THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 397 



bably resulting from a more copious supply of moisture. The 

 day gradually cleared up, and the view from the summit of the 

 hill (about 1600 or 1700 feet above the level of the valley, which 

 is, I should observe, between three and four thousand feet above 

 that of the sea), was remarkably fine, as we saw at a glance 

 the entire valley of the Aconcagua, extending green and fertile, 

 here and there dotted with long rows of poplars and weeping 

 willows, reminding us of pictures of the plains of Lombardy ; 

 herds of sheep and cattle pasturing on the meadows, through 

 which the silver thread of the Aconcagua wound its way ; 

 while on every side towered up the snowy mountains, with 

 their summits partially enveloped in mist, and long lines of 

 cloud reposing half-way up their sides. A universal silence 

 reigned around, only broken by the distant flowing of the 

 river, and it seemed as if the valley was hushed to sleep 

 under the shadow of the everlasting hills. In a little more 

 than an hour we commenced the descent, which was so 

 steep in many parts that we realised the advantages of the 

 peaked Chilian saddles, without which it would have been 

 difficult to avoid slipping over our horses' heads. In the even- 

 ing our Chilian friend again came to see us, and we bid him 

 good-bye as we were obliged to leave Santa Eosa next morning. 

 On the 4th we started at half-past seven a.m. for San 

 Felipe, where we breakfasted (nearly aU the dishes served to us 

 tasting horribly of garlic), and then taking our places in another 

 coach, began the return journey to Llaillai. We were unfortu- 

 nate enough on this occasion to have a very stupid dilatory 

 driver, and just as we had reached the top of the winding road 

 leading down into the valley of Llaillai, we saw, to our 

 dismay, the train from Santiago coming up in one direction, 

 while that from Valparaiso approached in another. As we 

 had been informed that the train only waited for a quarter 



