THE CLIMATE. gl 



sunset, before the vernal, and before sunrise after the autumnal e.jninox. The light, neither M 

 ruddy us tlio glow of the sky after sunset, nor as silvery as rays heralding the moon u 

 usually MI taint that few remark it, unless attention In- directed to it ; then, every one wonders 

 why it has so \n^ eseaped his attention. Jt is brightest about the horizon, and fades gradually 

 as it ree>des : so that it is rarely definable at a greater altitude than 40. The base of the cone 

 or j\ ramid \\as never more than 15, and generally much less in diameter when its outline 

 IK di-t < Tnihle, its apparent breadth depending wholly on the diaphaneity of the atmo- 

 sphere at the time. It was seen as early as July 6, and is once noted in our journal "very 

 hrlijht" as late as September 6, its place in the heavens and inclination to the horizon changing 

 as the sun gradually advanced from his northern limit towards us.* No variations in the 

 intensity or undulatory motion of the light, such as Humboldt mentions having witnessed in 

 the tropical regions of South America, were ever seen by me in Chile ; but only a mild radi- 

 ance, whose brightness sensibly increased as the twilight faded, and more slowly disappeared 

 an hour later; and by 8 o'clock in the early days of September, (corresponding with our 

 March), it was no longer perceptible to eyes that had been so greatly taxed. Whether this 

 beautiful phenomenon consists of a ring of nebulous matter, revolving freely in space between 

 the orbits of Mars and Venus, or is tlio outermost stratum of the solar atmosphere, is a question 

 yet to be decided by physicists. 



By the middle of July the almond-trees, wild violets, hyacinths, ranunculuses, and several 

 other varieties of plants, are in flower; and before the close of the month, the Acacia cavenia 

 fills the air with the perfume of its feather-like florets. The rains seem to have roused the 

 frogs from their torpor, too, and every little pond resounds with their croakings, whilst the 

 vineyards and olive-groves are rendered gay by the birds gathering harvests of insects. Peaches, 

 plums, cherries, the Acacia lophantha, a number of indigenous amaryllidas and anemones, 

 and a fumaria, flower in August ; cherries ordinarily before any of the others named. 



The nearer we approach to the ocean, tbe more the influence of that great moderator and 

 equalizer of terrestrial climates is felt. In tbe deep ravines between it and the longitudinal 

 valley, some moisture is preserved during tbe period of drought ; and there one may find shrub- 

 bery and plants at all seasons. But it is not until after the rains of winter commence that 

 their sides, and the basins on which they open, are fully covered with verdure. A greater 

 prevalence of fogs, and more frequent and heavier dews near the sea, afford moisture to plants 

 by absorption through their leaves ; and tbere one may always perceive vegetation and 

 flowers. A difference exists, however, between bills having an ocean or an Andean aspect, 

 the latter being almost barren. There, too, the temporales occur with greater frequency and 

 violence, and the atmospbere is more hazy and opaque at almost all times. If it become clear, 

 so that distant objects can be seen distinctly, and the barometer falls ever so little, the ships 

 in the bay of Valparaiso are warned to prepare for a norther. During its continuance the 

 wind blows in gusts from north to N.W. by N. ; the barometer sometimes falls as much as halt 

 an inch, whilst the thermometer rises from 4 to 8, and showers of rain are both frequent 

 and heavy. These storms have been known to continue three days, after which pleasant weather 

 succeeds for several weeks. There are years when the wind has not sufficient violence to effect 

 injury, and others in which each winter month has one or two storms ; but northers never prevail, 

 within the definition of tbe word monsoon. Easterly winds bring cold and fogs over the 

 coast. These latter are usually dispelled by the southerly winds, (proper monsoons,) which 

 blow from 9 or 10 A. M. until 4 or 5 P. M. As the monsoons rarely have the same violence in 

 winter as in summer, there is no climate more charming than that of Valparaiso on the bright 

 days of the former season. According to observations at 8 A. M., noon, and 4 P. M., made at the 

 Exchange during a number of years, barometric oscillations in time and amplitude are subject 

 to precisely the same laws as at Santiago. From a mean of the thermometric observations, the 



* Thus, when visible in tbe northern hemisphere in tbe morning, it is an evening phenomenon to the other half of the globe. 

 .11 



