The Spaniards not possessing any other settlements important enough to excite notice on the main land, towards the south, we shall pass to the description of their island territories in this quarter.
[INSULAR CHILI.]
No part of America has more islands on its coasts than Chili has, and many of these being inhabited, they form a political as well as a natural division of the kingdom.
The following are the chief Chilian Isles:—
The three Coquimbanes, Mugillon, Totoral and Pajaro, which lie off the coast of Coquimbo, and are each six or eight miles in circumference, but are uninhabited.
Quiriquina, at the entrance of the harbour of Concepcion, and Talca, or Santa Maria to the south of the harbour, which are two islands of about four miles in length, noted for the abundance of shell fish and sea wolves found on their coasts. In Santa Maria there are also fine springs, and many wild horses and hogs, the latter of which feed on the wild turnips which cover its valleys.
Mocha, in 38° 40', is more than sixty miles in circumference, and lies off the coast of Araucania; is not inhabited, but is very fertile, and was formerly settled by some Spaniards; at present it is frequented by the whalers from the United States and England, who begin fishing here, as it is well supplied with wild hogs; but the most important of the Chilian group are the isles comprised in the—