174 



PASSAGE ACROSS 



returned over these same spots, after living in 

 Chili, we all acknowledged the erroneous opinions 

 ive had formed, and were surprised to find the cli- 

 mate severe, the country bleak, and vegetation 

 stunted by the continual frosts and violent winds. 



I was now joined by two of my party, and we 

 proceeded along a stream whose course guided us 

 as on the other side. The torrent, however, was 

 much more rapid, and it was very pleasing to see 

 it rushing in a contrary direction to that which we 

 had so long followed. We were riding close to a 

 very high perpendicular mountain which was on 

 our right, and were all looking up it, and making 

 remarks upon its singular formation, when we 

 heard a sound like the sudden explosion of a mine, 

 and a large piece of the rock was instantly seen 

 falling. The sound was exactly like that described, 

 but I should think it must have proceeded from the 

 rock having struck against some part of the cliff ; 

 however one of the party exclaimed Oh! it is all 

 coming !" and off he darted. 



The other and I stood still, and we were much 

 amused with the appearance of the fugitive, who 

 bending over his mule, as if the mountain had al- 



