1809-1S42J VOYAGE 25 



This letter will go with a cargo of specimens from Letter 6 

 Coquimbo. I shall write to let you know when they are sent 

 off. In the box there are two bags of seeds, one [from the] 

 valleys of the Cordilleras 5,000—10,000 ft. high, the soil and 

 climate exceedingly dry, soil very light and stony, extremes 

 in temperature ; the other chiefly from the dry sandy Traversia 

 of Mendoza 3,000 ft. more or less. If some of the bushes 

 should grow but not be healthy, try a slight sprinkling of salt 

 and saltpetre. The plain is saliferous. All the flowers in 

 the Cordilleras appear to be autumnal flovverers — they were 

 all in blow and seed, many of them very pretty. I gathered 

 them as I rode along on the hill sides. If they will but 

 choose to come up, I have no doubt many would be great 

 rarities. In the Mendoza bag there are the seeds or berries 

 of what appears to be a small potato plant with a whitish 

 flower. They grow many leagues from where any habitation 

 could ever have existed owing to absence of water. . Amongst 

 the Chonos dried plants, you will see a fine specimen of the 

 wild potato, growing under a most opposite climate, a r .id 

 unquestionably a true wild potato. It must be a distinct 

 species from that of the Lower Cordilleras one. Perhaps 

 as with the banana, distinct species are now not to be 

 distinguished in their varieties produced by cultivation. 

 I cannot copy out the few remarks about the Chonos 

 potato. With the specimens there is a bundle of old papers 

 and note books. Will you take care of them ; in case 

 I should lose my notes, these might be useful. I do not 

 send home any insects because they must be troublesome to 

 you, and now so little more of the voyage remains unfinished 

 I can well take charge of them. In two or three days I set 

 out for Coquimbo by land ; the Beagle calls for me in the 

 beginning of June. So that I have six weeks more to enjoy 

 geologising over these curious mountains of Chili. There is 

 at present a bloody revolution in Peru. The Commodore 

 has gone there, and in the hurry has carried our letters with 

 him ; perhaps amongst them there will be one from you. 

 I wish I had the old Commodore here, I would shake some 

 consideration for others into his old body. From Coquimbo 

 you will again hear from me. 



