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400 as these terraces, the numerous volcanoes, the earthquakes and the prevalence of mineral springs throughout the country, would go to show. About seventy-five miles southeast of Chilian hot springs are found almost at the snow line of the Chilian volcano. There are numerous other mineral springs celebrated for their medicinal qualities.

Though so lofty, the Chilean Andes are traversed by several passes. Eleven have been examined, but only two or three of them are ever used. The principal pass connecting Chile with Argentina is that of the Uspallata between San Rosa and Mendoza. It is over it that the transandine railroad runs. In the southern Andes numerous lakes abound, some of them being of considerable extent, as that of Llanquihue at the foot of the mountains near Puerto Montt. It is thirty miles long and twenty-two wide. North of Llanquiliue are several other large lakes, Ranco and Villarica being the largest. This chain of lakes, extending from Puerto Montt to the head waters of the river Tolten, constitutes, in fact, a continuation of the Gulf of Ancud, as the Chilo4 Archipelago is in reality a continuation of the mainland. There are two quite large lakes still farther north in the province of Concepcion, which lie high up in the Andes. Guilletue covers about fifty square miles ; La Laja, a short distance below Guilletue, has a beautiful waterfall at its outlet. The only lakes north of these are small bodies of water formed in the craters of extinct volcanoes high up in the Andes. Some of them, however, have an extent of two or three miles.

Nearly all the rivers of Chile have sand bars at their mouths, which effectually impede navigation. The Biobio has a length of two hundred and twenty miles and receives three large affluents, the Laja, Duqueco and