VALDIVIA  , a

southern province of Chile, bounded N. by Cautin, E. by Argentina, S. by Llanquihue and W. by the Pacific . Area, 8649 sq. m . Pop . (1895) 60,687; (1902, esti- mated) 76,000 . The province is roughly mountainous in the E., is heavily forested and is traversed by numerous rivers . There is a chain of lakes across its eastern side near the Andes, the largest of which are Villarica, Rinihue and Ranco . The rivers are the Tolten on the northern boundary, the Valdivia, or Calle-Calle, with its large tributaries in the central part of the province, and the Bueno on the southern frontier . The Valdivia (about Too m. long) has its sources in the Andes and flows W. to the Pacific . Its largest tributary on the N. is the Rio Cruces . The Valdivia is the outlet for Lake Rinihue and is navigable for a long distance . Valdivia is one of the most recently settled provinces and has a large immigrant element, chiefly German . Its most important industry is that of clearing away the heavy forests and marketing the timber .

Stock-raising is an important industry, and

wheat is grown on the cleared lands . Lumber, cattle, leather, flour and beer are ex-ported . The capital is Valdivia, a flourishing city on the Valdivia river, 12 M. above its port, Corral, near the mouth of the river . Pop . (1895) 8062; (1902, estimated) 9704 . It is a roughly built pioneer town, in which wood is the principal building material . The mean annual temperature is 59.9° and its annual rainfall is 115 in . A government railway runs to Osorno on the S., and in 1909 was being connected with the central line running S. through Bio-Bio and Cautin . The port of Corral, at the mouth of the Valdivia river, in lat . 390 49' S., long . 730 19' W., is situated on the S. side of a broad, lagoon-like sheet of water, forming one of the best natural harbours on the coast . It is a port of call for several lines of steamers, including those of the Pacific Mail running between Liverpool and Valparaiso .