. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage round the world of 'Beagle,' under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. the brow of the Sierra, the valley of Quillota wasimmediately under our feet. The prospect was one of remark-able artificial luxuriance. The valley is very broad and quiteflat, and is thus easily irrigated in all parts. The little squaregardens are crowded with orange and olive trees and everysort of vegetable. On each side huge bare mountains rise,and this from the contrast renders the patchwork valley themore pleasi
. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage round the world of 'Beagle,' under the command of Captain Fitz Roy. the brow of the Sierra, the valley of Quillota wasimmediately under our feet. The prospect was one of remark-able artificial luxuriance. The valley is very broad and quiteflat, and is thus easily irrigated in all parts. The little squaregardens are crowded with orange and olive trees and everysort of vegetable. On each side huge bare mountains rise,and this from the contrast renders the patchwork valley themore pleasing. Whoever called Valparaiso the Valley of XII DESCRIPTION OF CHILE 27 i Paradise, must have been thinking of Ouillota. We crossedover to the Hacienda de San Isidro, situated at the very footof the Bell Mountain. Chile, as may be seen in the maps, is a narrow strip ofland between the Cordillera and the Pacific ; and this strip isitself traversed by several mountain-lines, which in this partrun parallel to the great range. Between these outer lines andthe main Cordillera, a succession of level basins, generallyopening into each other by narrow passages, extend far to the. HACIENDA, CONDOR, CACTUS, ETC. southward ; in these the principal towns are situated, as SanFelipe, Santiago, San Fernando. These basins or plains,together with the transverse flat valleys (like that of Ouillota)which connect them with the coast, I have no doubt are thebottoms of ancient inlets and deep bays, such as at the presentday intersect every part of Tierra del Fuego and the westerncoast. Chile must formerly have resembled the latter countryin the configuration of its land and water. The resemblancewas occasionally shown strikingly when a level fog-bankcovered, as with a mantle, all the lower parts of the country :the white vapour curling into the ravines, beautifully represented 272 ^ CENTRAL CHILE chap. little coves and bays ; and here and there a solitary hillockpeeping up showed that it had formerl
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