April6th——Inthemorningwefoundsomethiefhadstolenoneofourmules，andthebellofthemadrina。Wethereforerodeonlytwoorthreemilesdownthevalley，andstayedtheretheensuingdayinhopesofrecoveringthemule，whichthearrierothoughthadbeenhiddeninsomeravine。ThesceneryinthisparthadassumedaChiliancharacter：thelowersidesofthemountains，dottedoverwiththepaleevergreenQuillaytree，andwiththegreatchandelier-likecactus，arecertainlymoretobeadmiredthanthebareeasternvalleys；butIcannotquiteagreewiththeadmirationexpressedbysometravellers。Theextremepleasure，Isuspect，ischieflyowingtotheprospectofagoodfireandofagoodsupper，afterescapingfromthecoldregionsabove：andIamsureImostheartilyparticipatedinthesefeelings。
　　8th——WeleftthevalleyoftheAconcagua，bywhichwehaddescended，andreachedintheeveningacottageneartheVilladelSt。Rosa。Thefertilityoftheplainwasdelightful：theautumnbeingadvanced，theleavesofmanyofthefruit-treeswerefalling；andofthelabourers，——somewerebusyindryingfigsandpeachesontheroofsoftheircottages，whileothersweregatheringthegrapesfromthevineyards。Itwasaprettyscene；butImissedthatpensivestillnesswhichmakestheautumninEnglandindeedtheeveningoftheyear。Onthe10thwereachedSantiago，whereIreceivedaverykindandhospitablereceptionfromMr。Caldcleugh。Myexcursiononlycostmetwenty-fourdays，andneverdidImoredeeplyenjoyanequalspaceoftime。AfewdaysafterwardsIreturnedtoMr。Corfield’shouseatValparaiso。[1]Scoresby’sArcticRegions，vol。i。p。122。
　　[2]IhavehearditremarkedinShropshirethatthewater，whentheSevernisfloodedfromlong-continuedrain，ismuchmoreturbidthanwhenitproceedsfromthesnowmeltingintheWelshmountains。
　　D’Orbignytom。i。p。184，inexplainingthecauseofthevariouscoloursoftheriversinSouthAmerica，remarksthatthosewithblueorclearwaterhavetheresourceintheCordillera，wherethesnowmelts。
　　[3]Dr。GilliesinJourn。ofNat。andGeograph。
　　Science，Aug。，1830。ThisauthorgivestheheightsofthePasses。
　　[4]ThisstructureinfrozensnowwaslongsinceobservedbyScoresbyintheicebergsnearSpitzbergen，and，lately，withmorecare，byColonelJacksonJourn。ofGeograph。Soc。，vol。v。p。12
　　ontheNeva。Mr。LyellPrinciples，vol。iv。p。360hascomparedthefissuresbywhichthecolumnarstructureseemstobedetermined，tothejointsthattraversenearlyallrocks，butwhicharebestseeninthenon-stratifiedmasses。Imayobserve，thatinthecaseofthefrozensnow，thecolumnarstructuremustbeowingtoa“metamorphic“action，andnottoaprocessduringdeposition。
　　[5]Thisismerelyanillustrationoftheadmirablelaws，firstlaiddownbyMr。Lyell，onthegeographicaldistributionofanimals，asinfluencedbygeologicalchanges。Thewholereasoning，ofcourse，isfoundedontheassumptionoftheimmutabilityofspecies；otherwisethedifferenceinthespeciesinthetworegionsmightbeconsideredassuperinducedduringalengthoftime。PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter16TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterNextChapterChapter16-NorthernChileandPeruAPRIL27th——IsetoutonajourneytoCoquimbo，andthencethroughGuascotoCopiapo，whereCaptainFitzRoykindlyofferedtopickmeupintheBeagle。Thedistanceinastraightlinealongtheshorenorthwardisonly420miles；butmymodeoftravellingmadeitaverylongjourney。
　　Iboughtfourhorsesandtwomules，thelattercarryingtheluggageonalternatedays。Thesixanimalstogetheronlycostthevalueoftwenty-fivepoundssterling，andatCopiapoIsoldthemagainfortwenty-three。Wetravelledinthesameindependentmannerasbefore，cookingourownmeals，andsleepingintheopenair。AswerodetowardstheVinodelMar，ItookafarewellviewofValparaiso，andadmireditspicturesqueappearance。
　　ForgeologicalpurposesImadeadetourfromthehighroadtothefootoftheBellofQuillota。Wepassedthroughanalluvialdistrictrichingold，totheneighbourhoodofLimache，whereweslept。Washingforgoldsupportstheinhabitantsofnumeroushovels，scatteredalongthesidesofeachlittlerivulet；but，likeallthosewhosegainsareuncertain，theyareunthriftyinalltheirhabits，andconsequentlypoor。
