CHILOE, or ANCUND, the Archipelago of, is situated in a large bay at the southern extremity of Chili. The original settlers, having emigrated from Chili, as is ma nifest from their manners and language, gave it the name of C'hif-huc, (hence Chiloe,) i. e. a district of Chili. It is bounded on the north and east by the continent, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the south by the Archipelago of Guaytecas. As a province of Chili, it comprehends a small portion of the continent, extending to the district of Osorno on the north, and to the Cordil leras on the east. Its discovery, in 1558, by Don Garcia de Mendoza; the unresisted subjugation of its inhabit ants in 1565, then amounting to 70,000, by a troop of six ty Spaniards under Ruiz Gamboa ; and their feeble en deavour, at the commencement of the last century, to recover their independence ;—these transactions arc briefly noticed in the history of Chili, and we shall not here repeat them. The number of islands in the Archi pelago, comprehending the Chones, which arc dependent upon it, does not exceed 82, of which 32 are inhabited. The island of Chiloe, or Isla Grand, is by much the largest in the Archipelago. It lies at the mouth of the bay, and extends in a direction north and south from the 41st and a half to the 44th degree of latitude, forming two straits or passages with the continent : the passage at the northern extremity is about a league ia breadth ; the other is upwards of twelve leagues. In as in the other islands, the land is considerably elevated, and rises into mountains, overspread with impenetrable thickets : It contains forty-one settlements. The other islands arc of very insignificant dimensions, except a few that measure in length from twelve to fifteen leagues. Six settlements have been established on the Isle of Quinchan ; Laicha and Lemui contain each of them four ; Calbuco has three, and the rest only one each. These settlements cannot properly be denominated towns, as in most of them the houses lie dispersed, and at a considerable dis tance from each other.
The only towns in the Archipelago, are the city of Castro, Chacao, San Carlos, and Calbuco. Castro, found ed in 1566, by Ruiz Gamboa, is the capital of the province, and stands on an arm of the sea, in south lati tude 42° 56', west longitude 15'. Chacao, acknow ledging the sante founder, was, previous to the erection of San Carlos, the principal sea-port, and the residence of the governor : it is situated in 42° of south latitude, and 307° 37' west longitude. The harbour affords good
anchorage, though somewhat exposed to the north and north-east winds ; but the entrance, from the rapidity of the currents, and certain hidden rocks in the middle chan nel, is rendered extremely hazardous. San Carlos is now the principal port, and the scat of government ; and though founded so late as the year 1768, is superior to all the other towns, both in prosperity and extent. In 1791, it contained 200 houses, occupied by more than 1100 inhabitants. It lies in south latitude 41" 57/. Though the harbour itself is good, frequent wrecks are occasioned at its entrance, by the sudden and overwhelm ing hurricanes which afflict these islands. Calbuco be longs to the island of that name, which is the station of a commandant, and lies at the north end of the bay.
The climate of the Archipelago is temperate, and sel dom incommoded by the extremes of heat or cold. It is sufficiently marked, however, by its excessive humidity : the rain falls in torrents, and continues often, without any intermission, to deluge the islands for the space of a month. Except in the autumnal season, eight days of fair weather is a very rare and unexpected occurrence. During that season, however, the Chilotes commonly en joy a respite of several weeks. These rains arc seldom accompanied by thunder or lightning-, but they are at tended with frequent hurricanes, which sometimes prove extremely injurious. 0‘ving- to the rocky and mountain ous character of these islands, cultivation is almost whol ly confined to the plain grounds near the coast ; the inte rior contains a few cultivated vallies. The degree of til lage given to this small portion, if we may judge from the extreme rudeness of the agricultural implements, must be very imperfect. Two crooked statics, sharpen ed at the point, are made to serve the purpose of a plough, and both are worked by a single labourer. He seizes a stake in each hand, and applying the heads to his breast, forces their points into the ground, and turns up the soil by extreme exertion : the labour is considera bly augmented by the vast number of myrtle roots which every where abound throughout the cultivated lands. The seed, previous to this scratching, has beci; scatter ed over the ground, which has also received a audieient quantity of manure front the flocks of sheep which, for that purpose, arc always made to pasture upon it, for three mooths before cultivation.