LIMA AND SAN LORENZO. 
CHAPTER XVI 
Coast-road to Coquimbo—Great loads carried by the miners — Coquimbo—Earthquake 
— Step-formed terraces—Absence of recent deposits—Contemporaneousness of 
the Tertiary formations—Excursion up the valley—Road to Guasco—Deserts— 
Valley of Copiapo—Rain and earthquakes—Hydrophobia—The Despoblado— 
Indian ruins—Probable change of climate—River-bed arched by an earthquake 
—Cold gales of wind—Noises from a hill—Iquique—Salt alluvium—Nitrate 
of soda—Lima—Unhealthy country—Ruins of Callao, overthrown by an 
earthquake—Recent subsidence—Elevated shells on San Lorenzo, their decom¬ 
position—Plain with embedded shells and fragments of pottery—Antiquity of 
the Indian Race. 
NORTHERN CHILE AND PERU 
April 27th .—I set out on a journey to Coquimbo, and thence 
through Guasco to Copiapo, where Captain Fitz Roy kindly 
offered to pick me up in the Beagle. The distance in a straight 
line along the shore northward is only 420 miles ; but my 
mode of travelling made it a very long journey. I bought 
