igo CENTRAL CHILE. [CHAP, xn, 



numerous. I measured one of a spherical figure, which, including the 

 spines, was six feet and four inches in circumference. The height of 

 the common cylindrical, branching kind, is from twelve to fifteen feet, 

 and the girth (with spines) of the branches between three and four 

 feet. 



A heavy fall of snow on the mountains prevented me, during the 

 last two days, from making some interesting excursions. I attempted 

 to reach a lake which the inhabitants, from some unaccountable reason, 

 believe to be an arm of the sea. During a very dry season, it was 

 proposed to attempt cutting a channel from it for the sake of the water, 

 but the padre, after a consultation, declared it was too dangerous, as 

 all Chile would be inundated, if, as generally supposed, the lake was 

 connected with the Pacific. We ascended to a great height, but 

 becoming involved in the snow-drifts failed in reaching this wonderful 

 lake, and had some difficulty in returning. I thought we should have 

 lost our horses; for there was no means of guessing how deep the 

 drifts were, and the animals, when led, could only move by jumping. 

 The black sky showed that a fresh snow-storm was gathering, and we 

 therefore were not a little glad when we escaped. By the time we 

 reached the base the storm commenced, and it was lucky for us that 

 this did not happen three hours earlier in the day. 



August 26th. We left Jajuel and again crossed the basin of San 

 Felipe. The day was truly Chilian : glaringly bright, and the atmo- 

 sphere quite clear. The thick and uniform covering of newly-fallen 

 snow rendered the view of the volcano of Aconcagua and the main 

 chain quite glorious. We were now on the road to Santiago, the 

 capital of Chile. We crossed the Cerro del Talguen, and slept at a 

 little rancho. The host, talking about the state of Chile as compared 

 to other countries, was very humble : " Some see with two eyes and 

 some with one, but for my part I do not think that Chile sees with 

 any." 



August 2"jth. After crossing many low hills we descended into the 

 small land-locked plain of Guitron. In the basins, such as this one, 

 which are elevated from one thousand to two thousand feet above the 

 sea, two species of acacia, which are stunted in their forms, and stand 

 wide apart from each other, grow in large numbers. These trees are 

 never found near the sea-coast ; and this gives another characteristic 

 feature to the scenery of these basins. We crossed a low ridge which 

 separates Guitron from the great plain on which Santiago stands. 

 The view was here pre-eminently striking: the dead level surface, 

 covered in parts by woods of acacia, and with the city in the distance, 

 abutting horizontally against the base of the Andes, whose snowy 

 peaks were bright with the evening sun. At the first glance of this 

 view, it was quite evident that the plain represented the extent of a 

 former inland sea. As soon as we gained the level road we pushed 

 our horses into a gallop, and reached the city before it was dark. 



I stayed a week in Santiago and enjoyed myself very much. In the 

 morning I rode to various places on the plain, and in the evening 

 dined with several of the English merchants, whose hospitality at this 



