444 



PERU. 



July, 1835. 



two small villages are placed at the very mouths of the mines. 

 If the town of Iquique appeared desolate, these, perched up 

 on hills, had a still more unnatural aspect. We did not 

 reach the saltpetre works till after sunset, having ridden all 

 day across an undulating country, a complete and utter desert. 

 The road was strewed with the bones and dried skins of the 

 many beasts of burden, which had perished on it from fatigue. 

 Excepting the Vultur aura, which preys on the carcasses, 

 I saw neither bird^ quadruped, reptile, or insect. On the coast 

 mountains, at the elevation of about 2000 feet, where during 

 this season the clouds generally hang, a very few cacti were 

 growing in the clefts of rock ; and the loose sand was strewed 

 over with a simple lichen, which lies on the surface quite 

 unattached. This plant belongs to the genus Cladonia, 

 and somewhat resembles the reindeer lichen. In some 

 parts it was in sufficient quantity to tinge the sand, as 

 seen from a distance, of a pale yellowish colour. Fur- 

 ther inland, during the whole ride of fourteen leagues, I 

 saw only one other vegetable production, and that was a 

 most minute yellow lichen, growing on the bones of the dead 

 mules. This was the first true desert which I had seen : 

 the effect on me was not impressive ; but I believe this was 

 owing to my having become gradually accustomed to such 

 scenes, as I rode northward from Valparaiso, through 

 Coquimbo to Copiapo. The appearance of the country 

 was remarkable, from being covered by a thick crust of 

 common salt, and of a saliferous sandstone, which properly 

 deserves the name of alluvium. The salt is white, very 

 hard, and compact. It occurs in water-worn nodules, which 

 project from the agglutinated sand or soft sandstone. 

 The appearance of this superficial mass, very closely re- 

 sembled that of a country after snow, before the last dirty 

 patches have thawed. The rocks of which the mountains are 

 composed are saliferous ; and I imagine, the very small quan- 

 tity of rain that falls, is sufficient only to wash the salt from the 

 higher strata, and that afterwards it concretes in nodules and 

 patches, in the sandy soil of the valleys. Whatever its origin 



