378 



of the land which was first raised, in the manner described by Capt. 

 FitzRoy as having taken place near Talcahuano in the spring of last 

 year. In perusing Mr. Cuming's account we must all feel that the 

 author has had no object in view but that of establishing the truth; 

 and the doubts which he has raised will call for a reinvestigation of 

 the pheenomena; but after hearing all objections, even before the 

 late convulsion of 1835, I expressed myself satisfied with the proofs 

 in fiivour of the elevation of 1822*. If I had still cherished any 

 scepticism, it would now be removed by the coincidence of the facts 

 related by Capt. FitzRoy. To suppose that a set of imaginary 

 pheenomena, which appeared at first sight very improbable, and 

 which no geologist could explain, should have been invented, in 

 Chili, in 1822, by several intelligent observers, and that thirteen 

 years afterwards nature should realize, in the same country, the 

 same phsenomena, or others strictly analogous, so as to lend coun- 

 tenance to all the previous misconceptions, is to imagine a combi- 

 nation of circumstances almost as marvellous as the upheaval of a 

 continent itself. 



We are indebted to Mr. Woodbine Parish for a collection of histo- 

 rical notices respecting the effects of the earthquake waves of the 

 Pacific, which have repeatedly caused great inundations on the coast 

 of Chili and Peru. The earliest date to which he has traced back 

 these memorials is the year 1582. The sea usually retired in the 

 first instance, and then rolled in upon the land, carrying ships far 

 inland and levelling towns to the ground. Such floods must have 

 left great banks of sand and gravel, mingled occasionally with bro- 

 ken and entire shells, upon dry land, considerably above the level 

 of the highest tides, but they will by no means account for the very 

 elevated position of recent marine shells on various parts of the 

 maritime country of Patagonia, Chili, and Peru. 



Mr. Freyer, to whom I have before alluded, states that he ob- 

 served in many parts of Peru, especially near Arica and in the Isle 

 of San Lorenzo, in the Bay of Callao, lines of shingle and sand, with 

 shells of existing species, at various elevations above the level of the 

 sea. The rocks of sandstone and gypsum south of the bold pro- 

 montory called the Morro of Arica are shaped into distinct terraces 

 towards the shore, and on these terraces the rock, wherever it is ex- 

 posed, is seen to be incrusted with balani and millepores. At the 

 height of about twenty or thirty feet above the sea, these shells and 

 zoophytes are as abundant and almost as perfect as on the shore ; 

 at upwards of fifty feet they still occur, but in an injured state, for 

 although there is no rain in this district to hasten their decay, by 

 alternate moisture and desiccation, still they are abraded by the 

 sand which is constantly blown over them. Some of the recent 

 shells occurring at considerable heights in the island of San Lo- 

 renzo retain their colour almost as freshly as those living in the 

 adjacent sea. Mr. Darwin has also observed in different parts of 

 Patagonia and Chili beds of recent shells at various heights above 



« Principles of Geology, 4th edit. vol. il. p. 331. 



