THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 153 



the Cornice road, winding steeply zigzag over very 

 steep hills gullied into deep wooded valleys and fol- 

 lowing the shore and giving beautiful views of the 

 open sea and of the bay of Concepcion, until at last 

 we came to a high cliff along the edge of which we 

 descended corkscrew fashion with turns and wind- 

 ings as sharp as the Swiss mountain roads, and look- 

 ing sheer down upon the surf breaking on the rocks 

 below and the little fishing town bordering the beach. 

 At Tome we passed the night in a tolerable inn, 

 though to be sure we shared our quarters with the 

 permanent residents, the fleas ; but then these abound 

 everywhere in Chili, and of course travelling in the 

 country you do not expect very good accommoda- 

 tions. Our second day's journey was to be to the ha- 

 cienda of a Senhor Martinez situated on a river from 

 which Agassiz wanted to get fish. He had met Agassiz 

 at Concepcion and invited him to remain at his farm 

 for as long as he liked though he was not there him- 

 self. The second day we came into the agricultural 

 country where the culture of com, wheat and grape- 

 vines is the business of every one. It was so strange to 

 see all the work of the autumn going on in May, the 

 gathering in and carrying to and fro of the har^^est 

 and vintage. We would meet hundreds of mules laden 

 with sacks of corn which they were carrying down to 

 Tome, and carts, the queer primitive carts of the 

 country, with huge red wine jars in which was the 

 fresh new juice of the vintage, large enough for the 

 jars in the "Forty Thieves." The road was full of life 

 and animation and of the most picturesque sights. 



