1809-1842] VOYAGE 25 



This letter will go with a cargo of specimens from Letter 6 

 Coquimbo. I shall write to let you know when they are sent 

 off. In the box there are two bags of seeds, one [from the] 

 valleys of the Cordilleras 5,000 10,000 ft. high, the soil and 

 climate exceedingly dry, soil very light and stony, extremes 

 in temperature ; the other chiefly from the dry sandy Traversia 

 of Mendoza 3,000 ft. more or less. If some of the bushes 

 should grow but not be healthy, try a slight sprinkling of salt 

 and saltpetre. The plain is saliferous. All the flowers in 

 the Cordilleras appear to be autumnal flowerers they were 

 all in blow and seed, many of them very pretty. I gathered 

 them as I rode along on the hill sides. If they will but 

 choose to come up, I have no doubt many would be great 

 rarities. In the Mendoza bag there are the seeds or berries 

 of what appears to be a small potato plant with a whitish 

 flower. They grow many leagues from where any habitation 

 could ever have existed owing to absence of water. Amongst 

 the Chonos dried plants, you will see a fine specimen of the 

 wild potato, growing under a most opposite climate, and 

 unquestionably a true wild potato. It must be a distinct 

 species from that of the Lower Cordilleras one. Perhaps 

 as with the banana, distinct species are now not to be 

 distinguished in their varieties produced by cultivation. 

 I cannot copy out the few remarks about the Chonos 

 potato. With the specimens there is a bundle of old papers 

 and note books. Will you take care of them ; in case 

 I should lose my notes, these might be useful. I do not 

 send home anyjnsects because they must be troublesome to 

 you, and now so little more of the voyage remains unfinished 

 I can well take charge of them. In two or three days I set 

 out for Coquimbo by land ; the Beagle calls for me in the 

 beginning of June. So that I have six weeks more to enjoy 

 geologising over these curious mountains of Chili. There is 

 at present a bloody revolution in Peru. The Commodore 

 has gone there, and in the hurry has carried our letters with 

 him ; perhaps amongst them there will be one from you. 

 1 wish I had the old Commodore here, I would shake some 

 consideration for others into his old body. From Coquimbo 

 you will again hear from me. 



