I at first thought that it was owing to dust blown from the surrounding mountains of red porphyry; for from the magnifying power of the crystals of snow, the groups of these microscopical plants appeared like coarse particles.

The snow was coloured only where it had thawed very rapidly, or had been accidentally crushed.
A little rubbed on paper gave it a faint rose tinge mingled with a little brick-red.

I afterwards scraped some off the paper, and found that it consisted of groups of little spheres in colourless cases, each the thousandth part of an inch in diameter.
The wind on the crest of the Peuquenes, as just remarked, is generally impetuous and very cold: it is said to blow steadily from the westward or Pacific side.

(15/3.

Dr.Gillies in "Journal of Natural and Geographical Science" August 1830.