FIRST FULL VIEW OF THE CORDILLERA. 93 



soil of your country been the means of es- 

 tablishing to generations the barbarity of the 

 Spaniards ! 



We shortly began to descend a little, and 

 soon opened the valley of Uspallata, where the 

 mighty Cordillera broke upon our view in all 

 its awful magnificence, covered with snow down 

 to its very base. This was the first full view we 

 had of it, for while on the eastern side of the 

 mountains we had just crossed, the summits only 

 were visible ; but now, the whole mass broke upon 

 our sight like a world of snow. I was struck 

 with amazement ; most wistfully did I throw my 

 head back to gaze at its mighty summits, tower- 

 ing amidst the clouds, and thought it almost 

 presumption to attempt such an undertaking as 

 crossing them. Oh, man! if ever thou hast the 

 vanity to think thyself more than what thou 

 really art, a mere worm upon earth, or that thou 

 art superior to any other of thy fellow-worms, 

 crawling here below — go, in the depth of 

 winter, and view the mighty, tremendous Cor- 



