Jan. 1835. 



CHILOE. 



359 



January 23d. — We rose early in the mornings and 

 reached the pretty quiet town of Castro by two o^ clock. The 

 old governor had died since our last visit^ and in his place a 

 Chileno was acting. We had a letter of introduction to Don 

 Pedro. We found him exceedingly hospitable and kind^ and 

 with a degree of disinterestedness which is more common in 

 La Plata than on this side of the continent. The next day 

 Don Pedro procured us fresh horses^ and offered to accom- 

 pany us himself. We proceeded to the south; generally 

 following the coast, and passing through several hamlets, 

 each with its large barn-like chapel, built of wood. Near 

 Castro we saw a remarkably pretty waterfall : it was very 

 small_, but the water fell in a single sheet into a large circular 

 basin, around which stately trees, from 100 to 120 feet high, 

 cast a dark shade. At Vilipilli, Don Pedro asked the com- 

 mandant to give us a guide to Cucao. The old gentleman 

 offered to come himself ; but for a long time he would not 

 believe that any thing could induce two Englishmen to go to 

 such an out of the way place as Cucao. We thus were 

 accompanied by the two greatest aristocrats in the country ; 

 as was plainly to be seen in the manner of all the poorer 

 Indians towards them. 



At Chonchi, we struck off across the island, and followed 

 intricate winding paths, sometimes passing through magnifi- 

 cent forests, and then opening into pretty cleared spots, 

 abounding with corn and potato crops. In this undulating 

 woody country, partially cultivated, there was something 

 which reminded me of the wilder parts of England, and 

 therefore had to my eye a most fascinating aspect. At 

 Vilinco, which is situated on the borders of the lake of Cucao, 

 only a few fields are cleared ; and all the inhabitants appear 

 to be Indians. This lake is twelve miles long, and runs in an 

 east and west direction. From local circumstances, the sea- 

 breeze blows very regularly during the day, and during the 

 night it falls calm. This has given rise to strange exaggera- 

 tions : for the phenomenon, as described to us at S. Carlos, 

 was quite a prodigy. 



