CHAP. XII 
BAY OF VALPARAISO 
269 
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 numberless little gullies, which expose a singularly 
bright red soil. From this cause, and from the low white¬ 
washed 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 
magnificent. 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 this 
point, owe the greater part of their beauty to the atmosphere 
through which they are seen. When the sun was setting in 
the Pacific, it was admirable to watch how clearly their rugged 
outlines could be distinguished, yet how varied and how 
delicate were the shades of their colour. 
I had the good fortune to find living here Mr. Richard 
Corfield, an old schoolfellow and friend, to whose hospitality 
and kindness I was greatly indebted, in having afforded me a 
most pleasant residence during the Beagle s stay in Chile. The 
immediate neighbourhood of Valparaiso is not very productive 
to the naturalist. During the long summer the wind blows 
steadily from the southward, and a little off shore, so that rain 
never falls ; during the three winter months, however, it is 
sufficiently abundant. The vegetation in consequence is very 
scanty : except in some deep valleys there are no trees, and 
only a little grass and a few low bushes are scattered over the 
less steep parts of the hills. When we reflect that at the 
distance of 350 miles to the south, this side of the Andes is 
completely hidden by one impenetrable forest, the contrast is 
very remarkable. I took several long walks while collecting 
objects of natural history. The country is pleasant for exercise. 
There are many very beautiful flowers ; and, as in most other 
dry climates, the plants and shrubs possess strong and peculiar 
odours—even one’s clothes by brushing through them became 
