138 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



tion and waste of the prospect, I cannot describe. Im- 

 agine as far as the eye can see a sea of hills, hillocks, 

 mounds, plains and hills without a particle of vegetation, 

 not a drop of water, the whole covered with stones as 

 large as your fist, with here and there a little efflores- 

 cence covering everything with a white crust, and you 

 have an indistinct idea of the great Chile desert. You 

 may form an idea of the waste I passed through during 

 these five days, that all the water we had during our 

 trip, extending over about 120 miles of country, is all 

 brought from one place on the seashore ; not a living 

 thing did I see, not a bird, not even a lizard or an 

 insect, and the only living thing was here and there 

 a sickly cactus growing on some hillside. Yet the whole 

 country shows signs of the existence of large rivers 

 which have cut deep canons between some of the hills, 

 and the whole desert is probably an old lake bottom 

 which has left its trace by the extent of salt and soda 

 to be found in all directions. 



Kiss the boys and love to all. Good-bye, 



Yours, A. Ag. 



TO MRS. LOUIS AGASSIZ 



Mollendo, Jan. 28, 1875. 



I go on shore here in a couple of hours and make a 

 start for the Lake at last by rail all the way, but as there 

 is only one train a week I may have to kick my heels 

 for some time. Still I shall not be very sorry for a little 

 delay. I have been rushing so fast ever since I left Val- 

 paraiso, and as I spent most of last week on horseback, 

 riding from thirty-five to forty miles a day, and not 

 faring remarkably well either for food or shelter, it was 

 quite a comfort to be back again on board ship. But 



