ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 67^ 



fix fathom water ; Cape Harradura being covered by the ifland of Quinquina. The 

 J^me care is alfo neceffary to avoid another reef of rocks, lying between the Morro and 

 the coafl of Talcaguano ; nor muft the Morro fide be approached too near, there being 

 a fand ftretching all along from that reef of rocks to Cirillo Verde. The fhips riding 

 at Talcaguano in the manner thus prefcribed, are fheltered from the north wind ; but 

 not entirely fo from the fea, which in thofe winds runs very high, and pours in through 

 both entrances. The goodnefs of the bottom, however, fecures the fhip. During the 

 force of thefe winds there is no pofTibility of landing on account of the great fea j but in 

 fair weather, every place is convenient for going on fliore. 



The country round the bay, particularly that between Talcaguano and Conception, 



within four or five leagues from the fliore, is noted for a very fingular curiofity, namely, 



that at the depth of half or three quarters of a yard beneath the furface of the ground, 



is a ftratum of fhells of different kinds, two or three toifes in thicknefs, and in fome 



places even more, without any intermixture of earth, one large fhell being joined 



together by fmaller, and which alfo fill the cavities of the larger. From thefe fliells 



all the lime ufed in building is made ; and large pits are dug in the earth for taking 



out thofe fhells, and calcining them. Were thefe llrata of fliells found only in low and 



level places, this phaenomenon would be more eafily accounted for by a fuppofition no 



ways improbable, namely, that thefe parts were formerly covered by the fea, agreeably 



to an obfervation we made in our defcription of Lima. But what renders it furprifing 



is, that the like quarries of the fame kind of fliells are found on the tops of mountains 



in this country, fifty toifes above the level of the fea. I did not indeed perfonally 



examine the quarries on the highefl: of thofe mountains, but was aflured of their exifl:- 



ence by perfons who had lime-kilns there ; but I faw them myfelf on the fum- 



i mits of others at the height of twenty toifes above the furface of the fea ; and 



I was the more pleafed with the fight, as it appeared to me a convincing proof of the 



univerfality of the deluge. I am not ignorant that fome have attributed this to other 



caufes ; but an unanfwerable confutation of their fubterfuge is, that the various forts 



of fliells which compofe thefe ftrata both in the plains and mountains, are the very fame 



with thofe found in the bay and neighbouring places. Among thefe fliells are three 



fpecies very remarkable ; the firft; is called Choros, already mentioned in our defcription 



of Lima ; the fecond is called Pies de Burros, afles feet ; and the third Bulgados : and 



thefe to me feem to preclude all manner of doubt that they were originally produced 



in that fea, from whence they were carried by the waters, and depofited in the places 



where they are now found. 



I have examined thefe parts with the clofefl; attention, and found no manner of veftige 

 of fubterraneous fires. No calcinations are to be met with on the furface of the 

 earth, nor among the fliells ; which, as I have already obferved, are not intermixed 

 with earth ; nor are there ftones, or any other heterogeneous fubftances found among 

 them. Some of thefe fliells are entire, others broken ; as muft naturally happen in 

 fuch a clofe compreflion of them, during fo long an interval of time. This circumr 

 ftance, however trifling it may appear to fome, may deferve the confideration of thofe 

 who have advanced the notion, that fliells may be formed in the earth by fubterraneous 

 fires, co-operating with the nature of the foil. 



The Pie de Burro has its name from the fifli inclofed in it, refembling, when taken 

 out, the foot of an afs. This fifli is of a dark brown colour, firm and filaceous ; it 

 is an univalve, its mouth almoft circular, and its diameter about three inches. The 

 bottom of the fliell is concave within, and convex without. The colour within is per- 

 fectly white, the furface very fmooth, the outfide fcabrous and full of tubercles. Its 



4 R 2 thicknefs 



