328 AT MENDOZA. [chap. xv. 



Iqulque (lor they are found in Chile and Peru) was ver};' 

 empty. When placed on a table, and though surrounded 

 by people, if a finger was presented, the bold insect would 

 immediately protrude its sucker, make a charge, and if 

 allowed, draw blood. No pain was caused by the wound. 

 It was curious to watch its body during the act of sucking, 

 as in less than ten minutes it changed from being as flat as 

 a wafer to a globular form. This one feast, for which the 

 benchuca was indebted to one of the officers, kept it fat 

 during four whole months ; but, after the first fortnight, it 

 was quite ready to have another suck. 



March lyth. — We rode on to Mendoza. The country was 

 beautifully cultivated, and resembled Chile. This neighbour- 

 liood is celebrated for its fruit ; and certainly nothing could 

 appear more flourishing than the vineyards and the orchards 

 of figs, peaches, and olives. We bought water-melons nearly 

 twice as large as a man's head, most deliciously cool and 

 well-flavoured, for a halfpenny apiece ; and for the value of 

 threepence, half a wheelbarrowful of peaches. The cultivated 

 and enclosed part of this province is very small ; there is 

 little more than that which we passed through between 

 Luxan and the Capital. The land, as in Chile, owes its 

 fertility entirely to artificial irrigation; and it is really 

 wonderful to observe how extraordinarily productive a 

 barren traversia is thus rendered. 



We stayed the ensuing day in Mendoza. The prosperity 

 of the place has much declined of late years. The in- 

 habitants say "it is good to live in, but very bad to grow 

 rich in." The lower orders have the lounging, reckless 

 manners of the Gauchos of the Pampas ; and their dress, 

 riding-gear, and habits of life, are nearly the same. To my 

 mind the town had a stupid, forlorn aspect. Neither the 

 boasted alameda, nor the scenery, is at all comparable with 

 that of Santiago ; but to those who, coming from Buenos 

 Ay res, have just crossed the unvaried Pampas, the gardens 

 and orchards must appear delightful. Sir F. Head, 

 speaking of the inhabitants, says, "They eat their 

 dinners, and it is so very hot, they go to sleep — and could 

 they do better?" I quite agree with Sir F. Head: the 

 happy doom of the Mendozinos is to eat, sleep, and be 

 idle. 



March 2(^th. — We set out on our return to Chile, by the 

 Uspallata pass situated north of Mendoza. We had to 



