76 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [ Sess. LXXIv. 
After passing over a high table-land, we reached the 
forest country of the south. At first we passed through 
miles of blackened stumps of burned trees, with little 
settlements here and there near the new railway over which 
we were travelling. Corn was seen coming up between the 
prostrate stumps of trees which had not as yet been 
removed. Later we passed through dense forests of ever- 
green trees with an occasional bush of Berberis Darwinit 
covered with orange blossom. 
Valdivia, with a climate like that of the west of Scotland, 
is very attractive. (Since my visit, the town has been 
destroyed by fire.) The trees there are mostly evergreen, 
and many of them have conspicuous flowers. One of 
the most beautiful is the “canelo” or Winter’s Bark 
(Drimys Winteri), with bright green leaves and clusters 
of white flowers. Flowering branches of this tree are used 
with charming effect in ecclesiastical processions. Of the 
southern beeches, the “coigiie” (Nothofagus Dombeyi) is 
the most handsome. The shallow streams were overhung 
with the golden blossom of the “ pelu” (Sophora tetraptera), 
a small leguminous tree. 
I was surprised to find two species of climbing violets. 
The flowers of one species were mauve in colour, and the 
other of a rose pink. These plants climbed, without 
specialised organs, by twining up neighbouring plants. 
The forms of leaf and flower were not unlike those of our 
wild violets. The mauve species tended to straggle over 
the ground and twist upon itself, but the pink species 
climbed two or three feet up the hedges or neighbouring 
plants. 
Primroses, foxgloves, and gorse grew near the town, and 
were probably introduced by the Germans, who form a 
large community. 
We left Valparaiso early in December, crossing the 
Andes, and traversing the Argentine Republic. During 
our ascent on the mountain railway, the vegetation grew 
more scarce. We passed tall cacti covered, in patches, with 
a blood-red parasite. The tunnel being at the time in- 
complete, we crossed the summit in coaches, which rattled 
down the steep Argentine descent and swung round sharp 
corners in a somewhat alarming manner. Even quite near 
