The origin of the native inhabitants of Chili is involved in
impenetrable obscurity. They had traditions respecting their ancestors,
which were so vague and uncertain as not to merit notice; so that
nothing can be advanced concerning the history of Chili, prior to about
the middle of the fifteenth century.
In the year 1450, the country was occupied by fifteen independent
tribes, governed by caciques or ulmens; they were named Copiapins,
Coquimbans, Quillotans, Mapochians, Promaucians, Cures, Cauques,
Pencones, Araucanians, Cunches, Chilotes, Chiquilanians, Pehuenches,
Puelches, and Huilliches. The Peruvians were at this period governed
by the Inca Yupanqui, who having extended his empire to the borders
of their country, was ambitious to possess a territory, of which
his subjects gave a highly favourable report. He accordingly moved
southward to Atacama, and dispatched Sinchiruca, a Peruvian prince,
from thence with a large army, to the northern territories of Chili;
this general reduced the Copiapins, Coquimbans, Quillotans, and
Mapochians, but was interrupted in his career by the Promaucians, who
defeated his forces in a sanguinary battle.
From henceforward the Peruvians were foiled in all their attempts to
proceed southward, and a fort being erected on the Rapel river, the
four first tribes became tributaries to the Incas. Though the Peruvian
form of government was never introduced into their territories, which
were still presided over by the Ulmens or caciques.
On the arrival of the Spaniards at Cuzco, the Chilese were mostly
an agricultural nation, subsisting on the plants their labour had
brought to perfection; they had aqueducts to irrigate their fields,
and they turned up the soil with a rude sort of plough, which they
pushed forwards by a handle opposed to the breast. The Peruvian camels
were used as beasts of burden, and these people made bread, fermented
liquors, and boiled or cooked their victuals in earthen pots of their
own manufacture.
The Chilese lived in large or small villages, and they knew and
practised the laws and rights of hereditary property; they had also
advanced so far in the knowledge of some of the useful arts, that they
were able to form hatchets and implements of copper, vases of marble,
and they worked mines of gold, silver, copper, tin and lead.
Their religion consisted in the acknowledgement of a Supreme Being,
whom they named PILLAN, from pilli, the soul; and for whom they had
also names equivalent to the Great Being, the Thunderer, the Eternal,
the Creator, the Omnipotent, &c.
Pillan was said to be the king of Heaven, the lord of all the inferior
spirits, who were both males and females, and whose offices consisted
in guiding the destinies of man in battle, in peace, &c.; and in
producing harvests; each person had his attendant spirit or genius, who
protected them from Guecebu the evil one.
Being extremely independent in their notions, their ulmens or caciques
had no power to impose contributions on the people they governed, and
were merely sages or warriors who guided the tribes in council or in
the field.
No temples were erected in Chili, the Great Being and his subordinate
agents were invoked in times of need, and on occasions of great
distress sacrifices of animals and offerings of fruits were made. As
well as their neighbours, the Peruvians, they had a tradition of a
great deluge, in which only a few persons were saved.
They had words to express units, tens, hundreds, and a thousand, with
all the intermediate numbers, and preserved the memory of transactions
by the Pron, a bunch of threads of several colours, resembling the
Peruvian quippus.
In treating of the Araucanians, we shall give some further account of
a people, who, though they had not attained the degree of civilization
acquired by their northern neighbours, were, nevertheless, very far
from being in a state of barbarism, and who are probably the only
American nation, surrounded by European colonies, who have hitherto
retained the same customs, manners, language and independence
which they possessed before the conquest of the New World, as the
Spaniards have scarcely made more progress in subduing them than their
predecessor, the Inca Yupanqui, did.
From the determination of Almagro to conquer the country possessed by
the Peruvians south of Cuzco, in consequence of the reports constantly
received by himself and Pizarro, of the riches it contained, may be
dated the discovery of Chili by Europeans.
Don Diego de Almagro de Malagon having collected a force of 570
Spaniards, and 15,000 Peruvians, set out from Cuzco, in the year 1535,
attended by Paullu Inca, and choosing the road of the mountains,
reached the province of Copiapo in Chili, after a march in which they
had to contend with the Indians at every step; this, together with the
inclemencies of the weather, the rugged nature of the road, and the
winter overtaking them on the summit of the Andes, caused the death of
150 of the Spaniards and 10,000 of the Peruvians.
On the arrival of the army in Copiapo, Paullu Inca obliged the natives
to deliver up all the gold in their possession, which amounting to the
value of 500,000 ducats, he presented to Almagro.
The natives every where received the Spaniards with respect, amounting
almost to adoration, as they imagined the new comers were a divine race
sent by their gods to govern them, till after the arrival of Rodrigo
Orgonez, with a reinforcement from Peru, when two of the soldiers
committing acts of violence near the river Huasco, were slain by the
people.
This, the first blood shed on either side, so irritated the Spaniards,
that Almagro ordered the ulmen, his brother, and twenty of the chief
people to be brought before him, when warning the natives to beware of
similar transgressions, he committed his unfortunate victims to the
flames; but the army disapproving of this cruel step, the affairs of
Almagro soon became unprosperous.
At this juncture, Juan de Rada arrived with fresh troops from Peru,
and with the letters of the king appointing Almagro governor of the
territory south of that claimed by Pizarro. The Inca Paullu having
reinforced his army with the Peruvian garrisons in Chili, Almagro
penetrated as far south as the Rapel or Cachapoal, the boundary between
the Independent Chilians and the Peruvian colonies: at this place the
Inca endeavoured to persuade the general not to hazard an attack, as he
was convinced, from what the Peruvians had experienced for a hundred
years, that it would be unavailing; but Almagro persisted, a battle was
fought, the Promaucians were victorious, and the Spaniards, disgusted
with the event and with their general, returned to Peru, to which
Almagro marched by the coast road through the desert of Atacama, and
arrived near Cuzco, in 1538, with little loss; his subsequent history
has been already related.
After the defeat and death of Almagro, Pizarro, wishing to extend his
conquests, ordered Pedro de Valdivia to undertake an expedition to
Chili with 200 Spaniards, a numerous body of Peruvians, women, monks
and European quadrupeds, in order to settle such districts as he might
deem proper.
Valdivia departed from Cuzco in 1540, and pursued the mountain road,
taking the precaution of passing it in summer, on his arrival in
Copiapo, so far from receiving the hospitable reception which Almagro
met with, his army was attacked by the natives with great resolution,
but as they had been too long in subjection to the Peruvians to be
able to afford an effectual resistance, Valdivia soon reduced Copiapo,
Coquimbo, Quillota and Melipilla, and with little loss arrived in the
country of Mapocho, now called Santiago, where he laid the foundation
of the city of Santiago, on the 24th of February, 1541.
