Geological Observations on South America — John Shaqi
Geological Observations on South AmericaDarwin, Charles
Science
Geological Observations on South America
Darwin, Charles
Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Geology -- South America; Mollusks, Fossil -- South America; Paleontology
The eastern or inland side of Chiloe, with its many adjacent islets,
consists of tertiary and boulder deposits, worn into irregular plains
capped by gravel. Near Castro, and for ten miles southward, and on the
islet of Lemuy, I found the surface of the ground to a height of
between twenty and thirty feet above high-water mark, and in several
places apparently up to fifty feet, thickly coated by much comminuted
shells, chiefly of the Venus costellata and Mytilus Chiloensis; the
species now most abundant on this line of coast. As the inhabitants
carry immense numbers of these shells inland, the continuity of the bed
at the same height was often the only means of recognising its natural
origin. Near Castro, on each side of the creek and rivulet of the
Gamboa, three distinct terraces are seen: the lowest was estimated at
about one hundred and fifty feet in height, and the highest at about
five hundred feet, with the country irregularly rising behind it;
obscure traces, also, of these same terraces could be seen along other
parts of the coast. There can be no doubt that their three escarpments
record pauses in the elevation of the island. I may remark that several
promontories have the word Huapi, which signifies in the Indian tongue,
island, appended to them, such as Huapilinao, Huapilacuy, Caucahuapi,
etc.; and these, according to Indian traditions, once existed as
islands. In the same manner the term Pulo in Sumatra is appended to the
names of promontories, traditionally said to have been islands
(Marsden’s “Sumatra” page 31.); in Sumatra, as in Chiloe, there are
upraised recent shells. The Bay of Carelmapu, on the mainland north of
Chiloe, according to Aguerros, was in 1643 a good harbour (“Descripcion
Hist. de la Provincia de Chiloe” page 78. From the account given by the
old Spanish writers, it would appear that several other harbours,
between this point and Concepcion, were formerly much deeper than they
now are.); it is now quite useless, except for boats.
VALDIVIA.
I did not observe here any distinct proofs of recent elevation; but in
a bed of very soft sandstone, forming a fringe-like plain, about sixty
feet in height, round the hills of mica-slate, there are shells of
Mytilus, Crepidula, Solen, Novaculina, and Cytheraea, too imperfect to
be specifically recognised. At Imperial, seventy miles north of
Valdivia, Aguerros states that there are large beds of shells, at a
considerable distance from the coast, which are burnt for lime. (Ibid
page 25.) The island of Mocha, lying a little north of Imperial, was
uplifted two feet, during the earthquake of 1835. (“Voyages of
‘Adventure’ and ‘Beagle’” volume 2 page 415.)
CONCEPCION.
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