San Carlos, Chiloe - Osorno in eruption, contemporaneously
with Aconcagua and Coseguina - Ride to Cucao - Impenetrable
Forests - Valdivia Indians - Earthquake - Concepcion -
Great Earthquake - Rocks fissured - Appearance of the
former Towns - The Sea Black and Boiling - Direction of
the Vibrations - Stones twisted round - Great Wave -
Permanent Elevation of the Land - Area of Volcanic
Phenomena - The connection between the Elevatory and
Eruptive Forces - Cause of Earthquakes - Slow Elevation of
Mountain-chains.
ON JANUARY the 15th we sailed from Low's Harbour,
and three days afterwards anchored a second time in
the bay of S. Carlos in Chiloe. On the night of the
19th the volcano of Osorno was in action. At midnight the
sentry observed something like a large star, which gradually
increased in size till about three o'clock, when it presented
a very magnificent spectacle. By the aid of a glass, dark
objects, in constant succession, were seen, in the midst of a
great glare of red light, to be thrown up and to fall down.
The light was sufficient to cast on the water a long bright
reflection. Large masses of molten matter seem very commonly
to be cast out of the craters in this part of the Cordillera.
I was assured that when the Corcovado is in eruption,
great masses are projected upwards and are seen to burst in
the air, assuming many fantastical forms, such as trees:
their size must be immense, for they can be distinguished
from the high land behind S. Carlos, which is no less than
ninety-three miles from the Corcovado.
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