THE ANDES. 



15 



crept on, dragging our slow length along/^ on 

 beasts determined to go their own lazy pace and 

 no other. As we approached the Cordilleras 

 we met a party of Chileans travelling with their 

 horses and children. The females rode in the 

 same fashion as the men, and, like them, were 

 dressed in ponchos and conical strawhats; so that 

 it was not easy to distinguish which was which. 

 Broad white handkerchiefs were tied half over 

 their faces, to keep off the sun. We stopped to 

 speak with this party, and we learnt from them 

 that a great quantity of snow had fallen on the Por- 

 tillos, and that they had incurred considerable 

 danger in passing them. They further stated that 

 the snow had not ceased to fall when they de- 

 scended ; consequently, that the journey would 

 be still more difficult for us. Upon this we held 

 a consultation, as to whether we ought to ven- 

 ture forward the next day, or not. The mer- 



