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83-518: The Ancud sailed out from Ancud on May 22, 1843. The crew were carrying supplies for the estimated seven months journey, as well as supplies to settle a colony in the Strait of Magellan. On board were 23 crew (20 men, 2 women, 1 child), of which about half would stay in the Magallanes region with the mission of establish a permanent settlement. They brought two lifeboats, but lost one of them during

166-432: A corsair and pirate menace , Spanish authorities ordered the depopulation of the archipelago to deprive enemies of eventual support from native populations. This led to the transfer of Chono population to Chiloé Archipelago in the north while other Chonos moved south of Taitao Peninsula effectively depopulating the territory. After this relations between remaining Chonos south of Guaitecas Archipelago and Spaniards and

249-484: A beach nearby and the next day, when the schooner Ancud had left to continue his journey, was reported to Americans that if they were meeting them again in Chilean territory without a formal permission of local authorities they will proceed to confiscate the boat. Continuing south, they were naming landforms that were not called out on their maps. When they reached Punta Santa Ana in the Strait on September 21, 1843, all

332-618: A coastal people, arrived from the mainland north of Chiloé and settled on the eastern shore of the Isla Grande, practicing horticulture and fishing. Some accounts mention the northern half of the Chiloé Island as Cunco territory. It can be said that Chiloé was a contact zone between the Mapuche (Araucanian) world and the southern tribes. The main island was first discovered by Spaniards in 1553 by Francisco de Ulloa. In 1567,

415-463: A colony rich enough to conquer, it later became a problematic region due to its geographical isolation from mainland Chile and the War of Arauco in the mainland. Chiloé Island was largely exempt from the turmoil that affected the Chilean mainland due to conflicts with Huilliches and Mapuches, but was notably affected in 1712 by a large Huilliche rebellion . During colonial times, Chiloé served as base for

498-588: A major role in shaping life in the islands. In colonial times , Chiloé was an important bulwark in the defence against Dutch and British incursions to Chile and Patagonia . The archipelago was the last Spanish possession in Chile, successfully repelling patriot invasions until 1826 . In the 19th century, the archipelago was a starting point for the Chilean colonisation of Patagonia . Not only were major expeditions assembled in Chiloé, but thousands of Chilotes migrated to

581-501: A pagan land; the result was a mixing of Catholicism and pagan beliefs. In addition, the use of flat wooden tiles as shingles ( wood shingles ) became a staple in its architecture. Sixteen of these Churches of Chiloé still remain and have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites . Nearly all the houses and buildings in colonial Chiloe were built with wood, and wood shingles were extensively employed. Roof shingles of Fitzroya came to be used as money and called Real de alerce . In

664-585: A series of explorations towards the interior of Patagonia as well as to its channels. The Jesuit Nicolás Mascardi crossed the Andes through the Vuriloche Pass and set up a mission on the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake in 1670. The Jesuits established in Chiloé brought Chonos from islands south of Chiloé to settle in the archipelago, which led to acculturation with the Spanish- Huilliche of

747-544: A storm south of Queitao in Guaitecas Archipelago . They called at a place known as Puerto Americano or Tangbac, where two American ships were anchored: the schooner Betzei and the brig Enterprise , both seal hunters. Williams tried unsuccessfully to buy from the Enterprise captain a boat and some nautical charts by Robert Fitz Roy, but only got a negative answer for the boat and just permission to copy

830-543: A tradition shared with Chiloé Archipelago. In the 1990s, salmon aquaculture became an important economic activity leading to leading salmon aquaculture companies to establish facilities in Melinka using the town as operative base. On February 3 and 4, a "feria costumbrista" is held at Repollal Alto in Ascención Island. Fishermen in Melinka offer combined tours of bird watching and whale watching through

913-560: Is a dish made from fish , clams (almejas), ribbed mussels (cholgas), giant barnacles (picorocos), meats, and potatoes of Chiloé wrapped in leaves and cooked in a hole in the ground by hot stones. It can also be cooked in a pot over a bonfire, becoming pulmay. Chiloé has a rich folklore, with many mythological animals and spirits such as the Caleuche , the Trauco , the Pincoya and

