422 



NORTHERN CHILE. 



May, 1835. 



(the first time this year) for about five hours. With this 

 shower, the farmers, who plant corn near the sea-coast 

 where the atmosphere is more humid, would break up the 

 ground; with a second, put the seed in: and if a third 

 should fall, they would reap in the spring a good harvest. 

 It was interesting to watch the effect of this trifling amount 

 of moisture. Twelve hours afterwards the ground appeared 

 as dry as ever ; yet after an interval of ten days, all the hills 

 were faintly tinged with green patches; the grass being 

 sparingly scattered in hair-like fibres a full inch in length. 

 Before this shower every part of the surface was bare as on a 

 high road. 



In the evening. Captain FitzRoy and myself were dining 

 with Mr. Edwards, an English resident well known for his 

 hospitality by all who have visited Coquimbo, when a sharp 

 earthquake happened. I heard the forecoming rumble, but 

 from the screams of the ladies, the running of servants, and 

 the rush of several of the gentlemen to the doorway, I could 

 not distinguish the motion. Some of the women afterwards 

 were crying with terror, and one person said he should not be 

 able to sleep all night, or if he did, it would only be to dream 

 of falling houses. The father of this gentleman had lately lost 

 all his property at Talcahuano, and he himself only just es- 

 caped a falling roof at Valparaiso, in 1822. He mentioned a 

 curious coincidence which then happened: he was playing 

 at cards, when a German, one of the party, got up, and said 

 he would never sit in a room in these countries with the door 

 shut, since, owing to his having done so, he had nearly lost 

 his life at Copiapo. Accordingly he opened the door ; and no 

 sooner had he done this, than he cried out, " Here it comes 

 again V and the famous shock commenced. The whole party 

 escaped. The danger in an earthquake is not from the time 

 lost in opening a door, but from the chance of its becoming 

 jammed by the movement of the walls. 



It is impossible to be much surprised at the fear which 

 natives and old residents, though some of them known to be 

 men of great command of mind, so generally experience during 



