J5 



CHILL 



The coast of Chili afforded us the sight of a low 

 land, as we approached it to enter the Bay de la 

 Conception. The peninsula, which forms the ex- 

 terior edge of this beautiful basin, and the 

 mountain-chain of the coast behind it, offer to the 

 eye an almost horizontal line, which is not inter- 

 rupted by any remarkable summit, and only the 

 two pretty hills of the Biobio rise_ between the 

 mouth of the river, after which they are called, 

 and Port San Vincent. Whales, dolphins, seals, 

 animated the sea around us, upon which floated 

 the Fucus pyriferiis^ and other gigantic species, 

 which we first met with at Cape Horn. Herds of 

 seals basked themselves in the sun on the island 

 of Quiquirina, at the entrance of the bay j and, in 

 the bay itself, they swam around us as in the open 

 sea ; but no sail, no vessel of any kind, indicated 

 that man had taken possession of these seas. We 

 observed, only on the banks, some fields and 

 inclosures, among forests and bushes ; and low, 

 inconsiderable huts lay scattered along the beach 

 and on the hills. 



The low mountains of the coast, from wliich 

 issues the Biobio, near the town of Mocha or Con- 



