CHILI
CHILI, or Chile, occupies a strip of land on the western side of South America, extending from 24 to 56 28 50" S. lat., from the Bay of Mejillones to Cape Horn, a distance of 2270 miles. On the E. it is bounded by the Andes, on the W. by the Pacific Ocean, and on the N. by Bolivia. Its breadth varies from 40 to 200 miles, and its area is computed at 218,925 square miles, with a population of 2,319,266. Between lat. 24 and 32 (comprehending the provinces of Atacama, Coquimbo, and the northern half of Aconcagua) the principal industry is mining; be tween lat. 32 and 38 (comprehending the southern half of Aconcagua and the provinces of Valparaiso, Santiago, Colchagua, Curic6, Talca, Maule, Nuble, Concepcion, and part of Arauco) the staples are agricultural produce and coal ; while the remaining part produces timber, potatoes, and salted meat. The Andes extend in two parallel lines throughout nearly the entire length of the country. Be tween these two ranges or "Cordilleras" is a table-land, which attains its greatest breadth between lat. 33 and 40, and which narrows both towards the northern and southern extremity, where the ramifications of both chains meet and form a continuous undulating plain. Chili further lays claim to the whole of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
Mountains.—The Andes commence in the district called the Colony of Magellan, where their general elevation is lowest, the perpetual snow-line only 3000 feet, the highest peak, Mount Stokes, 6400 feet, and the coast excessively rough and broken and full of fiords of immense depth, fed by glaciers descending from the high lauds. Northwards, towards lat. 41, the coast becomes less indented, the range more continuous and elevated, and the peaks higher, such as Minchinmadiva, 8000 feet, Corcobado Volcano 9158 feet, and Yanteles, 8030 feet. From lat. 41, or from the southern extremity of the province of Llanquihue, commence the table-land and the parallel granitic belt that skirts the Chilian coast, which together nowhere exceed 120 geographical miles in breadth from the sea to the Andes. At this lat. the snow-line rises to 8000 feet, at Valparaiso (33 S. lat.) to 12,780 feet, and at Coquimbo (29 S. lat:) to 15,200 feet. The centre table-land is in lat. 41 under 200 feet above the sea; at Talca it rises to 350, at Rancagua to 1560, at Santiago to 1800 ; and it con tinues to increase in elevation as it extends northward. The mean elevation of the Andes in Chili is 11,830 feet. The culminating peak is the volcano of Aconcagua, in the province of Aconcagua, which reaches the height of 22,427 feet. The principal summits to the north of this are Cima del Mercedario, 22,302 feet, in lat. 32, and Cima del Cobre, 18,320 feet, in lat. 28 30 . South of Aconcagua, in the province of Santiago, are Juncal (19,495 feet), and the volcanoes of Tupungato (20,269), San Jose (20,000 feet), and Maipu (17,664 feet). In Arauco is the volcano of Villarica, 15,996 feet; in Talca, the great truncate mountain called the Descabezado, 12,757 feet; in the province of Nuble, the volcano of Chilian, 9446 feet; and in Llanquihue, the volcano of Osorno, 7396 feet. In the Chilian range there are 23 volcanoes, of which only a few, such as the volcanoes of Osorno, Villarica, Antuco, and San Jose", are occasionally active. There are many passes over the Andes from Chili to the Argentine Republic ; but the western slope of the mountains being steeper than the eastern, the ascent from Chili is more laborious than from the Argentine Republic, into which the mountains descend by a series of terraces, con sisting of Secondary strata terminating in the vast expanse of flat country or " Pampas," occupied by the Tertiary formations. The passes may be said to be open during eight months of the year, but even at their best they can never be traversed by vehicles, mules being the only means of conveyance. The highest of the passes, as well as the most frequented, are those of Dona Ana, 14,770 feet, and Colguen, 14,700 feet, in the province of Coquim bo; the Dehesa, 14,500 feet, east from Santiago and near the volcano of Tupungato; the Patos, 13,965 feet, and Uspallata, 13,125 feet, both in the province of Aconcagua ; and the Planchon, 11,455 feet, in the province of Curic6. The part of the Andes bordering the province of Atacama may be crossed at numerous places at any period of the year, as the range there is generally free from snow.[1]
Earthquakes.—Chili is subject to frequent earthquake shocks (temllores), which, without causing damage, occasion much alarm lest they should be followed by the earthquake itself (terremoto). The occurrence of this terrible phenome non is not indicated by any particular state of the weather, but it rarely happens during the night. It is the common belief that when shocks are frequent there is not much fear of their being followed by an earthquake, and certainly experience justifies that opinion. Though shocks are very common, earthquakes are rare, the same province being the focus of one only about once in fifty years, though it is calculated one in every tenth year makes itself felt in some part of Chili.
Earthquakes manifest themselves by a quick horizontal and some times rotatory vibration, and when the focus is near the sea it also is agitated. The ground undulates, but very rarely bursts open ; and even the most violent are over in a few seconds, though for some time afterwards (at gradually lengthening intervals from twelve hours) there is a succession of gradually lessening shocks. By the earthquake of February 1835 the Isle of Santa Maria was uplifted, the southern end 8, the central part 9, and the northern end 10 feet ; but both it and Concepcion subsided a few weeks afterwards, and even lost part of their previous elevation. During this earth quake two great waves rolled over the town of Talcahuano ; the deep sea, close in shore, was dry for a few moments, and smoke burst from the surface of the water. During a very smart earth quake at Coquimbo, in November 1849, the sea retired about 150 yards, and then rolled back about 12 feet high. An English ship, anchored in 7 fathoms water, in the neighbouring bay of Herradura, nearly touched the bottom from the receding of the sea, which afterwards rolled in like a bore, and the water continued to ebb and flow for an hour and a half after the shock.
Lakes.—In the southern part of Chili there are several inland lakes abounding with fish, and frequented by numerous varieties of aquatic birds. The largest of these lakes is that of Llanquihue, situated in 41 10 S. lat., 197 feet above the sea, at the base of the volcano of Osorno, which rises 7199 feet above its surface. Its shape is triangular, its greatest length from north to south being 30 miles and greatest breadth 22 miles. The little river Maullin is its sole outlet, and conveys its surplus water to the Pacific, in lat. 41 35 . In the neighbourhood are the lakes Todos los Santos or Esmeralda, 18 miles long by 6 broad, and Rupanco, 24. miles long by 4 broad. Twelve miles northward is Lake Ranco, 32 miles long by 18 broad. In lat. 39 is Lake Villarica or Llauquen, measur ing 100 square miles. In the province of Concepcion is Lake Guilletue , measuring 50 square miles. Near Santiago, is Lake Aculeo, occupying about 8500 acres. In all these the water is fresh and pleasant to the taste ; but in the small lakes situated near the coast, such as Bacalemu, Cahuil, Vichuquen, and Bolleruca the water is brackish.
