Hence, if prolonged movements of approximately contemporaneous subsidence are generally widely extensive, as I am strongly inclined to believe from my examination of the Coral Reefs of the great oceans--or if, confining our view to South America, the subsiding movements have been coextensive with those of elevation, by which, within the same period of existing shells, the shores of Peru, Chile, Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, and La Plata have been upraised--then we can see that at the same time, at far distant points, circumstances would have been favourable to the formation of fossiliferous deposits, of wide extent and of considerable thickness; and such deposits, consequently, would have a good chance of resisting the wear and tear of successive beach-lines, and of lasting to a future epoch.
MAY 21, 1835.
I set out in company with Don Jose Edwards to the silver-mine of Arqueros, and thence up the valley of Coquimbo.

Passing through a mountainous country, we reached by nightfall the mines belonging to Mr.Edwards.I enjoyed my night's rest here from a reason which will not be fully appreciated in England, namely, the absence of fleas! The rooms in Coquimbo swarm with them; but they will not live here at the height of only three or four thousand feet: it can scarcely be the trifling diminution of temperature, but some other cause which destroys these troublesome insects at this place.

The mines are now in a bad state, though they formerly yielded about 2000 pounds in weight of silver a year.

It has been said that "a person with a copper-mine will gain; with silver he may gain; but with gold he is sure to lose." This is not true: all the large Chilian fortunes have been made by mines of the more precious metals.

A short time since an English physician returned to England from Copiapo, taking with him the profits of one share in a silver-mine, which amounted to about 24,000 pounds sterling.