1835.] MENDOZA. 317 



We stayed the ensuing day in Mendoza. The prosperity of the 

 place has much declined of late years. The inhabitants 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 Ayres, 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 29th. We set out on our return to Chile, by the Uspallata 

 pass situated north of Mendoza. We had to cross a long and most 

 sterile traversia of fifteen leagues. The soil in parts was absolutely 

 bare, in others covered by numberless dwarf cacti, armed with 

 formidable spines, and called by the inhabitants "little lions." 

 There were, also, a few low bushes. Although the plain is nearly 

 three thousand feet above the sea, the sun was very powerful ; and 

 the heat, as well as the clouds of impalpable dust, rendered the 

 travelling extremely irksome. Our course during the day lay 

 nearly parallel to the Cordillera, but gradually approaching them. 

 Before sunset we entered one of the wide valleys, or rather bays, 

 which open on the plain : this soon narrowed into a ravine, where 

 a little higher up the house of Villa Vicencio is situated. As AVC 

 had ridden all day without a drop of water, both our mules and 

 selves were very thirsty, and we looked out anxiously for the 

 stream which flows down this valley. It was curious to observe 

 how gradually the water made its appearance: on the plain the 

 course was quite dry ; by degrees it became a little damper ; then 

 puddles of water appeared ; these soon became connected ; and at 

 Villa Vicencio there was a nice little rivulet. 



30th. The solitary hovel which bears the imposing name of 

 Villa Vicencio, has been mentioned by every traveller who has 

 crossed the Andes. I stayed here and at some neighbouring mines 

 during the two succeeding days. The geology of the surrounding- 

 country is very curious. The Uspallata range is separated from 

 the main Cordillera by a long narrow plain or basin, like those so 



