CHILE extends along the Pacific Ocean from S. lat. 24° 20' to S. lat. 44° or through 1180 minutes of tude, equal to a fraction above 1356 miles ; but the breadth inland from the Andes does not exceed, if it amounts to 100 miles : the area is about 135,000 square miles. This extent is, however, very much restricted in regard to civilized settlement. The river Biobia at S. lat 36° 50', separates the white from the Araucanian territory, consequently the population of Chile, exclusive of independent Indians, exists on the 121 degrees of tude north from the Biobia river, or on 86,250 square miles. Beyond the Indian country, the republic holds the archipelago of Chiloe, with about 26,000 inhabitants. The main island is about 14') miles long from north to south, with a mean breadth of perhaps 30, and 4200 square miles. The whole surface of Chile, upon which resides a civilized people, a little exceeds ninety thousand square miles. By a census taken about 1812 the provinces of northern Chile contained a white lation of 1,200,000, and the Chile islands 26,000; the whole 1,226,000 ; yielding a distributive population of 13-pths to the square mile. The provinces arc, vancing from north to south, Copiapo, Iluasco, bo, Cuscos, Petorca, Aconcagua, Quillota, Santa Rosa, Mapocho, Rancagua, Colchagua, Curico, Manic, Canquencs, Isla de Maule, Chilan, Puchacay, Chillan, Here, Conception, and Isla de Laxa.
Santiago, the capital of Chile, at S. lat. 33° 20', was founded in 1541, by Pedro de Valdivia, under the provin cial name of Nueva Estramadura. It stands about 90 miles from the ocean, and 21 from the foot of the Andes, about 100 miles north-westward from Mendoza, and near ly an equal distance S. E. by E. from the port of Valpa raiso. It. is a fine city, containing a population of 50,000 souls ; is well built, paved, and admirably supplied with pure fountain water. Standing on the thoroughfare from Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso, it is an entrepot for an immense merchandize. The inhabitants have been noted for their lively and hospitable character. The cli mate of Santiago is much influenced by its height, which is 2347/ feet above the level of the Pacific Ocean.
Valparaiso, the port of St. Jago, is built on a rocky peninsula,forming a crescent, within which is the harbour.
Population 6500. S. lat. 33° S'. This is the most com mercial port, perhaps in America on the Pacific Ocean.
Conception is the second largest city, and the outpost of Chile towards Araucania. It stands at S. lat. 36° 40', on a bay made by the Biobia river, and on the north side of the rivcr,3 miles above Talcahuana the port ; .150 miles S. S. W. from St. Jago. The harbour of Biobia is safe, and admits the largest vessels.
The other important seaports of Chile, are Copiapo, S. lat. 27° 15', Coquimbo, or La Serano 29° 54' S., and Val divia. The latter is, however, in Araucania, at 39° 50' S., and though one of the most capacious and safe har bours of America, is commercially of no moment.
In regard to climate, that of Chile is peculiar in Ame rica. South from the Maule, or about S. lat. 35°, the sea sons are variable. Proceeding north along the Pacific coast, from the Maule, rains become more and more rare, until in the provinces of Coquimbo, Huasco, and Copia po, it ceases entirely. The air is from November to May cloudless: dews are light, and throughout the year an unequalled serenity prevails. The temperature fluc tuates between 70° St 80° of Fahrenheit, and very seldom rises to 85°. Thunder storms are extremely rare in this region of atmospheric tranquillity.
Mines of gold, slyer, copper, iron, lead and tin, abound in the northern provinces of Chile. The precious me tals are in particular produced in great plenty. Wheat and hemp are named amongst the exports, but agricul ture is not in an advanced state.
The revolutionary movements in other Spanish Ame rican colonies, extended to Chile, in 1809, and from that period until 1818, the country alternately submitted to the Spanish royalists,or declared themselves independent. In 1817, general San Martin led an army from Buenos Ayres, by Mendoza, into Chile, and after many previous successes, secured Chilean independence by the splen did victory of Maypo, April 5th, 1813. A constitution of government was subsequently formed, and Chile ranks amongst the nations of the earth.
Our survey of Colombia, Brazil, the United Provinces of la Plata, and Chile, has brought us round to the high ly interesting country of Peru.