Geological Society. 333 
of the land which was first raised, in the manner described by Capt. 
FitzRoy as having taken place near Talcahuano in the spring of last 
year. In perusing Mr. Cuming’s account we must all feel that the 
author has had no object in view but that of establishing the truth; 
and the doubts which he has raised will call for a reinvestigation of 
the phenomena; but after hearing all objections, even before the 
late convulsion of 1835, I expressed myself satisfied with the proofs 
in favour of the elevation of 1822*. If I had still cherished any 
scepticism, it would now be removed by the coincidence of the facts 
related by Capt. FitzRoy. To suppose that a set of imaginary 
phenomena, which appeared at first sight very improbable, and 
which no geologist could explain, should have been invented, in 
Chili, in 1822, by several intelligent observers, and that thirteen 
years afterwards nature should realize, in the same country, the 
same phenomena, or others strictly analogous, so as to lend coun- 
tenance to all the previous misconceptions, is to imagine a combi- 
nation of circumstances almost as marvellous as the upheaval of a 
continent itself. 
We are indebted to Mr. Woodbine Parish for a collection of histo- 
rical notices respecting the effects of the earthquake waves of the 
Pacific, which have repeatedly caused great inundations on the coast 
of Chili and Peru. The earliest date to which he has traced back 
these memorials is the year 1582. The sea usually retired in the 
first instance, and then rolled in upon the land, carrying ships far 
inland and levelling towns to the ground. Such floods must have 
left great banks of sand and gravel, mingled occasionally with bro- 
ken and entire shells, upon dry land, considerably above the level 
of the highest tides, but they will by no means account for the very 
elevated position of recent marine shells on various parts of the 
maritime country of Patagonia, Chili, and Perut. 
Mr. Freyer, to whom I have before alluded, states that he ob- 
served in many parts of Peru, especially near Arica and in the Isle 
of San Lorenzo, in the Bay of Callao, lines of shingle and sand, with 
shells of existing species, at various elevations above the level of the 
sea. The rocks of sandstone and gypsum south of the bold pro- 
montory called the Morro of Arica are shaped into distinct terraces 
towards the shore, and on these terraces the rock, wherever it is ex- 
posed, is seen to be incrusted with balani and millepores. At the 
height of about twenty or thirty feet above the sea, these shells and 
zoophytes are as abundant and almost as perfect as on the shore; 
at upwards of fifty feet they still occur, but in an injured state, for 
although there is no rain in this district to hasten their decay, by 
alternate moisture and desiccation, still they are abraded by the 
sand which is constantly blown over them. Some of the recent 
shells occurring at considerable heights in the island of San Lo- 
renzo retain their colour almost as freshly as those living in the 
adjacent sea. Mr. Darwin has also observed in different parts of 
Patagonia and Chili beds of recent shells at various heights above 
* Principles of Geology, 4th edit. vol. ii. p. 331. 
+ [See Mr. Woodbine Parish’s paper in our last Number.] 
