1835.] OFF TO VALPARAISO. 311 



injected, after intervals sufficiently long to allow the upper 

 parts or wedges to cool and become solid ; for if the strata 

 had been thrown into their present highly-inclined, vertical, 

 and even inverted positions, by a single blow, the very 

 bowels of the earth would have gushed out ; and instead 

 of beholding abrupt mountain-axes of rock solidified under 

 great pressure, deluges of lava would have flowed out at 

 innumerable points on every line of elevation.* 



CHAPTER XV. 



PASSAGE OF THE CORDILLERA. 



Valparaiso — Portillo pass — Sagacity of mules — Mountain- 

 torrents — Mines, how discovered — Proofs of the gradual 

 elevation of the Cordillera — Effect of snow on rocks — 

 Geological structure of the two main ranges, their distinct 

 origin and upheaval — Grea.t subsidence — Red snow — Winds 

 — Pinnacles of snow — Dry and clear atmosphere — Electricity 

 — Pampas — Zoology of the opposite sides of the Andes — 

 Locusts — Great bugs — Mendoza — Uspallata pass — Silicified 

 trees buried as they grew — Incas' Bridge — Badness of the 

 passes exaggerated — Cumbre — Casuchas — Valparaiso. 



March Jth, 1835. — We stayed three days at Concepcion, and 

 then sailed for Valparaiso. The wind being northerly, we 

 only reached the mouth of the harbour of Concepcion before 

 it was dark. Being very near the land, and a fog coming 

 on, the anchor was dropped. Presently a large American 

 whaler appeared close alongside of us ; and we heard the 

 Yankee swearing at his men to keep quiet, whilst he 

 listened for the breakers. Captain Fitz Roy hailed him, 

 in a loud, clear voice, to anchor where he then was. The 

 poor man must have thought the voice caine from the shore : 

 such a Babel of cries issued at once from the ship — every 

 one hallooing out, " Let go the anchor! veer cable ! shorten 

 sail!" It was the most laughable thing I ever heard. If 

 the ship's crew had been all captains, and no men, there 

 could not have been a greater uproar of orders. We after- 

 wards found that the mate stuttered : I suppose all hands 

 were assisting him in giving his orders. 



For a full account of the volcanic plicnompna which accompanied tl 

 iiihqvtake of the 20th, and for the conchisions cleduciblc from them, I mii>i 

 rctcr to Volume V. of the Gtological Transactions. 



