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From recent sea-shells being found on two of the higher step-formed plains, which must have been modelled and upraised before the mud was deposited in which the Macrauchenia was intombed, it is certain that this curious quadruped lived long after the sea was inhabited by its present shells.

It runs in a winding course through a valley, which extends in a direct line westward. This valley varies from five to ten miles in breadth; it is bounded by step-formed terraces, which rise in most parts, one above the other, to the height of five hundred feet, and have on the opposite sides a remarkable correspondence. April 19th.

Coast-road to Coquimbo Great Loads carried by the Miners Coquimbo Earthquake Step-formed Terrace Absence of recent Deposits Contemporaneousness of the Tertiary Formations Excursion up the Valley Road to Guasco Deserts Valley of Copiapo Rain and Earthquakes Hydrophobia The Despoblado Indian Ruins Probable Change of Climate River-bed arched by an Earthquake Cold Gales of Wind Noises from a Hill Iquique Salt Alluvium Nitrate of Soda Lima Unhealthy Country Ruins of Callao, overthrown by an Earthquake Recent Subsidence Elevated Shells on San Lorenzo, their decomposition Plain with embedded Shells and fragments of Pottery Antiquity of the Indian Race.

The foreground is singular from the number of parallel and step-formed terraces; and the included strip of green valley, with its willow-bushes, is contrasted on both hands with the naked hills. That the surrounding country was most barren will be readily believed, when it is known that a shower of rain had not fallen during the last thirteen months.

Mr. In ascending to this level, several step-formed plains must be crossed, all of which have necessarily required long time for their formation; hence the lowest or ninety feet plain, with its superficial bed containing the remains of the Macrauchenia, must have been formed very long subsequently to the period when the 1,400 feet plain was beneath the sea, and boulders were dropped on it from floating masses of ice.

In the valley of Chaneral, a similar bed occurs in which, differently from that of Coquimbo, I observed many shells of the Concholepas: near Guasco the same calcareous bed is likewise met with. In the valley of Guasco, the step-formed terraces of gravel are displaced in a more striking manner than at any other point.

The terraces are there much broader, and may be called plains, in some parts there are six of them, but generally only five; they run up the valley for thirty-seven miles from the coast. These step-formed terraces or fringes closely resemble those in the valley of S. Cruz, and, except in being on a smaller scale, those great ones along the whole coast-line of Patagonia.

Corfield's house at Valparaiso. Coast-road to Coquimbo. Great loads carried by the miners. Coquimbo. Earthquake. Step-formed terraces. Absence of recent deposits. Contemporaneousness of the Tertiary formations. Excursion up the valley. Road to Guasco. Deserts. Valley of Copiapo. Rain and Earthquakes. Hydrophobia. The Despoblado. Indian ruins. Probable change of climate.

The gravel, as we have seen, covers the step-formed plains at the mouth, head, and on the sides of the great valley of the Santa Cruz. At a distance of 110 miles from the coast, the plain has risen to the height of 1,416 feet above the sea; and the gravel, with the associated great boulder formation, has attained a thickness of 212 feet.

The terraces are there much broader, and may be called plains, in some parts there are six of them, but generally only five; they run up the valley for thirty-seven miles from the coast. These step-formed terraces or fringes closely resemble those in the valley of S. Cruz, and, except in being on a smaller scale, those great ones along the whole coast-line of Patagonia.