May 1834. weather — couktry — cordillera. 351 



to the deception caused by high land on each side. Some of 

 the views are certainly striking, and, from their locaUty, inte- 

 resting ; I could not, however, have believed that the banks 

 of any large fresh water river could be so destitute of wood, 

 or verdure of any kind, or so little frequented by man, beast,* 

 bird, or fish. 



May 1st. The weather was invariably fine during the earlier 

 part of our journey ; but this day it began to change, and 

 two or three gloomy clouded days were succeeded by a few 

 hours only of small rain, and by some strong wind. This night 

 • (1st) we slept at the foot of heights whose summits were covered 

 with snow, but the temperature was many degrees warmer than 

 that of the first nights, when it froze so sharply. There was no 

 particular frost after the 21st of April. 



We had great difficulty with the boats on the 2d, the river 

 being contracted in width, without any diminution of the body 

 of water pouring down. 



On the 3d, we found a more open country, the lava-capped 

 heights receding gradually on each side, leaving a vale of flat, 

 and apparently good land, from five to fifteen miles in extent. 

 The width of the river increased ; on its banks were swampy 

 spaces, covered with herbage ; and low earthy cliffs, without 

 either shingle or lava, in some places bounded the river. A 

 little further, however, the usual arid and stony plains of 

 Patagonia were again seen, extending from the banks of the 

 river to ranges of hills, about fourteen hundred feet above its 

 level, on which the horizontal lava-capping could be distinctly 

 discerned. 



In tiie distant west the Cordillera of the Andes stretched 

 along the horizon. During three days, we had advanced to- 

 wards those far distant mountains, seeing them at times very 

 distinctly ; yet this morning our distance seemed nearly as 

 great as on the day we first saw their snow-covered summits. 

 A long day''s work carried us beyond the flat and into the 

 rising country, whose barren appearance I just now mentioned. 



* Excepting guanacoes. 



