1834. 



MIRAGE DRIFTED TREES ANDES. 



349 



heights, a consequence probably of their being undisturbed. 

 They spread over the face of the high country like immense 

 flocks of sheep. 



During a long walk this evening Mr. Stokes and I were 

 repeatedly disappointed by the mirage over an extensive stony 

 plain, between two bends of the river. We w^ere tired and 

 very thirsty, and went from one apparent piece of water to 

 another, only to be tantalized and to increase still more our 

 dilemma. 



S7th. Similar country. On the banks of the river some 

 drift wood was found ; the trunks of trees of considerable size. 

 Small trees had been found lying by the side of the river, 

 from time to time, but none so large as these, some of which 

 were almost two feet in diameter, and about thirty feet in 

 length. The wood appeared to be ' Sauci,' of the red kind. 

 That these trees had been drifted from a great distance was 

 evident, because they were much water worn. 



28th. In passing a rapid, whose difficulties were much in- 

 creased by rugged blocks of lava lying in the bed of the 

 river, one of our boats was badly stove and barely rescued 

 from sinking in the middle of the stream : fortunately we got 

 her on shore and there patched her up. There was still no 

 change in the scenery, nor any signs of inhabitants : and our 

 work was as monotonous as heavy. 



29th. While upon a high range of lava- capped land, Mr. 

 Stokes and Mr. Darwin descried distant mountains in the 

 west, covered with snow. At last, then, the Andes were in 

 sight ! This was inspiriting intelligence to the whole party ; 

 for small had been our daily progress, though continual and 

 severe the labour. The river increased in rapidity, while 

 but little diminution had taken place in the quantity of 

 water brought down : the breadth was rather less, certainly, 

 but the depth in most places greater. No fish had yet been 

 caught ; indeed, only two had been seen, and those seemed to 

 be like trout. 



30th. The snowy summits of the distant Cordillera were 

 more distinctly seen from the heights, near the river, that rise 



