LEAVE MENDOZA. 



85 



the morning;, and joining our luggage at the 

 house before mentioned, started at once in the 

 mountainous district with a train of about five- 

 and- twenty mules, but only six peons, the rest 

 were to join us as we went along, and some to 

 meet us at Chili ; for which purpose, as I have 

 before mentioned, a man was dispatched from 

 Mendoza immediately on our arrival. The first 

 part of our road lay over a barren soil, covered 

 with loose stones and dried bushes. We crossed 

 many dry channels, of what at some seasons 

 must be formidable rivers, caused by the tor- 

 rents coming down from the mountains when 

 the snow melts. After travelling about ten 

 leagues of this road, we struck into a valley, and 

 immediately commenced ascending; so much 

 snow had recently fallen that we soon came to 

 small patches laying on the surface. 



As we ascended, the mountains on each side 

 approached closer to each other, forming a very 

 deep and narrow valley, with the dry beds of 

 many torrents here and there intersecting our 



