SECOND NIGHT IN THE ANDES. 227 



ed SO awfully dangerous^ was now transformed 

 to beautiful evergreen shrubs^ with little elegant 

 mountain flowers peeping out from between 

 the rocks and stones ; and being mounted^ in- 

 stead of the labour of walkings rendered the 

 contrast peculiarly striking and interesting to 

 me. All awful appearances being gone^ I could 

 not but look round with feelings of the purest 

 delight and gratitude. 



Shortly after, passed the casucha Ojo del Agua, 

 then turning to the left, crossed a furious torrent 

 which discharges itself into the Aconcagua. The 

 night being fine, we put up under the lee of 

 some rocks, surrounded by the lofty high moun- 

 tains of the Cordillera, whose extreme summits 

 were still partly covered with snow ; the weather 

 was mild and pleasant, thermometer standing 

 at 58^ 



The mules were turned adrift as usual, to 

 graze on the few surrounding shrubs which were 

 here very scanty, and the peons proceeded to 

 make a fire in order to prepare some supper ; 

 the boy and I employed ourselves fetching water 



q2 



