THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 153 
the Cornice road, winding steeply zigzag over very 
steep hills gullied into deep wooded valleys and fol- 
lowing the shore and giving beautiful views of the 
open sea and of the bay of Concepcion, until at last 
we came to a high cliff along the edge of which we 
descended corkscrew fashion with turns and wind- 
ings as sharp as the Swiss mountain roads, and look- 
ing sheer down upon the surf breaking on the rocks 
below and the little fishing town bordering the beach. 
At Tomé we passed the night in a tolerable inn, 
though to be sure we shared our quarters with the 
permanent residents, the fleas; but then these abound 
everywhere in Chili, and of course travelling in the 
country you do not expect very good accommoda- 
tions. Our second day’s journey was to be to the ha- 
cienda of a Senhor Martinez situated on a river from 
which Agassiz wanted to get fish. He had met Agassiz 
at Concepcion and invited him to remain at his farm 
for as long as he liked though he was not there him- 
self. The second day we came into the agricultural 
country where the culture of corn, wheat and grape- 
vines is the business of every one. It was so strange to 
. see all the work of the autumn going on in May, the 
gathering in and carrying to and fro of the harvest 
and vintage. We would meet hundreds of mules laden 
with sacks of corn which they were carrying down to 
Tomé, and carts, the queer primitive carts of the 
country, with huge red wine jars in which was the 
fresh new juice of the vintage, large enough for the 
jars in the “Forty Thieves.” The road was full of life 
and animation and of the most picturesque sights. 
