372 
NORTHERN CHILE 
CHAP. 
a copper-smelting furnace. As an especial favour, he allowed me 
to purchase at a high price an armful of dirty straw, which was 
all the poor horses had for supper after their long day’s journey. 
Few smelting-furnaces are now at work in any part of Chile ; it 
is found more profitable, on account of the extreme scarcity of 
firewood, and from the Chilian method of reduction being so 
unskilful, to ship the ore for Swansea. The next day we 
crossed some mountains to Freyrina, in the valley of Guasco. 
During each day’s ride farther northward, the vegetation became 
more and more scanty ; even the great chandelier-like cactus 
was here replaced by a different and much smaller species. 
During the winter months, both in Northern Chile and in Peru, 
a uniform bank of clouds hangs, at no great height, over the 
Pacific. From the mountains we had a very striking view of 
this white and brilliant aerial field, which sent arms up the 
valleys, leaving islands and promontories in the same manner 
as the sea does in the Chonos Archipelago and in Tierra del 
Fuego. 
We stayed two days at Freyrina. In the valley of Guasco 
there are four small towns. At the mouth there is a port, a 
spot entirely desert, and without any water in the immediate 
neighbourhood. Five leagues higher up stands Freyrina, a long 
straggling village, with decent whitewashed houses. Again, ten 
leagues farther up Ballenar is situated ; and above this Guasco 
Alto, a horticultural village, famous for its dried fruit. On a 
clear day the view up the valley is very fine ; the straight 
opening terminates in the far-distant snowy Cordillera ; on each 
side an infinity of crossing lines are blended together in a 
beautiful haze. The foreground is singular from the number of 
parallel and step-formed terraces ; and the included strip of 
green valley, with its willow-bushes, is contrasted on both hands 
with the naked hills. That the surrounding country was most 
barren will be readily believed, when it is known that a shower 
of rain had not fallen during the last thirteen months. The 
inhabitants heard with the greatest envy of the rain at Coquimbo ; 
from the appearance of the sky they had hopes of equally good 
fortune, which, a fortnight afterwards, were realised. I was at 
Copiapo at the time ; and there the people, with equal envy, 
talked of the abundant rain at Guasco. After two or three very 
dry years, perhaps with not more than one shower during the 
