482 



IS LAY 



— WHITE POWDER. 



August 



seen. Of these and other ports along the coasts of Northern 

 Chile and Peru, nautical information will be found in the Ap- 

 pendix. I will only delay the general reader with one or two 

 observations. 



From near Iquique to Arica the precipitous coast is so lofty, 

 and approaches so much to the character of enormous cliffs, 

 about a thousand feet high, that it is really sublime. Near 

 Islay, the land is in several places covered with a whitish 

 powder, or dust, which lies many inches thick in hollows or 

 sheltered places, but is not found abundantly in localities 

 exposed to wind. Much difference of opinion has arisen about 

 this powder. People who live there say it was thrown out of a 

 volcano near Arequipa a great many years ago : other persons 

 assert that it is not a volcanic production, and appertains to, 

 or had its origin, where it is found. My own idea was, before 

 I heard any thing of the controversy, that there could be no 

 doubt of its having fallen upon the ground within some 

 hundred years, for it was drifted like snow, and where any 

 quantity lay together, had become consolidated about as much 

 as flour which has got damp in a damaged barrel. 



In one of the old voyages there is a passage which seems to 

 throw some light upon this subject : " As they (of Van 

 Noorf s ship) sailed near Arequipa, they had a dry fog, or 

 rather the air was obscured by a white sandy dust, with which 

 their clothes and the ship's rigging became entirely covered. 

 These fogs the Spaniards called ' arenales.' " — Voyage of Van 

 Noort, in 1660, from Burney, vol. ii. p. 223. 



On the 9th of August, the Blonde anchored in Callao Bay, 

 and I enjoyed the satisfaction of finding all well on board the 

 Beagle. She had touched at Copiapo and Iquique, for Mr. 

 Darwin, in her way to Callao, where she arrived on the 19th of 

 July. Lieutenant Sulivan brought his little vessel safely to 

 an anchor near the Beagle on the 30th, having accomplished 

 his survey in a very satisfactory manner. So well did he speak 

 of the Constitucion, as a handy craft and good sea boat, and 

 so correctly did his own work in her appear to have been 

 executed, that after some days' consideration I decided to buy 



