356 CHARLES DARWIN 



good supper, after escaping from the cold regions above : and 

 I am sure I most heartily participated in these feelings. 



8th. We left the valley of the Aconcagua, by which we 

 had descended, and reached in the evening a cottage near the 

 Villa del St. Rosa. The fertility of the plain was delight- 

 ful : the autumn being advanced, the leaves of many of the 

 fruit-trees were falling; and of the labourers, some were 

 busy in drying figs and peaches on the roofs of their cot- 

 tages, while others were gathering the grapes from the vine- 

 yards. It was a pretty scene ; but I missed that pensive still- 

 ness which makes the autumn in England indeed the evening 

 of the year. On the loth we reached Santiago, where I re- 

 ceived a very kind and hospitable reception from Mr. Cald- 

 cleugh. My excursion only cost me twenty-four days, and 

 never did I more deeply enjoy an equal space of time. A 

 few days afterwards I returned to Mr. Corfield's house at 

 Valparaiso. 



