2 FKOM SANTIAGO TO MENDOZA BY THE USPALLATA PASS. 



equal to what we had expected. Whether the fault was with the " tonahstone," or with the 

 departed party, I am unable to say. 



Except the advent of a dead hishop — visiting whom gave me constant occupation and plea- 

 sure, till the odor of his sanctity became too great — and an occasional religious procession, 

 nothing occurred to relieve the tedium of waiting. 



These processions differ from each other only in the number of saints, sinners, and candles 

 used on the occasion, and therefore it is unnecessary to enter into a history of them; a few days 

 before my departure, however, I learned of a feature in some of them entirely new to me, which 

 may be worth relating. 



On the day preceding that of San Francisco, I met a procession in the street going towards 

 the church of that name, having under convoy the most superbly dressed image of a saint that 

 I had ever seen. Except for his shaven crown he might have passed for one of the magnificent 

 monarchs of the magnificent age of France, but turned out to be San Francisco himself, on his 

 way to church to preside over the fiesta of next day. Dona Francisca de Fulano de Tal had, 

 at her own expense, extracted him from his altar in the church and dressed him in this splendid 

 manner for the occasion. 



Fully impressed, from this circumstance, with the importance of his character, I did not fail 

 to attend mass the next day, and found that I was not the only person attracted by the finery 

 of his dress. Old women and young women, priests and priestlings, were enthusiastic in their 

 devotions ; and even San Antonio himself, who is the patron saint of marriages, lovers, and 

 sailors, was almost entirely neglected. 



On the following day, as I was going up a retired bj^-street, I met four peons trotting hastily 

 along with an exceedingly dilapidated looking saint on a litter, whom, upon examination, I 

 found to be no other than my quondam acquaintance San Francisco ; but so ragged and dirty 

 in his appearance that he was evidently ashamed of himself, and did not wish to be recognised. 



On inquiry I learned that his rich robes had been taken off in order to preserve them for the 

 next annual fiesta ; Doiia Francisca de Fulano de Tal having no idea of allowing him to lux- 

 uriate in fine clothes except on that day, when he was particularly her patron. 



The only real occupation I had, pending my departure, was to get a travelling rate for the 

 pocket chronometers, and make arrangements for mules to take me to Mendoza. The first I 

 endeavored to accomplish by wearing the three chronometers on my person in the same position 

 I proposed to carry them in travelling, and making it a point to ride and walk about a good 

 deal every day. I soon found, however, that two of them performed so irregularly as to be 

 nearly useless for the determination of longitudes. 



To obtain mules at anything like a reasonable rate was much more difficult, particularly as I 

 had to stipulate that we should stop when and where I pleased; and my difficulties were 

 increased by the manoeuvres of a noted birlochero named Ascencio Palnja, certainly the keenest 

 knave in a bargain about horses or gigs I ever saw. His most common trick, when any one 

 wished to hire a birlocho (gig) for Valparaiso or elsewhere, was to come himself, make an offer 

 at a very high figure, and if he failed in making a contract, retire, advising the applicant to 

 give up all idea of the trip, as he certainly would not find any cheaper mode of conveyance. 

 Half an hour afterwards some other fellow would make his appearance, and propose to carry 

 the voyager for a little less ; until, finally, some one would make a really fair offer to those who 

 had the patience to wait ; and then after the contract was completed, in would walk master 

 Ascencio, or "Chencho" as he is called, and the fact would be learned for the first time that 

 every one who had offered was his agent. 



Something of tliis kind was attempted with me. His first proposal, made in person, was to 

 take me to Mendoza for $138; but, by the advice of those acquainted with the subject, I declined 

 it, and cast about for better terms. In the mean time, a foreign merchant, with wliom I had 

 long been acquainted, wrote to a friend in Santa Rosa — the headquarters of muleteers — and 

 requested him to send down one who would take me over at a reasonable rate. At the end of 