The Promaucians assembling some forces to attack the Spaniards,
Valdivia set out from Santiago to repel them, and left the new city in
the care of Alonzo de Monroy; he was no sooner gone than the Mapochians
attacked the place, and burning the settlement, forced the inhabitants
to retire into the fort, but the commandant was relieved after a
desperate siege by the return of Valdivia, who, hastening to the town,
attacked the Mapochians and utterly defeated them.
During this attack a woman named Iñez Suarez killed several chieftains
who were prisoners in the fort, with an axe; as she perceived they were
about to take advantage of the distressed state of the Spaniards.
The Mapochians continued at intervals to annoy the colony for six
years, after which being utterly defeated they destroyed their crops
and habitations and retired to the mountains.
Valdivia being harassed by the natives as well as by the mutinous
conduct of his men, sent messengers to Peru for succour, and to show
the riches of the country he caused the bits, spurs and stirrups of his
two messengers to be made of gold; but they were intercepted in their
route by the Copiapins, from whom they did not escape till after a
length of time, and arriving in Peru where Vaca de Castro was governor,
who immediately dispatched succours by sea and land to Valdivia; with
this assistance he reduced some of the surrounding tribes and founded
Serena or Coquimbo, in 1544.
In 1545 he entered into a treaty with the Promaucians, who
thenceforward became allies of the Spaniards, and in 1546 he passed
the river Maule and reduced the natives from that river to the Itata;
here he was however attacked by the Indians, and forced to retreat to
Santiago, from whence, hearing of the civil wars in Peru, he went to
that country, leaving Francisco Villagran governor in his absence.
Valdivia acted so meritoriously under De Gasca in Peru, that after
Gonzalo Pizarro was subdued the president sent him back to Chili, with
the title of Governor, abundance of stores, and two ships filled with
soldiers.
The Coquimbans and Copiapins having revolted, the governor sent
Francisco Aguirre against them, who succeeding in his expedition,
rebuilt the city of Coquimbo, in a more convenient place in 1549.
Nine years from this period were passed in constant exertion by the
governor, before he could consider his power as fully settled in
the northern provinces of Chili; when having distributed the lands
and Indians among his followers, he turned his arms against the
southern portion of his government, and after a march of 250 miles,
arrived at the bay of Penco or Concepcion, where he founded the
city of Concepcion, on the 5th of October, 1550. No sooner had he
colonized this settlement, than the toqui or chief of the Araucanians,
attacked him with an army of 4000 men; but after a battle of several
hours, _Aillavalu_, the toqui, was slain, and the Araucanians forced
to retreat. In the following year, 1551, Valdivia was attacked
in Concepcion, by _Lincoyan_, the new toqui, or general of the
Araucanians, but they retreated, after displaying much valour.
Valdivia now occupied himself in strengthening his post, and having
received succours from Peru, he marched into Arauco, where, arriving
at the river Cauten, he founded the city of Imperial, after which he
traversed the country to the territory of the Cunches, in which he
founded the town of Valdivia; and satisfied with his success, returned
to St. Jago, having fought several battles with the natives, in which
his troops were always victorious.
He now dispatched Aguirre, with 200 men to conquer Cuyo and Tucuman,
and returning with fresh troops into Araucania, he built the city of
La Frontera; and having effected this object, retired to Concepcion,
and dispatched a messenger to Spain, with an account of his conquests,
a solicitation of the government, and of the title of Marquess del
Arauco, and he sent Francisco de Ulloa by sea, to explore the Straits
of Magellan, by which he hoped to carry on a communication with the
mother-country, independent of Peru.
Occupied with these affairs, he did not perceive the increasing power
of the Araucanians, who having deposed Lincoyan, elected _Caupolican_,
a warlike chief, to the supreme command of their army.
Caupolican then attacked the fort of Arauco, which the Spaniards
abandoned in the night; he also compelled them to evacuate Tucapel,
both of which he destroyed. Valdivia immediately collected what force
he could, marched against him, but sending an advanced guard of ten
horsemen to reconnoitre, they were cut off, and their heads fixed in
the road through which the Spanish army was to pass. This army arrived
in sight of the Araucanians, on the 3d of December, 1553, when a fierce
contest immediately commenced. The Araucanians were put to flight, but
in their confusion, a young chief who had been baptized and employed as
page to Valdivia, suddenly deserted the Spanish army, and brandishing
a lance, called out to his countrymen to turn and follow his example;
this so encouraged the enemy, that they immediately commenced a fresh
attack, with such success, that the Spaniards and their Promaucian
allies were cut to pieces, only two of the latter escaping.
Valdivia retired with his chaplain to a convenient spot, and having
received absolution, prepared himself for death. He was soon taken
prisoner, and his late page, begging that he might be spared, was on
the point of obtaining his release, when an old Ulmen, indignant at the
fate of his countrymen who had fallen in the battle, put an end to the
conference, and the existence of Valdivia by a blow with his war-club.
On the news of the defeat and death of the governor arriving at
Concepcion, Villagran was appointed to the chief command, and marching
with a force against the Araucanians, he was defeated by _Lautaro_, the
page before mentioned, and losing 700 men, was forced to retreat to
Concepcion, which place he abandoned and proceeded to St. Jago. By his
wise measures and resolute conduct, as well as by the dreadful ravages
of the small-pox which had been communicated to the Araucanians, the
Spanish possessions were once more established, but battles were
constantly fought between the natives and the settlers, which though
they generally terminated in favour of the Europeans, were the means
of their losing many settlements, and Lautaro the toqui, was slain in
1556, in an action with Villagran.
In 1557, the viceroy of Peru sent Don Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza his son
to Chili, with a great force of cavalry, infantry and shipping. The
new governor landed on an island in the bay of Concepcion in April;
here he remained during the winter, making overtures of an amicable
nature to the Araucanians, but not receiving a determinate answer, he
landed 150 men at Monte Pinto, and erected a strong fort to command the
harbour; this place was immediately attacked by the Araucanians, under
Caupolican, when a tremendous battle ensued, in which the army of the
toqui were defeated.
Don Garcia then proceeded into Arauco, where he fought another
desperate action, and defeating the Araucanians, marched to the
southward, through the province of the Cunches, a tribe hitherto
unsubdued. In this expedition, they discovered the Chiloe Islands,
and returning from thence, he marched through the country of the
Huilliches, and founded the town of Osorno.
