991 



only to indicate the points where I hope to obtain observations of 

 the magnetic elements. 



Reaching Santiago on the 27th of October, I was convinced in a 

 brief time that no other part of Chile would so well answer the pur- 

 poses of the expedition, and the Government here having acted 

 promptly and with most commendable liberality on all points, there 

 was no hesitation in selecting this city as my station. You know it is 

 situated on a plain varying in width from twelve to forty miles, which, 

 commencing just north of 33°, with a slight interruption in 34^J°, 

 extends to the Gulf of Onend in 41^°. The sea range of the Cor- 

 dilleras, from which Santiago is distant from four to five leagues, 

 has an elevation of 3000 to 4000 feet above the ocean, whilst the 

 main chain to the eastward varies from 10,000 to 17,000 or 18,000 

 feet, and is distant about six leagues at the base. Interrupting 

 the eastern horizon as they do, the interference with observations 

 on the planet Venus in the morning twilight rendered so near an 

 approach objectionable; but there was no locality in the vicinity of 

 a proper residence free from this obstacle, and no place in the in- 

 terior offering the facilities possessed by Santiago. If I mistake not, 

 in one of my former letters I stated that the coast was impracticable, 

 on account of very frequent fog and mist; and this was the opinion 

 of the most observant residents here. There were two positions 

 offered for our use by the Government, — a hill (Santa Lucia) in the 

 eastern part of the city, with such rooms in the Castle, about half- 

 way up, as might be needed, and the plain in the southern suburbs. 

 The former has an elevation of some 200 feet, whilst the latter is 

 half submerged during the rainy season, and almost inaccessible to 

 pedestrians. Many reasons inclined me to prefer Santa Lucia, could 

 its rocky crest be leveled, and this the Government at once under- 

 took. 



On the 9th of November, the ship having reached Valparaiso a few 

 days after me, all the instruments nearly^ together with the observa- 

 tories, were deposited in the Castle, distant 100 miles from the ocean, 

 having been conveyed in huge carts of the country drawn by five 

 yokes of oxen. Chronometers, magnetical, meteorological, and ail 

 delicate instruments, were suspended by hide cords inside the carts, 

 so as to swing free of each other, and everything came safely except 

 three black bulb-thermometers, which Mr. Barrow had packed in 

 sand. On opening the outer case (for the first time) the sand was 

 found to have filtered through crevices in the packing-box, leaving 

 the bulbs wholly unsupported. The fourth one was accidentally 

 broken a few days after, and we are now with only one spirit ther- 

 mometer for radiation, one of theyn having been, unfortunately, 

 broken also. Our larger equatoreal was placed on its pier on the 

 6th of December, and on the 10th commenced the series of observa- 

 tions on Mars; since which time I have made more than 1100 

 dij6Perential measures. The superb meridian circle, made by Pistor 

 and Martins, arrived here only at Christmas, and as it is an instru- 

 ment of exceedingly limited adjustment, it has only been adjusted 

 to the meridian a day or two. Instability of our floor rendering 



