Noclothesseemedtoopposeanyobstacletotheair；Isufferedverymuchfromthecold，sothatIcouldnotsleep，andinthemorningrosewithmybodyquitedullandbenumbed。
IntheCordillerafurthersouthward，peoplelosetheirlivesfromsnowstorms；
here，itsometimeshappensfromanothercause。Myguide，whenaboyoffourteenyearsold，waspassingtheCordillerawithapartyinthemonthofMay；andwhileinthecentralparts，afuriousgaleofwindarose，sothatthemencouldhardlyclingontheirmules，andstoneswereflyingalongtheground。Thedaywascloudless，andnotaspeckofsnowfell，butthetemperaturewaslow。Itisprobablethatthethermometercouldnothavestoodverymanydegreesbelowthefreezing-point，buttheeffectontheirbodies，illprotectedbyclothing，musthavebeeninproportiontotherapidityofthecurrentofcoldair。Thegalelastedformorethanaday；themenbegantolosetheirstrength，andthemuleswouldnotmoveonwards。Myguide’sbrothertriedtoreturn，butheperished，andhisbodywasfoundtwoyearsafterwards，Lyingbythesideofhismuleneartheroad，withthebridlestillinhishand。Twoothermeninthepartylosttheirfingersandtoes；andoutoftwohundredmulesandthirtycows，onlyfourteenmulesescapedalive。Manyyearsagothewholeofalargepartyaresupposedtohaveperishedfromasimilarcause，buttheirbodiestothisdayhaveneverbeendiscovered。Theunionofacloudlesssky，lowtemperature，andafuriousgaleofwind，mustbe，Ishouldthink，inallpartsoftheworldanunusualoccurrence。
June29th——Wegladlytravelleddownthevalleytoourformernight’slodging，andthencetoneartheAguaamarga。OnJuly1stwereachedthevalleyofCopiapo。Thesmellofthefreshcloverwasquitedelightful，afterthescentlessairofthedry，sterileDespoblado。WhilststayinginthetownIheardanaccountfromseveraloftheinhabitants，ofahillintheneighbourhoodwhichtheycalled“ElBramador。”——theroarerorbellower。Ididnotatthetimepaysufficientattentiontotheaccount；
but，asfarasIunderstood，thehillwascoveredbysand，andthenoisewasproducedonlywhenpeople，byascendingit，putthesandinmotion。
ThesamecircumstancesaredescribedindetailontheauthorityofSeetzenandEhrenberg，[4]asthecauseofthesoundswhichhavebeenheardbymanytravellersonMountSinaineartheRedSea。OnepersonwithwhomIconversedhadhimselfheardthenoise：hedescribeditasverysurprising；andhedistinctlystatedthat，althoughhecouldnotunderstandhowitwascaused，yetitwasnecessarytosetthesandrollingdowntheacclivity。Ahorsewalkingoverdrycoarsesand，causesapeculiarchirpingnoisefromthefrictionoftheparticles；acircumstancewhichIseveraltimesnoticedonthecoastofBrazil。
ThreedaysafterwardsIheardoftheBeagle’sarrivalatthePort，distanteighteenleaguesfromthetown。Thereisverylittlelandcultivateddownthevalley；itswideexpansesupportsawretchedwirygrass，whicheventhedonkeyscanhardlyeat。Thispoornessofthevegetationisowingtothequantityofsalinematterwithwhichthesoilisimpregnated。ThePortconsistsofanassemblageofmiserablelittlehovels，situatedatthefootofasterileplain。Atpresent，astherivercontainswaterenoughtoreachthesea，theinhabitantsenjoytheadvantageofhavingfreshwaterwithinamileandahalf。Onthebeachtherewerelargepilesofmerchandise，andthelittleplacehadanairofactivity。IntheeveningIgavemyadios，withaheartygood-will，tomycompanionMarianoGonzales，withwhomI
hadriddensomanyleaguesinChile。ThenextmorningtheBeaglesailedforIquique。
July12th——WeanchoredintheportofIquique，inlat。20degs。12’，onthecoastofPeru。Thetowncontainsaboutathousandinhabitants，andstandsonalittleplainofsandatthefootofagreatwallofrock，2000
feetinheight，hereformingthecoast。Thewholeisutterlydesert。A
