414 PASSAGE OF CORDILLERA. April, 1835. 



during the winter well stored with food and charcoal, and 

 each courier had a master-key. Now they only answer the 

 purpose of caves, or rather dungeons. Seated on some 

 little eminence, they are not, however, ill suited to the 

 surrounding scene of desolation. The zigzag ascent of the 

 Cumbre, or the partition of the waters, was very steep and 

 tedious. The height, according to Mr. Pentland,* is 12,454 

 feet. The road did not pass over any perpetual snow, 

 although there were patches on either hand. The wind on 

 the summit was exceedingly cold, but it was impossible not 

 to stop a few minutes to admire, again and again, the colour 

 of the heavens, and the brilliant transparency of the atmo- 

 sphere. The scenerj'^, moreover, was grand. To the west- 

 ward there was a fine chaos of mountains, divided by 

 profound ravines. Generally some snow has fallen before 

 this period of the season, and it has even happened that 

 the Cordillera has been finally closed by this time. But 

 we were most fortunate. The sky, by night and by day, 

 was cloudless, excepting perhaps a few round Uttle masses 

 of vapour, that floated over the highest pinnacles. I have 

 often seen these islets in the sky, marking the position 

 of the Cordillera, when the mountains themselves have been 

 hidden beneath the horizon. 



April 6th. — In the morning we found some thief had 

 stolen one of our mules, and the bell of the madrina. We 

 therefore rode only two or three miles down the valley, and 

 staid there the ensuing day in hopes of recovering the mule, 

 which the arriero thought had been hidden in some ravine. 

 The scenery in this part had assumed a ChiUan character : 

 the lower parts of the mountains, dotted over with the pale 

 evergreen Quillay tree, and mth the great candlestick cactus, 

 certainly are more to be admired than any thing in the bare 

 Eastern valleys ; but I cannot quite agree with the admira- 

 tion expressed by some travellers. The extreme pleasure, 

 I suspect, is chiefly owing to the prospect of a good fire, 



* Geographical Journal. Notice on Bolivian Cordillera, March, 1835. 



