404 



PASSAGE 'OF CORDILLERA. March, 1835. 



They are also found in the northern parts of Chile and in 

 Peru. One which I caught at Iquique was very empty. 

 When placed on the table^ and though surrounded by people^ 

 if a finger was presented^ the bold insect would immediately 

 draw its sucker^ make a charge, and if allowed, draw blood. 

 No pain was caused by the wound. It was curious to watch 

 its body during the act of sucking, as it changed in less than 

 ten minutes, from being as flat as a wafer to a globular form. 

 This one feast, for which the benchuca was indebted to one 

 of the officers, kept it fat during four whole months ; but, after 

 the first fortnight, the insect was quite ready to have another 

 suck. 



March 27th.— We rode on to Mendoza. The country 

 was beautifully cultivated, and resembled Chile. This 

 neighbourhood is celebrated for its fruit; and certainly 

 nothing could appear more flourishing than the vineyards and 

 the orchards of figs, peaches, and olives. We bought water- 

 melons nearly twice as large as a man's head, most deliciously 

 cool and well-flavoured, for a halfpenny apiece ; and for the 

 value of threepence, half a wheelbarrowful of peaches. The 

 cultivated and enclosed part of this province is very small ; 

 there is little more than that which we passed through be- 

 tween Luxan and the capital. The land, as in Chile, entirely 

 owes its fertility to artificial irrigation ; and it is really won- 

 derful to observe how abundantly productive a barren tra- 

 versia is rendered by this simple process. 



We staid the ensuing day in Mendoza. The prosperity of 

 the place has much declined of late years. The inhabitants 

 say " it is good to live in, but very bad to grow rich in.'' 

 The lower orders have the lounging, reckless manners of the 

 Gauchos of the Pampas ; and their dress, riding-gear, and 

 habits of life, are nearly the same. To my mind the town 

 had a stupid forlorn aspect. Neither the boasted alameda, 

 nor the scenery, is at aljl comparable to that of Santiago ; but 

 to those who have just crossed the unvaried savannahs of 

 grass, on their road from Buenos Ayres, the gardens and 

 orchards must appear delightful. Captain Head, speaking of 



