Themenofallthesetribeswearacoarsewoolenponcho：thosesouthofValdiviawearshorttrousers，andthosenorthofitapetticoat，likethechilipaoftheGauchos。Allhavetheirlonghairboundbyascarletfillet，butwithnoothercoveringontheirheads。TheseIndiansaregood-sizedmen；theircheek-bonesareprominent，andingeneralappearancetheyresemblethegreatAmericanfamilytowhichtheybelong；buttheirphysiognomyseemedtometobeslightlydifferentfromthatofanyothertribewhichIhadbeforeseen。Theirexpressionisgenerallygrave，andevenaustere，andpossessesmuchcharacter：thismaypasseitherforhonestbluntnessorfiercedetermination。Thelongblackhair，thegraveandmuch-linedfeatures，andthedarkcomplexion，calledtomymindoldportraitsofJamesI。OntheroadwemetwithnoneofthathumblepolitenesssouniversalinChiloe。
Somegavetheir“mari-mari“(goodmorning)withpromptness，butthegreaternumberdidnotseeminclinedtoofferanysalute。Thisindependenceofmannersisprobablyaconsequenceoftheirlongwars，andtherepeatedvictorieswhichtheyalone，ofallthetribesinAmerica，havegainedovertheSpaniards。
Ispenttheeveningverypleasantly，talkingwiththepadre。Hewasexceedinglykindandhospitable；andcomingfromSantiago，hadcontrivedtosurroundhimselfwithsomefewcomforts。Beingamanofsomelittleeducation，hebitterlycomplainedofthetotalwantofsociety。Withnoparticularzealforreligion，nobusinessorpursuit，howcompletelymustthisman’slifebewasted！Thenextday，onourreturn，wemetsevenverywild-lookingIndians，ofwhomsomewerecaciquesthathadjustreceivedfromtheChiliangovernmenttheiryearlysmallstipendforhavinglongremainedfaithful。Theywerefine-lookingmen，andtheyrodeoneaftertheother，withmostgloomyfaces。Anoldcacique，whoheadedthem，hadbeen，Isuppose，moreexcessivelydrunkthantherest，forheseemedextremelygraveandverycrabbed。Shortlybeforethis，twoIndiansjoinedus，whoweretravellingfromadistantmissiontoValdiviaconcerningsomelawsuit。
Onewasagood-humouredoldman，butfromhiswrinkledbeardlessfacelookedmorelikeanoldwomanthanaman。Ifrequentlypresentedbothofthemwithcigars；andthoughreadytoreceivethem，andIdaresaygrateful，theywouldhardlycondescendtothankme。AChilotanIndianwouldhavetakenoffhishat，andgivenhis“Dioslepage！”Thetravellingwasverytedious，bothfromthebadnessoftheroads，andfromthenumberofgreatfallentrees，whichitwasnecessaryeithertoleapoverortoavoidbymakinglongcircuits。Wesleptontheroad，andnextmorningreachedValdivia，whenceIproceededonboard。
AfewdaysafterwardsIcrossedthebaywithapartyofofficers，andlandednearthefortcalledNiebla。Thebuildingswereinamostruinousstate，andthegun-carriagesquiterotten。Mr。Wickhamremarkedtothecommandingofficer，thatwithonedischargetheywouldcertainlyallfalltopieces。Thepoorman，tryingtoputagoodfaceuponit，gravelyreplied，“No，Iamsure，sir，theywouldstandtwo！”TheSpaniardsmusthaveintendedtohavemadethisplaceimpregnable。Thereisnowlyinginthemiddleofthecourt-yardalittlemountainofmortar，whichrivalsinhardnesstherockonwhichitisplaced。ItwasbroughtfromChile，andcost7000dollars。
Therevolutionhavingbrokenout，preventeditsbeingappliedtoanypurpose，andnowitremainsamonumentofthefallengreatnessofSpain。
Iwantedtogotoahouseaboutamileandahalfdistant，butmyguidesaiditwasquiteimpossibletopenetratethewoodinastraightline。
Heoffered，however，toleadme，byfollowingobscurecattle-tracks，theshortestway：thewalk，nevertheless，tooknolessthanthreehours！Thismanisemployedinhuntingstrayedcattle；yet，wellashemustknowthewoods，hewasnotlongsincelostfortwowholedays，andhadnothingtoeat。Thesefactsconveyagoodideaoftheimpracticabilityoftheforestsofthesecountries。Aquestionoftenoccurredtome——howlongdoesanyvestigeofafallentreeremain？Thismanshowedmeonewhichapartyoffugitiveroyalistshadcutdownfourteenyearsago；andtakingthisasacriterion，Ishouldthinkaboleafootandahalfindiameterwouldinthirtyyearsbechangedintoaheapofmould。
