I835-] CHILOE. an 



coast of Peru, is of a much smaller size than the P. gigantea, but, like 

 it, of a dirty black colour. It generally frequents the inland sounds in 

 very large' flocks : I do not think I ever saw so many birds of any other 

 sort together, as I once saw of these behind the island of Chiloe. 

 Hundreds of thousands flew in an irregular line for several hours in one 

 direction. When part of the flock settled on the water the surface was 

 blackened, and a noise proceeded from them as of human beings talking 

 in the distance. 



There are several other species of petrels, but I will only mention 

 one other kind, the Pelacanoides Berardi, which offers an example of 

 those extraordinary cases, of a bird evidently belonging to one well- 

 marked family, yet both in its habits and structure allied to a very 

 distinct tribe. This bird never leaves the quiet inland sounds. When 

 disturbed it dives to a distance, and on coming to the surface, with the 

 same movement takes flight. After flying by the rapid movement of 

 its short wings for a space in a straight line, it drops, as if struck dead, 

 and dives again. The form of its beak and nostrils, length of foot, and 

 even the colouring of its plumage, show that this bird is a petrel ; on 

 the other hand, its short wings and consequent little power of flight, its 

 form of body and shape of tail, the absence of a hind toe to its foot, 

 its habit of diving, and its choice of situation, make it at first doubtful 

 whether its relationship is not equally close with the auks. It would 

 undoubtedly be mistaken for an auk, when seen from a distance, either 

 on the wing, or when diving and quietly swimming about the retired 

 channels of Tierra del Fuego. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



CHILOE AND CONCEPCION : GREAT EARTHQUAKE. 



San Carlos, Chiloe Osorno in Eruption, Contemporaneously with Aconcagua 

 andCoseguina RidetoCucao Impenetrable Forests Valdivia Indians 

 Earthquake Conception Great Earthquake Rocks Fissured Ap- 

 pearance of the Former Towns The Sea Black and Boiling Direction of 

 the Vibrations Stones twisted Round Great Wave Permanent Eleva- 

 tion of the Land Area of Volcanic Phenomena The Connection between 

 the Elevatory and Eruptive Forces Cause of Earthquakes Slow Eleva- 

 tion of Mountain-chains. 



ON January the ijth we sailed from Low's Harbour, and three days 

 afterwards anchored a second time in the bay of S^ Carlos in Chiloe. 

 On the night of the igih the volcano of Osorno was in action. At 

 midnight the sentry observed something like a large star, which 

 gradually increased in size till about three o'clock, when it presented 

 a very magnificent spectacle. By the aid of a glass, dark objects, in 

 constant succession, were seen, in. the midst of a great glare of red 



9 



