90 USPALLATA PASS. 



before this period of the season, and it has even 

 happened that the Cordillera have been finally- 

 closed by this time. But we were most fortunate. 

 The sky, by night and by day, was cloudless, ex- 

 cepting a few round little masses of vapour that 

 floated over the highest pinnacles. I have often 

 seen these islets in the sky, marking the position 

 of the Cordillera, when the far-distant mountains 

 have been hidden beneath the horizon. 



April Q>th. — In the morning we found some thief 

 had stolen one of our mules and the bell of the 

 madrina. We therefore rode only two or three 

 miles down the valley, and stayed thei-e the ensuing 

 day in hopes of recovering the mule, which the ar- 

 riero thought had been hidden in some ravine. The 

 scenery in this part had assumed a Chilian charac- 

 ter : the lower sides of the mountains, dotted over 

 with the pale, ever-green Quillay-tree, and with the 

 great chandelier-like cactus, are certainly more to 

 be admired than the bare eastern valleys ; but I 

 cannot quite agree with the admiration expressed 

 by some travellers. The extreme pleasure, I sus- 

 pect, is chiefly owing to the prospect of a good fire 

 and of a good supper, after escaping from the cold 

 regions above ; and I am sure I most heartily par- 

 ticipated in these feelings. 



Sth. — We left the valley of the Aconcagua, by 

 which we had descended, and reached in the even- 

 ing a cottage near the Villa de St. Rosa. The 

 fertility of the plain was delightful : the autumn 

 being advanced, the leaves of many of the fruit- 

 trees were falling; and of the labourers, some were 

 busy in drying figs and peaches on the roofs of their 

 cottages, while others were gathering the grapes 

 from the vineyards. It was a pretty scene ; but I 

 missed that pensive stillness which makes the au- 

 tumn in England indeed the evening of the year. 



