CHAP. XII BAY OF VALPARAISO 269 



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 white- 

 washed houses with tile roofs, the view reminded me of St. 

 Cruz in Teneriffe. In a north-easterly direction there are 

 some fine glimpses of the Andes ; but these mountains appear 

 much grander when viewed from the neighbouring hills ; the 

 great distance at which they are situated can then more 

 readily be perceived. The volcano of Aconcagua is particularly 

 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 they are seen. When the sun was setting in 

 the Pacific, it was admirable to watch how clearly their rugged 

 outlines could be distinguished, yet how varied and how 

 delicate were the shades of their colour. 



I had the good fortune to find living here Mr. Richard 

 Corfield, an old schoolfellow and friend, to whose hospitality 

 and kindness I was greatly indebted, in having afforded me a 

 most pleasant residence during the Beagles stay in Chile. The 

 immediate neighbourhood of Valparaiso is not very productive 

 to the naturalist. During the long summer the wind blows 

 steadily from the southward, and a little off shore, so that rain 

 never falls ; during the three winter months, however, it is 

 sufficiently abundant. The vegetation in consequence is very 

 scanty : except in some deep valleys there are no trees, and 

 only a little grass and a few low bushes are scattered over the 

 less steep parts of the hills. When we reflect that at the 

 distance of 350 miles to the south, this side of the Andes is 

 completely hidden by one impenetrable forest, the contrast is 

 very remarkable. I took several long walks while collecting 

 objects of natural history. The country is pleasant for exercise. 

 There are many very beautiful flowers ; and, as in most other 

 dry climates, the plants and shrubs possess strong and peculiar 

 odours — even one's clothes by brushing through them became 



