66 FROM MENDOZA TO SANTIAGO AND BACK 



river, each one having ten or a dozen enormous catfish, which they had heen instructed to hring 

 me. As any One of the fish was large enough to fill my tank, I had, of course, to decline pur- 

 chasing, very much to the annoyance of the fishermen and the indignation of my emissaries. 



A short distance above the Pueute del Inca there is another natural bridge, over the Rio de 

 las Cuevas, formed by two large boulder rocks, which have lodged against each other, leaving 

 enough space underneath for the water to pass. This bridge is made transitable, by having 

 sheets of the rock of which the Incas bridge is formed laid like a pavement over its inequalities, 

 and is frequently used by arrieros, in order to avoid the steep descent to and ascent from the 

 Rio de los Horcones. With this view we passed the Puente del Inca, followed the south bank 

 of the river, and recrossed at this bridge, where we were near having a serious accident. The 

 ascent from the bridge to the road is by a short ladera ; and as we were passing this, one of the 

 burden-mules struck his load against a jutting rock, which partially turned it. As usual, the 

 mule, on feeling all the weight on one side, became frightened, wheeled round, and came down 

 the ladera at full speed, to the imminent risk of the whole party. He passed me so suddenly — 

 the boxes grazing my knee — that I had no time to be alarmed for my own safety; but the chance 

 for those below me — la Juana in particular, who was in a narrow part of the road, and so much 

 frightened as to be incapable of exertion — appeared to be very small. My man, Jose, dis- 

 mounted, and attempted to stop the mule, but was knocked over, and, in company with one of 

 the boxes of instruments, went heels over head down the steep hill for about a hundred feet, 

 both box and man bringing up at the river bank, without farther injury than a few bruises. 

 Fortunately, before the mule arrived at the place where the woman was, the load had worked 

 round under his belly, and prevented him from proceeding farther. 



Notwithstanding the steepness of the path across the Cordillera, cruppers are never used, 

 between Chile and Mendoza, for saddle or burden mules ; nor does this appear necessary, with 

 native mountings. These are furnished with wide double girths, working in large iron rings 

 at their connection with the saddle. One of these is placed under the breast, and the other 

 well back, near the flank, and both are girthed so tight that the poor animal's belly is sorely 

 pinched between them. In this position the saddle or load is immovable, forward or backward, 

 until after a long march, when the animal becomes thinner by sweating. But, unless they 

 are nicely balanced, the loads are constantly working over sideways, and as soon as the mule 

 begins to feel the weight too heavy on one side it runs away, seldom stopping till the load gets 

 under its belly and imi>edes progress, when it vents its uneasiness in kicks. In such cases, 

 as also in loading, the first thing to be done is to blindfold the animal, without which it will 

 not stand still. The arriero's poncho, or blanket, serves for this purpose, which is, indeed, one 

 of its i^rincipal uses. 



With an English or American saddle, where the girths are so arranged as not to admit of 

 their being spread apart, there is frequent necessity, in going down hill, to halt and set the 

 saddle back. 



I find that no mention is made, in the first part of my narrative, of the existence of ruins of 

 Indian houses in the Uspallata Pass. There are ruins in at least two jdaces — at tlic Rio de 

 Tambillos, on the eastern side, and near tlie Alto de la Laguna, on the western. Those at the 

 Rio de Tambillos are the most perfect, and resemble the foundations of a large house. The 

 walls are not more than three feet high, and it is difficult to understand what the nature of the 

 structure was. Their use was probably the same as that of the casuchas. In the Portillo Pass 

 there are several corrals or yards, that serve for a similar purpose ; but these are not as large 

 or of the same construction as the tambillos, and were jsrpbably built by drovers. These ruins 

 are called "tambillos," which is the diminutive of the Peruvian word "tambo," meaning 

 an inn. 



Just before reaching the posada de Coliua we discovered a snake, which my servant disabled 

 by a cut across the back with the horse-whip, and it was afterwards choked until all signs of life 

 were ended. Wishing to preserve it, and not caring to stop and unload the mules then, I put it 



