342 NORTHERN CHILE. [cHaP. XVI. 
impressed with an idea of the heresy, contamination, and evil tu 
be derived from contact with such a person. To this day they 
relate the atrocious actions of the bucaniers; and especially of 
one man, who took away the figure of the Virgin Mary, and re- 
turned the year after for that of St. Joseph, saying it was a pity 
the lady should not havea husband. I heard also of an old lady 
who, at a dinner in Coquimbo, remarked how wonderfully 
strange it was that she should have lived to dine in the same room 
with an Englishman; for she remembered as a girl, that twice, 
at the mere cry of “Los Ingleses,” every soul, carrying what 
valuables they could, had taken to the mountains. 
14th.—We reached Coquimbo, where we stayed a few days. 
The town is remarkable for nothing but its extreme quietness. 
It is said to contain from 6000 to 8000 inhabitants. On the 
morning of the 17th it rained lightly, the first time this year, for 
about five hours. The farmers, who plant corn near the sea- 
coast where the atmosphere is more humid, taking advantage of 
this shower, would break up the ground; after a second they 
would put the seed in; and if a third shower should fall, they 
would reap a good harvest in the spring. It was interesting to 
watch the effect of this trifling amount of moisture. Twelve 
hours afterwards the ground appeared as dry as ever; yet after an 
interval of ten days, all the hills were faintly tinged with green 
patches ; the grass being sparingly scattered in hair-like fibres a 
full inch in length. Before this shower every part of the surface 
was bare as on a high road. 
In the evening, Captain Fitz Roy and myself were dining with 
Mr. Edwards, an English resident well known for his hospitality 
by all who have visited Coquimbo, when a sharp earthquake 
happened. J heard the forecoming rumble, but from the screams 
of the ladies, the running of the servants, and the rush of several 
of the gentlemen to the doorway, I could not distinguish the 
motion. Some of the women afterwards were crying with terror, 
and one gentleman said. he should not be able to sleep all night, 
or if he did, it would only be to dream of falling houses. ‘The 
father of this person had lately lost all his property at Talca- 
huano, and he himself had only just escaped a falling roof at 
Valparaiso, in 1822. He mentioned a curious coincidence which 
then happened: he was playing at cards, when a German, one 
