The public debt of the republic consisted, at the end of September 1878, of the following home and foreign liabilities:

To the internal debt of Chili there was added, in May 1879, a 'forced war loan' of 6,000,000 pesos, or 1,200,000l., and subsequently there were large issues of paper money, of unknown amount, to defray expenditure for the army. On January 1, 1880, the total public debt of Chili amounted to 14,916,410l., including 7,000,000l. for railways.

The whole of the foreign loans of Chili were contracted in England, the loans of 1842 and 1858 through the house of Baring Brothers, and the loans of 1866 and 1867 through the house of Morgan & Co. The railway loan of 1870, was contracted at the price of 83; that of 1873, at the price of 94, and that of 1875, at the price of 88 per cent. The whole of these three loans are to be redeemed at par by a sinking fund of 2 per cent.; but the payments on account of this fund were suspended on the 1st of May, 1879, after the outbreak of a war with Bolivia and Peru, in which Chili became involved.

Army and Navy.

The army of Chili, raised by conscription, supplemented by voluntary enlistment, was reported to number 3,200 men at the end of September 1878, the forces comprising 2,000 infantry, and 1,200 cavalry and artillery. A law passed in 1875 fixed the total strength at 3,573 men. On the outbreak of hostilities with the allied republics

of Bolivia and Peru, in the spring of 1879, the total number of men under arms was raised to 22,000; while the National Guard numbered 30,000.

The navy of Chili consisted, at the end of September 1879, of ten small steamers, of from 120 to 300 horse-power, and two large and powerful ironclads, called 'Almirante Cochrane' and 'Valparaiso.' The two ironclads are sister ships, of the same design and dimensions, and were constructed at Earl's Shipbuilding Company's works, Hull, England, after the designs of Sir E. J. Reed, former chief constructor to the British Admiralty, the Almirante Cochrane' being launched in 1874, and the 'Blanco Encalada' in 1875. Each of these ironclads is 210 feet long, and 45 feet in breadth, of 2,200 tons measurement, and of 2,500 horse-power. Each ship is protected throughout its whole length in the neighbourhood of the water-line by a stout belt of armour and teak backing 8 feet wide. The armour-plates are 9 inches thick at the water-line. The battery is amidships, and it is armed with six 12 ton rifled guns. The teak backing is of an average thickness of 10 inches, and the whole of the armour and backing is fastened to a double thickness of skin plating, supported by massive angle iron frames on the inside, and longitudinal angle iron girders on the outside, which are combined with the teak backing and give a further support to the armour. The range of fire in both the Almirante Cochrane' and the Blanco Encalada' is peculiar, for, although they have the same appearance as ordinary broadside ships, they are able with the three guns on each side to fire over all the points of the compass. This advantage was obtained by placing each of the fore and aft guns at the corners of the battery, and recessing the side of the ship so as to enable the foremost guns to fire right forward and in a line with the keel, and in like manner the aft guns fire right aft. The corners of the batteries are made of an octagonal shape, so that the same guns which fire right forward and aft can be brought into the broadside position and command any angle between that and the line of the keel. The midship guns on each side are made to fire on the broadside, and also to support the fire of the forward guns. A third ironclad was captured in the war against Peru, the turret ship 'Huascar' (see page 562), during the naval engagement in the Bay of Mejillones, fought October 8, 1879.

Area and Population.

The area of the republic is estimated to embrace 132,606 English square miles, with a population numbering 2,068,447 souls in 1875. The republic is divided into sixteen provinces, of the following area and population, according to the returns of the last census taken April 19, 1875:

Not included in the above table are three new provinces, or settlements, formed subsequently to the census, by a law of October 13, 1875. They are the province of Biobio, the territory of Angol, and the settlement of Arauco. The number of inhabitants of these districts is returned at 215,121, bringing the total population of Chili up to 2,283,568. The land of the Araucanians, a vast district in the south, claimed by the republic, is calculated to embrace 120,000 Eng. square miles, within which live about 70,000 inhabitants. By the new treaty with the Argentine Republic, Chili gives up all claim to Patagonia, except a small strip on the west coast and Magellan Straits, ceding to that country the eastern part of Tierra del Fuego. By the proposed conditions of peace with Peru (1881) Chili is to acquire the province of Tarapaca, 15,920 square miles, and 42,002 inhabitants (1876), with the guano deposits of the Lobos Islands. Until the indemnity of 20 million dollars is paid Chili is to occupy the port of Arica. As Chili has also annexed the seaboard of Bolivia, she now marches with Peru.

The two largest towns of Chili are Santiago, the capital, and Valparaiso, its port; the first of which had 129,807, and the second 97,775 inhabitants at the census of 1875.

Trade and Industry.

