312 CHARLES DARWIN 



watching Mr. King and myself whilst eating, till we were 

 fairly shamed into feeding the whole party. The night was 

 cloudless; and while lying in our beds, we enjoyed the sight 

 (and it is a high enjoyment) of the multitude of stars which 

 illumined the darkness of the forest. 



January 2$rd. We rose early in the morning, and reached 

 the pretty quiet town of Castro by two o'clock. The old gov- 

 ernor had died since our last visit, and a Chileno was acting 

 in his place. We had a letter of introduction to Don Pedro, 

 whom we found exceedingly hospitable and kind, and more 

 disinterested than is usual on this side of the continent. The 

 next day Don Pedro procured us fresh horses, and offered 

 to accompany us himself. We proceeded to the south gen- 

 erally following the coast, and passing through several ham- 

 lets, each with it's large barn-like chapel built of wood. At 

 Vilipilli, Don Pedro asked the commandant to give us a guide 

 to Cucao. The old gentleman offered to come himself; but 

 for a long time nothing would persuade him that two En- 

 glishmen really wished to go to such an out-of-the-way place 

 as Cucao. We were thus accompanied by the two greatest 

 aristocrats in the country, as was plainly to be seen in the 

 manner of all the poorer Indians towards them. At Chonchi 

 we struck across the island, following intricate winding 

 paths, sometimes passing through magnificent forests, and 

 sometimes through pretty cleared spots, abounding with corn 

 and potato crops. This undulating woody country, partially 

 cultivated, reminded me of the wilder parts of England, and 

 therefore had to my eye a most fascinating aspect. At Vi- 

 linco, which is situated on the borders of the lake of Cucao, 

 only a few fields were cleared; and all the inhabitants ap- 

 peared to be Indians. This lake is twelve miles long, and 

 runs in an east and west direction. From local circum- 

 stances, the sea-breeze blows very regularly during the day, 

 and during the night it falls calm: this has given rise to 

 strange exaggerations, for the phenomenon, as described to 

 us at S. Carlos, was quite a prodigy. 



The road to Cucao was so very bad that we determined to 

 embark in a periagua. The commandant, in the most au- 

 thoritative manner, ordered six Indians to get ready to pull 

 us over, without deigning to tell them whether they would 



