Sept. 1834. 



THE PUMA. 



327 



lowed this valley till it expanded into a great plain^ which 

 reaches from the sea to the mountains west of Rancagua. We 

 shortly lost all trees and even bushes ; so that the inhabitants 

 are nearly as badly off for firewood as those in the Pampas. 

 Never having heard of these plains^ I was much surprised at 

 meeting with such scenery in Chile. The plains belong to more 

 than one series of different elevations, and they are traversed 

 by broad flat-bottomed valleys; both of which circumstances, 

 as in Patagonia, bespeak the gentle retreat of the ocean. 

 In the steep clifi's bordering these valleys, there are some 

 large caves, which no doubt were formed by the waters of 

 the ancient bays and channels. One of these which I visited 

 is celebrated under the name of Cueva del Obispo ; having 

 formerly been consecrated. During the day I felt very 

 unwell, and from that time till the end of October did not 

 recover. 



September 22d. — We continued to pass over green 

 plains without a tree. The next day we arrived at a house 

 near Navedad, on the sea-coast, where a rich Haciendero 

 gave us lodgings. I stayed here the two ensuing days, and 

 although very unwell, managed to collect from the tertiary 

 formation some marine shells, many of which turn out to be 

 quite new forms. 24th. Our course was now directed to- 

 wards Valparaiso, which with great difficulty I reached on 

 the 27th, and was there confined to my bed till the end of 

 October. During this time I was an inmate in Mr. Cor- 

 field^s house, whose kindness to me I do not know how to 

 express. 



I will here add a few observations on some of the animals 

 and birds of Chile. The Puma, or South American Lion, is 

 not uncommon. This animal has a wide geographical range ; 

 being found from the equatorial forests, throughout the 

 deserts of Patagonia, as far south as the damp and cold 

 latitudes (53° to 54°) of Tierra del Fuego. I have also seen 

 its footsteps in the Cordillera of central Chile, at an elevation 

 of at least 10,000 feet. In I/a Plata the puma chiefly preys 

 on deer, ostriches, bizcacha, and other small quadrupeds ; it 



