CHILE
7i
part of the country, they are not navigable,
but by a proper system of conserving and stor
ing their water might be made useful for gen
erating power or light.
Her extensive coast line gives Chile 59
ports on the Pacific, most of which are open
roadsteads and at certain times of the year
positively dangerous, loading and unloading
of vessels being done by means of lighters,
ships being obliged to lie from one to two
miles off the land. The principal ports from
north to south in the order named are Arica,
Pisagua, Iquiqui, Tocopilla, Antofagasta,
Taltal, Caldera, Carrizal, Coquimbo, Val
paraiso, Talcahuano, Coronel, Valdivia,
Puerto Monte, Ancud, and Punta Arenas, the
most southerly city on this continent and one
of the big fur markets of the world.
Chile is to-day spending millions of dollars
on the modernization of her leading ports so
as to properly safeguard life and property,
but it will be years before this work is finished.
Primarily the wealth of Chile comes from
her nitrate beds and her mining possibilities.