The three _Coquimbanes_, _Mugillon_, _Totoral_ and _Pajaro_, which
lie off the coast of Coquimbo, and are each six or eight miles in
circumference, but are uninhabited.
_Quiriquina_, at the entrance of the harbour of Concepcion, and
_Talca_, or _Santa Maria_ to the south of the harbour, which are two
islands of about four miles in length, noted for the abundance of shell
fish and sea wolves found on their coasts. In Santa Maria there are
also fine springs, and many wild horses and hogs, the latter of which
feed on the wild turnips which cover its valleys.
_Mocha_, in 38° 40', is more than sixty miles in circumference, and
lies off the coast of Araucania; is not inhabited, but is very fertile,
and was formerly settled by some Spaniards; at present it is frequented
by the whalers from the United States and England, who begin fishing
here, as it is well supplied with wild hogs; but the most important of
the Chilian group are the isles comprised in the--
_ARCHIPELAGO OF CHILOE_,
Which is an assemblage of islands, forty-seven in number, situated in a
great bay or gulf, near the southern extremity of Chili, and extending
from Cape Capitanes to Quillan, or from 41° 50' to 44° south latitude,
and from 73° to 74° 20' west longitude.
Of this group thirty-two have been colonized by the Spaniards or
Indians, and the rest are untenanted. The largest of those which are
inhabited is Chiloe, or Isla Grande, which in former times was called
Ancud, but has since given its present name to the whole group.
_Chiloe_ is situated at the entrance of the gulf of Chiloe, or Ancud,
having its western shore opposed to the continent, and forming a
channel, which is about three miles broad at the north entrance, and
twelve leagues at the south.
It lies between 41° 30' and 44° south latitude, being about sixty
leagues in length and twenty in its greatest breadth.
The climate of this, and of all the others, is mild and salubrious,
and the extremes of heat and cold are unknown. Unlike the northern
provinces of Chili, the rains in Chiloe are so frequent that it
is only in the autumn they discontinue, and that but for a short
time. The air is, therefore, humid, and grain and fruits are not so
abundantly produced as on the continent. The corn raised in Chiloe is
however fully sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants; and
barley, beans and pease thrive very well. The vegetables principally
cultivated, are cabbages and garlic; but the gardens do not produce
much fruit; apples and some other hardy plants being the only ones
which arrive to perfection.
Horses and cattle are bred in considerable numbers, as are sheep and
swine; and in the two latter the commerce of the islanders principally
consists.
Deer, otters and foxes are natural to the soil, and there is no want of
game.
The seas around, and the streams which flow into them, swarm with fish
of every kind; and the forests furnish abundance of timber fit for
every purpose.
This group of islands was first discovered by Don Garcia de Mendoza,
in his march to the south of Chili. In 1563, Don Martin Ruiz Gamboa
was sent to conquer them with 60 men, and with this trifling force he
subjected the Indians, amounting, it is said, to as many thousands.
He founded the town of Castro and the port of Chacao in Chiloe. The
Chilotes, or native Indians, remained quiet for a long time, but at
last threw off the yoke of Spain; and Don Pedro Molina was then sent
with a strong force from Concepcion, and soon reduced them to their
former obedience. They are descendants of the Chilese of the continent,
but far from resembling them in their warlike bent, are extremely timid
and docile. The Chilotes are remarkable for their ingenuity, and are
particularly capable of carrying on the trades of carpenters, joiners,
cabinet-makers and turners. Their manufactures of cloths, linen and
woollen, display much taste, and are dyed with beautiful colours.
The Chilotes are the best sailors in South America; their little
barks, or Piraguas, are very numerous in the seas surrounding their
island, and being navigated with sails as well as oars, give a lively
appearance to the shores. In these barks, which only consist of a
few planks sewed together and cauked with moss, they make voyages to
Concepcion.
Besides the Chilotes, there are several other natives of different
tribes in the islands, who have accompanied the missionaries from the
neighbouring continent, and the Indian inhabitants of the Archipelago
are said to amount to 11,000, divided into seventy-six settlements or
districts, each governed by a native chief. The number of persons
of Spanish descent is about the same, dispersed in farms, in small
settlements, and in four towns.
The commerce of the Archipelago is carried on by a few vessels from
Peru and Chili, which bring wine, brandy, tobacco, sugar, Paraguay
tea, salt and European goods, and take in return red cedar and other
boards, timber of different kinds, ponchos or cloaks manufactured by
the Indians, hams, dried and salted fish, toys and ambergris; but their
trade will probably never be very thriving, as the navigation of the
numerous straits formed by the islands, is extremely difficult and
dangerous for large vessels.
