LAKE OF ACULEO. 



247 



cattle, and its little valley opens to the eastward, on which side it 

 sends forth its stream to swell the river of the Angostura. The road 

 from Don Justo's to Aculeo is beautiful, through woods and fertile 

 plains, surrounded by mountains watered by numerous streams, and 

 enlivened by several good country-houses ; round each of which a 

 village of peons is generally collected, like the large English farm 

 homesteads. 



The scenery of the lake reminded me of that around the Laso 

 Maggiore ; the snowy Andes, rich banks, and bright islands, even 

 the very climate, seemed those of Northern Italy. We stopped a 

 moment at a small house on the side of the lake where there is 

 usually a boat to be had, but she was under repair. The estate be- 

 longs to one of the La Raynas, and the fish from the lake forms a 

 considerable portion of the income from it. 



Dona Ana Maria, Doha Rosaria, and Jose Antonio, chose to re- 

 main at the cottage. Mr. de Roos and myself, attended by the two 

 peons, rode two leagues farther up the right bank of the lake, having 

 first tasted the water, which we found to be perfectly sweet and fresh. 

 I had never seen such forest scenery out of Europe as we passed 

 through on our ride ; and then there was the peculiar fragrance of 

 the Chile woods, sometimes from the boughs of the aroma, now in 

 blossom, sometimes from the crushed leaves over which we trod. 

 But this lovely scene is quite solitary ; one small fishing house, on an 

 island, alone tells that man has any part in it. But the eagle soars 

 over it, and the swan, and all the meaner tribe of aquatic fowls, brood 

 on it. Consideration for our horses induced us to return, after 

 making one sketch, to our friends at the cottage, where we found 

 dinner awaiting us ; and then every body went to sleep, — even I did 

 so for a few minutes. On the estrada lay the ladies ; the gentlemen, 

 on the saddlecloths and ponchos,- slept the hot hour under the shadow 

 of a tree ; and the owners of the cottage each in her separate bed : one 

 of these is a woman of about fifty-five, who is the best horse-breaker 

 in the country, and many an untractable colt is brought to her to 

 tame. At three o'clock every body was roused to take matee, and 