　　28th——IntheafternoonwearrivedatacottageatthefootoftheBellmountain。Theinhabitantswerefreeholders，whichisnotveryusualinChile。Theysupportedthemselvesontheproduceofagardenandalittlefield，butwereverypoor。Capitalisheresodeficient，thatthepeopleareobligedtoselltheirgreencornwhilestandinginthefield，inordertobuynecessariesfortheensuingyear。WheatinconsequencewasdearerintheverydistrictofitsproductionthanatValparaiso，wherethecontractorslive。ThenextdaywejoinedthemainroadtoCoquimbo。Atnighttherewasaverylightshowerofrain：thiswasthefirstdropthathadfallensincetheheavyrainofSeptember11thand12th，whichdetainedmeaprisonerattheBathsofCauquenes。Theintervalwassevenandahalfmonths；buttherainthisyearinChilewasratherlaterthanusual。ThedistantAndeswerenowcoveredbyathickmassofsnow，andwereaglorioussight。
　　May2nd——Theroadcontinuedtofollowthecoast，atnogreatdistancefromthesea。ThefewtreesandbusheswhicharecommonincentralChiledecreasedrapidlyinnumbers，andwerereplacedbyatallplant，somethinglikeayuccainappearance。Thesurfaceofthecountry，onasmallscale，wassingularlybrokenandirregular；abruptlittlepeaksofrockrisingoutofsmallplainsorbasins。Theindentedcoastandthebottomoftheneighbouringsea，studdedwithbreakers，would，ifconvertedintodryland，presentsimilarforms；andsuchaconversionwithoutdoubthastakenplaceinthepartoverwhichwerode。
　　3rd——QuilimaritoConchalee。Thecountrybecamemoreandmorebarren。
　　Inthevalleystherewasscarcelysufficientwaterforanyirrigation；
　　andtheintermediatelandwasquitebare，notsupportingevengoats。Inthespring，afterthewintershowers，athinpasturerapidlyspringsup，andcattlearethendrivendownfromtheCordilleratograzeforashorttime。Itiscurioustoobservehowtheseedsofthegrassandotherplantsseemtoaccommodatethemselves，asifbyanacquiredhabit，tothequantityofrainwhichfallsupondifferentpartsofthiscoast。OneshowerfarnorthwardatCopiapoproducesasgreataneffectonthevegetation，astwoatGuasco，andthreeorfourinthisdistrict。AtValparaisoawintersodryasgreatlytoinjurethepasture，wouldatGuascoproducethemostunusualabundance。Proceedingnorthward，thequantityofraindoesnotappeartodecreaseinstrictproportiontothelatitude。AtConchalee，whichisonly67milesnorthofValparaiso，rainisnotexpectedtilltheendofMay；whereasatValparaisosomegenerallyfallsearlyinApril：
　　theannualquantityislikewisesmallinproportiontothelatenessoftheseasonatwhichitcommences。
　　4th——Findingthecoast-roaddevoidofinterestofanykind，weturnedinlandtowardstheminingdistrictandvalleyofIllapel。Thisvalley，likeeveryotherinChile，islevel，broad，andveryfertile：itisborderedoneachside，eitherbycliffsofstratifiedshingle，orbybarerockymountains。Abovethestraightlineoftheuppermostirrigatingditch，allisbrownasonahighroad；whileallbelowisofasbrightagreenasverdigris，fromthebedsofalfalfa，akindofclover。WeproceededtoLosHornos，anotherminingdistrict，wheretheprincipalhillwasdrilledwithholes，likeagreatants’-nest。TheChilianminersareapeculiarraceofmenintheirhabits。Livingforweekstogetherinthemostdesolatespots，whentheydescendtothevillagesonfeast-days，thereisnoexcessofextravaganceintowhichtheydonotrun。Theysometimesgainaconsiderablesum，andthen，likesailorswithprize-money，theytryhowsoontheycancontrivetosquanderit。Theydrinkexcessively，buyquantitiesofclothes，andinafewdaysreturnpennilesstotheirmiserableabodes，theretoworkharderthanbeastsofburden。Thisthoughtlessness，aswithsailors，isevidentlytheresultofasimilarmanneroflife。Theirdailyfoodisfoundthem，andtheyacquirenohabitsofcarefulness：moreover，temptationandthemeansofyieldingtoitareplacedintheirpoweratthesametime。
　　Ontheotherhand，inCornwall，andsomeotherpartsofEngland，wherethesystemofsellingpartoftheveinisfollowed，theminers，frombeingobligedtoactandthinkforthemselves，areasingularlyintelligentandwell-conductedsetofmen。