About this time, Caupolican the great toqui or general, was taken
prisoner, impaled, and shot to death with arrows, but his son was
elected to the chief command, and exasperated by the cruel death of
his father, attacked the Spanish forces under the officer who had
slain Caupolican; in this attack, the young chief was victorious, and
immediately besieged Imperial, in which he was however foiled.
Many battles occurred in 1559, the last of which was peculiarly
favourable for the Spanish cause, all the best leaders of the
Araucanians being slain in it.
Don Garcia now rebuilt the cities which had been destroyed; sent
Castillo to conquer Cuyo, and at last, embarked for Peru, in which
country he had been advanced to the viceregal rank.
Villagran who had been to Spain returned to Chili, with the title
of governor, but meeting with reverses, his spirits sunk, and dying
soon after, he left his son Pedro as governor; at which period, the
Araucanians were once more getting the better of the Spaniards, who
founded the town of Castro, in Chiloe, in the year 1566.
In 1567, the court of royal audience was established in the city of
Concepcion, their first act was to depose Quiroga, who had dispossessed
the younger Villagran in his government, and to appoint Ruiz Gamboa, to
the command of the army.
The natives had now become exceedingly powerful under the conduct of a
Mestizo, named Alonzo Diaz, who had been raised to the rank of toqui by
the name of _Paynenauca_, and who had been joined by the Chiquillanians
and the Pehuenches. This chief fought many actions with the Spanish
troops, but was at last taken prisoner and beheaded.
On his death, _Cayancura_ was elevated to the dignity of toqui. In his
time, the Araucanians besieged the fort of Arauco, and being defeated,
the toqui resigned his command to _Nangoniel_ his son, who was killed
in attacking another fortress.
_Cadaguela_ was then unanimously proclaimed general, and in his time,
the English under Sir Thomas Candish landed on the coast of Chili, and
endeavoured to enter into negociations with the natives; but being
attacked by Molina, the corregidor of Santiago, they were forced to
reimbark, after losing several men.
Several chiefs succeeded Cadaguela, each of whom were engaged in
desperate actions with the Spaniards. In 1593, Don Martin Loyola,
nephew of the celebrated founder of the order of Jesuits, having
married the daughter of Sayri Tupac, the last Inca of Peru, was
appointed governor of Chili; he was slain five years after his arrival,
on the 22d of November 1598, by _Paillamachu_ the toqui, in whose
country he had imprudently ventured with too small an escort. On this
event which had been previously planned, the whole Araucanian country,
with the Cunches and Huilliches, their allies, suddenly rose, and put
to death every Spaniard who had the misfortune to be without the forts;
the towns of Osorno, Valdivia, Villarica, Imperial, Canete, Angol, and
Arauco, were all attacked, and Conception and Chillan were burnt.
Amid all these misfortunes, the Dutch landed in the Chiloe Islands,
plundered Chiloe, and put the Spanish garrison to the sword; but
landing in an island where the Araucanians were posted, these people
attacked them and killed twenty-three of their men, mistaking them for
Spaniards.
All the Spanish cities above-named, were also taken by Paillamachu the
toqui, and the Spaniards were completely expelled from the territories
of the Araucanian confederacy.
Luis Valdivia, a Jesuit, who had been employed in converting the
Chilese, finding it impracticable to prevail on the Araucanians to
listen to him, went to Spain, where he instigated the emperor to take
measures to procure a peace; and returning to Chili, in 1612, this
zealous missionary nearly effected the object he had taken so much
trouble about, and in a short time peace was about to be proclaimed
between the Spaniards and the Indians, when an unforeseen circumstance
occurred, which rendered the war more active than before.
Battle succeeded battle, with no extraordinary result on either side,
till the Dutch made a second attempt on the islands, in which they were
repulsed as before, the natives again mistaking them for Spaniards.
Some wars took place after this, till the arrival of Don Francisco de
Zuniga, Marquess of Baydes, who assumed the government in 1640. By
his exertions, the preliminaries of a peace were arranged and finally
settled on the 6th of January 1641, between _Lincopichion_, the Chilese
general, and the Marquess, by which the two nations mutually agreed to
suspend all hostilities, and the Araucanians, on their part, engaged to
prevent any foreign power whatever from landing in their territories.
In 1643, the Dutch made a third and last attempt to colonize this
country, by building two forts, and taking possession of Valdivia;
but being deprived of provisions by the Cunches, and hearing that a
powerful army of Spaniards and Araucanians were marching against them,
they evacuated Chili.
The peace thus happily settled, lasted until 1655, when war again
broke out with all its former fury, being carried on by both parties
for ten years with equal spirit. At the end of this period, Meneses a
Portuguese noble, who held the reins of government, again persuaded the
turbulent natives to consent to a peace. This was more lasting than
the former, and the history of Chili presents nothing worthy of notice
till the commencement of the eighteenth century, when the inhabitants
of the islands of Chiloe revolted, but were soon quelled. The famous
war of the succession happening in Europe at this epoch created much
internal discussion in the Spanish colonies; several governors were
removed for favouring the Bourbon party, but when a prince of that
house was at last placed on the Spanish throne, the ports of Chili were
filled with French ships, and from 1707, to 1717, many persons of that
nation settled in the country.
About this time, the Araucanians began to show some symptoms of an
inclination to break the treaty, and in 1722, they elected _Vilumilla_
their toqui or war-chief. So actively did this chief employ himself,
that he gained to his party, nearly the whole of the Indians from Peru
to the river Biobio, causing them to agree to rise against the whites,
at a certain moment, which was to take place when they should see the
watch-fires on the mountains: accordingly on the 9th of March 1723,
these fires blazed from Copiapo to Itata, but from some reason, which
has not been related, the natives of the northern provinces did not
join, and his scheme was put into execution by the Araucanians only,
who took some places, and then made overtures of peace.
The year 1742 was famous for the arrival of Don Josef Manso, the new
governor, who collected all the scattered colonists, and placed them in
several cities which he founded, and which are now the capitals, and
chief towns of the different provinces.
His successors continued this line of conduct, and in 1753, several
new towns were built, and Don Domingo Rosa sent a colony to occupy the
island of Juan Fernandez, which had remained uninhabited till that
time.
In 1770, the governor, Don Antonio Gil Gonzago, created a new war,
by endeavouring to force the Araucanians to live in towns, giving
them materials to build with, appointing workmen to assist them, and
sending a force to compel them to do so, and entering into a treaty
with the Pehuenches, he attacked them on all sides. The Pehuenches
were defeated, and instead of becoming the eternal enemies of their
conquerors, they have since that time been their most faithful allies.
