CHAP. XV PASSAGE OF THE CORDILLERA 335 



breakers. Captain Fitz Roy hailed him, in a loud clear voice, 

 to anchor where he then was. The poor man must have 

 thought the voice came from the shore : such a Babel of cries 

 issued at once from the ship — every one hallooing out, " Let 

 so the anchor ! veer cable ! shorten sail ! " It was the most 

 laughable thing I ever heard. If the ship's crew had been all 

 captains, and no men, there could not have been a greater 

 uproar of orders. We afterwards found that the mate stuttered : 

 I suppose all hands were assisting him in giving his orders. 



On the I ith we anchored at Valparaiso, and two days 

 afterwards I set out to cross the Cordillera. I proceeded to 

 Santiago, where INIr. Caldcleugh most kindl}^ assisted me in 

 every possible way in making the little preparations which 

 were necessary. In this part of Chile there are two passes 

 across the Andes to Mendoza : the one most commonly used 

 — namely, that of Aconcagua or Uspallata^ — is situated some 

 way to the north ; the other, called the Portillo, is to the south, 

 and nearer, but more lofty and dangerous. 



MarrJi i 8///. — We set out for the Portillo Pass. Leaving 

 Santiago we crossed the wide burnt-up plain on which that city 

 stands, and in the afternoon arrived at the IMaypu, one of the 

 principal rivers in Chile. The valle}', at the point where it 

 enters the iirst Cordillera, is bounded on each side by lofty 

 barren mountains ; and although not broad, it is very fertile. 

 Numerous cottages were surrounded by vines, and by orchards 

 of apple, nectarine, and peach trees — their boughs breaking 

 with the weight of the beautiful ripe fruit. In the evening we 

 passed the custom-house, where our luggage was examined. 

 The frontier of Chile is better guarded by the Cordillera than 

 by the waters of the sea. There are very few valleys which 

 lead to the central ranges, and the mountains are quite impass- 

 able in other parts by beasts of burden. The custom-house 

 officers were very civil, which was perhaps partly owing to the 

 passport which the President of the Republic had given me ; 

 but I must express my admiration at the natural politeness of 

 almost every Chileno. In this instance, the contrast with the 

 same class of men in most other countries was strongly marked. 

 I may mention an anecdote with which I was at the time much 

 pleased : we met near Mendoza a little and very fat negress, 



