S. rain is often met with, and the winds are no longer so
regular as nearer the line, but blow sometimes one way and sometimes
another, as in Spain and other countries of Europe.
Chili is a tolerably
well peopled country, and resembles Peru in being divisible into two
districts, the plain and the mountain, and its coast is considerably more
indented by gulfs and bays than that of Peru[2]. It enjoys the
vicissitudes of summer and winter nearly as in Spain, but at opposite
times of the year, the winter of Chili being at the same time with the
Spanish summer, and vice versa. The pole seen from that country, which is
directly opposite our _Arctic_ or north pole, is only marked by a kind of
small white cloud or nebula, which is seen after sunset in that direction
in which astronomers have placed the antartic or south pole. There is
likewise seen a constellation of seven stars, four of them being in form
of a cross, followed by three others, resembling the lesser bear of the
astronomers which turns round the north polar star. These seven stars near
the south pole are situated somewhat like those of the _ursa minor_,
except that the four which form the cross are nearer each other than those
of the north pole which are seen in our hemisphere. Our north pole is lost
sight of somewhat less than 200 leagues to the south of Panama, under the
equator; from whence, or a little beyond, on either side of the line,
these two constellations may be seen when they rise a little above the
poles of the horizon.
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