270 CENTRAL CHILE 



scented. I did not cease from wonder at finding each suc- 

 ceeding day as fine as the foregoing. What a difference does 

 climate make in the enjoyment of life ! How opposite are the 

 sensations when viewing black mountains half- enveloped in 

 clouds, and seeing another range through the light blue haze 

 of a fine day ! The one for a time may be very sublime ; the 

 other is all gaiety and happy life. 



August ij^th. — I set out on a riding excursion, for the 

 purpose of geologising the basal parts of the Andes, which 

 alone at this time of the year are not shut up by the winter 

 snow. Our first day's ride was northward along the sea-coast. 

 After dark we reached the Hacienda of Quintero, the estate 

 which formerly belonged to Lord Cochrane. My object in 

 coming here was to see the great beds of shells which stand 

 some yards above the level of the sea, and are burnt for lime. 

 The proofs of the elevation of this whole line of coast are 

 unequivocal : at the height of a few hundred feet old-looking 

 shells are numerous, and I found some at 1300 feet. These 

 shells either lie loose on the surface, or are embedded in a 

 reddish-black vegetable mould. I was much surprised to find 

 under the microscope that this vegetable mould is really marine 

 mud, full of minute particles of organic bodies. 



i^th. — We returned towards the valley of Quillota. The 

 country was exceedingly pleasant ; just such as poets would 

 call pastoral : green open lawns, separated by small valleys 

 with rivulets, and the cottages, we may suppose of the shepherds, 

 scattered on the hill-sides. We were obliged to cross the ridge 

 of the Chilicauquen. At its base there were many fine evergreen 

 forest -trees, but these flourished only in the ravines, where 

 there was running water. Any person who had seen only the 

 country near Valparaiso would never have imagined that there 

 had been such picturesque spots in Chile. As soon as we 

 reached the brow of the Sierra, the valley of Quillota was 

 immediately under our feet. The prospect was one of remark- 

 able artificial luxuriance. The valley is very broad and quite 

 flat, and is thus easily irrigated in all parts. The little square 

 gardens are crowded with orange and olive trees and every 

 sort of vegetable. On each side huge bare mountains rise, 

 and this from the contrast renders the patchwork valley the 

 more pleasing. Whoever called " Valparaiso " the " Valley of 