The Spanish governor being thwarted by these warlike people in all his
schemes, a peace was resorted to after a dreadful battle in 1773, and
on this occasion the Araucanians insisted on being allowed to retain a
resident agent at Santiago, which was granted.
A native of Ireland, Don Ambrosio Higgins, was appointed
captain-general of Chili, in 1787, and being still at peace with the
natives, this governor built several new towns, opened the mines, and
encouraged commerce and agriculture.
In his government, the regular militia of Chili, amounted to 15,856
men. The veteran troops, or royal guard, was 1976 men; and beside
these, each city has an armed force, with a local militia, the former
being kept in constant pay.
Since the year 1792, several governors have presided over Chili, and
nothing material occurs in its history, until 1810, when a partial
revolution took place. Spain being overrun by the French armies, the
creoles of this country judged it a favourable moment to throw off
their allegiance, and accordingly, being the most numerous, they
effected their object with little trouble. Since that period, the royal
armies have subjected the kingdom, which has been thrown into fresh
convulsions by the appearance of San Martin, with a detachment from the
insurgent force of Buenos Ayres; at present the government is decidedly
Spanish, though the capital and several strong places are occupied by
the revolutionists, but very little is known concerning what particular
cities, towns and forts they hold.
CLIMATE, FEATURES, &c.
The climate of Chili is probably superior to that of any other
country in Spanish America, as the air is remarkably salubrious, the
inhabitants being troubled with few contagious diseases, and the
extremes of heat and cold are not felt in continental Chili. The spring
commences in September, summer in December, autumn in March, and winter
in June. From September till March, south-east or south winds prevail,
during which time the sky is clear and serene, but the north and
north-west winds regularly occasion rain, and chiefly occur during the
remaining months.
A singular circumstance attends the difference of climate between
the countries lying on the eastern and western sides of the Chilian
Andes; for though the winter is the rainy season of Chili, at that time
Tucuman and Cuyo enjoy their finest weather. In the northern districts
of Chili rain seldom falls; whilst in the southern parts and in the
isles it is frequent. The Chilian Andes being very high, and many of
them entering the regions of eternal snow, the lands lying in their
neighbourhood are subject to occasional frosts, and the mountains
themselves are impassable from April to November, on account of the
frequent and overwhelming snow storms.
The want of rain in the northern provinces is supplied by abundant
dews, and fogs are common on the coasts, but they are never of long
continuance. On the whole it may be stated, that the climate of
this country is temperate, and favourable for bringing forward the
productions of its fertile soil.
This soil yields by cultivation all the grains common to Europe, and
in the most uncultivated parts, is covered with a profuse and luxuriant
vegetation. The crops are usually from sixty to eighty for one; but
in the rich valleys, this proportion is greatly exceeded; but the
sea-coast being the least productive, the harvests there do not give
more than forty or fifty to one.
The grains most commonly sown are maize, wheat, barley and rye. Hemp
and flax give abundant returns, but are not so much attended to.
European fruit trees find a genial clime in Chili, and in the southern
provinces are woods of apple and quince trees, of several miles in
extent, from which fruit of excellent quality is gathered. Pears,
cherries, peaches, of which there are fourteen sorts, some weighing
sixteen ounces; oranges, lemons and citrons, melons, &c., are every
where to be seen in the fields growing without culture, and each in
their kind yielding delicious fruit. Vines grow wild in the forests,
and those which are planted give a red wine not inferior to the produce
of any European vintage.
The olive trees thrive exceedingly, some of them reaching to a great
height, and being three feet in diameter.
In the northern provinces the tropical fruits and plants grow in
the greatest abundance; of these the sugar cane, the cotton plant,
the banana, the pine apple, the manioc, jalap, pimento, indigo,
contrayerva, tobacco, sarsaparilla, guiacum, cassia, tamarinds, pepper,
canello, or white cinnamon, cocoa nut and date are the most common.
Besides the plants common to the other kingdoms of America, and the
luxuriancy with which all kinds of European herbs, trees, grains and
fruits, grow in Chili, this country has a long catalogue of vegetables
peculiar to itself.
The plains, the valleys, and the lower mountains, are covered with
beautiful trees, and with an herbage so high that it conceals the
sheep which graze in it, and 3000 species of non-descript plants were
collected by an able naturalist, who has enumerated the properties of
some of them; of these the most singular are, a large strawberry, which
is cultivated for the table, and also grows wild; the madi yielding
a fine oil; relbun, a species of madder; panke, which gives a good
black dye; the cachan-lahuen, a balsam equal to that of Peru; and the
viravira, useful in intermittent fevers. Various kinds of creeping
plants, whose flowers afford the most beautiful decorations to the
gardens and forests; and the puya, whose bark is used for the same
purposes as cork.
Ninety-seven kinds of trees are found in the Chilian forests, of
which thirteen only shed their leaves; so that an everlasting verdure
presents itself; of those resembling the European, the cypress, pine,
oak, laurel and cedar, are varieties of the same kinds. The other most
curious ones are the theige or Chili willow, which yields a great
quantity of manna; the floripondio, whose flowers diffuse so great
a fragrance that one is sufficient to perfume a garden; the Chilian
orange, whose wood is esteemed by turners, on account of its fine
yellow colour; the boighe, or white cinnamon, resembling the cinnamon
of Ceylon, and esteemed a sacred tree by the Araucanians, who always
present a branch of it to the embassadors, on concluding a peace. The
luma, a myrtle which grows to the height of forty feet, and whose trunk
affords the best wood for the coachmakers of Peru; the quillia, from
whose bark a soap is manufactured; the palma Chilensis, or Chilian
cocoa nut, whose fruit, though resembling that of the tropic nut, is
not larger than an apple; the gevuin, which is a sort of walnut tree,
and the pihuen, a sort of fir or pine, which is the most beautiful tree
in Chili. Its trunk is generally eighty feet in height, and eight in
girth; the limbs which branch from it begin at half its height, and
leave it alternately by fours, decreasing in length as they approach
the top. The fruit, like that of the pine, is very large, and has two
kernels, which in taste nearly resembles the chestnut; a gum, used as
frankincense, exudes from the bark; and its timber is highly useful.
