This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 Excerpt: ...of the Chilian flag. October 18, 1817, Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins, the supreme dictator of Chile, decreed its adoption. It consists of a field, the lower half of which is red and the upper white, with a blue canton in the upper left-hand corner occupied by a large fivepointed silver star. 461. The banner of the President of Chile consists of the national ensign with the coatof-arms of the country thereon. The condor and guemul supporting the shield represent the strongest and most majestic bird of the Chilian Andes and the most peculiarly Chilian quadruped. The tuft of three feathers which crowns the shield was formerly used as a special mark of distinction on the hat of the President of the Republic, as a representation of the supreme executive dignity of the nation. In the old days of wooden ships the sailor who first succeeded in boarding a warship of the enemy and came out of the action alive was rewarded by being crowned with a naval diadem of gold. Copies of this crown appear on the head of the condor and the guemul. The inscription on the coat-of-arms means "By Right or Might." 462. Colombia inherited its flag and coatof-arms from the Republic of New Granada, of which it is the successor. Following the death of Simon Bolivar, the Colombian Union, set up by him, which consisted of the present republics of Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama, ceased to exist, and New Granada, one of the succeeding States, adopted what is now the coat-of-arms and the flag of Colombia. The upper half of this flag is yellow, the lower half divided between light blue and bright red, the red strip being at the bottom. On the ensign is embroidered the national coatof-arms. 463. The merchant flag of Colombia is a replica of the national ensign, except that instead...