　　ThedressoftheChilianminerispeculiarandratherpicturesqueHewearsaverylongshirtofsomedark-colouredbaize，withaleathernapron；
　　thewholebeingfastenedroundhiswaistbyabright-colouredsash。Histrousersareverybroad，andhissmallcapofscarletclothismadetofittheheadclosely。Wemetapartyoftheseminersinfullcostume，carryingthebodyofoneoftheircompanionstobeburied。Theymarchedataveryquicktrot，fourmensupportingthecorpse。Onesethavingrunashardastheycouldforabouttwohundredyards，wererelievedbyfourothers，whohadpreviouslydashedonaheadonhorseback。Thustheyproceeded，encouragingeachotherbywildcries：altogetherthesceneformedamoststrangefuneral。
　　Wecontinuedtravellingnorthward，inazigzagline；sometimesstoppingadaytogeologize。Thecountrywassothinlyinhabited，andthetracksoobscure，thatweoftenhaddifficultyinfindingourway。Onthe12thIstayedatsomemines。Theoreinthiscasewasnotconsideredparticularlygood，butfrombeingabundantitwassupposedtheminewouldsellforaboutthirtyorfortythousanddollarsthatis，6000or8000poundssterling；
　　yetithadbeenboughtbyoneoftheEnglishAssociationsforanounceofgold3l。8s。。Theoreisyellowpyrites，which，asIhavealreadyremarked，beforethearrivaloftheEnglish，wasnotsupposedtocontainaparticleofcopper。Onascaleofprofitsnearlyasgreatasintheaboveinstance，pilesofcinders，aboundingwithminuteglobulesofmetalliccopper，werepurchased；yetwiththeseadvantages，theminingassociations，asiswellknown，contrivedtoloseimmensesumsofmoney。Thefollyofthegreaternumberofthecommissionersandshareholdersamountedtoinfatuation；——
　　athousandpoundsperannumgiveninsomecasestoentertaintheChilianauthorities；librariesofwell-boundgeologicalbooks；minersbroughtoutforparticularmetals，astin，whicharenotfoundinChile；contractstosupplytheminerswithmilk，inpartswheretherearenocows；machinery，whereitcouldnotpossiblybeused；andahundredsimilararrangements，borewitnesstoourabsurdity，andtothisdayaffordamusementtothenatives。Yettherecanbenodoubt，thatthesamecapitalwellemployedinthesemineswouldhaveyieldedanimmensereturn，aconfidentialmanofbusiness，apracticalminerandassayer，wouldhavebeenallthatwasrequired。
　　CaptainHeadhasdescribedthewonderfulloadwhichthe“Apires。”trulybeastsofburden，carryupfromthedeepestmines。IconfessIthoughttheaccountexaggerated：sothatIwasgladtotakeanopportunityofweighingoneoftheloads，whichIpickedoutbyhazard。Itrequiredconsiderableexertiononmypart，whenstandingdirectlyoverit，toliftitfromtheground。Theloadwasconsideredunderweightwhenfoundtobe197pounds。
　　Theapirehadcarriedthisupeightyperpendicularyards，——partofthewaybyasteeppassage，butthegreaterpartupnotchedpoles，placedinazigzaglineuptheshaft。Accordingtothegeneralregulation，theapireisnotallowedtohaltforbreath，exceptthemineissixhundredfeetdeep。Theaverageloadisconsideredasrathermorethan200pounds，andIhavebeenassuredthatoneof300poundstwenty-twostoneandahalf
　　bywayofatrialhasbeenbroughtupfromthedeepestmine！Atthistimetheapireswerebringinguptheusualloadtwelvetimesintheday；thatis2400poundsfromeightyyardsdeep；andtheywereemployedintheintervalsinbreakingandpickingore。
　　Thesemen，exceptingfromaccidents，arehealthy，andappearcheerful。
　　Theirbodiesarenotverymuscular。Theyrarelyeatmeatonceaweek，andneveroftener，andthenonlytheharddrycharqui。Althoughwithaknowledgethatthelabourwasvoluntary，itwasneverthelessquiterevoltingtoseethestateinwhichtheyreachedthemouthofthemine；theirbodiesbentforward，leaningwiththeirarmsonthesteps，theirlegsbowed，theirmusclesquivering，theperspirationstreamingfromtheirfacesovertheirbreasts，theirnostrilsdistended，thecornersoftheirmouthforciblydrawnback，andtheexpulsionoftheirbreathmostlaborious。Eachtimetheydrawtheirbreath，theyutteranarticulatecryof“ay-ay。”whichendsinasoundrisingfromdeepinthechest，butshrilllikethenoteofafife。Afterstaggeringtothepileofore，theyemptiedthe“carpacho；“