26 FROM MENDOZA TO SAN LUIS DE LA PUNTA. 



and by that time we were in a fit state to contemplate calmly the nose of the keeper of the 

 hotel, which was of such wonderful dimensions and form as to require one to be perfectly cool 

 before approaching it. I have never seen anything, in all my experience, either in nature or 

 caricature, equal to it. From the eyes it branched oif, and became wider and longer till it 

 completely hid the mouth and a great part of the chin. Its color was of a deep purple ; and as 

 the owner of this tremendous appendage was so palsied that his nose never would keep still, it 

 will readily be believed that it was an object of deep interest to me. 



Our companions arrived at the Fonda about nine o'clock at night, and, being anxious for 

 their comfort, I hastened out to welcome them with a large glass of good cool water. Unfor- 

 tunately a misstej) in the court-yard dislocated anew my knee-cap, which was just recovering 

 from the effects of the kick. This determined me to do what I had frequently thought of before, 

 viz: to take an arriero and mules for myself, and travel alone, as I had already found that, 

 however willing my companions were to stop whilst I did my work, it was annoying to feel that 

 I was detaining them, and very fatiguing for me to mount and keep along with them after eight 

 "or nine hours' work. Accordingly, on the second day after our arrival, I managed to get to the 

 door and see them off, feeling much more friendly towards them at the moment of separating 

 than I had done during the trip. 



Before separating, however, I siicceeded in getting permission for Mr. Blancliard to take a 

 portrait of Don Manuel. This, of course, was rather a delicate matter. As I was to remain 

 behind, it was my interest not to oifend either the fatron or his family ; but a desire to give to 

 the world the picture of a nose which is, I have no doubt, the same that Sterne describes in 

 Slawkenbergius's story, overcame my discretion. Approaching Don Maniiel, therefore, I said to 

 him, in a most insinuating and deferential tone, I supposed he could not be ignorant of the fact 

 that he had a most remarkable feature in his physiognomy ; that I was very far from wishing to 

 offend hini, but my friend, Mr. Blanchard, being a celebrated philanthropist, had, through life, 

 endeavored to do everything in his power to relieve persons suifering under painful or inconve- 

 nient diseases ; and having noticed his nose, was desirous to have a picture of it, for the purpose 

 of submitting it to a distinguished surgical friend in France, in oi'der to learn the nature of 

 and a remedy for the disease. I added, that as Mr. Blanchard had a delicacy in asking, I had 

 volunteered to request him to sit for his portrait. The old Don was overcome by my eloquence, 

 and readily consented ; and in a few minutes we had a perfect fac-simile (barring the palsy 

 movement, which could not be put on paper) of the greatest nose that ever existed. 



"San Luis de la Punta," so called from its being situated at the point of a range of mount- 

 ains, is a miserably decayed place, and, to judge from its apjiearance, must be rapidly decreas- 

 ing in population. It is the capital of the province of San Luis, which probably contains fifteen 

 thousand souls — the town itself and its environs having about three thousand. It has, of 

 course — no Spanish town is without it — its plaza, one side of which is bounded by a barrack and 

 a church, both in good repair ; on another side by a second barrack and a few one-story adobe 

 houses in bad repair ; and on the other two, by huts and walls in ruins. The streets are at 

 right angles with each other, and in some places have narrow sidewalks, and paved glitters 

 in the middle. As the houses are nearly all built of adobe, and very little attention is paid to 

 whitewashing or repairs, at least one-third of them apjiear to be in ruins from the efiect of 

 the heavy rains of summer. The house of the Governor was the only one I saw built of brick, 

 or in thorough repair. Many have window-frames, but I saw no glazed windows. 



There were quartered iu the town about fifty soldiers of the line, whose pay was ten reals 

 (one dollar and a quarter) per month, and one suit of clothes a year. Their term of service 

 depends upon the wishes of the government, as they do not enlist for a fixed period, but are 

 draughted. Notwithstanding the smallness of their pay, they were comparatively well dressed, 

 and apjieared to have an easy time of it. Their uniform was picturesque, and not unlike the 

 Greek dress. It consists of a flat cap, (which, if blown out, would resemble a sugar-loaf,) com- 

 mon with nearly all Spanish or Spanish-American soldiers; a close-fitting jacket, the chiripa, 