The foreign trade of Chili increased but very little in recent years. The total value of the imports in 1879 was 22,795,381 pesos, or 4,559,0761., while that of the exports in 1879 was 42,657,839 dollars, or 8,531,5677. Trade is carried on mainly with Great Britain, while France stands next in the list, followed by Germany, the United States, and Peru.

The commercial intercourse between Chili and the United Kingdom is shown in the subjoined tabular statement, which gives the value of the total exports to Great Britain and Ireland, and of the total imports of British and Irish produce and manufactures into Chili, in each of the five years from 1876 to 1880 :

Imports of British Home Produce into Chili

year

The staple article of export from Chili to the United Kingdom is copper. In the 1880 the value of the total exports of copper to Great Britain amounted to 2,102,503l. Of this total, the copper ore was valued at 21,180l., regulus at 426,7431., and unwrought or partly wrought copper at 1,544,5801. Next to copper, the most important articles exported to Great Britain are sugar, of the value of 90,7661.; and wool of the value of 133,599., in the year 1880.

The principal articles of British produce imported into Chili are cotton and woollen manufactures and iron. In 1880, the total imports of cotton fabrics were of the value of 936,1091.; of woollens, 143,5517.; and of iron, wrought and unwrought, 212,9187.

The commercial navy of Chili consisted, end of September 1878, of 87 vessels, of 22,434 tons, including 22 steamers, of 9,641 tons.

Chili was among the first States in South America in the construction of railways. At the end of June 1878, the total length of lines open for traffic was 977 English miles, while 209 miles more were in course of construction.

The post-office carried 7,572,987 letters and 9,129,748 newspapers and book parcels in the year 1879. There were 347 post-offices open at the end of the year. The postal revenue was 49,5921., and the expenditure 41,800l.

The length of telegraph lines was reported, at the end of 1879, at 5,186 miles. The number of telegraph offices at the same date was 143, of which 127 belonged to the state. In the year 1879 the telegraph carried 239,083 messages.

Diplomatic and Consular Representatives.

1. OF CHILI IN GREAT BRITAIN.

Envoy and Minister.-Don Alberto Blest-Gana, accredited March 6, 1868. Secretaries.-Carlos Morla Vicuna; Carlos Zanartu.

2. OF GREAT BRITAIN IN CHILI.

Minister and Consul-General.-Hon. Francis John Pakenham, formerly Secretary of Legation in Denmark; appointed Minister March 8, 1878.

Money, Weights, and Measures.

The money, weights, and measures of Chili are :—

The metric system of France has been legally established in Chili, but the old weights and measures are still in general use.

Statistical and other Books of Reference concerning Chili. 1. OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Estadistica comercial de la Républica de Chile. 8. Valparaiso, 1881. Memoria que el Ministro de Estado en el departamento del Interior presenta al Congreso nacional de 1880. 8. Santiago de Chile, 1881.

Quinto Censo general de la poblacion de Chile, levantado el 19 de Abril de 1875. 4. Valparaiso, 1876.

Report by Mr. Horace Rumbold, British Minister, on the progress and general condition of Chili, dated Santiago de Chile, December 1875; in Reports by H.M.'s Secretaries of Legation.' Part III. 1876. 8. London, 1876.

Report by Mr. Consul Drummond-Hay on the financial position of Chili, dated Valparaiso, August 11, 1876; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part I. 1877. 8. London, 1877.

Reports by Mr. Consul Grierson on the trade of Coquimbo; and by Mr. Consul Drummond-Hay on the trade and commerce of Valparaiso and of Chili, dated Jan.-March 1876; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part IV. 1876. 8. London, 1876.

Report by Mr. Consul Grierson on the commerce of Coquimbo, dated June, 1877; in Reports from H.M.'s Consuls.' Part V. 1877. 8. London, 1877. Trade of Chili with Great Britain; in 'Annual Statement of the Trade of the United Kingdom with Foreign Countries and British Possessions in the year 1880. Imp. 4. London, 1881.

2. NON-OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS.

Asta-Buruaga (Francisco S.), Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile. 8. New York, 1868.

Fonck (Dr. Fr.), Chile in der Gegenwart. 8. Berlin, 1870.

Innes (G. Rose). The progress and actual condition of Chile. 8. London, 1875. Menadier (J.), Estadistica comercial comparativa de la República de Chile, 4. Valparaiso, 1873.

Pissis (A.), Geografia Fisica de la Rep. de Chili. 8. Paris, 1875.

Rosales (R. P. Diego de), Historia General de el Reyno de Chile. 3 vols. 8. Valparais, 1877-78.

Wappaus (Prof. J. C.), Die Republiken von Süd-Amerika, geographisch und statistisch, 8. Göttingen, 1866.