lightshowerofrainfallsonlyonceinverymanyyears；andtheravinesconsequentlyarefilledwithdetritus，andthemountain-sidescoveredbypilesoffinewhitesand，eventoaheightofathousandfeet。Duringthisseasonoftheyearaheavybankofclouds，stretchedovertheocean，seldomrisesabovethewallofrocksonthecoast。Theaspectoftheplacewasmostgloomy；thelittleport，withitsfewvessels，andsmallgroupofwretchedhouses，seemedoverwhelmedandoutofallproportionwiththerestofthescene。
Theinhabitantslivelikepersonsonboardaship：everynecessarycomesfromadistance：waterisbroughtinboatsfromPisagua，aboutfortymilesnorthward，andissoldattherateofninereals(4s。6d。)aneighteen-galloncask：Iboughtawine-bottlefullforthreepence。Inlikemannerfirewood，andofcourseeveryarticleoffood，isimported。Veryfewanimalscanbemaintainedinsuchaplace：ontheensuingmorningIhiredwithdifficulty，atthepriceoffourpoundssterling，twomulesandaguidetotakemetothenitrateofsodaworks。TheseareatpresentthesupportofIquique。
Thissaltwasfirstexportedin1830：inoneyearanamountinvalueofonehundredthousandpoundssterling，wassenttoFranceandEngland。Itisprincipallyusedasamanureandinthemanufactureofnitricacid：
owingtoitsdeliquescentpropertyitwillnotserveforgunpowder。Formerlythereweretwoexceedinglyrichsilver-minesinthisneighbourhood，buttheirproduceisnowverysmall。
Ourarrivalintheoffingcausedsomelittleapprehension。Peruwasinastateofanarchy；andeachpartyhavingdemandedacontribution，thepoortownofIquiquewasintribulation，thinkingtheevilhourwascome。
Thepeoplehadalsotheirdomestictroubles；ashorttimebefore，threeFrenchcarpentershadbrokenopen，duringthesamenight，thetwochurches，andstolenalltheplate：oneoftherobbers，however，subsequentlyconfessed，andtheplatewasrecovered。TheconvictsweresenttoArequipa，whichthoughthecapitalofthisprovince，istwohundredleaguesdistant，thegovernmenttherethoughtitapitytopunishsuchusefulworkmen，whocouldmakeallsortsoffurniture；andaccordinglyliberatedthem。Thingsbeinginthisstate，thechurcheswereagainbrokenopen，butthistimetheplatewasnotrecovered。Theinhabitantsbecamedreadfullyenraged，anddeclaringthatnonebuthereticswouldthus“eatGodAlmighty。”proceededtotorturesomeEnglishmen，withtheintentionofafterwardsshootingthem。Atlasttheauthoritiesinterfered，andpeacewasestablished。
13th——InthemorningIstartedforthesaltpetre-works，adistanceoffourteenleagues。Havingascendedthesteepcoast-mountainsbyazigzagsandytrack，wesooncameinviewoftheminesofGuantajayaandSt。Rosa。
Thesetwosmallvillagesareplacedattheverymouthsofthemines；andbeingpercheduponhills，theyhadastillmoreunnaturalanddesolateappearancethanthetownofIquique。Wedidnotreachthesaltpetre-workstillaftersunset，havingriddenalldayacrossanundulatingcountry，acompleteandutterdesert。Theroadwasstrewedwiththebonesanddriedskinsofmanybeastsofburdenwhichhadperishedonitfromfatigue。ExceptingtheVulturaura，whichpreysonthecarcasses，Isawneitherbird，quadruped，reptile，norinsect。Onthecoast-mountains，attheheightofabout2000
feetwhereduringthisseasonthecloudsgenerallyhang，averyfewcactiweregrowinginthecleftsofrock；andtheloosesandwasstrewedoverwithalichen，whichliesonthesurfacequiteunattached。ThisplantbelongstothegenusCladonia，andsomewhatresemblesthereindeerlichen。Insomepartsitwasinsufficientquantitytotingethesand，asseenfromadistance，ofapaleyellowishcolour。Furtherinland，duringthewholerideoffourteenleagues，Isawonlyoneothervegetableproduction，andthatwasamostminuteyellowlichen，growingonthebonesofthedeadmules。ThiswasthefirsttruedesertwhichIhadseen：theeffectonmewasnotimpressive；
butIbelievethiswasowingtomyhavingbecomegraduallyaccustomedtosuchscenes，asIrodenorthwardfromValparaiso，throughCoquimbo，toCopiapo。Theappearanceofthecountrywasremarkable，frombeingcoveredbyathickcrustofcommonsalt，andofastratifiedsaliferousalluvium，whichseemstohavebeendepositedasthelandslowlyroseabovethelevelofthesea。Thesaltiswhite，veryhard，andcompact：itoccursinwaterwornnodulesprojectingfromtheagglutinatedsand，andisassociatedwithmuchgypsum。Theappearanceofthissuperficialmassverycloselyresembledthatofacountryaftersnow，beforethelastdirtypatchesarethawed。
