DISPATCH A PEON OVER THE ANDES. 81 



bed two days out of the four that we were de- 

 tained. He had engaged an arreiro or guide of 

 the Cordillera for us^ with whom we arranged 

 to start as soon as possible. A peon was 

 therefore instantly dispatched to Chili to have 

 mules in readiness by the time we arrived on 

 the other side of the snow. The accounts we 

 heard of the state of the Cordillera were very 

 dreadful ; many lives had already been lost^ and 

 owing to its being so blocked up with snow, 

 no courier or communication had been re- 

 ceived from Chili for five weeks^ so that we 

 were entirely ignorant as to the state of the 

 passes. Such a dreadful v/inter had not been 

 known for very many years ; indeed^ we had 

 only to look up at the tremendous mountains 

 of snow before us, to be convinced of this fact. 

 As we walked the Alameda^ or public walk of 

 Mendoza, they lay stretching to our view, and 

 caused me many an anxious glance. The situa- 

 tion of this Alameda is very pleasant, being 

 at the foot of the Andes, I must not say Cor- 



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