138 DESCRIPTION OF A SNOW STORM 



To view the storm from these dreary abodes 

 as it passes by, is dismal and awful in the ex- 

 treme. I have witnessed a hurricane in a desert — 

 shipwreck — fire and storms at sea — but no- 

 thing can equal the terrific, awful appearance of 

 a snow storm in the Andes. 



As we sat shivering in the casucha, the moun- 

 tains, from being so close to us, appeared a wall 

 of snow, their tops joining as it were in one mass, 

 with the clouds of snow flying around us. In 

 vain did I look for a dark spot to rest my painful 

 eyes upon, tracing the mountains all round, from 

 the base to their summits ; wandering again 

 over heaven and earth, all — all appeared a world 

 of snow, picturing desolation itself ; the miser- 

 able casucha alone standing in the midst of it. 

 The wild wind whistled through its many aper- 

 tures, shaking its very foundation, and roared 

 and cracked in the mountains above us, that were 

 continually sending down large masses of snow 

 that would fall with a dense awful noise, threat- 

 ening destruction to every thing beneath that 