February20th——ThisdayhasbeenmemorableintheannalsofValdivia，forthemostsevereearthquakeexperiencedbytheoldestinhabitant。I
happenedtobeonshore，andwaslyingdowninthewoodtorestmyself。
Itcameonsuddenly，andlastedtwominutes，butthetimeappearedmuchlonger。Therockingofthegroundwasverysensible。Theundulationsappearedtomycompanionandmyselftocomefromdueeast，whilstothersthoughttheyproceededfromsouth-west：thisshowshowdifficultitsometimesistoperceivethedirectionsofthevibrations。Therewasnodifficultyinstandingupright，butthemotionmademealmostgiddy：itwassomethinglikethemovementofavesselinalittlecross-ripple，orstillmorelikethatfeltbyapersonskatingoverthinice，whichbendsundertheweightofhisbody。Abadearthquakeatoncedestroysouroldestassociations：
theearth，theveryemblemofsolidity，hasmovedbeneathourfeetlikeathincrustoverafluid；——onesecondoftimehascreatedinthemindastrangeideaofinsecurity，whichhoursofreflectionwouldnothaveproduced。Intheforest，asabreezemovedthetrees，Ifeltonlytheearthtremble，butsawnoothereffect。CaptainFitzRoyandsomeofficerswereatthetownduringtheshock，andtherethescenewasmorestriking；foralthoughthehouses，frombeingbuiltofwood，didnotfall，theywereviolentlyshaken，andtheboardscreakedandrattledtogether。Thepeoplerushedoutofdoorsinthegreatestalarm。Itistheseaccompanimentsthatcreatethatperfecthorrorofearthquakes，experiencedbyallwhohavethusseen，aswellasfelt，theireffects。Withintheforestitwasadeeplyinteresting，butbynomeansanawe-excitingphenomenon。Thetideswereverycuriouslyaffected。Thegreatshocktookplaceatthetimeoflowwater；andanoldwomanwhowasonthebeachtoldmethatthewaterflowedveryquickly，butnotingreatwaves，tohigh-watermark，andthenasquicklyreturnedtoitsproperlevel；thiswasalsoevidentbythelineofwetsand。ThesamekindofquickbutquietmovementinthetidehappenedafewyearssinceatChiloe，duringaslightearthquake，andcreatedmuchcauselessalarm。Inthecourseoftheeveningthereweremanyweakershocks，whichseemedtoproduceintheharbourthemostcomplicatedcurrents，andsomeofgreatstrength。
March4th——WeenteredtheharbourofConcepcion。Whiletheshipwasbeatinguptotheanchorage，IlandedontheislandofQuiriquina。Themayor-domooftheestatequicklyrodedowntotellmetheterriblenewsofthegreatearthquakeofthe20th：——“ThatnotahouseinConcepcionorTalcahuano(theport)wasstanding；thatseventyvillagesweredestroyed；
andthatagreatwavehadalmostwashedawaytheruinsofTalcahuano。”
OfthislatterstatementIsoonsawabundantproofs——thewholecoastbeingstrewedoverwithtimberandfurnitureasifathousandshipshadbeenwrecked。Besideschairs，tables，book-shelves，etc。，ingreatnumbers，therewereseveralroofsofcottages，whichhadbeentransportedalmostwhole。ThestorehousesatTalcahuanohadbeenburstopen，andgreatbagsofcotton，yerba，andothervaluablemerchandisewerescatteredontheshore。Duringmywalkroundtheisland，Iobservedthatnumerousfragmentsofrock，which，fromthemarineproductionsadheringtothem，mustrecentlyhavebeenlyingindeepwater，hadbeencastuphighonthebeach；oneofthesewassixfeetlong，threebroad，andtwothick。
Theislanditselfasplainlyshowedtheoverwhelmingpoweroftheearthquake，asthebeachdidthatoftheconsequentgreatwave。Thegroundinmanypartswasfissuredinnorthandsouthlines，perhapscausedbytheyieldingoftheparallelandsteepsidesofthisnarrowisland。Someofthefissuresnearthecliffswereayardwide。Manyenormousmasseshadalreadyfallenonthebeach；andtheinhabitantsthoughtthatwhentherainscommencedfargreaterslipswouldhappen。Theeffectofthevibrationonthehardprimaryslate，whichcomposesthefoundationoftheisland，wasstillmorecurious：thesuperficialpartsofsomenarrowridgeswereascompletelyshiveredasiftheyhadbeenblastedbygunpowder。Thiseffect，whichwasrenderedconspicuousbythefreshfracturesanddisplacedsoil，mustbeconfinedtonearthesurface，forotherwisetherewouldnotexistablockofsolidrockthroughoutChile；noristhisimprobable，asitisknownthatthesurfaceofavibratingbodyisaffecteddifferentlyfromthecentralpart。Itis，perhaps，owingtothissamereason，thatearthquakesdonotcausequitesuchterrifichavocwithindeepminesaswouldbeexpected。