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996-578: Is affected by winter storms. The wild potatoes that grow in the archipelago are mostly found in its western part. Apparently these potatoes do not reproduce by seeds and rarely produce flowers and fruits. Slightly inland from the herbaceous zone follows a belt of brushy thickets. This belt is followed by coastline forest that further away from the coasts gives way to a proper inland forest, which may contain peat bogs . The archipelago contains 431 —or 2.8%— of Aysén Region's 15,240 ha of Sphagnum bogs. A variety of whales and dolphins have been spotted in

1079-464: Is known within Chile for its distinctive folklore, mythology , potatoes , cuisine and unique architecture . The culture of Chiloé is the result of mixing of Huilliche , Spanish and Chono influences in centuries of isolation without much contact with the rest of Chile or the Western World. Its cool temperate climate, abundance of sea resources and large and lush forests have also played

1162-442: Is mainly restricted to Chiloe Island and nearby areas. In part because of its physical isolation from the rest of Chile, and access to different materials, Chiloé has a special architecture that differs most greatly from the typical Spanish colonial architecture . The Spanish who arrived in the 16th century, and Jesuit missionaries who followed, constructed hundreds of small wooden churches in an attempt to bring Christianity to

1245-428: Is similar to Chiloé Archipelago . The archipelago has a rainy and cool maritime temperate climate . Mean annual precipitation at Melinka is of 3,173 mm (124.9 in). Mean annual temperature is about 7–9 °C (44.6–48.2 °F). From September to December high tides in combination with storms produce large waves that wash over land depositing sand and gravel onshore. The main vegetation assemblage of

1328-559: The Guaitecas Archipelago south of Chiloé, to deprive enemies of any eventual support from native populations. This was in line with the ideas of Governor Antonio Narciso de Santa María , who thought the Spanish should concentrate efforts in defending Chiloé Island. Depopulation of Guaitecas Archipelago meant the indigenous Chono population settled in the Chiloé Archipelago, where they became gradually assimilated. Ancud

1411-703: The Invunche . Chilota mythology is based on a mixture of indigenous religions, (the Chonos and Huilliches ), that live in the Archipelago of Chiloé, and the legends and superstitions brought by the Spanish Conquistadores . In 1567, the process of conquest in Chiloé by the conquistadors brought forth the fusion of elements that would form a separate mythology. Chilota mythology flourished, isolated from other beliefs and myths in mainland Chile, due to

1494-596: The Isla Guafo , for a total land area of approximately 9,181 square kilometres (3,545 square miles). The administrative center of the province is the city of Castro , while the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic bishopric is Ancud . The province of Chiloé is part of the Los Lagos Region ( Región de los Lagos ), which primarily consists of the Chilean lakes region on the mainland north of Chiloé;

1577-570: The Llanquihue Lake , where German settlers were given land. The last major portion of Patagonia to be incorporated into Chile, Aysén was also explored and settled from Chiloé. In the colonization process of Patagonia, Chilotes immigrants constituted a large part of the work force of the livestock enterprises that were established in Patagonia between 1890 and 1950. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, thousands of Chilotes migrated to

1660-564: The Pilgerodendron Era the archipelago and the other islands of Patagonia have had a reputation of lawlessness. Felipe Westhoff wrote: One of the most famous of the early outlaws was Pedro Ñancúpel a pirate who was captured in Melinka in 1886 and bought into justice in Ancud the same year. 19th century inhabitants of Melinka were engaged in fur trade. Fur was obtained from southern river otter and marine otter . Hunting

1743-497: The Spanish conquest , and historical and molecular evidence suggests that it is the progenitor of the world's most widely cultivated variety of potato, S. tuberosum tuberosum . The native fauna includes many birds, a few subspecies of which are endemic to the archipelago. Among land mammals, the largest are Darwin's fox (named as such because Charles Darwin was the first to collect a specimen, on Isla San Pedro , Chiloé ) and