All the islands are mountainous and full of craggy and precipitous
rocks, covered with impenetrable thickets, which render cultivation
difficult, except in the valleys and on the shores; the interior is
therefore seldom inhabited; on Chiloe there are forty settlements or
townships, which are mostly on the coast. These townships have each
their church or chapel, but the houses are very much dispersed.
Earthquakes are as frequent in these islands as on the mainland, and it
does not appear by any means improbable, from the conic formation of
most of the mountains, and their scorified appearance, that they are
the produce of some dreadful internal convulsion, which has disrupted
them from the adjacent continent, on which is the lofty snow-capped
summit of the great Corcobado, and several active volcanoes; the range
of the Cordillera approaching close to the coast in these latitudes.
In 1737, the Archipelago suffered very much from the effects of an
earthquake, and the islands of the Guaytecas group to the south, were
covered with ashes which destroyed the vegetation for thirteen years.
The continent opposite to the northern extremity of Chiloe, has some
Spanish settlements in the country of the Canches and Huilliches,
small but independent tribes; these settlements are said to be three
in number, of which _Fort Maullin_, opposite to Chaco Bay in Chiloe is
the chief, and the Spaniards are engaged in forming communications from
this settlement to Valdivia; as the sea is rendered almost innavigable
during the winter by the frequent and dreadful storms. Pedro de
Agueros, gives the names of twenty-four islands on the east of the
Great Chiloe, which are inhabited, but as so little is known concerning
this group, and as several contradictory statements have been made
about them, the mere names are uninteresting.
The capital is _Castro_, in 42° 40' south latitude, on the eastern
shore of the island of Chiloe, upon an arm of the sea, and was founded
in 1566, by Don Martin Ruiz de Gamboa.
The houses, as is the case with all the rest in the province, are of
wood, and are inhabited by about 150 persons; it has a parish church,
a convent of Franciscans, and another of Mercedarii, in which only two
or three monks reside. This city was overthrown by an earthquake soon
after its foundation, since which it has never been in a flourishing
state; it is 180 miles south of Valdivia.
The other towns are the port of _Chacao_ or _Chaco_, in the middle of
the north coast of Chiloe, and opposite to Port Maullin, which has a
tolerable anchorage, but is difficult of access.
_San Carlos_ is on the Bahia del Rey, and was built In 1767, on account
of the difficulties attending the entrance to Chaco. It is in 41° 57'
south latitude, and 73° 58' west longitude, and is the most populous
and flourishing town in the province, containing 1100 inhabitants. The
harbour is good, but subject to tremendous squalls and hurricanes;
and the town is fortified, and has a regular garrison; and from the
advantages of its harbour, the governor and council always reside at
San Carlos.
The other islands have each one settlement and a missionary church on
them, excepting _Quinchuan_, which has six; _Lemui_ and _Llachi_, each
four, and _Calbuco_ three, but none of any material consequence.
South of the Islands of Chiloe is the Archipelago of GUAYTECAS and
CHONOS, lying in a large gulf or inlet of the continent, from 44° 20'
to 45° 46' south latitude; they are comprehended by the Spaniards
within the province of Chiloe, but are uninhabited, being a mere mass
of granite rocks, covered with thick forests.
Some of these, namely, _Tequehuen_, _Ayaupa_, _Menchuan_ and _Yquilao_,
the Indians of Chiloe visit periodically, and put cows in them, for the
sake of the pasture, which is luxuriant.
Having now concluded the description of that part of Chili inhabited by
Spaniards, and their descendants, we shall give a slight sketch of the
country, reaching from the Biobio river to Fort Maullin; and which, on
account of its being the territory of the Araucanians and of nations in
confederacy and identified with those people, in manners and language,
it may be proper to give the general name of Araucania.
_ARAUCANIA, OR INDIAN CHILI_,
Extends from the river Biobio in 36° to the south of Chiloe, in the 45°
of south latitude, exceeding 420 miles in breadth, and also occupying
from the 33° to the 45° south latitude, both the central and eastern
ridges of the Andes. The nations who inhabit this extensive tract
are the _Araucanians_, possessing the country between the Biobio and
the Valdivia rivers, the Pacific and the Andes; the _Puelches_, who
inhabit the western flanks of the Cordillera and its central valleys;
and still farther north, on the Andes, adjoining Cuyo, the _Pehuenches_
and the _Chiquillanes_, their territory lying as far north as the
thirty-third degree of south latitude, or opposite to Santiago, the
capital of Chili, and extending indefinitely to the east.
