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is dissipated on the coast. At the end of September, I 
went from Lima to the valley of Lurin, six leagues to the 
southward. For the last two leagues, the road lies over a 
plain at the foot of the hills, which was completely covered 
with Nolana prostrata and Palavia rhombifolia, in full blossom, 
The day after my arrival at Lurin, the mist began to dis- 
perse, and for the following week, the sun shone brightly 
during a great part of the day. At the end of that time I 
returned to Lima, and not a single flower then remained on 
the plants, the whole of which were completely withered, I 
revisited Lurin a few days afterwards, when there was not 
2 semblance of vegetable structure in their black and 
shrivelled remains; and a stranger would have thought it 
impossible, that, within a fortnight, the bare sandy soil could 
have been carpeted with such a profusion of flowers, The 
same effect was soon produced on the pasture in the hills; 
the summer of the coast had commenced; and when I left 
the country on the 4th of November, we heard that a heavy 
fall of rain had announced the winter of the interior. 
In speaking of the climate of Chili, I omitted to allude to 
one circumstance connected with the vegetation of its 
Mountains. At a medium elevation between the coast and 
the higher ranges of the Cordillera, especially on table-land, 
snow lies on the ground for some time after the rains have - 
ceased, and, melting gradually at the beginning of summer, 
the soil continues moist, and vegetation is in full vigour in - 
Such situations, when every plant has withered in the neigh- 
bouring vallies. Some of the most beautiful productions of 
Chili, and those least known, occur on the hills thus situated. 
From the peculiarities of climate in the various districts, 
both of Peru and Chili, the greater part of the indigenous 
plants flourish at a season, and under circumstances, pecu- 
liarly favourable to their cultivation in Britain, and other 
Parts of the north of Europe. Most of them flower, not 
during the heat of summer, but in the winter or spring 
9f the year, when the average temperature is certainly not 
