Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-21

between Corral and yaldivia city is entitled to
the name ''Valdivia." The capital of Valdivis
province is the most important town in
southern Chile, the center OF a considerable
trade in flour. timber, hides and wool, and is
settled almost exclusively by Germans 1t was
founded by the Spaniard who gave it his name
about the year 1851; forty years later it was
taken and plundered by the Araucanians and
in 1897 was again completely ruined by an
earthquake.
Some of us chartered steam tug and went
up the river to Valdivia city. So narrow and
winding is the channel. full of snags and shoals,
that 1t is navlgable only for craft drawing less
than nine and one-haf feet of water, and even
they require the assistance of local pilot All
the adjacent country is hilly and heavily tim
bered and the river looks barred a little way
ahead by the green, untrodden solitudes that
crowd close on every side, while the perspec-
tive Is closed by the great white volcano called
villa Rica." which stands It's miles inland,
but whose snowy dome is distinctly visible
from the ocean. The city of Villa Rica at its
base, which Ealdivia built some $40 years ago,
has been so many times destroyed by Indians
and earthquakes that but little trace of it re-
mains.
DISAPPOINTING TOWER.
Saldivia city is only about 1000 feet above
sea level and is completely surrounded by
dense forests. The chief object of interest in
it is an old tower, a relic of the Conquistadores
which shows up beautifully from the river.
On landing We made a run for it, for the cap
tain gave us only fifteen minutes ashore, and il
would not be pleasant to have the Osiris sail
away and leave us in this lonesome region. We
found 1t another case of where distance lends
enchantment to the view" and were sorry we
had dlsliiusioned ourselves. rough board
fence Is built close around the ancient tower
at the top of the little hill upon which it stands.
Ascending flight of rickety wooden steps we
pounded upon a rickety wooden door with visions
before our eyes of knights and troubadours.
halberds and coats of-mail-and were answered
by the angry baying of dog inside. Pres
entity the door was opened by an elderly Ger
man woman, who lives within the temporary
Enclosure, in a little wooden hut leaned against
the crumbling citadel, which appeared to be
conformity occupied by a numerous colony of
pigs and chickens. A pile of boards INSTRUCTED
the entrance to the tower, in front of which the
angry dog tugged franticaily at his chain; SO
that there was nothing to be done but scamper
back to the landing with all possible speed.
THE ISLAND OF CHLOE.
Though We were three days in passing
through Smythe's channel-coming to anchor
every night at sunset-it is barely Is miles
long, beginning just beyond Chloe. which is
the northernmost island of that wonderful
chain OF islands and archipelagoes extending
from about latitude ~ degrees south
ward to Cape Horn. Chloe, by itself, is
province of Chile, 40 miles long by so miles
wide. with total area of $500 square miles
Though its interior has never yet been ex-
plored the island is divided into five com
partments." or districts, Of which Ancud is the
capital 1t is a tolerably well-built town, a
bishops seat. with some pretensions Of ele-
gance, which in times not long past had a
population as high as 5000. In the year 1878
the total population of the province was esti-
mated at GA, 536. Garcia de Mendoza discoy-
cred the island and its adjacent archipelago
IN 1865. and took possession in the name OF the |
King of Spain. On the expulsion Of the Span
ish forces from the rest of Chile Gin 1879 thew
He'd to Chloe; but abandoned the island about