14 FROM SANTIAGO TO MKNDOZA BY THE L'SPALLATA PASS. 



the gauclio who wishes to commit rohbery or murder generally comes close up, assumes a 

 familiar manner, asks for a cigar or light, and before the victim is aware, whips his knife out 

 from under his poncho and accomplishes his purpose. 



After arriving at the town, I was as badly off as when in the country; it was half-past one 

 in the morning, and the streets were completely deserted, so that there was great difficulty in 

 finding the hotel. By good luck another drunken man turned up, who, for a consideration, 

 showed me the way; and finally, after a ride of eighteen hours, or thirty leagues, I alighted, 

 completely knocked up. The worst of it was that I could not get a bed, nor anything to eat or 

 drink, and had to put up with saddle-cloths on the brick floor till next day. The men with 

 the mules arrived at 6 a. m., and were paid off; and here ended the first part of my journey. 



The principal streams passed in the cordillera are the following — commencing at Santa Rosa : 

 1st. The Aconcagua, whose width where it is crossed by the Puente de Biscachas is about ten 

 yards. It is there deep and rapid. 2d. The Colorado, from the northward, which is ten yards 

 wide, and not fordable. 3d. The Eio de Gualtatos, from the southward, ten yards wide. 4th. 

 The Eio Blanco, from the southward, six yards wide. 5th. The Rio de los Hornillos, 

 from the northward, crossed by a bridge. 6th. The Rio del Penon, from the northward, five 

 yards wide. tth. The Joncal, from the southeast, at its junction with the Joncalillo, where 

 the road leaves it, is about ten yards wide. 8th. The Rio de los Horcones, from the northward, 

 about six yards wide. 9tli. The Tupungato, from the southward, eight yards wide. 10th. 

 The Rio de las Vacas, from the northward, ten yards wide. 11th. The Pichiuta, four yards 

 wide. All of these streams are very rapid, and the quantity of water discharged by them 

 depends very much upon the season of the year and the hour of the day. In the spring, when 

 the snows begin to melt, they are full ; and many of them which are insignificant early in the 

 morning, are very formidable after mid-day. They are all tributaries either to the Aconcagua 

 on the west side, or the Rio de Mendoza on the east. 



Of wild animals, I saw only guanacos, foxes, and mountain rabbits about the size and color 

 of rats. 



Of birds, the little sparrows and the enormous condors are the most common ; but there are 

 also mountain partridges, ducks, and a few hawks. 



The weather during our journey was exceedingly favorable. From our departure from San- 

 tiago, till our arrival at Uspallata, we had clouds part of one day only. The wind generally 

 sprang up about sis o'clock in the morning from the westward, and by nine was blowing half 

 a gale. Near nightfall it would again die away, and generally during the night there was a 

 light counter breeze from the eastward. In Uspallata, and from there to Mendoza, we had 

 southeast winds and cloudy weather, with a fall of snow in the mountains. 