Theexistenceofthiscrustofasolublesubstanceoverthewholefaceofthecountry，showshowextraordinarilydrytheclimatemusthavebeenforalongperiod。
AtnightIsleptatthehouseoftheownerofoneofthesaltpetremines。
Thecountryishereasunproductiveasnearthecoast；butwater，havingratherabitterandbrackishtaste，canbeprocuredbydiggingwells。Thewellatthishousewasthirty-sixyardsdeep：asscarcelyanyrainfalls，itisevidentthewaterisnotthusderived；indeedifitwere，itcouldnotfailtobeassaltasbrine，forthewholesurroundingcountryisincrustedwithvarioussalinesubstances。WemustthereforeconcludethatitpercolatesundergroundfromtheCordillera，thoughdistantmanyleagues。Inthatdirectionthereareafewsmallvillages，wheretheinhabitants，havingmorewater，areenabledtoirrigatealittleland，andraisehay，onwhichthemulesandasses，employedincarryingthesaltpetre，arefed。Thenitrateofsodawasnowsellingattheship’ssideatfourteenshillingsperhundredpounds：thechiefexpenseisitstransporttothesea-coast。Themineconsistsofahardstratum，betweentwoandthreefeetthick，ofthenitratemingledwithalittleofthesulphateofsodaandagooddealofcommonsalt。Itliesclosebeneaththesurface，andfollowsforalengthofonehundredandfiftymilesthemarginofagrandbasinorplain；this，fromitsoutline，manifestlymustoncehavebeenalake，ormoreprobablyaninlandarmofthesea，asmaybeinferredfromthepresenceofiodicsaltsinthesalinestratum。Thesurfaceoftheplainis3300feetabovethePacific。
19th——WeanchoredintheBayofCallao，theseaportofLima，thecapitalofPeru。Westayedheresixweeksbutfromthetroubledstateofpublicaffairs，Isawverylittleofthecountry。Duringourwholevisittheclimatewasfarfrombeingsodelightful，asitisgenerallyrepresented。
Adullheavybankofcloudsconstantlyhungovertheland，sothatduringthefirstsixteendaysIhadonlyoneviewoftheCordillerabehindLima。
Thesemountains，seeninstages，oneabovetheother，throughopeningsintheclouds，hadaverygrandappearance。Itisalmostbecomeaproverb，thatrainneverfallsinthelowerpartofPeru。Yetthiscanhardlybeconsideredcorrect；forduringalmosteverydayofourvisittherewasathickdrizzlingmist，whichwassufficienttomakethestreetsmuddyandone’sclothesdamp：thisthepeoplearepleasedtocallPeruviandew。
Thatmuchraindoesnotfallisverycertain，forthehousesarecoveredonlywithflatroofsmadeofhardenedmud；andonthemoleshiploadsofwheatwerepiledup，beingthusleftforweekstogetherwithoutanyshelter。
IcannotsayIlikedtheverylittleIsawofPeru：insummer，however，itissaidthattheclimateismuchpleasanter。Inallseasons，bothinhabitantsandforeignerssufferfromsevereattacksofague。ThisdiseaseiscommononthewholecoastofPeru，butisunknownintheinterior。Theattacksofillnesswhicharisefrommiasmaneverfailtoappearmostmysterious。
Sodifficultisittojudgefromtheaspectofacountry，whetherornotitishealthy，thatifapersonhadbeentoldtochoosewithinthetropicsasituationappearingfavourableforhealth，veryprobablyhewouldhavenamedthiscoast。TheplainroundtheoutskirtsofCallaoissparinglycoveredwithacoarsegrass，andinsomepartsthereareafewstagnant，thoughverysmall，poolsofwater。Themiasma，inallprobability，arisesfromthese：forthetownofAricawassimilarlycircumstanced，anditshealthinesswasmuchimprovedbythedrainageofsomelittlepools。Miasmaisnotalwaysproducedbyaluxuriantvegetationwithanardentclimate；
formanypartsofBrazil，evenwheretherearemarshesandarankvegetation，aremuchmorehealthythanthissterilecoastofPeru。Thedensestforestsinatemperateclimate，asinChiloe，donotseemintheslightestdegreetoaffectthehealthyconditionoftheatmosphere。
