CHILI. 185 



became almost wholly extinct. Places occurred of an eighth of a 

 mile in breadth, destitute of verdure of any kind. The party then 

 ascended a ridge belonging to the main body of the Cordilleras, and at 

 an elevation of about ten thousand feet, they reached its summit. 

 Here they had an extensive view of all the line of the snow peaks. 

 That of Tupongati appeared the most conspicuous, although at a 

 distance of eighty miles. The guide asserted that he could see smoke 

 issuing from its volcano in a faint streak, but it was beyond the vision 

 of our gentlemen. The peak itself from this view of it was quite 

 sharp-pointed. The scene immediately around them was one of 

 grandeur and desolation : mountain after mountain, separated by 

 immense chasms, to the depth of thousands of feet, and the sides 

 broken in the most fantastic forms imaginable. In these higher parts 

 of the Cordilleras they found a large admixture of the jaspery aluminous 

 rock, which forms the base of the finest porphyries ; also chlorite, in 

 abundance. The rock likewise contains fine white chalcedony in 

 irregular straggling masses. Trachytic breccia was observed in 

 various places. The porphyry is of a dull purple colour, rather lighter 

 than the red sandstone of the United States. No traces of cellular 

 lava were seen, nor of other more recent volcanic productions. No 

 limestone was seen in the regions traversed by our parties ; all the 

 lime used at Santiago is obtained from sea-shells; nor were any 

 proper sedimentary rocks seen. 



Nothing could be more striking than the complete silence that 

 reigned every where ; not a living thing appeared to their view. 



After spending some time on the top, they began their descent ; and 

 after two hours' hard travelling they reached the snow line, and 

 passed the night very comfortably in the open air, with their blankets 

 and pillions, or saddle-cloths. Fuel for a fire they unexpectedly found 

 in abundance : the Alpinia umbellifera answering admirably for that 

 purpose, from the quantity of resinous matter it contains. Near their 

 camp was the bank of snow before spoken of, from which the city 

 has been supplied for many years. It covers several acres. The 

 snow line here seemed to have remained constant, and would have 

 afforded a fine opportunity to have verified the rule of Humboldt, but 

 they had no instruments. The height they had ascended was supposed 

 to have been about eleven thousand feet, and the Cordilleras opposite 

 them about four thousand feet higher. The view of the mass of the 

 Cordilleras, in its general outline, was not unlike those of Mont Blanc 

 and other mountains in Switzerland. 



Mr. Peale went in search of the guanacoes, and succeeded in killing 

 one nine feet in length and four feet in height. They were found to 



vol. i. 0-2 24 



