BY THE PORTILLO PASS, AND RETURN HOME. 65 



water thereabouts, to which it was necessary for them to make a pilgrimage once in their lives 

 for the welfare of their souls ; and a river, in which they were obliged to Lathe whenever they 

 passed. On these occasions they have a grand frolic in honor of the deity they worship ; and 

 when they have spirituous liquor, it ends by all getting drunk and having a free fight. This 

 is the Indians' story, as furnished me by Rivarola, and I give it for what it is worth. 



While I was in Mendoza, five men were shot for stealing cattle ; they were old offenders, and 

 the vice had become so general that the government found it necessary to make an impressive 

 example. 



On settling accounts with the cartmen for the transport of my baggage from Eosario, I found 

 that the Frenchman, whose trunk was with mine, had made no arrangements to pay the 

 freight, and that I was considered responsible for it. Having made up my mind in Santiago 

 that I was finally done with the fellow, I felt so much annoyed at his conduct, that his trunk 

 would have been left at the disposition of his creditors ; but Arcos suggested that I should pay 

 it in memory of Lafayette, and accordingly it was done. 



I am inclined to think this countryman of the illustrious Lafayette was rather more knave 

 than fool, for although he called several times after my last arrival in Santiago to see me, and 

 talked over arrangements of accounts, his cash was not forthcoming at the proper time, and I 

 never heard more of him. 



On making my last set of observations in Mendoza, I discovered the reason why the boiling- 

 point apparatus indicated a greater elevation than the barometer, viz : a portion of the mercury, 

 by the jarring of travel, had lodged in the cell at the top of the tube. 



On the 23d of December I again set out for Santiago by the Uspallata Pass, and shortly after 

 leaving town found that my party, instead of consisting of myself and servant, with the 

 arriero and peon, was increased by the sister of the arriero — Doiia Juana — and a young Italian, 

 a manufacturer of fideos, whom the arriero had contracted to carry over. As it was the last 

 stage of the journey I made no objection, and had no cause afterwards to regret it. Doiia 

 Juana was a very good hand at making a stew or a cup of mate ; and the Italian, although 

 frequently of service to me, was so grateful for the little benefit I could render him that I can- 

 celled a resolution, made on parting from the Frenchman, of never doing another generous act 

 without a quid pro quo. 



We stopped at nearly all my former stations, to repeat some of the observations, and finally 

 arrived in Santiago, early on the morning of the 2d day of January. In looking over my 

 notes of this journey, I find but few worth transcribing, and those I will throw in as odds and- 

 ends, without order or connexion, to fill up the seams of my loosely-worded report. 



We passed a part of Christmas day at Villavicensio, and found that the place, under the 

 influence of a cheerful sun and a feast clay, was more pleasant than at our former trip. 



Accomplished the journey between Villavicensio and Uspallata on the 26th, and stopped there, 

 to give the peon a chance to recover from the effects of a kick from one of the mules. 



Among the baggage left behind at Eosario was a chest, containing two tanks of alcohol, 

 which I had volunteered to bring from the United States for the purpose of preserving specimens 

 of natural history. When I found it necessary to leave my heavy baggage behind, I had made 

 up my mind to neglect entirely this part of my original intention ; but having the tanks with 

 me on this last trip, I felt disposed to add a mite to that science, and accordingly offered one of 

 the soldiers at Uspallata twenty-five cents each for every snake or animal he should bring. He 

 was at first doubtful about my sincerity, but when I paid him fifty cents for a pair of mountain 

 rabbits, set himself to work in earnest; and before long I had specimens of crabs from the river 

 de Uspallata, several snakes, and at last near a peck of tadpoles, for each of which I was 

 expected to pay twenty-five cents. 



This was like my experience in Eosario. I there commissioned three or four men and boys 

 to bring me specimens of snakes, fish, &c., but for two or three days got nothing. At lengthy 

 when I had given up all hope, I was called out one morning, and found two fishermen from the 

 9* 



