136 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



conditions make his society equally agreeable and 

 instructive. 



Leaving Caldera soon after midday, the Ayacucho 

 reached Coquimbo early on the following morning. 

 With only the exception of Talcahuano, this is the 

 best port in Chili, being sheltered from all troublesome 

 winds, and affording good anchorage for large ships. 

 The town of La Serena, the chief place in this part of 

 Chili, stands on moderately high ground about two 

 miles from the sea, and may be reached in about 

 twenty minutes from the port by frequent trains which 

 travel to and fro. We were warned that our stay was 

 to be very short, and that those who went to the city 

 could not remain there for more than half an hour. I 

 had no difficulty in deciding to forego the attractions 

 of the city, whatever they might be, for a far more 

 tempting alternative offered itself The range of low 

 but rather steep slopes that rises immediately behind 

 the chief line of street was actually dotted over with 

 bushes, veritable bushes, and the unusual greenish- 

 grey tint of the soil announced that it was at least 

 partially covered with vegetation. In the spring, as 

 I was assured, the hue is quite a bright green. To 

 a man who for the preceding week had seen nothing 

 on land but naked rocks or barren sand, the somewhat 

 parched and meagre vegetation of Coquimbo ap- 

 peared irresistibly attractive. I could not expect to 

 add anything of value to what is already known, 

 through the writings of Darwin and other travellers, 

 respecting the evidences of elevation of the coast 

 afforded by the raised terraces containing recent 

 shells, whose seaward face forms the seeming hills 



