376 A VISIT TO THE SOUTHWARD. 



even at this hour of the day, as nothing was to be gained by altercation, (he had shrewdly 

 secured the passage-money the night before,) his charge was submitted to with the utmost 

 humility, and we posted to the boat like real culprits. Luckily he took care not to follow, 

 else Nicolas had assuredly been offered a bribe to horsewhip him soundly; for a large part of 

 the cargo still lay on the shore, and the crew were dividing their time pretty equally between 

 its disposition and two or three dark-skinned damsels who came to see them off. There was 

 ample time for us to have administered this act of strict justice, whilst our patience and for- 

 bearance oozed out under the beams of a hot sun. When all were on board the boat was full; in 

 fact, instead of having accommodated me, he had quietly swindled me out of four dollars : so 

 much for the special letter of recommendation carried to him. 



March 31. After the first heavy rains, and until the middle of summer, the rivers are high, 

 and launches may ascend the Claro to within a league or less of the city. During the rest of 

 the year this (Los Perales) is the nearest place of embarcation. Having more water for ten 

 miles above its mouth, the Loncomilla is navigable all the year by boats carrying forty tons. 

 More than a hundred launches find constant employment in conveying produce of the surround- 

 ing country to Constitucion, each hundred-weight carried about seventy miles down stream 

 paying one real. Besides these there are smaller boats regularly occupied in the conveyance of 

 fruits and vegetables for the market of Constitucion, and shipment to Copiapo and other 

 northern districts where nature has been less bountiful in its supply of water. Wheat, flour, 

 beans, cheese, charqui, wines, and wool, are the principal exports ; the province of Maule also 

 sending its surplus produce by this route. Ordinarily the launches return empty ; and if, by 

 chance, a freight is obtained, unless specially agreed on, the freight-money belongs to the crew. 

 The largest of them will carry from forty to forty-five tons. Each has five or six men, 

 one of whom is dignified with the title of Piloto, and is really the navigator of the shallow 

 craft. He receives $3, the others $1.50, for the round trip; and each is furnished by the owner 

 with a peck and a half of flour made from toasted wheat, and water from the river a discretion. 

 During summer, when the river is at its mean height, the voyage down is made in from eight 

 to twelve hours, depending on the boat and crew ; the return trip in from two to four days. 

 With a cargo, the latter is often extended to six or eight days. When descending the stream, a 

 velocity of two miles per hour is maintained with the oars ; and where the rapids make it 

 necessary to have the boat well under control, even double that speed is kept up for a time : 

 but in coming back they are obliged to track the launch nearly every step of the distance, and 

 rarely use their oars except when necessary to shoot the river to obtain a better beach, or to 

 take advantage of an eddy. Sometimes they are aided by the prevailing southwest winds, 

 . though the hills are so high and steep that they more frequently sweep above the surface of 

 the water from ravine to ravine of opposite shores. It is hard work dragging a heavy boat 

 against such a current all day ; and though excessively annoying to lie by when the night was 

 bright and the wind favorable, I was subsequently obliged to confess that the crew had fairly 

 earned a right to rest. As soon as the current becomes greater than the velocity attained by 

 the aid of oars and wind, all hands strip to their shirts and jump overboard with a tow rope 

 over their shoulders, ranging themselves at equal distances from each other. Walking barefoot 

 as they do over the shingle, with bodies thrown forward the better to overcome the resistance, 

 their feet become thick and hardened, and their legs attain surprising muscular development. 

 The soles of the feet of those in the launch with me seemed quite double the thickness of those 

 of ordinary men. But the chronological order of the story has been somewhat anticipated. 



As has been said, it was a bright and warm day, without a breath of air to temper the heat. 

 At 9 A. M. the barometer at the level of the river, reduced to 32 Fahrenheit, was 29.485 inches ; 

 and the temperature of the water at the junction of the Claro, a few hundred yards below the 

 landing-place, was 60. 8. Near Constitucion, where the ocean influenced it, the temperature was 

 4. 5 warmer. At the place of embarcation the river is fifty yards wide and from two to three 

 feet deep in the centre, with a current varying from three to four miles per hour, according to 