Chili is as singular in its landscape as any, and perhaps more so
than most other parts of America, as on the east it is shut out from
La Plata by the Andes, which, rising to an enormous height, has its
surface covered with pinnacles, which are in general volcanic. This
Cordillera scarcely ever depresses itself in its course through the
country, till it approaches Peru; and it seems probable that it
attains a greater elevation in this kingdom than in Quito; no actual
measurement has however been made of its highest summits, though
they are well known by name. The Chilian Andes are about 120 miles
in breadth, taking a direction from the Archipelago of Chonos to
the frontiers of Tucuman, and consisting of an uninterrupted chain
of ridges, constantly losing themselves in the snowy regions of the
air; their sides are interspersed with fruitful valleys and dreadful
precipices, and give birth to rivers, exhibiting the most beautiful and
the most terrific features of nature.
The roads leading from Chili to Tucuman and Cuyo are not more than
eight or nine in number, of which that leading from Aconcagua to
Cuyo is the best. It is bordered on one side by the deep beds of the
Chilé and the Mendoza rivers; on the other by lofty and impracticable
precipices; and is so narrow that in many places the rider is obliged
to descend from his mule and proceed on foot; nor does a year ever pass
without some of those animals being precipitated into the thundering
streams below.
The precipices which accompany this route occasionally open and display
beautiful and fertile plains. In these places are seen the tambos of
the Incas, only one of which has been destroyed. This road requires
eight days to pass in good weather, but in winter it is totally
impracticable. That portion of the Andes between the 24° and 33° south
latitude is wholly desert, and the remainder, as far as the 45°, is
inhabited by the Chiquillanes, Pehuenches, Puelches, and Huilliches,
tribes who are in amity with the Araucanians.
The Chilian Andes form three parallel ridges, the centre being the most
elevated, and flanked by the others at 20 or 30 miles distance, and
they are connected by transversal branches.
The highest mountains of this chain are the _Manflos_, in 28° 45' south
latitude, the _Tupungato_, in 33° 24', the _Descabezado_, in 35°, the
_Blanquillo_, in 35° 4', the _Longavi_, in 35° 30', the _Chillan_, in
36°, and the immense _Corcobado_, in 43°; and it is said that all of
these are more than 20,000 feet above the level of the sea, the lowest
part of the chain being in the province of Copiapo.
This Cordillera has no fewer than fourteen volcanoes, in a constant
state of eruption, and a much greater number discharging only smoke.
Fortunately for the inhabitants, these are, with the exception of two,
all situated on the very ridge of the Andes, and thus cover only a
small space in their immediate vicinity with the devastating effects of
the heated substances which are thrown from them. The greatest eruption
ever known in this country was on the 3d of December 1760, when the
volcano _Peteroa_ burst forth by a new crater, and rent asunder a
mountain in its vicinity.
It formed a lake by stopping up the passage of a considerable river,
and was heard throughout the whole country.
The two volcanoes which are not on the ridge of the Andes, are that
at the mouth of the river Rapel, which is inconsiderable, and ejects
only vapour; and that of _Villarica_, near a lake of the same name in
Arauco.
Villarica is so high, that its summit is covered with snow, and may
be seen at 150 miles distance. Its base, which is fourteen miles in
circuit, is covered with thick forests, and many rivers flow from it;
and though in a constant state of activity, its eruptions are never
very violent. Although the Chilese seldom suffer from the obvious
effects of these volcanoes, their country is subjected to earthquakes,
caused, in all probability, by the struggle in the bosom of the earth
amid the combustible materials which are striving to vent themselves.
These earthquakes generally occur three or four times a year, but they
are seldom of material consequence, and are not dreaded as in Peru and
Caraccas. Since the arrival of the Spaniards only five violent shocks
have occurred, in 1520, 1647; 1657, in 1730, when the sea rose over the
walls of Concepcion, and in 1751, when that city was destroyed by the
ocean; but only seven persons perished who were invalids and unable to
move. These shocks are usually preceded by a noise under ground, which
gives sufficient warning to the people to leave their houses, and as
the earth rarely opens, few buildings are overthrown; and the towns
are erected with such broad streets, and with such spacious courts and
gardens behind the houses, that even should these fall, the people are
safe.
_Rivers._--Chili possesses more than 120 rivers, but as the distance
from the Andes to the sea, is in no instance more than 300 miles,
none of them are very large: they are however of great importance to
the country, by affording the means of irrigating the fields, and of
internal navigation.
The finest rivers are the _Maule_, the _Cauten_, the _Tolten_,
_Valdivia_, _Chaivin_, _Rio Bueno_, and the _Sinfondo_.
The only lake of importance is that of _Villarica_, or _Laquen_,
which is 72 miles in circumference. Sheets of fresh and salt water
are common throughout Chili. In the marshes of the maritime ports are
the Lakes _Bucalemu_, _Caguil_, and _Bogerecu_, which are salt, and
from twelve to twenty miles in length. Salt springs are common in
Coquimbo and Copiapo, and in the latter province is the _Rio Salado_,
which, rising in the Andes, runs into the Pacific, and leaves a fine
crystallized salt on its banks, which is so pure as not to need any
preparation for use.
Mineral springs and thermal waters also are common.
_Mines._--The mineral kingdom is not less rich in Chili than the
vegetable one is. It produces all the known semi-metals; they are,
however, neglected by the Spaniards, with the exception of mercury,
so necessary for the refining of gold and silver: but the government
having forbidden the two richest mines of quicksilver to be worked,
that substance is only procured in a small quantity.
Lead is found in all the silver mines, and in various parts it is
worked for its own value, in others on account of the silver it
always contains. In the provinces of Copiapo, Coquimbo, Aconcagua and
Huilquilemu are rich iron mines, and the sands of the rivers and sea
yield this metal abundantly.
Tin is also plentiful in the sandy mountains; and mines of copper are
scattered over the whole country, the richest being between the 24° and
36° south latitude; the ore usually containing gold. The copper mines
of Coquimbo and Copiapo have been long known; they are said to amount
to more than 1000, all of which are in constant work; and the richest
mine of this metal was that of _Payen_, which the Spaniards were forced
to abandon by the natives; lumps of pure copper were found in it,
weighing from fifty to one hundred pounds; and it is said that the mine
at _Curico_, recently discovered, is equally rich, its ore consisting
of gold and copper in equal proportions, and having an uncommonly
brilliant and beautiful appearance.
The silver mines are usually discovered in the highest and coldest
parts of the mountain-country, on which account it has been found
necessary to abandon several very rich veins. The most celebrated are
those of _Coquimbo_, _Copiapo_, _Aconcagua_ and _Santiago_. In these
the metal is found pure, as well as in ores mineralized with arsenic
and sulphur.
