1834.] fcAY OF VALPARAISO. 241 



CHAPTER XII. 



Valparaiso Excursion fo the Foot of the Andes Structure of the Laud 

 Ascend the Bell of Quillota Shattered Masses of Greenstone Immense 

 Valleys Mines State of Miners Santiago Hot-baths of Cauquenes 

 Gold-mines (Irimliug-inills Perforated Stones Habits of the Puma 

 El Turco and Tapacolo Humming-birds. 



CENTRAL CHILE. 



July 23rd. The Beagle anchored late at night in the bay of 

 Valparaiso, the chief seaport of Chile. When morning came, 

 everything appeared delightful. After Tierra del Fuego, the 

 climate felt quite delicious the atmosphere so dry, and the 

 heavens so clear and blue with the sun shining brightly, that all 

 nature seemed sparkling with life. The view from the anchorage 

 is very pretty. The town is built at the very foot of a range of 

 hills, about 1600 feet high, and rather steep. From its position, it 

 consists of one long, straggling street, which runs parallel to the 

 beach, and wherever a ravine comes down, the houses are piled 

 up on each side of it. The rounded hills, being only partially 

 protected by a very scanty vegetation, are worn into numberless 

 little gullies, which expose a singularly bright red soil. From this 

 cause, and from the low whitewashed houses with tile roofs, the 

 view reminded me of St. Cruz in Tcneriffe. In a north-westerly 

 direction there are some fine glimpses of the Andes: but these 

 mountains appear much grander when viewed from the neighbour- 

 ing hills; the great distance at which they are situated can then 

 more readily be perceived. The volcano of Aconcagua is parti- 

 cularly magnificent. This huge and irregularly conical mass has 

 an elevation greater than that of Chimborazo ; for, from measure- 

 ments made by the officers in the Beagle, its height is no less than 

 23,000 feet. The Cordillera, however, viewed from this point, owe 

 the greater part of their beauty to the atmosphere through which 



