ANTOFAGASTA. 131 



Ayaaicho summoned me to return to the ship. As I 

 was by this time at some distance from the landing- 

 place, I hurried back under a blazing sun, and reached 

 the ship within less than twenty minutes, only to find 

 that haste was quite superfluous, as we did not start 

 until more than an hour later. 



The sun had already set when we reached Cobija. 

 This was, I believe, the first place inhabited on this 

 part of the coast. Before the late war, Bolivia held 

 the coast from the mouth of the Loa to the Tropic of 

 Capricorn, a tract of about one hundred and sixty 

 miles, rich in mineral wealth, the whole of which, 

 along with the adjoining provinces of Peru, is now 

 annexed to Chili. Cobija, which was a place of some 

 importance, is now much reduced, and little business 

 seems to be carried on there. 



Early on the 5th of May we were before Anto- 

 fagasta, now the most thriving place on this coast, if 

 a place can be said to thrive which exists under such 

 unnatural conditions. It is, however, slightly better 

 off than its neighbours to the north. A gentleman 

 who resided here for some time assured me that at 

 intervals of five or six years a heavy fall of rain 

 occurs here. At such times not only the coast region, 

 but the Atacama desert lying between the Cordillera 

 and the sea is speedily covered with fresh vegetation, 

 which after a few months is dried up and disappears. 

 At such times the guanacos descend from the moun- 

 tains, and actually reach the coast. 



We must, without my attention being called to the 

 fact while in my cabin, have turned back to the north-^ 

 ward after leaving Antofagasta, as in the dusk we 