South of the Valdivia river, and as far as the forty-fifth degree, are
the _Cunches_ on the sea coast, and the _Huilliches_ in the plains,
near the western declivity of the Andes, which mountains are also
occupied in this quarter by the Puelches.
All this country, to the north of the archipelago of Chiloe, is fertile
and pleasant, consisting mostly of wide plains, agreeably diversified
with mountains. That part which lies on the Andes possesses some
beautiful valleys, but as the chain attains a great elevation the
climate is cold. In these valleys, towards the east, salt and sulphur
is plentiful; and the precious metals are by no means rare. Near
Valdivia, immense quantities of gold were formerly found in the sands
of the rivers and in alluvious grounds, but they are not worked at
present, as the Spaniards are kept from those places by the natives.
In Araucania the vegetables and animals are the same as those of
Spanish Chili; but the rivers and sea abound with fish in greater
quantities than in the latter country.
The Araucanian nation is the most considerable and the most noted of
all those which have been named as inhabiting Indian Chili; the others
resemble them in their customs and persons, but are in a more savage
state; we shall therefore only describe these extraordinary people,
whose history forms so prominent a feature in the affairs of Chili.
They are of a middling stature, well made, and of a strong muscular
form and martial appearance. Their colour is the same as that of the
other native American tribes, only rather clearer, and they have
round faces, small eyes, and small feet; and many of their women are
said to be beautiful. Accustomed to a hardy life; and breathing a pure
air, these people live to an advanced age, and are not subject to many
disorders. In character they are haughty, free, patient under fatigue,
and very intrepid in danger; but are fond of strong liquors, which
causes them to commit crimes.
Their dress consists of clothes fitted close to the body, and ponchos,
or cloaks, which are made of cotton, and are so beautifully worked that
they are sometimes worth a hundred and fifty dollars.
Their heads are girt with embroidered wool, in which is placed plumes
of ostrich, flamingo and other beautiful feathers. The women wear a
robe of woollen stuff, descending to the feet, and tied round the waist
with a girdle, over which they put a small cloak. The hair is allowed
to grow long, and is formed in tresses ornamented with a kind of false
emerald and other gems; necklaces, bracelets, and rings on every
finger, complete the female toilet. The national colour, which is worn
by both sexes, particularly among the lower classes, is greenish blue.
These people never inhabit towns, but dwell in huts, occasionally
placed near each other, though oftener dispersed on the banks of the
rivers and in the plains; these habitations descend from father to
son, and are not removed, except in case of absolute necessity. The
cottages are remarkably neat, and are proportioned to the size of
the family; they are surrounded with trees, under whose shades their
repasts are made in summer; and the rich people display much plate on
these occasions. At their marriages, funerals, and feasts, the utmost
profusion of provision appears; and at these times fermented liquors
are given in such quantities that they often occasion feuds.
Polygamy is practised by these people, every man having as many wives
as he can maintain, it being deemed reproachful to remain unmarried.
Instead of the husband receiving a portion with his wife, he pays a
considerable sum to the parents for their permission to wed her; after
he has obtained which, he carries off his bride without any further
ceremony, excepting giving a feast to her relations. The first wife is
regarded as the head of the family, the others being under her orders
in respect to the management of the house; each wife has a separate
apartment where she prepares food for her husband every day, and all
present him once a year with a poncho or embroidered cloak, but the
women are in general condemned to the laborious occupations.
Both sexes practise daily ablutions in the rivers, and are excellent
swimmers.
Oratory is held in the highest esteem by these people; and their
language, which is the ancient dialect of Chili, is very soft,
harmonious, and rich. Molina in his description of Chili has given a
full account of it, and says that it differs essentially from all the
languages of the American tribes.
The government of that part of Chili inhabited by this nation is
singular; they divide the territory into four parallel provinces, the
maritime, the plains, the foot of the Andes, and that which lies on
the sides of these mountains; each province is separated into five
districts, and these are again subdivided into nine other portions.
The four provinces are governed each by a _toqui_ or general,
subordinate to whom are the _Apo Ulmens_; and on these, as far as
military affairs are concerned, the _Ulmens_ are dependent, each
subdivision having its Ulmen or Cacique. All these magistrates have
distinctive badges; the toqui a hatchet; the Apo Ulmen a silver-headed
rod encircled by a ring; and the Ulmen a rod with a silver head; and
these dignities are hereditary. The whole are occasionally combined
in a general council, which meets on a plain; the chief occasion to
assemble this council being to elect a supreme toqui for the command
of the army when it is about to take the field; and any native is
eligible to this appointment.
