AUSTRAL-AMERICAN REGIONS. 



Ill 



third plain, wide and level, containing the river Maipu, and extend- 

 ing beyond Santiago to the base of the Andes. 



Throughout the Interior, the vegetable growth differed very little 

 from that around Valparaiso, except that within a given space there 

 was less variety. The low herbage was everywhere too thinly- 

 scattered to conceal the color of soil ; while the isolated shrubs were 

 chiefly confined to mountain-slopes, the ground where tolerable level, 

 being altogether devoid of them. The Mayienus, an exceedingly grace- 

 ful little tree, twenty to twenty-five feet high, was here and there 

 met with, its leaves distichal or standing off from the long pendent 

 branchlets, rendering the aspect altogether unlil^e that of the weeping 

 willow. 



In one locality, large trees were met with ; in a depression having 

 much of the character of a river-flat, but devoid of running water, at 

 the Western base of the Second mountain-ridge. These trees were 

 standing wide apart; and consisted of the QuiUaia, no longer an 

 arborescent shrub, but a spreading tree, sixty feet high with the trunk 

 three feet in diameter ; associated with the Lawns ? peumo nearly 

 equal in dimensions. 



On this Second mountain-ridge, a different Bromelia took the place 

 of the coast species ; and soon the isolated bushes were found to 

 consist principally of the Acacia-like VachelUa cavenia, now the pre- 

 vailing shrub. 



The exposed portions of the river-bed of the Maipu presented a green 

 and flourishing vegetable growth, in strong contrast with the barren 

 country around : consisting of a large dock-leaved Senecio ; a second 

 species of " chilquilla" or willow-leaved Baccharis ; an Equisetum eight 

 feet high, having whorled branchlets a foot in length ; and among 

 a variety of other plants, the Mimulus rivalis ?, well known in North- 

 ern gardens from the conspicuous purple spot on its yellow corolla. 



From the city of Santiago, the view of the Andes seeming near 

 at hand, was very imposing. From the thinness of the vegetable 

 growth, the local changes in the color of soil and rocks become visible 

 in the distance, in a very great variety of dull hues, especially of red 

 and green. As the sun went down, the upper portion of the Andes 

 changed to a clear yellow ; deepening shadows bringing into bold relief 

 peaks and ridges without end in countless array ; a little later, present- 

 ing a universal glow of red. During all this time, the sky in the 

 West continued greenish ; a tint not unusual in Chili, and by some 



