308 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Valparaiso — Excursion to base of Andes — Structure of land — Ascend 

 Bell of Quillota — Shattered masses of greenstone — Immense valleys — 

 Mines— State of miners — Santiago — Hot baths of Cauquenes — Gold 

 mines — Grinding mills — Perforated stones — Habits of puma — El turco 

 and tapacolo — Humming-birds. 



CENTRAL CHILE. 



July 23d. — The Beagle anchored late at night in the 

 bay of Valparaiso, the chief seaport of Chile. When 

 morning came_, every thing appeared delightful. After Tierra 

 del Fuego, the climate felt quite delicious — the atmosphere 

 so dry, and the heavens so clear and blue, with the sun 

 shining brightly, that all nature seemed sparkling with 

 life. The view from the anchorage is very pretty. The 

 town is built at the very foot of a range of hills, about 1600 

 feet high, and rather steep. From its position, it consists 

 of one long, straggling street, which runs parallel to the beach, 

 and wherever a ravine comes down, the houses are piled up 

 on each side of it. The rounded hills, being only partially 

 protected by a very scanty vegetation, are worn into number- 

 less little gullies, which expose a singularly bright red soil. 

 From this cause, and from the low whitewashed houses 

 with tile roofs, the view reminded me of St. Cruz in 

 TenerifFe. In a north-easterly direction there are some fine 

 glimpses of the Andes : but these mountains appear much 

 grander when viewed from the neighbouring hills ; the great 

 distance at which they are situated can then more readily be 

 perceived. The volcano of Aconcagua is particularly mag- 

 nificent. This huge and irregularly conical mass has an 

 elevation greater than that of Chimborazo ; for, from measure- 

 ments made by the officers in the Beagle, its height is no 

 less than '23,000 feet. The Cordillera, however, viewed from 



