1835.] CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY. 333 



number, and under the Spanish Government were kept 

 during the winter well stored with food and charcoal, 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 

 surrounding scene of desolation. The zigzag ascent of the 

 Cumbre, or the partition 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 perpetual snow, 

 although there were patches of it on both hands. The wind 

 on the summit was exceedingly 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 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, excepting 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 far distant mountains have been 

 hidden beneath the horizon. 



April 6th. — 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 there the ensuing day in hopes of recovering the 

 mule, which the arriera thought had been hidden in some 

 ravine. The scenery in this part had assumed a Chilian 

 character : the lower sides of the mountains, dotted over 

 with the pale evergreen 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 

 1 he admiration expressed by some travellers. The extreme 

 pleasure, I suspect, is chiefly owin^ to the prospect of a 

 good fire and of a good supper, alter escaping from the 

 cold regions above ; and I am sure I most heartily 

 j)articipated in these feelings. 



April ^th.AVc left the valley of the Aconcagua, by which 

 we had descended, and reached in the evening 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 



