1835. 



SANTA MARIA UPHEAVAL. 



413 



the site of many houses. The low grounds lying at the bottom 

 of Concepcion Bay, particularly those of the Isla de los 

 Reyes, were overflowed, and injured irreparably : quantities 

 of cattle, horses, and sheep were lost. Similar effects, in an 

 equal or less degree, were felt on the coasts between the river 

 Itata, and Cape Rumena. Large masses of earth and stone, 

 many thousand tons in weight, were detached from the cliifs, 

 and precipitous sides of the hills. It was dangerous to go near 

 the edge of a cliff, for numerous chasms, and cracks in every 

 direction, showed how doubtful was the support. When walk- 

 ing on the shore, even at high-water, beds of dead muscles, 

 numerous chitons and limpets, and withered sea^weed, still ad- 

 hering, though lifeless, to the rocks on which they had lived, 

 every where met the eye — proofs of the upheaval of the land. 



Besides suffering from the effects of the earthquake and 

 three invading waves, which, coming from the west round both 

 points of the island, united to overflow the low ground near 

 the village, Santa Maria was upheaved nine feet. It appeared 

 that the southern extreme of the island was raised eight feet, 

 the middle nine, and the northern end upwards of ten feet. 

 The Beagle visited this island twice — at the end of March and 

 in the beginning of April : at her first visit it was concluded, 

 from the visible evidence of dead shell-fish, water-marks, and 

 soundings, and from the verbal testimony of the inhabitants^ 

 that the land had been raised about eight feet. However, on 

 returning to Concepcion, doubts were raised ; and to settle the 

 matter beyond dispute, one of the owners of the island, Don 

 S. Palma, accompanied us the second time. An intelligent 

 Hanoverian, whose occupation upon this island was sealing, and 

 who had lived two years there and knew its shores thoroughly, 

 was also passenger in the Beagle. 



When we landed, the Hanoverian, whose name was Anthony 

 Vogelborg, showed me a spot from which he used formerly to 

 gather ' choros,'^ by diving for them at low tide. At dead low 

 water, standing upon the bed of ' choros,"' and holding his hands 

 up above his head, he could not reach the surface of the water: 

 * A large kind of muscle. 



