THE GREAT CORDILLERA. 



173 



ing up his ears and looking at his path, as if some 

 great curiosity, or some great danger, was before 

 him, and then stopping to bray after his compa- 

 nions, during which nothing would induce him to 

 proceed. 



In about an hour we got out of the snow, and 

 then continually descending, the country soon be- 

 gan to assume a different appearance ; and when we 

 afterwards came to the first trees, we fancied that 

 we were beholding a most beautiful country, and 

 our whole party were making repeated observations 

 on the particular charms of the scenery, and were 

 pointing out spots which they agreed would be the 

 most delightful situations for villages and cottages. 



In returning from several expeditions which we 

 had before made to mountains, to inspect mines, I 

 had always observed how very beautiful the plains 

 looked after a short absence from vegetation, and I 

 endeavoured to keep the observation in mind in 

 viewing the scenes before me. Yet, upon the most 

 deliberate reflection, I was of opinion that the cU- 

 mate was lovely, and that although the ground was 

 rocky, the trees had a verdure and a luxuriance 

 that I could not sufficiently admire ; but when we 