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1826-529: The native potatoes , given the adverse climate. During the first years of the colony, the spiritual labour was carried out by Mercedarians and Franciscans . The first Jesuits arrived in 1608 and founded in 1612 the first church in Castro . Because of the scattered population living in different islands, the Jesuits established a circular mission system with numerous chapels and churches. The priests of

1909-579: The pudú , a small deer. Marine mammals include Commerson's dolphins and South American sea lions , which form colonies at rock outcrops close to the sea. Several species of whale have been sighted around the island, notably blue whales (see also Alfaguara project ) and critically endangered southern right whales . The Chiloé Archipelago may have been populated as early as 12,000 to 11,800 BC , according to archaeological discoveries in Monte Verde , located less than 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of

1992-545: The second voyage of HMS Beagle Robert FitzRoy mapped the archipelago. FitzRoy noted that Puerto Low in the archieplago was permanently inhabited by people from Chiloé, which he did not identify as indigenous. Explorations sanctioned by the Chilean state begun with navy officer Francisco Hudson in 1857, Hudson and German settler Franz Fonck made explorations in Guaitecas Archipelago those years. With Hudson's death in 1859 Francisco Vidal Gormaz continued

2075-399: The 1980s to more than 60% urban in 2012. In part because of its physical isolation from the rest of Chile, Chiloé has a special architecture and local culture. During the colonization of Patagonia and southern Chile in the 19th century, cultural elements of Chiloé spread to that zone, as many chilotes migrated and settled there. Chilotan architecture is a unique architectural style that

2158-483: The 1980s, the economy of Chiloé has become increasingly dependent on large-scale commercial fishing ventures, aquaculture ( salmon farming in particular), and, more recently, tourism. The rapid industrialization of the region, triggered by Chile's adoption of a neoliberal economic model under the Pinochet dictatorship in the 1970s, has led to a major demographic shift of the island's population, from majority rural in

2241-474: The 2-kilometre-wide (1.2-mile) Chacao Channel in the north. Most of the good harbors are located on the island's northern and eastern shores. The eastern shore is marked by a series of peninsulas and inlets, notably Estero de Castro where the capital, Castro, is located. The western part of Chiloé Island, as well as the whole of Guafo Island, is hilly and covered by forests. The hills are subdivided into two north–south ranges, Piuchén and Pirulil , separated by

2324-434: The Andes, with Gran Guaiteca containing the archipelago's high point at 369 m (1,211 ft). The main settlement in the archipelago is Melinka , a port town with an economy revolving around fishing and salmon aquaculture . Most islands are forested, rocky with recurrent peat bogs . The archipelago waters are renowned for their rich whale and dolphin fauna. The climate is cool, rainy and oceanic . Historically

2407-632: The Chilote households to host a group of cultural heritage tourists for the first time. The visits were successful and should be the first of more to come, helping establish the credibility of Chiloé's agrotourism network among other tour operators. Origenes Tour (25 October 2017). "Tourism in Chiloe" . Origenes Tour . Retrieved 21 October 2017 . Chiloé is derived from the Mapuche word chillwe , meaning "seagull place". Chill or chülle refers to

2490-564: The Chiloé Archipelago. It has distinct differences from standard Chilean Spanish in accent, pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary, especially influenced by the Huilliche variant of Mapudungun . The cuisine of Chiloé has its origin in pre-Hispanic traditions among native Chonos and Huilliches . Typical features of Chilote cuisine include earth oven and asado barbecues. Chilote cuisine makes extensive use of fish, shellfish and potatoes , of which there are plenty of varieties growing in

2573-542: The Chiloé diocese of Ancud established a private foundation called "Fundación con Todos" (One for All Foundation). The foundation helps repair damaged churches on the islands and assists local residents in developing tourism. In cooperation with the EOMF and the Chiloé Model Forest, a cultural and natural heritage tour was organized to Argentina and Chile, including a three-day visit to Chiloé, permitting some of

Chilean schooner Ancud (1843) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2656-502: The Sea of Chiloé are Quinchao , Lemuy , Tranqui , and Desertores Islands . To the northeast and southeast of the archipelago lie the Gulf of Ancud and the Gulf of Corcovado ; the former is part of the Sea of Chiloé. Some 40 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Chiloé Island lies Guafo Island , the southernmost island of the archipelago. Chiloé Island is separated from the Chilean mainland by

