whose names are not usually given in the book, but who existed
presentation to the government in 1830, he wrote that in the course
in 1854. The two volumes of documents left the press in 1846 and
was also the Colonial form of shipping for transporting export
and, perhaps unknowingly, contributed to it. This is apparent in
of the first year of his sojourn in Chile he had undertaken the study
1852, respectively. Agriculture, the last section to appear, had Vol.
goods, which was to last for a long time yet, the sailing ships that
many of the notes to the natural history, where we may infer how
of Natural History and Geology in the surroundings of Santiago,
I in 1862 and Vol. ii in 1865. The prints that composed the Atlas had
then sailed the Pacific for preference, the goats that were already
the scientist collected the information to complement the descrip-
resulting in “more than fifteen hundred drawings in colour”, de-
appeared between 1844 and 1865.
devastating the region, and the simplicity, even precariousness,
tion of a certain species given in the body of the book.
scribing species and objects, as well as a map of the capital city. In
of life in the desert.
r epr e sen tat ion of chile
Two large volumes of prints compose
The figures representing landscapes and places in the Near
the geographic and scientific Atlas
North, including Guanta, Cogotí, and Chalinga, show the conjunc-
significant number of the species collected were most difficult to
and collection of picturesque scenes
tion of mining, so characteristic of the area, with agriculture re-
preserve and describe owing to their fine tissues and brilliant co-
of the Historia Física y Política de Chile, the first of which were
stricted to the valleys where water was available. Doubtless, and
lours. It was thus essential to draw and paint them in their naturally
published in 1844 and the last in 1854.
again ref lecting the mentality of the country he had to explore,
References to his informants abound in the pages of his natural
addition to what might be termed pedagogical reasons, the needs
history of Chile: “the inhabitants of Chile”, “the credulous peas-
of science were what caused Gay to make his pictures. Indeed, a
ants”, “many people”, “many Chileans”, “the poor”, “clever fishermen”, “one of the best whalers”, “the people of Colchagua”, ”the farm owners and country people”, and others. The references, experiences, data, practices, knowledge, and
fresh condition. At one point he wrote, referring to certain species
Gay’s prints contain scenes of agricultural and mining work,
Gay idealizes the agricultural landscape, showing a vegetation and
news that the scientist was able to obtain from the inhabitants of
collected in Chiloé, “I have had to paint them alive and describe
forms of sociableness, manifestations of piety, buildings, public
surroundings more typical of the valleys of the central area than the
Chile are invaluable testimonials because they spring from infor-
them at the same time, in order to show them in all their beauty”.
spaces, populations, types and customs of the people, and views of
arid and dry soil of the north. All the same, there are the miners, the
mal, even spontaneous, conversations which, for that very reason
The urge to leave a graphic sketch of his research had led, as he
landscapes. Eugenio Pereira Salas called them “different traces of
foundry furnaces, and the olive presses, next to the tilled fields and
and because of the characteristics of those who furnished them, are
stated in his Prospectus, to an immense accumulation of more than
Chilean idiosyncrasy in its folkloric and historic aspects”. In addi-
tree-lined avenues, all surrounded by hills denuded of vegetation.
of extraordinary value for illustrating the natural and cultural life
3 000 drawings”. In this context he offered to “select those most
tion, the Atlas also contains prints of vegetable and animal species,
Whereas in the prints drawn on his excursions over the cen-
of this country. They are a palpable sample of the varied, numer-
interesting, which, retouched by our good genre painters and en-
drawings by the French scientist to explain what was called “the
tral valley, the foothills of the mountains, the south centre area,
ous, and prolonged contacts he made with the population of the
graved by our most competent engravers”, he foretold, “would make
ecology of the country, its landscape, its f lowers and its fruits”.
Araucanía, and Chiloé, Gay shows the greenery of some of those re-
country over which he travelled for more than a decade in order
a collection with the two-fold merit of having been drawn from living
Maps were also included of the provinces of Chile, some of its major
gions, particularly in winter, showing also the most characteristic
to write his magnum opus, the Historia Física y Política de Chile.
nature and of belonging to a single botanical and zoological region,
ports, its most notable geographic features, maps of Santiago and
activities of the inhabitants, together with scenes from natural life.
aiding the study of this beautiful part of scientific knowledge”.
the battle of Maipú. All headed by the great “Map for the intel-
“Laguna de Aculeo”, “Vista de la Laguna de la Laja en el nacimiento
ligence of the Physical and Political History of Chile”.
