In Chili there are some rivers which have water only during the day, and are entirely dry during the night.  This is owing to the heat of the sun melting the snow on the mountains by day, by which temporary rivers, or torrents rather, are formed by day, which cease again at night when the cold puts a stop to the melting of the snow.  When we have got about 500 leagues along the coast from Peru towards the south, or in the lat. of about 30 deg.  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.  On the south side of the equinoctial line, navigators are only able to see the four stars near the antarctic pole which form the cross, until they reach the thirtieth degree of south latitude, after which they get sight of the other three stars which form this constellation.

The change in the length of the days and nights in Chili is nearly the same as in Spain, only the longest day in Chili is at that time of the year when Spain has the day shortest.  In Peru and Tierra firma and generally in all places near the equinoctial line, the days and nights are always equal or nearly so during the whole year.  Even at Lima and other places the difference is so small as hardly to be noticed.  The natives of Chili are clothed nearly in the same manner with the Peruvians, and use the same kind of food.  The inhabitants, both men and women, are tolerably well looked.  They are governed by great lords, who make war against each other, and some of whom are able to bring 200,000 men into the field.