2739-554: The administrative center of the region is Puerto Montt . Chiloé Island is by far the largest island in the archipelago, at 8,394 square kilometres (3,241 square miles). It is roughly rectangular, with its long axis oriented from north to south. To the east of Chiloé Island lies the Sea of Chiloé , which contains most of the other islands in the archipelago. The Sea of Chiloé is a marginal sea separating Chiloé Island from Palena Province (also called Continental Chiloé). The main islands in

2822-487: The airport opened in Castro, the only way to reach the islands was by ferry. Main cultural attractions include the islands' local culture, coastline, and clear waters. Some of the islands' churches are UNESCO World Heritage sites; however, not all of them are always accessible to the public. In order to overcome the cultural and organizational barriers that keep suppliers of living cultural heritage and tour operators apart,

2905-451: The archipelago is varied. In the northwest it is made of metamorphic rock , with rocks such as phyllite , meta cherts and greenschist . In the southeast granitoids , lavas and brecciated lavas make most of the bedrock. The archipelago bears various marks of erosion from the glaciers that repeatedly covered the area during the last 2 million years. Among these marks are the numerous skerries of rôche moutonnées that surround

2988-430: The archipelago waters including: Peale's dolphins , black dolphins , bottlenose dolphins , humpback whales , minke whales and killer whales . The Gulf of Corcovado to the north of the archipelago is "arguably the largest feeding and nursing ground for blue whales [...] in the entire Southern Hemisphere" . All of this makes Guaitecas Archipelago a privileged place for whale watching . The bedrock of

3071-524: The archipelago's different islands. Chiloé is a center of diversity of potatoes and the origin of most of cultivated potatoes outside Andes, belonging to subspecies Solanum tuberosum tuberosum . Lamb is considered the most appreciated meat and is eaten and prepared as an asado , especially around Christmas and New Year. Apple chicha ( cider ) is a common alcoholic beverage. Other typical alcoholic beverages are murtado and licor de oro liqueurs. Traditional cuisine includes curanto and pulmay. Curanto

3154-472: The archipelago. Chilo%C3%A9 Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago ( Spanish : Archipiélago de Chiloé , pronounced [tʃiloˈe] , locally [ʃiloˈe] ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile , in the Los Lagos Region . It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and the Gulf of Corcovado in

3237-494: The archipelago. Radiocarbon dating of a shell midden in Gran Guaiteca has yielded an age of about 5,100 years B.P. making this a minimum age for human presence in the archipelago. Lithic artifacts found in the archipelago are usually made of basalt or andesite rock. In Pre-Hispanic and colonial times the archipelago was inhabited by Chonos , who lived as hunter-gatherers traveling by canoe. The Chono used

3320-430: The area by Spanish religious and military authorities waned until the 1740s. Jesuit Mateo Esteban who visited the islands in the 17th century estimated its population at 170 individuals, 120 of which he managed to gather in a meeting. Following the crushing of the Huilliche rebellion of 1712 in Chiloé a small group of Huilliches went into hiding in Guaitecas Archipelago to avoid harsh Spanish reprimands. As result of

3403-482: The case of Jesuits and by rumours about settlements made by rival colonial powers as well the search for the mythical City of the Caesars . In 1662 Jesuit missionary Nicolás Mascardi visited Guaitecas Archipelago constructing a rudimentary church on the islands. In the 1670s the islands were briefly visited by the expeditions of Bartolomé Gallardo and Antonio de Vea . However, efter this last expedition interest in

Chilean schooner Ancud (1843) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3486-676: The charts. They stayed in Puerto Americano until July 3 dedicated to building a boat. Meanwhile, the naturalist Bernardo Philippi was responsible for hand-copying the charts. On July 26, they tried to pass Taitao Peninsula , but bad weather, together with a failure of the rudder and a starboard crack drove them back to seek shelter again in Puerto Americano, arriving there on August 2. The next day Williams sent Miller, Philippi and five more men by boat back to Chiloé with orders to reach Dalcahue , about 300 km away, and from there travel by road about 80 km to Ancud to get supplies,