IbelievethisconvulsionhasbeenmoreeffectualinlesseningthesizeoftheislandofQuiriquina，thantheordinarywear-and-tearoftheseaandweatherduringthecourseofawholecentury。
ThenextdayIlandedatTalcahuano，andafterwardsrodetoConcepcion。
BothtownspresentedthemostawfulyetinterestingspectacleIeverbeheld。
Toapersonwhohadformerlyknowthem，itpossiblymighthavebeenstillmoreimpressive；fortheruinsweresomingledtogether，andthewholescenepossessedsolittletheairofahabitableplace，thatitwasscarcelypossibletoimagineitsformercondition。Theearthquakecommencedathalf-pasteleveno’clockintheforenoon。Ifithadhappenedinthemiddleofthenight，thegreaternumberoftheinhabitants(whichinthisoneprovincemustamounttomanythousands)musthaveperished，insteadoflessthanahundred：asitwas，theinvariablepracticeofrunningoutofdoorsatthefirsttremblingoftheground，alonesavedthem。InConcepcioneachhouse，orrowofhouses，stoodbyitself，aheaporlineofruins；butinTalcahuano，owingtothegreatwave，littlemorethanonelayerofbricks，tiles，andtimberwithhereandtherepartofawallleftstanding，couldbedistinguished。FromthiscircumstanceConcepcion，althoughnotsocompletelydesolated，wasamoreterrible，andifImaysocallit，picturesquesight。
Thefirstshockwasverysudden。Themayor-domoatQuiriquinatoldme，thatthefirstnoticehereceivedofit，wasfindingboththehorseherodeandhimself，rollingtogetherontheground。Risingup，hewasagainthrowndown。Healsotoldmethatsomecowswhichwerestandingonthesteepsideoftheislandwererolledintothesea。Thegreatwavecausedthedestructionofmanycattle；ononelowislandneartheheadofthebay，seventyanimalswerewashedoffanddrowned。ItisgenerallythoughtthatthishasbeentheworstearthquakeeverrecordedinChile；butastheverysevereonesoccuronlyafterlongintervals，thiscannoteasilybeknown；norindeedwouldamuchworseshockhavemadeanydifference，fortheruinwasnowcomplete。Innumerablesmalltremblingsfollowedthegreatearthquake，andwithinthefirsttwelvedaysnolessthanthreehundredwerecounted。
AfterviewingConcepcion，Icannotunderstandhowthegreaternumberofinhabitantsescapedunhurt。Thehousesinmanypartsfelloutwards；
thusforminginthemiddleofthestreetslittlehillocksofbrickworkandrubbish。Mr。Rouse，theEnglishconsul，toldusthathewasatbreakfastwhenthefirstmovementwarnedhimtorunout。Hehadscarcelyreachedthemiddleofthecourt-yard，whenonesideofhishousecamethunderingdown。Heretainedpresenceofmindtoremember，thatifheoncegotonthetopofthatpartwhichhadalreadyfallen，hewouldbesafe。Notbeingablefromthemotionofthegroundtostand，hecrawleduponhishandsandknees；andnosoonerhadheascendedthislittleeminence，thantheothersideofthehousefellin，thegreatbeamssweepingcloseinfrontofhishead。Withhiseyesblinded，andhismouthchokedwiththecloudofdustwhichdarkenedthesky，atlasthegainedthestreet。Asshocksucceededshock，attheintervalofafewminutes，noonedaredapproachtheshatteredruins，andnooneknewwhetherhisdearestfriendsandrelationswerenotperishingfromthewantofhelp。Thosewhohadsavedanypropertywereobligedtokeepaconstantwatch，forthievesprowledabout，andateachlittletremblingoftheground，withonehandtheybeattheirbreastsandcried“Misericordia！”andthenwiththeotherfilchedwhattheycouldfromtheruins。Thethatchedroofsfelloverthefires，andflamesburstforthinallparts。Hundredsknewthemselvesruined，andfewhadthemeansofprovidingfoodfortheday。
