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C H A P T E R X V I .
S an Carlo s, C h ilo e— O so rn o in e ru p tio n— R id e to C a s tro a n d C u c a o—
Im p e n e tr a b le fo re sts— V a ld iv ia— A p p le -tr e e s— R id e to L la n o s— I n d
ian s— E a r th q u a k e— C o n c e p c io n— G r e a t e a r th q u a k e— E ffe c ts o f wave
— R o c k s fissu red— A p p e a r a n c e o f th e fo rm e r tow n s— W a te r in th e b ay
b la c k a n d b o ilin g— D ir e c tio n o f v ib ra tio n— S to n e s d isp la c ed— C a u s e o f
g r e a t waves— P e rm a n e n t e le v a tio n o f la n d— G r e a t la k e o f flu id ro ck
b e n e a th c ru s t o f th e g lo b e— C o n n e x io n o f v o lcan ic p h e n om e n a—Slow
e le v a tio n o f m o u n ta in c h a in , c a u se o f e a rth q u a k e s .
C H I L O E A N D C O N C E P C I O N ,
O n J a n u a r y t h e 1 5 t h we sailed from Lowe’s Harbour,
and three days afterwards anchored a second time
in the bay of S. Carlos in Chiloe. On the night of the 19th
the volcano of Osorno was in activity. At midnight the
sentry observed something like a large star; from which state
the bright spot gradually increased in size till about three
o’clock, when a very magnificent spectacle was presented.
By the aid of a glass, dark objects, in constant succession,
were seen, in the midst of a great red glare of light, to be
thrown upwards and to fall down again. The light was
sufficient to cast on the water a long bright reflection. By
the morning the volcano* had resumed its tranquillity.
Large masses of molten matter seem very commonly to be
cast out of the igneous vents, in this part of the Cordillera.
I was assured, that when the Corcovado is in eruption, great
masses projected upwards are seen to burst in the air, and
to assume fantastical forms, such as trees and other bodies.
One may form an idea of the immense size of these bodies,
when it is stated that they have been seen from the high land
* In a n o th e r wo rk I sh a ll h av e occasio n to re fe r to th is e ru p tio n , wliich
is c o n n e c te d w ith o n e o f th e g ran d e s t s e rie s o f v o lcan ic p h e n om e n a on
reco rd .
behind S. Carlos, which is distant no less than ninety-three
miles from the Corcovado.
Captain FitzRoy being anxious that some bearings should
be taken on the outer coast of Chiloe, it was planned that
Mr. King and myself should ride to Castro, and thence across
the island to the Capella de Cucao, situated on the west coast.
Having hired horses and a guide, we set out on the morning
of the 22d. We had not proceeded far, before we were
joined by a woman and two boys, who were bent on the
same journey. Every one on this road acts on a “ hail
fellow well met,” fashion; and one may here enjoy the privilege,
so rare in South America, of travelling without firearms.
At first, the country consists of a succession of hills and
valleys. Nearer to Castro it becomes very level, but is still
some height above the sea. The road itself is a curious
affair: it consists in its whole length, with the exception of
very few parts, of great logs of wood, which are either broad
and placed longitudinally, or narrow and transversely. In
summer the road is not very bad: but in winter, when the
wood is rendered slippery from rain, travelling is exceedingly
difficult. At that time of the year, the ground on each side
becomes a morass, and is often overflowed: hence it is necessary
that the longitudinal logs should be fastened down by
transverse poles, which are pegged on each side into the
earth. These pegs render a fall from a horse dangerous;
as the chance of alighting on one of them is not small.
It is remarkable, however, how active custom has made the
Chilotan horses. In crossing bad parts, where the logs have
been displaced, they skipped from one to the other, almost
with the quickness and certainty of a dog. On either hand
the road is bordered by the lofty forest-trees, with their bases
matted together by the canes. When occasionally a long
reach of this avenue could be observed, it presented a curious
scene of uniformity: the white line of logs, narrowing in perspective,
became hidden by the gloomy forest, or it terminated
iu a zigzag which ascended some steep hill.