3569-545: The circular mission travelled from September to May to the scattered missions using dalcas . The Jesuits established a collegium in 1660 in Castro. By 1767, when the Society of Jesus was suppressed , there were 13 Jesuit missioners and 79 chapels. From 1771 onwards, the Franciscans took over the functions of the Jesuits in Chiloé. As result of a corsair and pirate menace , Spanish authorities ordered to depopulate

3652-498: The colonial era, Indian towns (Queilen, Chonchi, Tenaún), Spanish towns (Chacao and Quenac) and other mixed towns (Castro, Dalcahue, etc.) were all peresent. Salmon aquaculture , tourism, agriculture and timber are the mainstays of the island economy. Some 1,400 salmon farms are spread among the islands. LAN Airlines constructed a small airport in November 2012, which opened Chiloé to more tourism than it had experienced. Before

3735-506: The crew of the schooner went ashore and took formal possession of the surrounding territory on behalf of Chile and started the process to build Fuerte Bulnes . Before leaving to scout eastward on September 26 they left in Santa Ana a sign engraved with the words "Republic of Chile" and "Viva Chile!". After scouting the area, and having met a tribe of Tehuelches , they left the strait on 4 December to their way back. A full size replica of

3818-645: The eastern and northern coast of Chiloé Island. Some native plants like Gevuina avellana and Fascicularia bicolor have edible seeds, and others like the Chilean rhubarb have edible stems. The most notable edible plant native to Chiloé is the potato ( Solanum tuberosum ), which contrary to the Andean potatoes of Peru and Bolivia is adapted to the long-day conditions prevalent in the higher latitudes of southern Chile. Hundreds of varieties of this potato have been cultivated by local indigenous peoples since before

3901-417: The explorations, a duty that Enrique Simpson assumed in the 1870s. Simpson mapped Guaitecas Archipelago onboard of the corvette Chacabuco in the 1870s. He found FitzRoy's mapping of the northern part of the archipelago fine writing in 1870 that "Fitzroy's chart, that is quite exact until that point [ Melinka 43°53' S] , is worthless further ahead..." . Thus, south of Melinka Simpson relied more in

3984-441: The ferry that connects the village of Chacao, Ancud Comuna , on Route 5 at the northern end of Chiloé Island, across the Chacao Channel with the village of Pargua , Calbuco Comuna , on the mainland. The archipelago's original vegetation is Valdivian temperate rainforest , a forest with a very dense understory and a large diversity of plant species, including many mosses and ferns . The western and southern portions of

4067-421: The foremost Pilgerodendron businessman. The chief export products of Álvarez were poles and vine training stacks that went to northern Chile and Peru . Álvarez business owned him the nickname of "The King of Pilgerodendron" ( Spanish : El Rey del Ciprés ) and had great effects on the incipient economic development that came to link the archipelagoes of Chiloé , Guaitecas and Chonos . Ever since

4150-469: The growth of cities such as Ancud , Castro and Quellón . Since the 1990s, salmon aquaculture and tourism have been important sources of revenue in the archipelago, complementing traditional activities such as fishing and small scale agriculture . The Chiloé Province ( Spanish : Provincia de Chiloé ) includes all of the Chiloé Archipelago, except the Grupo Desertores islands, plus

4233-506: The inhabitants of Chiloé remained hostile up to the 19th century as attested by Enrique Simpson . Following the decline of the Chono populations in the archipelago in the 18th century, the area gained a reputation of "emptyness" among Chileans akin to the description of eastern Patagonia as a "desert." However, the islands were often visited and traversed in the 19th century by fishermen, lumberjacks , and hunters from Chiloé. In 1834 during

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4316-421: The inhabitants of southern Chiloé who visited these areas for wood, fish or hunting. Felipe Westhoff , a German-Lithuanian immigrant who operated a Pilgerodendron uviferum logging business from Ancud , founded Melinka in 1860. This was the first permanent settlement in the archipelago. Chilean authorities granted Westhoff exclusive rights on Pilgerodendron extraction in the archipelago and bestowed him