_Uspallata_, in the 33° south latitude, is the most productive. It
is situated eight leagues north-west of Mendoza in Cuyo, and yields
from forty to sixty marks per quintal. Gold is found, not only in
the silver, copper and lead ores, but there is hardly a mountain in
the kingdom which does not contain some of this precious metal; and
it is found in the plains, and in the beds of the rivers. The most
important mines and washings of gold in Chili being at _Copiapo_,
_Huasco_, _Coquimbo_, _Petorca_, ten leagues south of Chuapa, _Ligua_,
near Quillota, _Tiltil_, _Llaoin_, _Putaendo_, _Yapel_, or _Villa de
Cuscus_, _Caen_, _Alhue_, _Chibato_ and _Huillipatagua_, and all but
the three last have been wrought ever since the conquest.
The quantity of gold and silver produced annually in Chili amounts,
excluding that which is sent clandestinely out of the country, to the
value of 357,000_l._ sterling annually; and there were 721,000 piastres
of gold, and 146,000 of silver, coined at the mint of Santiago in 1790:
but since that period the plain of Uspallata has yielded a greater
proportion of silver. The contraband silver exported from Chili is as
three to two on that which pays the fifth; the annual average of the
fine gold and silver which receives the royal stamp in Chili being
1,737,380 piastres, or 376,432_l._ sterling, of which 10,000 marcs are
gold, and 29,700 silver: but the administration consumes the revenue
of Chili, which, therefore, never remitted any sum to the royal coffers.
_Population._--The population of this extensive country is composed
of Europeans, creoles, Indians, mestizoes and negroes; of these the
creoles are by far the most numerous in the Spanish provinces. The
country is in general thinly inhabited; the whites living in towns, and
the independent Indians roaming in their native woods and mountains,
it is not probable that the Spanish part contains more than 800,000
inhabitants including all the classes. The creoles are a well-made,
brave and industrious race, and have a frankness and vivacity peculiar
to themselves; being in general possessed of good talents, but which
are not cultivated, owing to the want of proper places of education.
The other classes are much the same as in other parts of Spanish
America; and the peasantry, though of European origin, dress in the
Araucanian manner; and, dispersed over an extensive country, are
perfectly free from restraint; they therefore lead contented and happy
lives.
The general language is Spanish, excepting on the borders of Arauco,
where the ancient dialect, the _Chili-dugu_, or Chilese tongue, is
cultivated by all classes. The females of Chili are as luxurious
in their dress and equipages as those of Lima: but are noted for
their kindness and hospitality towards strangers; and this virtue is
practised in its greatest extent by all the inhabitants of the Spanish
portion. In short the Chilians appear to be the most frank, courteous
and generous people of Spanish America.
_Animals._--The animal kingdom is not so various as the vegetable
in this country; the indigenous species amounting only to about
thirty-six; of these the vicuna, resembling the animal of the same
name in Peru, is a sort of camel, which lives in the highest regions
of the Andes; its body is the size of a large goat with a long neck,
round head, small straight ears and high legs. Its coat is of a
fine dirty rose-coloured wool, which will take any dye, and is used
for manufacturing a variety of cloths; they live in flocks on the
highest heaths of the Andes, and are so timid, that they are taken by
stretching a line across their path, to which pieces of cloth are tied,
these fluttering in the wind terrify the vicunas, who stand still and
suffer themselves to be caught. This animal has never been domesticated
in Chili, but is chiefly sought after for its wool and flesh, the
latter being esteemed equal to veal.
The Chilihueques, or Araucanian sheep, which resemble the European
sheep, were employed as beasts of burden by the natives, who now use
them for the sake of their fine wool, and they are a variety of the
former.
The guanuco is another species of the American camel, exceeding the
last in size; its length from the nose to the tail being about seven
feet, and its height in front four feet three inches; many of them are
however much taller; the body is covered with long reddish hair on the
back and whitish under the belly; its head is round, the nose pointed
and black, the tail short and turned up, and the ears straight. They
live during the summer in the mountains, but quit them on the approach
of winter for the plains in which they appear in herds of two or three
hundred. They are hunted by the Chilians, whose horses are unable to
keep pace with them, but the young being more feeble are generally
taken.
The Indians, who are excellent horsemen, sometimes get near enough to
throw the laqui between their legs, and thus take them alive. This
laqui is a strip of leather five or six feet long, to each end of which
is fastened a stone of two pounds weight, the huntsman holding one of
these in his hand, and whirling the other, slings the string at the
animal in so dexterous a manner that the stones form a tight knot round
his legs. They have also longer strips of leather with a running noose
at the end, which they carry coiled on their saddles, one end being
made fast to them, and thrown with so sure an aim that the noose falls
over the animal's head and neck, the rider then turning round, puts
his horse into a full gallop, and such is the irresistible force with
which he moves, that the game is compelled to follow. In this manner
the Peons of Buenos Ayres, who are the natives of Paraguay that take
charge of the immense herds of cattle roaming on the plains, catch
them when they have occasion for their hide or carcass. The guanuco is
naturally gentle, and is soon domesticated; it is used for the same
purposes as the llamas and alpacos of Peru, which are only varieties
of this animal. They resemble the camel in several particulars, having
reservoirs in their stomachs for water, they can go for a long while
without food, are very docile, kneel in order to discharge or receive
their burdens, and have hoofs so firm as not to require shoeing, with
such thick skins that they are rarely galled. Their step is slow but
sure, even in the steepest parts of the mountains, and they pass the
greater part of the night in ruminating, when they sleep folding their
legs under them.
The females produce one young one at a time, and are five or six
months in gestation. Their cry is like that of a horse, and to defend
themselves they eject their saliva. The period of existence of these
singular animals is about thirty years.
Chilihueques were much used as beasts of burden before the introduction
of mules, but these animals have now nearly superseded them, from their
greater strength. The llama and alpaco, are not known in the Chilian
Andes, and the three species we have described, though evidently of the
same genus, never copulate with each other, and are seldom observed in
the same place.
The puda is a kind of wild goat of the size of a half grown kid, with
brown hair, the male having small horns; these creatures come down in
very numerous flocks from the mountains as soon as winter approaches,
in order to feed in the plains; they are then killed in great numbers
by the inhabitants for food, and caught for domestication, to which
state they are very easily brought, and are said to be very fond of
playing with children.
The guemul inhabits the most inaccessible parts of the Andes. It
resembles the horse in some particulars and the ass in others, but is
not the produce of either, and is most probably another variety of the
Peruvian camel.
The vizcacha is an animal resembling the rabbit and the fox. It is
larger than the latter, and its fur being very fine and soft, is used
for the manufacture of hats. The cuy, is another species of rabbit,
but much smaller, not exceeding the size of the field mouse, and it is
occasionally domesticated.
