New-York tribune., 1872-06-18
THE HAssLER EXPEDITION.


,,,rnrss,oxs OF coNCEPcION-yIsgr TO JUAN
FRRNANDEz-yALUABLE sCltNIltlC 49,, $50
MEMS sICuRED-TNTERESrlNG oBsEhFAAAVN9
ON TaE INTERIOR OF CHILL.
rvpoI THR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE 1S'uVNh4
VALPARAISO, Chill, Nay GIVE were dc
,ained M Talcahuano precisely fortnight WHO waits
for the iron founders OF Conception to cast ana n
un n new reversing quadrant. We had uaVeleo tV
and moro WITH the oldOne patched but IL was no, wen
- - ,nrtber with the sense of insecurity. on tho 2o'h
OF April 1.-THE Quadrant twas in place ana VIC 'ei'
the pleasant little h'Arbor Of TalcahuHno'
our fortnlehs Delay had been, OF course eagerly useu
by the scientific party. The geological reSorus " 'uo
neighborhood had been thoroughly eHp'Oleo' pnus'
beas,s nshes reptiles insects shell fish, star hsh sea
sus. oreepinr aud vrawling things innumerahle ha0
been collected 1t was amusing to see the zeal "l'h
which the Juveniles Of the village entered into the fu
suit Of All Of animals. never saw Prof. AsaSs1
ar Dr steindaohne walk I'm the streets that htuo boys
did not rush "a every corner at then hoolnH eP III
ecs or reptiles Of soe Kind and in one case bringing
ont recently knlcd fox The botanical collection was
confined chief 10 the cryptoganOus plants as Deihs' m
40 thoroughly explored region those afording most
hope Of yield ms something of novelty or interest
Concepcio n, the chief city OF this part OF ~ w
about nine miles east of TacahuaDoi thVuk" '"s 49,
a. ma vbnbava ,Taikei them tWiee, ana 10 my isenus
neasured them in the sad lie, snort lnies' tne
road lies plains of dark coarse sand at one spot
e enc aEh 70 dr bady) but steep bluffs approach the
t''AN9
cred Oyer with baldos bushes growing scattered win
scanty herbage between This baldo grows from three
10 eight feet in hight and resembles strongly IN appear
ance slightly In its pleasant Odor, but not at an IN
botanical character, the bayberTy OF the United stes
found i,s bark covered with lovely little opegraphas e-
cidaas and parmeias On the ground among the bushes
were snowy and interesting plants them wild
potatoes and very magnificent evening primroses Ihe
bado enjoys a local reputation as remedy for 'er COM
plants Its virtues were revealed by sheep ea'hk IL
and getting well Of the hukeS
Conception is laid out with streets at nght
eoyersbout three square miles It's churches have AM
old dingy look: the schools looked better All tne
houses with exception, are onestorleu' WIN
wholesome Of earthquakes; and are bmt lu the Ior
hollow square, inclosng courtyard in which there
lpTy be tree or two The streets toerably clean
but the low houses and usually shabby paint gives
squalid appearance TO the city, as 70 1acamano iou
are therefore quite agreeably surprised on passing
house where the inside shutters are ajar, 10 see
how neat and comfortable, and occasionally
elegant and luxurious, the Interiors are. Inc 10"
houses which / entered, in the city, and at the
seaport confirmed this more agreeable impression
Moreover judged not merely from the fact that lheard
pianos frequently in houses as passed. but judged from
the character Of music ALSO that there is much eu
walton and refinement here. There are pure Chiieno
families here Of unmix Spanish descent and there are
immigrants from various modern States; these TWO
sources and their ntermarrage furnish the best ee
ents Of society Then there are Indians OF
tribes, ana tnese nave "AN"
classes OF ChilenOs These Indian hafbreeds furnish
most Of the servants and day aborers and some Of them
are rather low.
Then saw in Talcahuano one negro. and one Mar
oueeas Island chief which latter specimen OF humanity
Was particularly disagreeable; hdeousy ugly, md
eousy tattooed constantly boastng Of his former dg
uty az chief putting airs Of maJesy yet sneak
ing entries putting his head in at windows trying
to find chance to steal and half drunk 1t was with
difficulty we could prevent him from drinking photo
graphic preparations that smeed in the least of alcohol
His picture proved 10 be worthless; the tattoo marks
came out 30 family that the picture looked like that of
human being. The next day saw the negro and Mar
quesan fighting the streets, and brutal enough to
rejoice az seeing the negro triumphant
one OF the interesting sights to me at Conception
"a the old Alameda not much frequented, the new
Plaza being the popular promenade at present. 1t gives
me favorable impression Of the old Castiian civilization
Of Spanish America, that from Chill to California the
Alameda always remembered At Conception
It lies on the east side Of the city, and is very level
piece Of ground Just at the foot OF the high h out
OF which the beautiful Bio Bio issues. About
five six Of the plain in rectangular form, Is
planted with Lombardy popars, and in one part
you stand you please midway between six long rows
three Oh either hand the clear space in which stand
being in width and the three on each side
occupying so feet each side 1t is beautiful
alley, but Gould find photographs except Of the
northern end where the interrupted and thin
The poplar is however, subject to caterplars that
the Alamada is comparatively deserted.
We began 70 weigh anchor the 25th, when suddenly
our cable snapped, and VIC obliged TO drop the
other anchor, and grappe after broken chain. 1t
was inauspoiOus beginning OF our trip to Juan Fer
nAndez but in an had started again, and stop
ping several times to sound and to dredge sighted
that Island at early the 10th We left Professor
and Mrs. Agassz TO by land, with DR.. Stein
dachner to Santiago, intending to pick them up our
return Valparaiso The 29th and 3Oh spent still
sounding and dredging in the neghborhood OF the island
The water was wonderfully clear and blue, and its
transparency being testOd il found TO be much
more transparent that In the West Indies The ap
paraus testing the penetration Of activc force
also tried and decomposition Of the salts OF silver
was readily effected at considerable depths under the
The island Of Juan Fernandez is celebrated from
Defoe's fiction than from sekrks history. Fernandez
discovered island in 1863 and introduced goats here
1851 Indian left here, and subsisted the
goats three years before he taken of In October
I704 Scotch solor, Alexander sellir, was left here
and taken Of in February 1TOs having lived here four
years and four months in absolute solitude living like
his Indian predecessor, mostly goats flesh He
told bis TO DefOe, and out Of 10 grew Robinson
Crusoe." The wild goats still numerous here and
6ocks hundreds Of them may be upon the
tains The island is about 10 ~ miles long,
by four in breadth; the shores mostly precipi-
tous and the mountain ridges 5000 feet in hight.
The water around the island Is deep, and the
whole appearance is as II here had once been an
extensive island with splendid rugged mountain cham
upon It that suddenly the bottom had been knocked
from under all except this patch OF ten miles by four
and all but this patch had sunk into the sea- Valleys
and mountain spurs and gentle slopes cut of by
this yrecpitous edge and there but few places on
the island where you effect landing. There are
to-day twelve persons Including several children living
splendid beef and milk and can get goats by climbing
after them. Other things they purchase with the pro