4399-524: The island are still largely covered by the native forest. Notable species include arrayán ( Luma apiculata ), coihue ( Nothofagus dombeyi ), quila ( Chusquea quila ), Chilean rhubarb , and the avellano ( Gevuina avellana ). Fitzroya cupressoides and tepú ( Tepualia stipularis ) grow in the poorly drained soils of the Piuchén and Pirulil ranges. Before the end of the Llanquihue glaciation ,

4482-468: The island was conquered for Spain by Captain Martín Ruiz de Gamboa , who was at the head of an expedition of 110 Spaniards. Gamboa named the islands Nueva Galicia (New Galicia ) in honor of the place of origin of Rodrigo de Quiroga who as governor had organized the expedition. Gamboa established a settlement at Castro in 1567, which later became the seat of a Jesuit mission and was capital of

4565-459: The island. Unlike the central region of Chile where a long war of independence resumed after a Spanish reoccupation, Chiloé never joined the Patria Vieja (Old Republic), and rather than conspiring to overthrow the local Spanish administration, its population gave Spain wide support. From 1812 on, men from Chiloé would be enlisted as soldiers and sent to fight in Chile, Bolivia and Peru for

4648-562: The islands is the Bosque Siempreverde con Turberas de los Chonos (lit. "Chonos Evergreen Forest with Bogs") with the characteristic tree Pilgerodendron uviferum . Other trees in these forests are Nothofagus nitida (coigüe de Chiloé), Metrosideros stipularis (tepú) and Weinmannia trichosperma (tineo). In the ground of the more-less open Pilgerodendron forest cushion plants such as Astelia pumila , Donatia fascicularis and Oreobolus obtusangulus grow. In

4731-466: The islands were inhabited by semi-nomad and seafaring Chonos and lay beyond the southernmost outposts of the Spanish Empire . In the second half of the 19th century, the islands became permanently settled as consequence of a wood logging boom centered on Ciprés de las Guaitecas ( Pilgerodendron uviferum ), a tree named after the archipelago. Culturally the northwestern part of the archipelago

4814-427: The lakes Cucao and Huillinco . They contain the highest points in the archipelago and do not exceed 800 metres (2,600 feet). Depressions in the western forest are occupied by numerous small lakes and bogs scattered across the landscape. A bridge to the mainland is planned for the archipelago, despite opposition from some residents who fear pollution and habitat destruction . The Chacao Channel bridge would replace

4897-473: The late 18th century sketches of José de Moraleda y Montero . Navy hydrographer Francisco Vidal Gormaz explored and charted the islands in the second half of the 19th century becoming critical of the work of Robert FitzRoy and Charles Darwin whom according to him had failed acknowledge the importance of the Patagonian islands. It is however clear that many of the explored areas were already known to

4980-427: The late 19th century, many palafitos ( stilt houses ) were built in cities like Castro and Chonchi . Homes and hotels in the region also employ the use of wood shingles , usually painted in bright, bold colors. Depending on the region, palafitos are another distinct architecture feature of Chiloé. These are traditional fisherman's houses built on wooden stilts. Chilote is a dialect of Spanish language spoken in

5063-614: The main indigenous language of the archipelago at the arrival of the Spanish being Huilliche . A theory postulated by chronicler José Pérez García holds that the Cuncos settled in Chiloé Island in Pre-Hispanic times as consequence of a push from more northern Huilliches , who in turn were being displaced by Mapuches . Cuncos, Huilliches and Mapuches all belong to the wider Mapuche macro-ethnicity. The Cuncos, who were

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5146-403: The main island. Chiloé's first ethnically identifiable inhabitants are believed to be the Chonos , a seafaring nomadic people. This has led to the assumption that Chonos were the people who left behind most of the abundant shell middens (chonchales) of the Chiloé Archipelago, yet this claim is unverified. There are various placenames in the Chiloé Archipelago with Chono etymologies , despite

