UNIFORMITY OF THE CLIMATE. 133 



barometer. Perhaps, owing to the fact that my 

 observations were not sufficiently frequent and re- 

 corded with sufficient accuracy, I failed to detect on 

 this coast of America the daily oscillations of pressure, 

 which in this latitude probably amount to about one- 

 twentieth of an inch. 



On the 6th of May we reached Taltal, a small 

 place, the general aspect of which reminded me of 

 Tocopilla, and my first impression on landing was 

 that this was equally devoid of vegetable and animal 

 life. But on reaching the rocky slope, which rises very 

 near the landing-place, I at once perceived some 

 indications of water having flowed over the surface, 

 and in the course of the short half-hour which was 

 allowed ashore I found three flowering plants, two of 

 them in a condition to be determined, the third dried 

 up and undistinguishable. In the evening we touched 

 at Chaileral, a place rising into importance as being 

 the port of a rich mining district. The southerly 

 breeze had been rather stronger than usual during the 

 afternoon, and some passengers complained of the 

 motion of the ship. An addition of seventy tons of 

 copper in the hold, which was shipped here by torch- 

 light, appeared to have a remarkable effi:ct in steady- 

 ing the vessel. 



We reached Caldera early on the 7th, and remained 

 for five or six hours. This is the port of Copiapo, 

 the chief town of Northern Chili — the only one, indeed, 

 which could have grown up under natural conditions. 

 A considerable stream, the Rio de Copiapo, which 

 drains the western slope of the Cordillera, passes by 

 the town. Caldera, the port, is not at the mouth of 



