other season without rain. The
atmosphere is consequently extremely moist, yet salubrious, and the
climate is exceedingly mild and temperate. Owing to the great humidity,
grain and fruits are by no means productive, yet the inhabitants raise
sufficient grain, mostly barley and beans, for their support, and grow
abundance of excellent flax. The town of Castro, on the eastern shore,
in lat. 42 deg. 44' S. is the capital of the island, and was founded in
1565, by Don Martino Ruiz de Gamboa, and is built entirely of wood,
containing only about a hundred and fifty inhabitants, yet has a parish
church, a church formerly belonging to the Jesuits, and two convents.
The port of Chaco, near the middle of the northern extremity of the
island, in lat. 41 deg. 53' S. and about the same, longitude with Castro,
has good anchorage, and enjoys the whole trade with Peru and Chili,
which is not subjected to the duties which are paid in other ports of
Spanish America.

Besides the southern Archipelago of Chiloe, there are a few islands of
no great importance on the coast of Chili, not worth notice. The two
islands likewise of Juan Fernandez are considered as dependencies on
Chili. The larger of these, called Isola de Tierra, is at present
inhabited by a few Spaniards, who have a small fort at La Baya or
Cumberland harbour. The smaller island, or Masafuera, otherwise called
De Cabras or Conejos, is uninhabited.

S2. _The Province of Cujo._

Although the province of _Cujo,_ on the east side of the Andes, be not
strictly within the limits of Chili, yet as dependent on the presidency
of that kingdom, it is proper to take notice of it in this place. Cujo
is bounded on the north by the province of Tucuman, on the east by the
Pampas or desert plains of Buenos Ayres, on the south by Patagonia, and
on the west by the southern chain of the Andes. Being comprehended
between the latitudes of 29 deg. and 35 deg. south, it is about 400 miles in
extent from north to south, but its limits towards the east are
uncertain. In temperature and productions, this province differs
materially from Chili. The winter, which is the dry season, is extremely
cold; and the summer is excessively hot both day and night, with
frequent storms of thunder and hail, more especially in its western
parts near the Andes. These storms commonly rise and disperse in the
course of half an hour; after which the sun dries up the moisture in a
few minutes. Owing to this excessive e