5229-628: The main islands. Various channels between the islands are fjords shaped by glaciers and moraines in the archipelago are mostly to be found underwater. A study based on archaeological sites shows an overall trend of uplift in the archipelago during the Holocene Epoch . The archipelago has been uplifted at rates of 0.57 m/ka to 5.42 m/ka during the Holocene. The archipelago was affected by earthquakes in 1575 , 1737 , 1837 , 1960 and 2016 . The 1960 earthquake caused some subsidence in

5312-523: The mainland, so that by 1863 Puerto Montt was made capital of its own province, and, in 1927, the Chiloé Archipelago was incorporated into a new province headed by Puerto Montt. The cathedral in Ancud was destroyed and Castro was badly damaged by the Great Chilean earthquake of 1960, the most powerful ever recorded. In 1982, the provincial capital, after over 20 years, was returned to Castro. Since

5395-538: The mainland, taking up work as railway navvies in southern Chile or in husbandry operations owned by Chileans in Argentine Patagonia. Some Chiloes also established themselves as independent settlers, as was the case of many in Valle Manso , Río Negro Territory . During the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Chiloé lost economic and political importance to Puerto Montt on

5478-471: The many caves found in the archipelago as cemeteries, where remains were preserved as mummies . The islands made up the southern limit of Pre-Hispanic agriculture as noted by the mention of the cultivation of potatoes by a Spanish expedition in 1557. The Spanish, who had settled in Chiloé Archipelago since 1567 launched from there numerous southward expeditions over the next two and half centuries. These explorations were driven by religious motives in

5561-501: The population of Guaitecas Archipelago is of Chilote - Huilliche background. Since the 1980s, the extraction of sea urchins and locos have featured prominently in the economy. In 1985 the discovery of merluza fishing grounds in Moraleda Channel sparkled a fishing boom. This boom had greater impact on more eastwards locations and in Guaitecas Archipelago the inhabitants continued to focus on benthic resources,

5644-507: The province according to the 2002 census was 154,775; of this, 44% lived in rural areas, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). Chiloé's people are known as Chilotes . The population descends mainly from the mixture of natives ( Huilliches , Cuncos , Payos and Chonos) and the Spanish, with later contributions of Chileans from other regions and a few Europeans (e.g., Germans and Croats ). During

5727-422: The province until the founding of Ancud in 1768. In early colonial times, the Spanish introduced a number of Old World crops and agricultural systems. Some of these cultivars and systems ended with poor results, yet the introduction of pigs and apple trees proved a success. Pigs benefited from abundant shellfish and algae exposed by the large tides . Wheat came to be grown in lesser quantities compared to

5810-473: The royalist cause. In December 1817, the island became the last stronghold of Spanish royalists (together with Valdivia ) fleeing from the Chilean mainland. A Chilean expedition led by Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald disembarked 60 men under command of William Miller but failed to conquer it after the small but disastrous Battle of Agüi . Another unsuccessful conquest attempt occurred in 1824, when Jorge Beauchef , who had disembarked in Chiloé Island,

5893-487: The rudder repaired and inform the governor about their journey. They returned 23 days later with a boat carrying supplies. After discovering a smuggling plot by the Enterprise , Williams ordered its captain to withdraw his ship from Puerto Americano . As he did not obey, the next day the brig was seized and Williams threatened to fire on them if they ignored the order. The Enterprise was retired from Puerto Americano to

5976-660: The separation of the archipelago from the rest of the Spanish occupation in Chile, and the Mapuches occupation or destruction of all the Spanish settlements between the Bío-Bío River and the Chacao channel following the disaster of Curalaba in 1598. According to Chilotan mythology, the origin of the archipelago lies in a fierce battle between two serpents, Ten Ten-Vilu ( ten , "earth", vilu , "snake") and Coi Coi-Vilu ( Co , "water", vilu , "snake"). The population of

