18S4.] MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 261 



men come down from their bleak habitations only once in every 

 fortnight or three weeks. 



During my stay here I thoroughly enjoyed scrambling about 

 these huge mountains. The geology, as might have been ex- 

 pected, was very interesting. The shattered and baked rocks, 

 traversed by innumerable dykes of greenstone, showed what com- 

 motions had formerly taken place. The scenery was much the 

 same as that near the Bell of Quillota — dry barren mountains, 

 dotted at intervals by bushes with a scanty foliage. The cactuses, 

 or rather opuntias, were here very numerous. I measured one 

 of a spherical figure, which, including the spines, was six feet 

 and four inches in circumference. The height of the common 

 cylindrical, branching kind, is from twelve to fifteen feet, and the 

 girth (with spines) of the branches between three and four feet. 



A heavy fall of snow on the mountains prevented me, during 

 the last two days, from making some interesting excursions. I 

 attempted to reach a lake which the inhabitants, from some un- 

 accountable reason, believe to be an arm of the sea. During a 

 very dry season, it was proposed to attempt cutting a channel 

 from it for the sake of the water, but the padre, after a consulta- 

 tion, declared it was too dangerous, as all Chile would be 

 inundatec], if, as generally supposed, the lake was connected 

 with the Pacific. We ascended to a great heiglit, but becoming 

 involved in the snow-drifts failed in reaching this w^onderful lake, 

 and had some difficulty in returning. I thought we should have 

 lost our horses ; for there was no means of guessing how deep tlie 

 drifts were, and the animals, when led, could only move by jump- 

 ing. The black sky showed that a fresh snow-storm was gather- 

 ing, and we therefore were not a little glad when we escaped. 

 By the time we reached the base the storm commenced, am] it was 

 lucky for us that this did not happen three hours earlier in the day. 



August 26th. — We left Jajuel and again crossed the basin of 

 S. Felipe. The day was truly Chilian ; glaringly bright, and the 

 atmosphere quite clear. The thick and uniform covering of 

 newly-fallen snow rendered the view of the volcano of Aconcagua 

 and the main chain quite glorious. We were now on the road 

 to Santiago, the capital of Chile. We crossed the Cerro del 

 Talguen, and slept at a little rancho. The host, talking about 

 the state of Chile as compared to other countries, was very 



