SANTIAGO. 



57 



Besides their European trade, the Chileans 

 now export a great deal of wheat flour to Peru, 

 In fact, in point of trade, Chile has made greater 

 strides than any other state of Spanish America, 

 and as there is every probability of its continuing 

 to take the lead of its neighbours in wealth and 

 prosperity, it ought to afford an additional 

 reason to the British government for endeavour- 

 ing to shorten the time and distance between 

 the two countries as much as possible, not only 

 by lending its support to the adoption of steam 

 communication on the coast of the Pacific, but 

 also by an immediate investigation of the advan- 

 tages which must accrue from, and the probable 

 success of, cutting, somewhere, a ship canal 

 through the isthmus. 



The population of Chile is supposed to be 

 about 1,250,000, by the last calculation. 



Santiago is a pretty town ; like all Spanish 

 D 3 



