But The Most Characteristic Family
In Number, Both Of Individuals And Species, Throughout The
More Open Parts Of Chiloe And Chonos Is That Of Telephoridae.
[3] It is said that some rapacious birds bring their prey
alive to their nests.
If so, in the course of centuries,
every now and then, one might escape from the young birds.
Some such agency is necessary, to account for the distribution
of the smaller gnawing animals on islands not very near each other.
[4] I may mention, as a proof of how great a difference there
is between the seasons of the wooded and the open parts of
this coast, that on September 20th, in lat. 34 degs., these
birds had young ones in the nest, while among the Chonos
Islands, three months later in the summer, they were only
laying, the difference in latitude between these two places
being about 700 miles.
CHAPTER XIV
CHILOE AND CONCEPCION: GREAT EARTHQUAKE
San Carlos, Chiloe - Osorno in eruption, contemporaneously
with Aconcagua and Coseguina - Ride to Cucao - Impenetrable
Forests - Valdivia Indians - Earthquake - Concepcion -
Great Earthquake - Rocks fissured - Appearance of the
former Towns - The Sea Black and Boiling - Direction of
the Vibrations - Stones twisted round - Great Wave -
Permanent Elevation of the Land - Area of Volcanic
Phenomena - The connection between the Elevatory and
Eruptive Forces - Cause of Earthquakes - Slow Elevation of
Mountain-chains.
ON JANUARY the 15th we sailed from Low'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 action. At midnight the
sentry observed something like a large star, which gradually
increased in size till about three o'clock, when it presented
a very magnificent spectacle. By the aid of a glass, dark
objects, in constant succession, were seen, in the midst of a
great glare of red light, to be thrown up and to fall down.
The light was sufficient to cast on the water a long bright
reflection. Large masses of molten matter seem very commonly
to be cast out of the craters in this part of the Cordillera.
I was assured that when the Corcovado is in eruption,
great masses are projected upwards and are seen to burst in
the air, assuming many fantastical forms, such as trees:
their size must be immense, for they can be distinguished
from the high land behind S. Carlos, which is no less than
ninety-three miles from the Corcovado. In the morning the
volcano became tranquil.
I was surprised at hearing afterwards that Aconcagua in
Chile, 480 miles northwards, was in action on the same night;
and still more surprised to hear that the great eruption of
Coseguina (2700 miles north of Aconcagua), accompanied by
an earthquake felt over a 1000 miles, also occurred within
six hours of this same time. This coincidence is the more
remarkable, as Coseguina had been dormant for twenty-six
years; and Aconcagua most rarely shows any signs of action.
It is difficult even to conjecture whether this coincidence was
accidental, or shows some subterranean connection. If Vesuvius,
Etna, and Hecla in Iceland (all three relatively nearer
each other than the corresponding points in South America),
suddenly burst forth in eruption on the same night, the
coincidence would be thought remarkable; but it is far more
remarkable in this case, where the three vents fall on the same
great mountain-chain, and where the vast plains along the
entire eastern coast, and the upraised recent shells along
more than 2000 miles on the western coast, show in how
equable and connected a manner the elevatory forces have acted.
Captain Fitz Roy 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 22nd. 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 fire-arms.
At first, the country consisted of a succession of hills
and valleys: nearer to Castro it became very level. 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 laid longitudinally, or narrow and
placed 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 had been displaced, they skipped from one
to the other, almost with the quickness and certainty of a
dog. On both hands the road is bordered by the lofty forest-
trees, with their bases matted together by canes. When
occasionally a long reach of this avenue could be beheld, it
presented a curious scene of uniformity: the white line of logs,
narrowing in perspective, became hidden by the gloomy forest,
or terminated in a zigzag which ascended some steep hill.
Although the distance from S. Carlos to Castro is only
twelve leagues in a straight line, the formation of the road
must have been a great labour. I was told that several people
had formerly lost their lives in attempting to cross the
forest.
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