ANGOSTURA DE PAINE. 241 



runs rapidly from a projecting branch of the cordillera, which ad- 

 vances here so as almost to meet the Cerro de Penigue, and forms the 

 narrow pass, or Angostura de Paine, commonly called here 1' Angostura, 

 through which the road leads to Rancagua. From Paine, where there 

 is a post-house, the road is bordered on each side with magnificent 

 trees, chiefly may ten es ; and country-houses and rich plantations take 

 place of the wide and wild plain we had passed. One of the finest 

 estates belongs to the hospital of San Juan de Deos, and is rented by 

 one of the Valdezes ; and there we turned off the main road to 

 follow the course of a beautiful river which flows out of the pass, 

 and is therefore commonly called the Rio de l'Angostura. We 

 passed some haciendas of Erreda's and Solar's, and then arrived at 

 that of Salinas, where we were most kindly received by both master 

 and mistress : she is the eldest daughter of my host and hostess, the 

 widow of the unfortunate Juan Jose Carrera, who I trust has found 

 in her second marriage some compensation for the sufferings endured 

 during the first. She has one of the most beautiful faces I ever 

 beheld : an eye both to entreat and to command ; and a mouth 

 which neither painter or sculptor, in his imagined Hebes or Graces, 

 could equal. Her age is now only twenty-five; her countenance 

 would say seventeen ; and as I stood a moment entranced by her 

 beauty, and remembered her story, I doubted whether I had not 

 suddenly dreamed of things that romances only had hitherto brought 

 me familiar with. Don Justo is a fine well-looking young man, two 

 years younger than his wife. They were not a little delighted to 

 see their brother and sister ; but their welcome was almost as kind 

 to Mr. de Roos and me. 



The evening was excessively cold, a brisk wind from the mountain 

 having set in ; and we all crowded round the brassero, which was 

 placed in the corner of a very pretty drawing-room, till supper was 

 served, about nine o'clock ; and we were complimented on having 

 ridden well, as the distance from the city is upwards of fourteen 

 leagues, which we had done in nine hours with the same horses, 



