LEAVE SANTIAGO. 



215 



the wild regions of the Andes. I must say that 

 I felt the dreariness of my situation in not having 

 a companion to speak to ; but as 1 have before 

 observed^ I had no alternative : duty^ and not 

 inclination prompted me to undertake such a peril- 

 ous journey : for where is the man that w ould 

 choose to travel across the wild Pampas and Cor- 

 dillera of the Andes^ without a friend or compa- 

 nion to cheer him on his solitary journey. There- 

 fore I do not wish to claim a merit for under- 

 taking that which I could not possibly avoid. 



The road from Santiago is most miserable, no 

 refreshment of any sort whatever can be procured : 

 travelling on with my peon as far as Colina,*' 

 I waited till the courier came up, whom J fotod 

 was quite drunk. A pretty fellow this, thought I, 

 to trust myself with over the Cordillera. At noon. 

 I stopt from the heat of a burning sun at a most 

 miserable rancho, where I had an asado of mutton 

 without bread or salt. A wide difference, again 

 thought I, from the excellent fare to be had on the 



* A miserable village consisting of only a few mud huts. 



