IMPRESSIONS OF CHILI 



few rods off; but we were tolerably comfortable and 

 made out to get about eight hours' sleep out of the twelve 

 we were in bed between dark in the evening and the next 

 morning's dawn. Our poor horses stood up all night long 

 without anything to cover them and nothing to eat; a 

 specimen of the utter indifference of the Chilians to the 

 comforts of their horses. We finished the small stock of 

 provisions we had with us in the morning and commenced 

 our descent on foot, in order to make collections of speci- 

 mens along the way. Seven hours found us at the foot, 

 and two more back at Santiago. The trip, though one 

 of exposure, had no injurious effects upon my health. 

 Indeed I never felt better than when up the mountain. 

 We only reached the limits of perpetual snow. The 

 mountains yet rose some four or five thousand feet 

 above us. 



" Santiago is the finest city of Chili, and much the 

 largest. It is the residence of all the wealth and aristoc- 

 racy of the country, and some of the houses are very 

 beautiful; the part fronting the street never gives any 

 idea of the richness of the building within the court." 



The following letter, addressed to his former teacher, 

 the editor of the American Journal of Science, begins 

 with an apology for not writing before, and a slight demur 

 at the restrictions upon scientific correspondence imposed 

 by the regulations of the squadron. 



TO BENJAMIN SILLIMAN 

 Excursions in the Andes. Impressions of Chili 



" OFF TAHITI, SOCIETY ISLANDS, Sept. 12, 1839. 



During this long time we have visited but six ports, 

 Madeira, Rio Janeiro, Rio Negro, Orange Bay in 

 Tierra del Fuego, Valparaiso, and Callao, all of which, 

 excepting two, are regions hitherto often explored, and 

 not proper cruising ground for an exploring expedition. 

 The wind-up of the affairs of the Relief, and dispatching 

 her home in consequence of the loss of her anchors in 

 a gale off Tierra del Fuego, caused the last two or three 

 weeks of detention. You have probably heard of our 



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