CHAPTER PAGE PREFACE v I. THE COUNTRY 1 II. THE WEST COAST 19 III. VALE OF PARADISE 46 IV. THE CITY OF SAINT JAMES 69 V. THE GRANARY OF THE REPUBLIC 92 VI. THE LAND OF THE FIRE 120 VII. THE BACKBONE OF THE CONTINENT 148 VIII. A LABORATORY OF NATURE 178 IX. THE PEOPLE 191 X. AN UNCONQUERABLE RACE 212 XI. EDUCATION AND THE ARTS 230 XII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 243 XIII. RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES 261 XIV. THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE 280 XV. THE NITRATE WAR 315 XVI. CIVIL WAR AND ITS RESULTS 336 XVII. PRESENT CONDITIONS AND FUTURE POSSIBILITIES 360 APPENDICES 391 INDEX 405 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE A CHILEAN GIRL WITH THE _MANTA_ (_See page 90_) _Frontispiece_ MAP OF CHILE 2 THE ANDES FROM SANTA LUCIA 6 THE WEST COAST 20 A MILK BOY IN PERU 28 ROW BOATS CROWDING AROUND A STEAMER 33 THE HARBOUR OF ARICA 36 A STREET SCENE, ANTOFAGASTA 42 COQUIMBO, A TYPICAL WEST COAST TOWN 44 AN “ASCENSOR” IN VALPARAISO 47 A CHICKEN PEDDLER, VALPARAISO 57 A VENDER OF DONKEY’S MILK, VALPARAISO 58 AN ATTRACTIVE HOME, VIÑA DEL MAR 60 SANTA LUCIA 71 ALAMEDA DE LAS DELICIAS, SANTIAGO 72 DANCING LA CUECA, THE NATIONAL DANCE 75 A GROUP OF NEWSBOYS, SANTIAGO 81