The armadillo, of which there are three kinds, in Chili, the four
banded, the eight banded, and the eleven banded; the eight banded being
common in the valleys of the Andes, and are of various sizes, from
six to thirteen inches in length, covered with a thick bony defensive
armour which is so minutely jointed that they can roll themselves up as
the English hedge-hog does. The armadilloes are elegant and inoffensive
little animals.
The degu, is a kind of dormouse; and the maulin wood-mouse is exactly
like a mouse, but so large that it resists the attacks of the dogs;
and there are several other kinds of mice peculiar to the country, all
of which differ in their habits, and in other points from the European
animals of the same name.
The pagi, or Chilian puma, is nearly the same as the puma, or cougouar
of La Plata, and the mitzli of Mexico; it is named the American lion
by the Spaniards, but it resembles that creature only in its shape and
roar, having no mane.
The hair on the upper part of the body is ash-coloured with yellow
spots, and very long, and the belly is dusky white. Its length, from
the nose to the root of the tail, is about five feet; and its height,
from the sole of the foot to the shoulder, near two feet three inches.
The ears are short and pointed, the eyes large, the mouth wide and
deep, and well furnished with sharp teeth; the paws have each five
toes, armed with very strong claws, and the tail is upwards of two feet
long.
The female is less than the male, of a paler colour, carries her young
three months, and brings forth two cubs at a time. It inhabits the
thickest forests and the most inaccessible mountains, from whence it
issues to attack the domestic animals roaming in the plains, preferring
the flesh of the horse to any other. Its mode of seizing its prey
is similar to that of the tiger; and it is not uncommon for this
formidable creature to carry off two horses at a time, as they are
often linked together in the pasture. It kills one, and dragging it
along obliges the other to follow by lashing it with its tail.
The pagi is said never to attack man unless provoked, but it has been
proved, by several intelligent travellers, that the lions and tigers of
America are sometimes as ferocious and destructive as those of Africa.
The guigna, and the colocola, are two species of wild cats which
inhabit the woods.
The culpeu is a large fox resembling the European wolf. It is said
always to approach man, and stopping at a short distance, looks at
him very attentively for some time, and then retires. Owing to this
singular propensity the animal is frequently shot; and the race is much
thinned.
The American, or Brazilian porcupine is an inhabitant of the Chilian
forests, in which there are several animals resembling the weasel,
ferret, martin, &c.
Many species of amphibious creatures are contained in the rivers of
Chili, of which the coypu, is a water rat, as large as and resembling
the otter in its habits and form; and the guillino is a species of the
castor, or beaver.
The shores of Chili throng with marine animals. The sea lion, the sea
wolf, the chinchimen, or sea cat, a very formidable kind of otter,
the lame, or elephant seal, which is frequently twenty-two feet in
length and a proportionate bulk; and many other kinds are killed by the
natives for the sake of the oil they afford.
In Arauco the lakes are said to contain a species of hippopotamus, as
large as a horse; and the European quadrupeds which have been imported
by the Spaniards, thrive exceedingly. Chili has also animals similar to
the hare and the fox, but peculiar to itself.
Horses, asses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, dogs, cats and even
mice have been introduced into Chili by the Europeans, and the first
cat was given to Almagro by Montenegro, who received six hundred pieces
of silver for it.
The horses of Chili are fine, strong, and very active. Those bred in
the plains are the fleetest, whilst those in the mountains are the best
for draught. These noble animals are necessary to the very existence of
the Chilians, as they never perform any journey on foot, and would be
unable to catch their cattle without them.
Chilian asses are stronger and taller than the European asses, from
which they are derived; they exist chiefly in a wild state, and are
hunted for their skins.
The cattle are also large, excepting near the coasts, where the herbage
is not so luxuriant; and so numerous are these useful beasts, that many
persons have 12,000 head on their estates. They require no care, and
enough are usually killed at Christmas to serve for salt provision for
the rest of the year, and for exportation.
Sheep, in this country, are equal to those of Spain, and are chiefly
kept for the sake of their wool only.
Goats have multiplied astonishingly, and are hunted, in the mountains,
for their skins.
The birds of Chili are as numerous as in Mexico, the known species
inhabiting the land amounting to 135, and the aquatic to far more.
Parrots, swans, flamingoes, whose beautiful feathers are prized by the
Indians for head dresses; wild geese, ducks, pigeons, turtle-doves,
plovers, curlews, divers, herons, kites, falcons, blackbirds, crows,
woodpeckers, partridges and European domestic fowls are common.
An eagle named calquin, measures ten feet and a half from the extremity
of one wing, when extended, to that of the other.
The penguin inhabits the southern shores and islands; the alcatraz or
brown pelican is as large as a turkey-cock, and may be constantly seen
on the rocks and islets in the sea.
Humming-birds are very common in the fields and gardens; of which,
three species, the little, the blue-headed, and the crested, are
peculiar to Chili. Thrushes and other birds of song are very plentiful,
and enliven the dreary woods with their varied notes.
The jacana is a kind of water-hen, about the size of a magpie, with a
spur on each wing.
The piuquen or bustard, is larger than that of Europe, and nearly
white, inhabiting the great plains; this bird lays two eggs larger than
those of a goose, and is easily tamed.
The cheuque, or American ostrich, is sometimes seen in the plains of
Chili, but chiefly inhabits that part of Araucania on the east of the
Andes and the valleys of those mountains, and exactly resembles the
cassowary of La Plata.
Its stature is equal to that of a man, its neck being two feet eight
inches long, with legs of the same height; the plumage of the back and
wing is generally dark grey, the other parts of the body being white,
though some are seen all white, and others all black; and it has not
the callous substance on its wings or breast as the African ostrich
has, but it is equally voracious.
The note of this bird is a shrill whistle, and the female lays from
forty to sixty eggs, in a careless manner, on the ground at a time;
they are good eating, and as large as those of the eastern ostrich.
The feathers are very beautiful, and by their great quantity on the
wings, hinder the bird from rising; its motion is a quick run, in
which it is so much assisted by the wings, which are eight feet in
length, that it outstrips the fleetest horse. The Indians make plumes,
parasols, and many beautiful ornaments of the feathers, which are
highly valued.
