From Guillota we went on to a large hacienda, about nine miles further, called La Calera, the property of a native of Bolivia. Part of this is planted with almond trees, but by far the larger portion is devoted to wine-growing. One of the
Mandadores, or overseers; begged us to enter a large, handsome building where the process of wine-preparing was being carried on, and gave us some new wine, here called Chicha(pronounced Tchitcha), which tasted very sweet and palatable. The Chicha is used in enormous quantities in Chile, and is even sent abroad in large bottle-shaped skins, but, owing to this mode of keeping it, the wine, which is set down much as cider is in Normandy, acquires a villanous twang that is anything but agreeable.
In Valparaiso we were so fortunate as to fall in with Mr. Kindermann, one of the founders of the German settlement of Valdivia, who has been long resident there, and has large landed property in that direction. We also made the acquaintance of Dr. Philippi, who, although attending to his duties as Professor of Natural History in the University of Santiago, finds time to take an active part in the colony of Valdivia. It would appear from the inquiries instituted by competent persons, that the main obstacle to the permanent success and extension of the German colony consists in the want of roads, and that the fertility of the soil justifies the most sanguine hopes, so soon as more ready means of communication are provided, that the numerous products raised by this industrious community will no longer want either a steady market or extensive buyers.
Another German colony, which was organized with extensive privileges established at Punta Arenas in Magelhaen's Straits, and now numbers some 150 colonists, not only
displays the most cheering signs of vitality, and that in a climate which has acquired, most unjustly however, an unenviable reputation, but promises to be of great importance both to Chile itself and to the vessels of all nations navigating the Straits of Magelhaen[114]. This will be more particularly the case, so soon as the scheme projected by certain Chilean patriots is realized, of which there is an early prospect, of placing a number of steamers upon the Magelhaen-Straits' line, for the purpose of towing vessels through.
In order to form an adequate conception of the importance of this undertaking, both for Chile and all seafaring nations, it must be borne in mind, that by thus making the Straits available, vessels will not alone escape the storms of Cape Horn, but will effect a great saving in time. Maury estimates the time required by a vessel to pass from the eastern entrance of the Straits around Cape Horn to the western entrance at 25 days. They could be towed through in from four to five days, thus saving some 20 days. The tonnage passing round Cape Horn to Valparaiso alone cannot be much short of 120,000 tons of merchandise, valued at about 16,000,000 dollars (£3,200,000), so that the pecuniary returns realized by the saving of time in the voyages of these vessels promises to realize to the company a net profit of 257,776 dollars (£53,600)[115].
Of course the estimate will become very much larger, if all the sailing vessels be included which pass annually round the Horn from E. to W., amounting to some 500 in number, with a tonnage of 400,000, and cargoes valued at 53,000,000 dollars (£11,000,000). The projectors also propose to erect a lighthouse and telegraph station, both at Cape Virgin on the East, and Cape Pilar at the Western entrance, as also in Possession Bay, 40 miles W. of Virgin's Cape, at the Eastern entrance, and to have the dépôt buildings for the requisite materials at the entrance of Smythe Channel, 35 miles east of Cape Pilar. Four or five steamers of at least 500 tons are to perform the towing service, for which they propose to charge sailing vessels 1.50 dollars (6s. 3d.) per ton, less, in fact, than the charge for towing in China, Australia, &c.
The carrying out of this scheme, which must exercise an incalculable influence on the commerce of the Pacific slope of the Indies, is mainly dependent on the disposition of the Chilean Government to guarantee a given interest, and accord certain facilities to the company which is to undertake so important and heavy an enterprise. Its requirements are by no means extravagant. During a period of fifteen years, it asks for an annual subvention of 125,000 dollars,
for the first five years,[116] during the next five years of 100,000 dollars, and in the last five years 75,000 dollars, after which all aid from the State is to be withdrawn. Further, the company seeks to be secured in the exclusive right during those fifteen years of working the coal-fields,[117] which are known to exist in the Straits, to be presented free of expense with the land required for the various buildings and stations, and, lastly, permission to fell wood all along Magelhaen's Straits, and in the divergent bays, gulfs, and channels, but on the condition that one half of the soil so reclaimed shall remain the property of the State, the other half to remain in perpetuity the property of the adventurers. From the day on which this project is ushered into existence by the munificence and under the auspices of the Chilean Government, a new era will commence for the shipping interest along the west coast of South America! The difficulty is in securing a monopoly of the Straits. At present any captain may run the Straits if he will, and this is occasionally done. An English man-of-war passed through in the spring of 1862.