del río” and “Los pinares de Nahuelbuta”, are eloquent scenes of
public at ion of t he wor k
Having completed the stage of re-
Back in Paris in October 1842, Gay began the task of having his
search on site, Gay now had to print
work printed. In spite of worries connected with the financing of
In his Atlas, Claude Gay includes forty-six prints showing the
the landscape that attracted the attention of the naturalist. Just as
the result of years of work. Before
his work, and thanks to his vigour and perseverance, in December
condition of a specific population, the beauty of a natural landscape
“Una trilla”, “Una matanza”, and “Caza a los cóndores”, show that
returning to France, he remained in Chile for nearly two years,
1843 Gay had texts and engravings for printing the first installment
or the representation of a significant event, for instance a parliament
the scientist could distinguish the tasks peculiar to a life devoted
collecting additional information on the country, classifying and
of his Historia. The first installment, 130 pages, left the press in
in Araucanía or the Valparaíso fire. All are precious testimonies of
to farming and animal husbandry, which the rhythms of nature
distributing the objects he had already collected, and busy organiz-
March 1844. The first sheets of Gay’s work arrived in Chile the fol-
the activities of original cultures, such as those shown by archaeo-
turned into expressions of national folklore. In his prints Claude
ing the Natural History Museum. At this time, he also wrote the
lowing August. It was anxiously awaited by the subscribers as well
logical remains, or of urban spaces or natural habitats non-existent
Gay shows Chilean society acting on the territory, the environ-
Prospectus of his Historia Física y Política de Chile, which was pub-
as by the government. In this first installment, the author discussed
today. Also, however, customs ways of life, habits, jobs, and country
ment and its species.
lished in El Araucano, on 29 January, 1841. There, together with
the civil history of Chile, from the position of Spain prior to the
and mining work, means of transportation, dresses, amusements,
summarizing his scientific work sponsored by the government, he
discovery of America to the early days of the conquest of Chile.
and social types no longer extant.
Watchful for anything reflecting everyday life, he overlooks no scenes of animal life habitual for the rural population. “Ternero
argued in favour of the proposed edition, for its usefulness as well
The following installments of the publication suffered various
In general, the prints of towns, customs, and landscapes reflect
atacado por los cóndores cerca del volcán San José” and “León cazando
as for the urgency of disseminating the result of his own scientific
mishaps owing to the troubles of his married life, lack of funds,
not only his visits to various regions of Chile, but specially that Gay
guanacos”, depict facts that he notices, among other reasons, be-
efforts for the advantage of the inhabitants of the country.
delay of his contributors, together with the difficulties arising from
could identify the major activities, concerns, historic milestones,
cause of the damage that some species did to cattle or the expres-
the engraving and printing of illustrations for the Atlas, which held
uses, characteristics, feasts, and distinctive elements in the coun-
sion of the struggle for survival among the wild animals of the
up the presses more than once.
try that he travelled, studied, described, and represented. They
country. Both prints show day-to-day and well-known situations,
In his proposal, the naturalist explained that he would publish his work on Chile in several sections, namely: flora, fauna, mining
Overcoming all adversities, slowly but systematically, defeating
are the result of his explorations, the experiences he knew, lived
which justified engraving them as characteristic of the territory
all the obstacles mentioned, the successive installments appeared
through, and sometimes underwent. Among others, such scenes
and society studied.
To account for the inclusion of what he calls maps, drawings,
between 1844 and 1871, finally composing his monumental work. In
as “Una trilla”, “Una matanza”, “Un bodegón”, “Trajes de la gente
As the scientist, however, was interested not only in nature but
and designs in his Historia Física y Política, Gay explains that a work
accordance with available information, 1 250 copies were printed, four
de campo” and “Una chingana”, most of them referred to in the
also in culture, he included a number of prints illustrating forms
such as he plans cannot lack prints, essential for understanding the
hundred for the Chilean government, the balance to be sold by Gay.
section devoted to Agriculture in his work.
of amusement and sociableness characteristic of the inhabitants of
description of certain phenomena and aiding the study of every-
The historical part, first to be published, was finished in 1871.
The one named “Huasco” shows the symbols of modernity,
Chile, both rural and urban. “Una carrera en las lomas de Santiago”,
and geology, terrestrial and meteorological physics, statistics, geography, history, habits and uses of the Araucanians.
The botanical part, the first volume of which appeared in 1845, was
like a steamer, arriving to our coast at the same time as the remains
“Juego de bola” and “Una chingana”, are perhaps the most repre-
The concern of the scientist for leaving a graphic record of his
completed by 1852. The zoology section, which began to appear in
of a pre-Columbian past, still present, in this case in the form of
sentative of the amusements, and in some cases, the vices, of the
studies was apparent from the beginning of his activities. In his
1847 also continued regularly and its Volume viii was already printed
rafts made of walrus hide, in use by the Chango Indians. There
people. While “Valparaíso”, “Paseo de la Cañada”, “Un baile en la
thing concerning Geography and Natural History.
250
l a ru ta de l os nat u r a lis ta s, l a s h u ell a s de g ay, d om e y ko y philippi