6059-663: The ship was open to visitors in the Nao Victoria Museum in Punta Arenas , Chile . Guaitecas Archipelago Guaitecas Archipelago is a sparsely populated archipelago in the Aisén region of Chile . The archipelago is made up of eight main islands and numerous smaller ones. The eight largest islands are from northwest to southeast: Gran Guaiteca, Ascención, Betecoy, Clotilde, Leucayec, Elvira, Sánchez and Mulchey. The islands have subdued topography compared to

6142-529: The southeast. All islands except the Desertores Islands form Chiloé Province . The main island is Chiloé Island . Of roughly rectangular shape, the southwestern half of this island is a wilderness of contiguous forests, wetlands and, in some places, mountains . The landscape of the northeastern sectors of Chiloé Island and the islands to the east is dominated by rolling hills, with a mosaic of pastures, forests and cultivated fields. The archipelago

6225-420: The southern parts of Chiloé Island constituted open landscapes. This changed around 12,500 years ago when the climate became warmer and forests colonized the region. The upper portions of Cordillera del Piuchén , locally known as la Campaña , have a Magellanic moorland vegetation. The arrival of agriculture in pre-Hispanic times was the origin of the patchy landscape of pastures and farms that now dominates

6308-467: The sparsely populated mainland to work in sheep-raising estancias , as railway navvies , or to become independent settlers. Belief in witchcraft has been common in the archipelago, reaching such influence that in 1880 Chilean authorities put on trial warlocks said to rule the archipelago through a secret society . Once considered an isolated and backward part of Chile, today the archipelago retains its rural character despite increased connectivity and

6391-431: The title of subdelegado marítimo which gave him some duties and authority over the archipelago, in reality it meant little since he did not have the means to enforce the law or his rights. When Westhoff's time spent in the archipelago diminished in the early 1870s the title of subdelegado marítimo passed to his associate Enrique Lagrèze. After Westhoff's retirement in the 1870s Ciriaco Álvarez rose to prominence as

6474-407: The western fringes of the archipelago the vegetation is made up of a c . 2-meter (6.6 ft) high shrubland of Pilgerondendron and Nothofagus nitida . Amidst this shrubland, occasional peatlands and forest exists. Vegetation type changes from the shore towards the island's interior parts. Next to the sea, herbs and occasional wild potatoes grow. This is a zone of regular disturbance that

6557-530: Was ambushed at the Battle of Mocopulli . Only on 15 January 1826 did the Royalist forces of Antonio de Quintanilla negotiate a surrender to a new military expedition led by Ramon Freire , and the island was fully incorporated into the independent Republic of Chile, although Spain did not recognize Chile until 1844. The last Spanish military governors were: Charles Darwin arrived in Chiloé on 28 June 1834 and

6640-400: Was based there for six months, writing about his impressions of southern Chile in his diaries . The archipelago had been an old royalist stronghold, and its inhabitants were known during the 19th century for complaining about not having a king. Darwin wrote of Chiloé in 1834: "The Indians ended all their complaints by saying, 'And it is only because we are poor Indians, and know nothing; but it

6723-458: Was made capital of the Chiloé in 1767. In 1784, Chiloé Island was made a direct dependency of the colonial viceroyalty of Peru as a consequence of the Bourbon reforms , while continental Chile was a captaincy-general within the viceroyalty. The change of capital and shift to dependency corresponded to a new strategic view of the Chiloé Archipelago. While initially Chiloé was viewed by Spaniards as

6806-435: Was made with the aid of dogs. These hunters travelled often south beyond Taitao Peninsula to obtain furs. The main settlement in the archipelago is Melinka on Ascención Island, with 1,411 inhabitants as of 2002. As of 2017 the archipelago had a population of 1,843 inhabitants, a rise of almost 20 percent since the 2002 census. Since 2016, the settlements of Melinka and Repollal have electricity 24 hours per day. Much of

6889-527: Was not so when we had a King. ' " As Chiloé had been a defensive stronghold during colonial times, the Republic of Chile used Chiloé as a starting point for its territorial expansion into the southern territories. The expedition to the Straits of Magellan , that founded Fuerte Bulnes in 1843, was assembled in Chiloé. In the 1850s, Chiloé was again instrumental in the logistical support of the colonization of

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