Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

Jan. 1835. chiloe. 359 January 23d. — We rose early in the morning, and reached the pretty quiet town of Castro by two o'clock. The old governor had died since our last visit, and in his place a Chdeno was acting. We had a letter of introduction to Don Pedro. We found him exceedingly hospitable and kind, and with a degree of disinterestedness which is more common in La Plata than on this side of the continent. The next day Don Pedro procured us fresh horses, and offered to accom- pany us himself. We proceeded to the south; generally following the coast, and passing through several hamlets, each with its large barn-Uke chapel, built of wood. Near Castro we saw a remarkably pretty waterfall : it was very small, but the water feU in a single sheet into a large circular basin, around which stately trees, from 100 to 120 feet high, cast a dark shade. At VilipiUi, Don Pedro asked the com- mandant to give us a guide to Cucao. The old gentleman offered to come himself ; but for a long time he would not believe that any thing could induce two Englishmen to go to such an out of the way place as Cucao. We thus were accompanied by the two greatest aristocrats in the country as was plainly to be seen in the manner of all the poorer Indians towards them. At Chonchi, we struck off across the island, and followed intricate winding paths, sometimes passing through magnifi- cent forests, and then opening into pretty cleared spots, abounding with corn and potato crops. In this undulating woody country, partially cultivated, there was something which reminded me of the wilder parts of England, and therefore had to my eye a most fascinating aspect. At Vilinco, which is situated on the borders of the lake of Cucao, only a few fields are cleared ; and all the inhabitants appear to be Indians. This lake is twelve miles long, and runs in an east and west direction. From local circumstances, the sea- breeze blows very regularly during the day, and during the night it falls calm. This has given rise to strange exaggera- tions : for the phenomenon, as described to us at S. Carlos, was quite a prodigy.