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lower, though he could not say exactly bow much. A rush
of water might have shifted the loose sands of the bar ; but
whether the land had sunk seemed to me very doubtful.
Certainly, however, it had not risen.
The island of Juan Fernandes was very much affected.
Near Bacalao Head an eruption burst through the sea, in a
place ahout a mile from the land, where the depth is from fifty
to eighty fathoms. Smoke and water were thrown up during
the gTeater part of the day, and flames were visible at night.*
Great waves swept the shores of the island, after the sea had
retired so much that old anchors were seen at the bottom of
the anchorage. ^ ^
This earthquake was felt at all places between Chiloe and
Copiapó : between Juan Fernandes and Mendoza. On the
sea-coast, within those limits, the retiring and swelling of the
ocean was every where observed. At Mendoza the motion was
evenly gentle. Copiapó, Huasco, and Coquimbo felt similar,
although rather more forcible undulations. Towns, and houses
which lay between the parallels of thirty-five and thirty-eight,
suifered extremely; nearly all were ruined; hut northward
and southward of those latitudes, slight injury was done to any
building. In the parallel of thirty-three and a-half, J nan Fernandes
sufifered, yet Valparaiso, opposite, escaped uninjured.
As to the state of neighbouring volcanoes, so various were
the accounts of their action, both after and before the earthquake,
that I had no means of ascertaining the full tru th ;
but I heard from Valdivia that directly after the earthquake
all the volcanoes from Antuco to Osorno, inclusive, were in full
activity.!
' • The highest summit of Juan Fernandes was “ found to he burned,
full of fissures and hot,” in 1743. Ulloa saw a small flame there.—
Voyage of Juan and Ulloa ; translated by Adams.
+ Of another earthquake the “ Araucano,” of Dec. 8, 1837, states as
“ Talcahuano, Nov. 7, 1837.
“ Fue bastante recio y duró como cuatro o cinco minutos, con la particularidad
notable de haberse advertido un pequeño retroceso de la mar
á cia su centro en Talcahuano, y haber quedado interrumpido por algunos
dias el flujo y reflujo de sus aguas.”
Mocha—Movement of Land—Penco—Ulloa—Shells—Coal—Maule—
T opocalma—Aconcagua—V alparaiso — Horcon — Papudo — Pichidanque—
Conchali — Herradura—Coquimbo—Wreck—Challenger—
Blonde — Ride — Estate — Colcura — Villagran — Arauco—Former
caciques — Colocolo—Caupolican—Scenery—Quiapo — Night travelling—
Leübu—Tucapel—Valdivia—Lautaro—Challenger.
W h e n the Beagle entered Concepcion Bay, she had only
one heavy anchor left, having broken or lost the others ; and
as there were none fit for her at Talcahuano, it became absolutely
necessary to go to Valparaiso : accordingly, on the 7th
of March we left the melancholy ruins and their disconsolate
tenants, and on the I lth dropped our only anchor at Valparaiso.
There our wants were soon supplied, and we sailed on
the 17th to revisit Concepcion.
From the 27th the time was occupied in surveying the neighbourhood
of Concepcion, Arauco Bay, the island of Santa
Maria, and Mocha, until the 17th of April.
Mocha is a prominent land-mark for navigators, but dangerous
rocks lie about its south-west quarter, and as the current
usually sets northward, a ship ought to beware of them.
Previous to the eighteenth century it was inhabited hy Araucanian
Indians, but they were driven away by the Spaniards;
and since that time a few stray animals have heen the only
permanent tenants. Most of the early voyagers speak of it.
We found the anchorage indifferent, the landing bad, and no
supplies to be obtained except wood, and, with much difiiculty,
water.
Our duties were greatly forwarded while about Concepcion,
by the earnest and very kind assistance of the yntendente, Don
José Alemparte ; and the active friendliness of Mr. Rouse, the
British consul. Though their houses were levelled, and they
themselves without any of what most Englishmen would call
comfort, we were received and attended to by them and the
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