PORTILLO PASS, 61 



making the little preparations which were neces- 

 sary. In this part of Chile there are two passes 

 across the Andes to Mendoza : the one most com- 

 monly used — namely, that of Aconcagua or Uspal- 

 lata — is situated some way to the north ; the othei-, 

 called the Portillo, is to the south, and nearer, but 

 more lofty and dangerous. 



March IStJi. — We set out for the Portillo pass. 

 Leaving Santiago, we crossed the wide burnt-uj) 

 plain on which that city stands, and in the after- 

 noon arrived at the Maypu, one of the principal 

 rivers in Chile. The valley, at the point where it 

 enters the first Cordillera, is bounded on each side 

 by lofty baiTen mountains ; and although not broad, 

 it is very fertile. Numerous cottages were sur- 

 rounded by vines, and by orchards of aj^ple, necta- 

 rine, and peach trees — their boughs breaking with 

 the weight of the ^eavitiful ripe fruit. In the even- 

 ing 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 

 impassable 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 polite- 

 ness of almost every Chileno. In this instance, 

 the contrast with the same class of men in most 

 other countries was strongly marked. I may men- 

 tion an anecdote, with which I was, at the time, 

 much pleased : We met near Mendoza a little and 

 very fat negress, riding astride on a mule. She 

 had a goitre so enormous that it was scarcely pos- 

 sible to avoid gazing at her for a moment ; but my 

 two companions almost instantly, bv wav of apolowv, 

 IT.— F 



