74 PORTILLO PASS. 



the trade-wind must be drawn northward, follow- 

 ing the line of mountains, towards the equatorial 

 regions, and thus lose part of that easterly move- 

 ment which it otherwise would have gained from 

 the earth's rotation. At Mendoza, on the eastern 

 foot of the Andes, the climate is said to be subject 

 to long calms, and to frequent though false appear- 

 ances of gathering rain-storms : we may imagine 

 that the wind, which, coming from the eastward, is 

 thus banked up by the line of mountains, would 

 become stagnant and irregular in its movements. 



Having crossed the Peuquenes, we descended 

 into a mountainous country, intermediate between 

 the two main raiiges, and then took up our quar- 

 ters for the night. We were now in the republic 

 of Mendoza. The elevation was probably not un- 

 der 11,000 feet, and the vegetation, in consequence, 

 exceedingly scanty. The root of a small scrubby 

 plant sei'ved as fuel, but it made a miserable fire, 

 and the wind was piercingly cold. Being quite 

 tired with my day's work, I made up my bed as 

 quickly as I could, and went to sleep. About mid- 

 night I observed the sky became suddenly clouded : 

 I awakened the an'iero to know if there was any 

 danger of bad weather ; but he said that without 

 thunder and lightning there was no risk of a heavy 

 snow-storm. The peril is imminent, and the diffi- 

 culty of subsequent escape great, to any one over- 

 taken by bad weather between the two ranges. A 

 certain cave offers the only place of refuge : Mr. 

 Caldcleugh, who crossed on this same day of the 

 month, was detained there for some time by a heavy 

 fall of snow. Casuchas, or houses of refuge, have 

 not been built in this pass as in that of Uspallata, 

 and therefore, during the autumn, the Portillo is 

 little frequented. I may here remark, that within 

 the main Cordillera rain never falls, for during the 



