THE ANDES. 



27 



entered a broad and stony valley^ with the river 

 Tunuyan running impetuously through it^ which 

 we were not to cross until the next day. This 

 torrent flows from the direction of Tupangato^ 

 which is here in sight, through the valley which 

 separates the two Portillos. The Tunuyan 

 reaches the plain south of the gorge of Cha- 

 cayes. 



On a ledge of rocks some distance from the 

 snow, and overgrown with short grass, we rested 

 for the night. My fellow-traveller was too ill 

 to eat, and so weak that I was obliged to help 

 him to his bed. I then made him some tea, 

 which his stomach rejected immediately, as 

 he was still suffering from the effects of the 

 rarefied air at the unusual height we had at- 

 tained in the morning, which was not less, I 

 believe, than 13,000 feet above the sea. 



One of the peons left us here, to return with 