Their wars are terrible, and as they are excellent horsemen, the
Araucanian cavalry is very formidable, their arms being swords and
lances; those of the infantry, clubs and pikes; their onset is furious,
but always conducted with order, and though swept down in rants by the
cannon, they close with their Spanish enemies, and fighting hand to
hand, are frequently victors in spite of the superiority of European
discipline and arms.
After a great victory they sacrifice a prisoner to the manes of their
warriors who have fallen in battle; and this ceremony is said to be
attended with some disgusting circumstances, such as the toqui and
chiefs sucking the blood from the panting heart of the victim, which is
cut for that purpose from his breast.
These people have always resisted the attempts of the English and Dutch
to land on the shores of Chili; they were seen by Sir Francis Drake in
his celebrated voyage round the world, in some of the islands near the
coast, and subsequently they drove the Dutch from several points on
which they had landed.
They have hitherto frustrated all the attempts of the Spaniards
to conquer their country, and being in strict alliance with the
surrounding nations, keep the Europeans at defiance.
The Araucanians are said to wander over the Andes with the Puelches,
in order to attack the convoys of merchandize and the travellers going
from Buenos Ayres to Chili through the Pampas; and have even penetrated
in the disguise of friendly Indians, as far as Buenos Ayres itself.
We shall conclude this account of Spanish America with a short
description of a Spanish settlement formerly made in the Straits of
Magalhaens, and of the islands on the coasts of South America belonging
to or claimed by that power.
The Straits of Magalhaens and others in their vicinity being at
present, though it is to be hoped that the voyage now performing by
order of the British Government will not long allow them to remain
so, the only passage from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, it may
not be uninteresting to state that they were discovered by FERDINAND
MAGALHAENS a Portuguese navigator, who having turned his mind to the
circumstance of the extreme probability of there being a communication
between the two oceans which had in vain been sought for by Columbus
and his followers, offered to conduct an expedition to explore the
southern part of America for this purpose.
Meeting with a denial from his own court, he went to Madrid, where,
from his known talents and previous voyages, he received the utmost
favour; a fleet was fitted out, and, being placed under his orders,
Magalhaens sailed from the Guadalquivir on the 10th of August 1519, and
discovering the coast of Patagonia, proceeded along its shores to the
south, where the land bearing away to the west, the admiral followed
it, till he found his squadron in the straights that now bear his name,
through which he passed, and entered the great South Sea on the 28th of
November, 1520; proceeding through it till he discovered the Ladrones,
and in one of those isles was killed in a skirmish with the natives;
after which, one of his ships only arrived in Spain by way of the Cape
of Good Hope, on the 7th of September, 1522, having been absent three
years and twenty-seven days; and having had the honour of being the
first to circumnavigate the globe.
Sir Francis Drake, following Magalhaens by the same route into the
South Sea, and taking much treasure and many ships from the people
of Chili, Peru and Mexico, it was determined by the Spanish court
that the newly discovered passage should be explored and fortified.
With this view Sarmiento, the best naval officer in the service,
was selected in Peru to pass the Straits from the South Sea into the
Atlantic; he accordingly performed this voyage; and so plausible were
the representations he made to the cabinet of Madrid, that Philip II.
ordered twenty-three ships to be fitted out, with 3500 men, under Don
Diego de Valdez, and Sarmiento with 500 veterans was directed to settle
and fortify such positions as he deemed the best.
It was more than two years before this fleet arrived at its
destination: but as soon as it entered the straits, Sarmiento built a
town and fort at the eastern entrance, which he named _Nombre de Jesus_
and in which he left 150 men; fifteen leagues farther to the west he
erected another fortress, in the narrowest part of the straits, and In
53° 18' south latitude, where he built his principal town, which he
called _Ciudad del Rey Felipe_. This was a regular square, with four
bastions, and is said to have been excellently contrived. In it was
placed a garrison of 400 men and thirty women, with provisions for
eight months: but on the return of Sarmiento into the Atlantic he was
taken by an English ship.
The garrison, for want of succour, fell a prey to disease and famine,
and on January the 7th, Sir Thomas Candish found only one Spaniard, out
of twenty-three who had remained alive, which were all that had escaped
of the whole colony; the twenty-two others had set out to find their
way to the Rio de la Plata over land: but as they were never heard of,
it is conjectured they must have perished miserably in the deserts of
Patagonia.
Thus ended this seemingly well-ordered expedition; since which time the
Spaniards have not attempted to resume the colony; finding that the
straits were too wide to fortify, and that other passages existed to
the south, which were equally good for the purposes of the navigator.
_ISLANDS ON THE COASTS_