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C I IA I ’T E R X IV .
V a lp a ra iso— E x c u r s io n to b a s e o f A n d e s— S trn c tn r e o f la n d— A sc e n d
l ic l l o f Q u illo ta— S h a tte r e d masses o f g re e n s to n e— Im m e n se v a lle y s—
M in e s— S t a te o f m in o rs— S a n tia g o— H o t b a th s o f C a tiq n e n e s— G o ld
m in e s— G r in d in g m ills— P e r fo r a te d s to n e s— H a b its o f p um a— E l tu rc o
a n d tap a c o lo— H um m in g -b ird s .
C ENT RAL CHI L E .
J u l y 2 3 d .—The Beagle anchored late at night in the
bay of Afalparaiso, the chief seaport of Chile. When
morning came, every thing appeared delightful. After Tierra
del Fuego, the climate felt quite delicious—the atmosphere
so dry, and the heavens so clear and blue, with the sun
shining brightly, that all nature seemed sparkling with
life. The view from the anchorage is very pretty. The
town is built at the very foot of a range of hills, about 1600
feet high, and rather steep. From its position, it consists
of one long, straggling street, which runs parallel to the beach,
and wherever a ravine comes down, the houses are piled up
on each side of it. The rounded hills, being only partially
protected by a very scanty vegetation, are worn into numberless
little gullies, which expose a singularly bright red soil.
From this cause, and from the low whitewashed houses
with tile roofs, the view reminded me of St. Cruz in
Teneriffe. In a north-easterly direction there are some fine
glimpses of the Andes : but these mountains appear much
grander when viewed from the neighbouring h ills; the great
distance at which they are situated can then more readily be
perceived. The volcano of Aconcagua is particularly magnificent.
This huge and irregularly conical mass has an
elevation greater than that of Chimborazo; for, from measurements
made by the officers in the Beagle, its height is no
less than 23,000 feet. The Cordillera, however, viewed from
this point, owe the greater part of their beauty to the atmosphere
through which they are seen. When the sun was setting
in the Pacific, it was admirable to watch how clearly
their rugged outlines could be distinguished, yet how varied
and how delicate were the shades of their colour.
I had the good fortune to find living here Mr. Richard
Corfield, an old schoolfellow and friend, to whose hospitality
and kindness I was greatly indebted, in having afforded me
a most pleasant residence during the Beagle’s stay in Chile.
The immediate neighbourhood of Valparaiso is not very
productive to the naturalist. The surrounding hills consist
of a granitic formation, whioh sometimes assumes the character
of gneiss, and sometimes of granite. Their summits
are flat-topped, and their flanks rounded. I have before stated,
that forests cover that side of the Cordillera which fronts the
prevailing winds. Here, during the summer, which forms the
longer portion of the year, the winds blow steadily from the
southward, and a little off shore, so that rain never falls:
during the three winter months it is however sufficiently
abundant. The vegetation in consequence is very scanty.
Except in some deep valleys, trees nowhere occur, and only a
little grass and a few low bushes are scattered over the less
steep parts of the hills. When we reflect that, at the distance
of 350 miles to the southward, this side of the Andes
is completely hidden by one impenetrable forest, the contrast
is very remarkable.
I took several long walks while collecting objects of natural
history. The country is pleasant for exercise. There
are many very beautiful flowers, and as in most other dry
climates, the plants and shrubs possess strong and peculiar
odours; even one’s clothes by brushing through them became
scented. I did not yet cease from wonder, at finding each
succeeding day as fine as the foregoing. AVhat a difference
does climate make in the enjoyment of life ! How opposite
are the sensations when viewing black mountains half-enveloped
in clouds, and seeing another range through the light