigration. 

 As the population decreased, many rich mines 

 were of course abandoned. But such is the ten- 

 dency of man to trust rather to his chance of fu- 

 ture good fortune, than to be influenced by expe- 

 rience, that the mass of the people are now busily 

 engaged in rebuilding their houses, and are again 

 working their mines: a peculiar, but, perhaps, 

 happy blindness to the future, as Copiapd has 

 been destroyed about once every twenty-three 

 years : the latest well authenticated periods of 

 these catastrophes being 1773? 1796, and 1819. 

 In the course of our wall^, we discovered near 

 ' the stream a grove of trees, in the centre of which 

 stood a neatly built cottage, surrounded by a farm- 

 yard, offices, and garden, with everything in the 

 most rural style, except a gold mill, which, though 

 characteristic enough of Copiapd, certainly look- 

 ed somewhat out of place. This establishment 

 belonged to a man who was making a handsome 

 fortune by a copper mine, till, unfortunately, it 



