188 CHILL 
is surrounded by a low building, with a tile roof, supported by 
columns, under which meats of all kinds are sold. The centre is 
reserved for vegetables, fruits, flowers, poultry, and small wares. 
The market-women are seen seated under awnings, screens, and 
large umbrellas, which are used to keep off the sun. 
The whole is kept quite clean and has a pretty effect. Fruit and 
vegetables are abundant and cheap. They are of excellent quality. 
The grapes and peaches are of the finest kind; apples are also 
plenty, but no care appears to have been taken to secure the finest 
kinds. Cabbages, beets, potatoes, cauliflower, &c, are all large and 
fine. 
Beef is proverbially fine, and also the mutton ; the prices are six 
and a quarter cents for the former, the latter three cents per pound. 
The average price of a horse is twelve dollars, but some that are 
well broken are valued as high as those in the United States. 
The climate of Chili is justly celebrated throughout the world, and 
that of Santiago is deemed delightful even in Chili; the temperature 
is usually between 60° and 75°. Notwithstanding this, it has its 
faults. It is extremely arid, and were it not for its mountain 
streams, which afford the means of irrigation, the country would be a 
barren waste for two-thirds of the year. Rains fall only during the 
winter months, (June to September,) and after they have occurred, 
the whole country is decked with flowers. The rains often last 
several days, are excessively heavy, and during their continuance the 
rivers become impassable torrents. The temperature near the coast 
does not descend below 58°. The mean temperature, deduced from 
the register kept at Valparaiso, gave 63°. At Santiago the climate 
is drier and colder, but snow rarely falls. On the ascent of the 
Cordilleras the aridity increases with the cold. The snow was found 
much in the same state as at Terra del Fuego, lying in patches about 
the summits. Even the high peak of Tupongati was bare in places, 
and to judge from appearances, it seldom rains in the highest regions 
of the Cordilleras, to which cause may be imputed the absence of 
glaciers. 
Several of our gentlemen made an excursion to the Cordilleras, in 
order to get information in their various departments. I regretted 
they were not provided with the necessary instruments for ascertain- 
ing heights. The party left Santiago in biloches, and travelled 
to the eastward five leagues to the " Snow Bank" from which the 
city is supplied. The ascent was gradual, but quite constant, as no 
intervening ravines occurred. They then took horses, leaving their 
