304 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. xvi. 



claimed (I am informed, truly) to be the absolute owner of a 

 princely domain. His land, he said, stretched from Candelaria to 

 the Volcano Sangai. In the vicinity of the farm its boundaries 

 were defined, "but elsewhere ^^ (said with a grand sweep of the 

 hand) "it extended as far as you could go to the east/' At a 

 moderate estimate, he owned three hundred square miles. 



On the 17th of June, in two hours from the farm, we came to 

 a patch of open ground in the middle of a forest, and the Master 

 of Candelaria, who acted as guide, said mules could go no farther. 

 Cevallos was left here with the animals, while we continued on 

 foot, traversing at first a dense wood, which was impenetrable 

 until three men with machetas had cleared a way, and then 800 

 very steep feet up the buttress of an alp.^ This brought us to a 

 track winding, at a high elevation, along the northern side of the 

 Valley of Collanes. At the latter part of the day we crossed from 

 the right to the left bank of the valley, and encamped (at 12,540 

 feet) in a little patch of trees, close to the foot of the highest peak 

 of Altar. 



This valley of Collanes was well watered. Eain fell all the 

 way, and during nearly the whole of the succeeding four days. Its 

 slopes were adapted for grazing, deep with luxuriant grass, yet 

 without a house, or hut, or sign of life. " Why are there no cattle 

 here ?" "No money,'' replied the youth, gloomily. " Well," said 

 Jean-Antoine, "if / had this valley I would make a fortune." 

 When returning, we asked the Master if he would sell some of 

 this land, pointing out a tract about six miles long by three or 

 four broad — say twenty square miles, and he answered in the 

 affirmative. " For how much ? " He reflected a little, and said 

 " one hundred pesos." " For three hundred and fifty francs. Carrel, 

 the land is yours ! " It was just one farthing per acre. As he was 

 so moderate, I thought of buying Altar for myself, and asked what 



^ There were some very steep bits on this journey ; — from the Bridge of Penipe 

 to the village (about 350 feet) ; between Penipe and Candelaria, 950 feet in one con- 

 tinuous ascent ; and then the 800 feet mentioned above. The track in the Valley of 

 Collanes itself was more level and less undulating than usual. 



