osite are the sensations when
viewing black mountains half enveloped in clouds, and seeing another
range through the light blue haze of a fine day! The one for a time may
be very sublime; the other is all gayety and happy life.

_August 14._--I set out on a riding excursion, for the purpose of
geologizing the basal parts of the Andes, which alone at this time of
the year are not shut up by the winter snow. Our first day's ride was
northward along the sea-coast. After dark we reached the Hacienda de
Quintero, the estate which formerly belonged to Lord Cochrane. My object
in coming here was to see the great beds of shells which stand some
yards above the level of the sea, and are burnt for lime. The proofs of
the elevation of this whole line of coast are unequivocal: at the
height of a few hundred feet old-looking shells are numerous, and I
found some at thirteen hundred feet. These shells either lie loose upon
the surface or are embedded in a reddish-black vegetable mould. I was
very much surprised to find under the microscope that this vegetable
mould is really marine mud, full of minute particles of organic bodies.

_15th._--We returned towards the valley of Quillota. The country was
exceedingly pleasant, just such as poets would call pastoral; green open
lawns, separated by small valleys with rivulets, and the cottages, we
may suppose of the shepherds, scattered on the hill-sides. We were
obliged to cross the ridge of the Chihcauquen. At its base there were
many fine evergreen forest-trees, but these flourished only in the
ravines, where there was running water. Any person who had seen only the
country near Valparaiso would never have imagined that there had been
such picturesque spots in Chile.

As soon as we reached the brow of the Sierra, the valley of Quillota was
immediately under our feet. The prospect was one of remarkable
artificial luxuriance. The valley is very broad and quite flat, and is
thus easily irrigated in all parts. The little square gardens are
crowded with orange- and olive-trees and every sort of vegetable. On
each side huge bare mountains rise, and this from the contrast renders
the patchwork valley the more pleasing. Whoever called Valparaiso the
"Valley of Paradise" must have been thinking of Quillota. We crossed
over to the Hacienda de San Isidro, situated at the very foot of the
Bell Mountain.

Chile, as may be seen in the maps, is a narrow strip of land between the
Cordillera and the Pa