320 



CHILE. 



Aug. 1834. 



model. I arrived here by a circuit to the north; so I 

 resolved to return to Valparaiso, by a rather longer excur- 

 sion, to the southward of the direct road. 



September 5th. — By the middle of the day we arrived 

 at one of the suspension bridges, made of hide, which crosses 

 the Maypo, a large turbulent river, a few leagues south of 

 Santiago. These bridges are very poor affairs. The road, 

 following the curvature of the suspending ropes, is made of 

 bundles of sticks placed close together. It was full of 

 holes, and oscillated rather fearfully, even from the weight 

 of a man leading his horse. In the evening we reached a 

 comfortable farm-house, where there were several very 

 pretty signoritas. They were much horrified at my having 

 entered one of their churches out of mere curiosit3^ They 

 asked me, " Why do you not become a Christian — for our 

 religion is certain ?" I assured them I was a sort of 

 Christian ; but they w^ould not hear of it — appealing to my 

 own words, Do not your padres, your very bishops, 

 marry ?" The absurdity of a bishop having a wife, particu- 

 larly struck them : they scarcely knew whether to be most 

 amused or horror-struck at such an enormity. 



6th. — We proceeded due south, and slept at Rancagua. 

 The road passed over the level but narrow plain, bounded 

 on one side by lofty hills, and on the other by the Cordil- 

 lera. The next day we turned up the valley of the Rio 

 \^ Cachapual, in which the hot-baths of Cauquenes, long 



celebrated for their medicinal properties, are situated. The 

 suspension bridges, in the less frequented parts, are gene- 

 rally taken down during the winter, when the rivers are low. 

 Such was the case in this valley, and we were therefore 

 obliged to cross the stream on horseback. This is rather 

 disagreeable, for the foaming water, though not deep, rushes 

 so quickly over the bed of large rounded stones, that one^s 

 head becomes quite confused, and it is difficult even to per- 

 ceive whether the horse is moving onward, or standing still. 

 In summer, when the snow melts, the torrents are quite 

 impassable : their strength and fury is then extremely great ; 



