SANTA ROSA DE LOS ANDES. 193 



granite, old slates, and conglomerates, as well as newer 

 Secondary rocks, are found at many points along the 

 axis of the main range ; but, on the other hand, we 

 know that most of the higher peaks in Central Chili 

 are volcanic, and the removal of all but some frag- 

 ments of the cone of an ancient crater may leave 

 sharp teeth of rocks such as are seen at the summit 

 of Aconcagua. In the view which I obtained from 

 the Morro of Cauquenes I observed several lofty 

 peaks of somewhat the same character, which struck 

 me as probably the shattered remains of ancient 

 craters. 



Reaching Santa Rosa early in the afternoon, I pro- 

 ceeded to the Hotel Colon in the plaza, which, as 

 usual, forms the centre of the town. The French 

 landlord and his wife were civil, obliging people, and, 

 although the establishment seemed to be much out 

 at elbows, I was soon installed in a tolerably good 

 room, and supplied with information for which I had 

 hitherto been vainly seeking. The main line of com- 

 munication between the adjoining republics of Chili 

 and Argentaria * is over the Uspallata Pass at the 

 head of the valley of Aconcagua ; and Santa Rosa, or 

 as it is more commonly called, Los Andes, is the 

 starting-point for travellers from the west. Don B. 

 V. Mackenna had kindly furnished me with a letter 

 to the officer in charge of the custom-house station at 

 the foot of the pass, known as the Resgiiardo del Rio 



* The inconvenience of using a periphrasis for the name of so 

 important a country may warrant my adoption of the obvious name 

 Argentaria in place of Argentine territory, or Argentine Confederation, 

 and I shall adhere to the shorter designation in the following pages. 



O 



