226 LA GUARDIA DE LOS HORNILLOS. 



unfranked letters, for which I had to pay post- 

 age, besides bribery to the amount of seventeen 

 dollars, and with much difficulty evaded being 

 sent back to Chili, for they are extremely par- 

 ticular with respect to letters not being regularly 

 franked. It was very fortunate they did not find 

 all I had ; if so, I should have got into a pretty 

 hobble, but having a velice purposely made for 

 my dispatches, and that being behind my saddle 

 on the back of my mule, they never thought of 

 looking into it, where I had at least fifty more. 

 However, it will be a lesson for me how to 

 oblige my friends another time. 



After taking some slight refreshment, and a 

 siesta under the shade of a rock, I proceeded 

 on at three, and soon entered into scenery 

 that was entirely new to me ; for within two 

 miles of this place, when I passed before, it was 

 all covered with snow, so that the face of things 

 was entirely changed. I could not but feel a pe- 

 culiar sensation on witnessing the terrible places 

 we must have passed over. What before appear- 



