1835.] PORTILLO PASS. 301 



is situated some way to the north; the other, called the Portillo, 

 is to the south, and nearer, but more lofty and dangerous. 



March 18th. We set out for the Portillo pass. Leaving Santiago 

 we crossed the wide burnt-up plain on which that city stands, and 

 in the afternoon arrived at the Maypu, one of the principal rivers 

 in Chile. The valley, at the point where it enters the first Cor- 

 dillera, is bounded on each side by lofty barren mountains ; and 

 although not broad, it is very fertile. Numerous cottages were 

 surrounded by vines, and by orchards of apple, nectarine, and peach- 

 trees their boughs breaking with the weight of the beautiful ripe 

 fruit. In the evening we passed the custom-house, where our 

 luggage was examined. The frontier of Chile is better guarded by 

 the Cordillera, than by the waters of the sea. There are very few 

 valleys which lead to the central ranges, and the mountains are 

 quite impassable in other parts by beasts of burden. The cus- 

 tom-house officers were very civil, which was perhaps partly owing 

 to the passport which the President of the Eepublic had given me ; 

 but I must express my admiration at the natural politeness of 

 almost every Chileno. In this instance, the contrast with the 

 same class of men in most other countries was strongly marked. I 

 may mention an anecdote with which I was at the time much 

 pleased : we met near Mendoza a little and very fat negress, riding 

 astride on a mule. She had a goitre so enormous that it was 

 scarcely possible to avoid gazing" at her for a moment ; but my two 

 companions almost instantly, by way of apology, made the common 

 salute of the country by taking off their hats. Where would one 

 of the lower or higher classes in Europe, have shown such feeling 

 politeness to a poor and miserable object of a degraded race ? 



At night we slept at a cottage. Our manner of travelling was 

 delightfully independent. In the inhabited parts we bought a 

 little firewood, hired pasture for the animals, and bivouacked in 

 the corner of the same field with them. Carrying an iron pot, 

 we cooked and ate our supper under a cloudless sky, and knew 

 no trouble. My companions were Mariano Gonzales, who had 

 formerly accompanied me in Chile, and an "arriero," with his 

 ten mules and a " madrina." The madrina (or godmother) is a 

 most important personage : she is an old steady mare, with a little 

 bell round her neck; and wherever she goes, the mules, like 

 good children, follow her. The affection of these animals for their 

 madrinas saves infinite trouble. If several large troops arc turned 



