420 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



On the 30tli Dr. Campbell and I started by the ten a.m. 

 train for Santiago, the Chilian capital, about a hundred miles 

 inland, and somewhat to the south of Valparaiso. The first 

 part of the line, i.e. as far as the station of Llaillai, though 

 not new to us, was yet greatly improved in appearance since 

 the time of our journey to Santa Eosa, the pastures being 

 beautifully green, and a great variety of flowers being in 

 bloom on the plains and hill-sides, and the railway banks 

 covered with Calceolarias, the TropoRohim tricolor, and many 

 other species. At the Quillota station, in addition to baskets 

 of lucumas, cherimoyers, and oranges, " peje yqj^" (Ather- 

 inichthys microUpidotus), " camarons " {Falcbraqn ccemciitarius), 

 and small cheeses, were offered for sale ; while beggars in 

 troops planted themselves before the windows of the carriages, 

 and droned out petitions for aid. Soon after passing Llaillai, 

 the line lies for a time through bold hilly country, pursuing 

 its course through several remarkable cuttings, and over 

 some ingeniously constructed bridges — one of which, of con- 

 siderable length, exhibits a striking lateral curve. We reached 

 Santiago between four and five o'clock, and drove in a " coche " 

 to the Hotel Oddo in the Calle Alumeda, passing through 

 part of an avenue of Lombardy poplars, which extends 

 throughout nearly the entire breadth of the town, and is 

 termed the " Alumeda." Arrived at the hotel, we were estab- 

 lished in one of a series of rooms ranged around a courtyard, 

 and in about half-an-hour the table-d'hote was ready ; after 

 which we walked out to view the streets, which did not 

 appear to much advantage, owing to their being very imper- 

 fectly lighted, as there was supposed to be moonlight, although, 

 owing to the cloudy state of the atmosphere, we obtained little 

 or no benefit from the luminary. We entered a large church 

 where vespers were going on, but as there was an exceedingly 



