192 JOURNAL. 



journey I mean to make to Santiago. Now the rainy season is over, 

 I begin to be impatient to see the capital ; and though the distance is 

 only ninety miles, I must take beds as well as clothes, because the inns, 

 with the exception of that at the first stage, Casablanca, are not 

 provided with such things. Then I must have mules for my baggage ; 

 my own peon serves as a guide, and I mean to be part of three days 

 on the road. 



While in town, I met Captain Morgell, late of the Chile States 

 brig Aranzacu, which sunk as they were endeavouring to heave her 

 down to repair. He left Guayaquil twenty-eight days ago; at which 

 time the place was actually in possession of Bolivar, who was making 

 common cause with San Martin, and had promised to send him 4000 

 men to aid in the final reduction of Peru. The people of Guayaquil, 

 influenced by agents from Lima, had been behaving very ill to the 

 Chile States vessels of war, and even threatened to fire on the 

 Aranzacu and Mercedes. But they have been kept quiet by Bolivar, 

 who, though he hates, and is jealous of foreigners, knows, that in the 

 present state of South America, it is impossible to do without them. 



August 22c?. — I began my journey to Santiago. My companion 

 was the Honourable Frederick de Boos, midshipman belonging to His 

 Majesty's ship Alacrity ; and I took with me my maid and my peon, 

 with three baggage mules. We were escorted to the first post-house, 

 about twelve miles from Valparaiso, by a party of friends, male and 

 female, who had breakfasted with us. Instead of ascending the 

 heights of the port by the broad carriage road which Chile owes to 

 the father of the present Director, we followed the old rugged path, 

 which, being shorter, is still used by the woodcutters' mules, and 

 sometimes by the common baggage cattle. This by-way is ex- 

 tremely rugged, being every where cut through by the winter rains ; 

 which, collecting on the flat grounds above, pour down the hill, fur- 

 rowing deep channels in the soft red soil. Having once gained the 

 height, an immense plain, called the Llanos de la Pehuela, extended 

 itself before us, with hills beyond, over whose tops the snowy Andes 

 appeared. Numerous streams, but none very large, cross this plain, 



