VIEW FROM THE CUMBRE. 



233 



at^ and looked down upon the little casacha on 

 the Mendoza side. What an awful height^ and 

 wonderful appearance ! Strange to say, there was 

 not a spot of snow the whole way down : whereas 

 the Chili side was almost all snow; the rocks and 

 mountains were also of a different appearance, 

 composed of red granite and loose stones, but very 

 barren, resembling the burnt ashes of a furnace, 

 the river was foaming beneath, and had all the ap- 

 pearance of brick-dust and water, while again on 

 the Chili side (comparatively speaking) the tor- 

 rents were clear. I must have been at this time 

 looking down a giddy height of at least three 

 thousand feet ; here I picked up a few stones as a 

 memento for my friends in England, and drank 

 their healths in some brandy and water, which 

 was all I possessed. After arranging the car- 

 goes, fresh saddling, &c. we commenced our de- 

 scent. Certainly it was a giddy height to look 

 down. I preferred walking, having from necessity 

 done so in the winter, I wished also to do it in 

 summer ; not only to ascertain whether the exertion 