There are also several kinds of owls, falcons, and vultures peculiar
to this country, but the largest, as well as the most extraordinary of
the winged tribe, is the condor or manque; its wings when extended,
measuring from fourteen to sixteen feet; its body is covered with black
feathers, excepting the back, which is white, the neck is encircled
with a white ruff, projecting an inch beyond the other feathers, and
the head is covered with short thin hairs; the irides of the eyes are
of a reddish brown, and the pupils black. The beak is four inches long,
very broad and crooked, white towards the point, and black at the
base. The legs are short, and the feet are furnished with four strong
toes, the hindmost being two inches long, with one joint and a black
nail an inch in length; the middle toe has three joints, is six inches
long, and has a crooked whitish nail of two inches; the other toes are
shorter, and each armed with very strong talons. The general figure of
the bird is that of an eagle, but the female is smaller than the male,
has no ruff, but only a small tuft at the back of the neck, and builds
her nest on the highest cliffs, laying two white eggs larger than a
turkey's.
These immense eagles frequently carry off sheep and goats, and even
calves, when they are separated from the cows. When they attack a calf,
it generally happens, that several condors pounce upon it at once, tear
out its eyes, and rend it in pieces. The peasants have several methods
of taking and killing this bird, which possesses such strength, that it
is rarely shot, owing to the great velocity with which it ascends into
the higher regions of the air.
The coasts of Chili and its rivers abound with many kinds of shell-fish
common to the American seas, and others which are found on these
shores alone. Oysters, craw-fish, crabs, lobsters, &c., are in great
abundance, and the bays, harbours, and creeks swarm with fish, no less
than seventy-six different species having been enumerated; and all the
rivers beyond the thirty-fourth degree of south latitude are remarkable
for containing fine trout, &c.
Insects are as numerous as the former; the lanthorn fly, glow-worms,
&c., illuminating the forest and plains during the dark nights, and the
fields and gardens glittering in the day-time with thousands of the
most beautiful butterflies. The wild bees produce so much wax, that the
churches are supplied with tapers from the collections of that useful
substance made in the woods.
Mosquitoes, gnats, and venomous flies are not known in Chili; but a
great spider is found near Santiago, whose body is as large as a hen's
egg, and covered with soft brown hair, the legs are long and large,
and armed with great fangs; though it is innoxious and lives under
ground. Scorpions of a small size are also found in the Lower Andes and
on the shores of the rivers, but they are said not to be dangerous.
The reptiles of Chili consist only of sea and fresh water turtles,
two kinds of frogs, the land and water toad, aquatic and terrestrial
lizards, and one kind of serpent, but none of them are venomous.
_Commerce._--The external trading relations of this country are carried
on by the straights of Magellan with Europe, and by the Pacific with
Peru, particularly with the port of Callao; with Peru it trades in
fruits, preserves, grain, vegetable productions and copper, to the
annual amount of 700,000 piastres, from which traffic it derives a net
profit of 200,000 piastres.
From Europe it receives linens, woollens, hats, steel, mercury, and
most articles of European manufactures, in return for which Chili sends
gold, silver, copper, vicuna wool and hides; and this trade is said to
amount annually to 1,000,000 of piastres.
Between La Plata and Chili there is an internal traffic in favour of
the former for Paraguay tea, &c. But the internal commerce of the
Chilian provinces is trifling. The inhabitants make ponchos, a sort
of loose cloak universally worn, and principally manufactured by the
Indians, stockings, carpets, blankets, saddles, hats, cloths, &c.,
which are chiefly used by the peasantry, the richer class employing
European goods. These with grain, wine, brandy and leather, form the
chief articles of home consumption and trade. On the whole the present
state of commerce in Chili is not very flourishing, owing to the few
inhabitants in proportion to the extent of the country.
A late traveller has given for the united exportation and importation
of Peru and Chili, the following average, viz. for the importation
11,500,000 piastres: for the exportation in agricultural produce
4,000,000 of piastres, and for the exportation of gold and silver
8,000,000; or 2,491,670_l._ sterling for the importations, and
2,600,000_l._ sterling for the exports, leaving a clear profit of
108,330_l._
_Capital._--The metropolis of Chili is the city of SANTIAGO, founded
by Pedro de Valdivia, in 1541, in an extensive valley inclosed on the
east by the Andes; on the west by the hills of Prado and Poanque; on
the north by the river Colina, and on the south by the Mapocho or
Tepocalma, which flows on the northern side of the city. It was first
called Nueva Estremadura, but soon changed its name to that which
it now bears, and its situation is the most delightful that can be
imagined, in the midst of a fertile and abundant country, and in a
serene and temperate climate.
Santiago stands fifty-five miles from its port of Valparaiso, in 33°
26' south latitude, and 70° 44' west longitude. Its population is
supposed to exceed 36,000 souls, many of whom are people of noble
descent, and whose families enjoy exalted stations in the colonies.
They are in general robust, well made, and active; the women are
handsome, elegant in their manner, and graceful in their conversation.
More than one half are creoles, and in the other moiety, the Indians
bear the largest proportion.
The streets are very wide, paved, and built in straight lines forming
small squares at intervals, each house having its garden, and though
they are built low, yet they are in general convenient and well
finished. The river is conveyed by small canals into the gardens, and
the chief square, which is in the centre of the town, has a magnificent
fountain. This square contains the palace of the captain-general, the
court of the Royal Audience, the town-hall, the prison, the bishop's
palace and the cathedral.
The suburbs are separated from the city by the river, over which a
fine stone bridge is thrown, and are bounded by a hill, from the top
of which the whole plain is descried. Besides the cathedral there are
four parish churches, nine monasteries, four colleges, an university,
several chapels, seven nunneries, a house for orphans, an hospital,
and many other public buildings; the cathedral was planned and
commenced by two English architects, but finished by Indians whom they
had taught. It is a fine building, and is 384 feet in length. The mint
is also a fine stone structure, and was built by an artist from Rome.
The governor of Chili and the bishop reside in Santiago, which being
also the seat of the royal mint, and of all the public offices, renders
it a place of great wealth and gaiety.
It is frequently subject to earthquakes, which are however seldom very
destructive. The Araucanians destroyed Santiago in 1602, but they have
not disturbed its tranquillity of late, having been driven by the
increasing white population of Chili to the more mountainous regions.
Santiago is the see of the bishop of Chili, primate of the kingdom,
whose revenues are very considerable; this bishopric was erected by
Paul IV. in 1561, its immediate jurisdiction extends over all the
provinces of Peru, from the river Maule.
The capital being the centre of all the internal traffic, and having
rich mines in its neighbourhood, contains more shops than any other
Chilian town; but these shops are confined to a particular quarter of
the city, and are stored with every kind of goods. It is asserted, that
the population and commerce of Santiago and its port are increasing
very rapidly, owing to the number of vessels trafficking in the
Pacific, and by late writers this population is made to amount to
between 40 and 50,000.