Valparaiso - Portillo Pass - Sagacity of Mules-Mountain Torrents-Mines, how discovered-Proofs of the Gradual Eleva- tion of the Cordillera-Effect of Snow on Rocks-Geological Structure of the two Main Ranges-Their Distinct Origin and Upheaval-Great Subsidence-Red Snow Winds-Pinnacles of Snow-Dry and clear Atmosphere-Electricity-Pampas- Zoology of the Opposite Sides of the Andes -Locusts - Great Bugs-Mendoza - Uspallata Pass-Silicified Trees buried as they grew-Incas Bridge-Badness of the Coast-road to Coquimbo-Great Loads car- ried by the Miners-Coquimbo-Earth- quake-Step-formed Terraces-Absence of recent Deposits-Contemporaneous- ness of the Tertiary Formations-Excur- sion up the Valley-Road to Guasco- Deserts-Valley of Copiapó-Rain and Earthquakes-Hydrophobia-The Des- poblado-Indian Ruins-Probable Change of Climate-River-bed arched by an Earth- quake-Cold Gales of Wind-Noises from a Hill-Iquique-Salt Alluvium-Nitrate of Soda Lima - Unhealthy Country Ruins of Callao, overthrown by an Earth- quake- Recent Subsidence -Elevated Shells on San Lorenzo, their Decompo- sition-Plain with Embedded Shells and Galapagos Archipelago-The Whole Group Volcanic-Number of Craters-Leafless Bushes-Colony at Charles Island-James Island Salt-lake in Crater - Natural History of the Group- Ornithology, Curious Finches-Reptiles-Great Tor- toises, Habits of Marine Lizard, feeds on Sea-weed-Terrestrial Lizard, burrowing Habits, Herbivorous-Importance of CONTENTS. Keeling Island - Singular Appearance. Scanty Flora-Transport of Seeds-Birds and Insects-Ebbing and Flowing Wells- Fields of Dead Coral-Stones transported in the Roots of Trees-Great Crab-Sting- ing Corals-Coral-eating Fish-Coral Formations-Lagoon Islands, or Atolls- Depth at which Reef-building Corals can live-Vast Areas interspersed with Low Coral Islands-Subsidence of their Foun- dations-Barrier Reefs-Fringing Reefs Conversion of Fringing Reefs into Barrier Reefs, and into Atolls-Evidence of Changes in Level-Breaches in Barrier Reefs Maldiva Atolls; their Peculiar Structure-Dead and Submerged Reefs- Areas of Subsidence and Elevation-Dis- Porto Praya-Ribeira Grande-Atmospheric Dust with Infusoria-Habits of a Sea-slug and Cuttle-fish-St. Paul's Rocks, Non-volcanic-Singular Incrustations-Insects the First Colonists of Islands-Fernando Noronha -Bahia-Burnished Rocks-Habits of a Diodon-Pelagic Confervæ and Infusoria-Causes of Discoloured Sea. AFTER having been twice driven back by heavy south-western gales, Her Majesty's ship Beagle, a ten-gun brig, under the command of Captain Fitz Roy, R.N., sailed from Devonport on the 27th of December, 1831. The object of the expedition was to complete the survey of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, commenced under Captain King in 1826 to 1830-to survey the shores of Chile, Peru, and of some islands in the Pacific-and to carry a chain of chronometrical measurements round the world. On the 6th of January we reached Teneriffe, but were prevented landing, by fears of our bringing the cholera the next morning we saw the sun rise behind the rugged outline of the Grand Canary Island, and suddenly illumine the Peak of Teneriffe, whilst the lower parts were veiled in fleecy clouds. This was the first of many delightful days never to be forgotten. On the 16th of January, 1832, we anchored at Porto Praya, in St. Jago, the chief island of the Cape de Verd archipelago. The neighbourhood of Porto Praya, viewed from the sea, wears a desolate aspect. The volcanic fires of a past age, and the scorching heat of a tropical sun, have in most places rendered the soil unfit for vegetation. The country rises in successive steps of table-land, interspersed with some truncate conical hills, and the horizon is bounded by an irregular chain of more lofty mountains. The scene, as beheld through the hazy atmosphere of this climate, is one of great interest; if, indeed, a person, fresh from sea, and who has just walked, for the first time, in a grove of cocoa-nut trees, can be a judge of anything but his own happiness. The island would generally be considered as very uninteresting; but to any one accustomed only to an English |