INCAS BRIDGE. 89 



of rock has fallen, or a gi-eat arch hollowed out like 

 the vault of a cavern. Instead, of this, the Incas' 

 Bridge consists of a crust of stratified shingle, ce- 

 mented together by the deposits of the neighbour- 

 ing hot springs. It appears as if the stream had 

 scooped out a channel on one side, leaving an over- 

 hanging ledge, which was met by earth and stones 

 falling down from the opposite cliff. Certainly an 

 oblique junction, as would happen in such a case, 

 was very distinct on one side. The Bridge of the 

 Incas is by no means worthy of the great monarchs 

 whose name it bears. 



^ili. — We had a long day's ride across the cen- 

 tral ridge, from the Incas' Bridge to the Ojos del 

 Agua, which are situated near the lowest casucha 

 on the Chilian side. These casuchas are round 

 little towers, with steps outside to reach the floor, 

 which is raised some feet above the ground on ac- 

 count of the snow-drifts. They are eight in num- 

 ber, and, under the Spanish government, were kept 

 during the winter well stored with food and char- 

 coal, and each courier had a master-key. Now 

 they only answer the purpose of caves, or, rather, 

 dungeons. Seated on some little eminence, they 

 are not, however, ill suited to the suiTOunding scene 

 of desolation. The zigzag ascent of the Cumbre, 

 or the paitition of the waters, was very steep and 

 tedious ; its height, according to Mr. Pentland, is 

 12,454 feet. The road did not pass over any per- 

 petual snow, although there were patches of it on 

 both hands. The wind on the summit was exceed- 

 ingly cold, but it was impossible not to stop for a 

 few minutes to admire, again and again, the colour 

 of the heavens and the brilliant transparency of the 

 atmosphere. The scenery was grand : to the west- 

 ward there was a fine chaos of mountains, divided 

 by profound ravines. Some snow generally falls 

 H 2 



