372 NORTHERN CHILE chap. 



a copper-smelting furnace. As an especial favour, he allowed me 

 to purchase at a high price an armful of dirty straw, which was 

 all the poor horses had for supper after their long day's journey. 

 Few smelting-furnaces are now at work in any part of Chile ; it 

 is found more profitable, on account of the extreme scarcity of 

 firewood, and from the Chilian method of reduction being so 

 unskilful, to ship the ore for Swansea. The next day we 

 crossed some mountains to Freyrina, in the valley of Guasco. 

 During each day's ride farther northward, the vegetation became 

 more and more scanty ; even the great chandelier-like cactus 

 was here replaced by a different and much smaller species. 

 During the winter months, both in Northern Chile and in Peru, 

 a uniform bank of clouds hangs, at no great height, over the 

 Pacific. From the mountains we had a very striking view of 

 this white and brilliant aerial field, which sent arms up the 

 valleys, leaving islands and promontories in the same manner 

 as the sea does in the Chonos Archipelago and in Tierra del 

 Fuego. 



We stayed two days at Freyrina. In the valley of Guasco 

 there are four small towns. At the mouth there is a port, a 

 spot entirely desert, and without any water in the immediate 

 neighbourhood. Five leagues higher up stands Freyrina, a long 

 straggling village, with decent whitewashed houses. Again, ten 

 leagues farther up Ballenar is situated ; and above this Guasco 

 Alto, a horticultural village, famous for its dried fruit. On a 

 clear day the view up the valley is very fine ; the straight 

 opening terminates in the far-distant snowy Cordillera ; on each 

 side an infinity of crossing lines are blended together in a 

 beautiful haze. The foreground is singular from the number of 

 parallel and step- formed terraces ; and the included strip of 

 green valley, with its willow-bushes, is contrasted on both hands 

 with the naked hills. That the surrounding country was most 

 barren will be readily believed, when it is known that a shower 

 of rain had not fallen during the last thirteen months. The 

 inhabitants heard with the greatest envy of the rain at Coquimbo; 

 from the appearance of the sky they had hopes of equally good 

 fortune, which, a fortnight afterwards, were realised. I was at 

 Copiapo at the time ; and there the people, with equal envy, 

 talked of the abundant rain at Guasco. After two or three very 

 dry years, perhaps with not more than one shower during the 



