ARRIVE AT LOS LOROS. 



159 



we proceeded, the country grew richer in appear- 

 ance, with most beautifal scenery, richly wooded, 

 and very prolific in little wild mountain flowers, 

 of various colours, delighting the eye as we 

 passed ; and the aromatic odour proceeding from 

 the algaroba, with numerous birds of varied 

 plumage chirping around us, (the first of ani- 

 mated nature we had seen since leaving Uspal- 

 lata,) gave a buoyancy to our feelings truly 

 delightful; in fact, it all appeared perfect en- 

 chantment, and I could scarcely believe it pos- 

 sible, that only the day before, I was in the dreary, 

 dismal, frozen regions of the Cordillera: many 

 times did I look back to gaze at its awful mag- 

 nificence, in order to convince myself of the fact. 

 At two P. M. arrived at Los Loros, the first in- 

 habited abode since leaving Uspallata, a period of 

 eight days. It is a miserable building of rushes ; 

 but most romantically situated in a green valley 

 by the side of the river Aconcagua, where moun- 

 tains run up on each side to an awful height, 

 their summits covered with snow. We got some 



