334 CENTRAL CHILE. 



chief pride of the Guaso Hes in his spurs, which 

 are absurdly large. I measured one which was 

 six inches in the diameter of the rowel, and the 

 rowel itself contained upwards of thirty points. 

 The stirrups are on the same scale, each consisting 

 of a square, carved block of wood, hollowed out, 

 yet weighing three or four pounds. The Guaso is 

 perhaps more expert with the lazo than the Gaucho; 

 but, from the nature of the country, he does not 

 know the use of the bolas. 



August I'Sith. — AVe descended the mountain, and 

 passed some beautiful little spots, with rivulets 

 and fine trees. Having slept at the same hacienda 

 as before, we rode during the two succeeding days 

 up the valley, and passed through Quillota, which 

 is more like a collection of nursery-gardens than a 

 town. The orchards were beautiful, presenting 

 one mass of peach-blossoms. I saw, also, in one 

 or two places, the date-palm : it is a most stately 

 tree ; and I should think a group of them in their 

 native Asiatic or African deserts must be superb. 

 We passed likewise San Felipe, a pretty straggling 

 town like Quillota. The valley in this part ex- 

 pands into one of those great bays or plains, reach- 

 ing to the foot of the Cordillera, which have been 

 mentioned as forming so curious a part of the 

 scenery of Chile. In the evening we reached the 

 mines of Jajuel, situated in a ravine at the flank 

 of the great chain. I stayed here five days. My 

 host, the superintendent of the mine, was a shrewd 

 but rather ignorant Cornish miner. He had mar- 

 ried a Spanish woman, and did not mean to return 

 home ; but his admiration for the mines of Corn- 

 wall remained unbounded. Amongst many other 

 questions, he asked me, " Now that George Rex 

 is dead, how many more of the family of Rexes 

 are yet alive ?" This Rex certainly must be a 



