NOTICES OP CHILE. 151 



to the skin.'^ By the time the party was arrayed in dry clothes, 

 and seated at a hot meal, savory of garlic, to prevent taking 

 cold, day broke, and the rain had abated so much, that we set 

 forward in hopes of crossing the cuesta before the storm should 

 again commence. Scarcely had we reached the plain, in the 

 midst of which stands Casablanca, when the rain fell in such 

 torrents that the road was flooded, and objects could not be 

 distinguished two hundred yards ahead. Yet we kept on. The 

 capatdz and the **peones'' urging on the animals, and cheer- 

 ing themselves with the anticipations of a hot breakfast, a 

 gourd of *'chicha,'' and a quiet nap at Casablanca, before 

 again setting ofiF. And they were not disappointed, for Fe- 

 roni outdid himself; not only was the excellent breakfast 

 quickly provided, but our rooms were warmed with well 

 burned charcoal, which is a luxury in Chile, after riding twenty 

 miles on a cold July morning ! 



About two-o'clock, being refreshed with sleep, though it 

 still rained, we again mounted our gig, and lashed away for 

 the Port. The plains near Penuelas were drowned in water, 

 and we were obliged to navigate in our vehicle very carefully, 

 lest we should get off the road into some hole or water course 

 formed during the storm. To prevent all accident, a peon" 

 went ahead to sound, for we were riding through a vast lake 

 of muddy water, about a foot deep. By care we arrived safely 

 at the post house, and after baiting, kept on. By this time the 

 rain had ceased, the clouds began to clear, and when we de- 

 scended the Alto de Valparaiso into the town, the moon beams 

 were glittering on the placid surface of the bay, and the sky 

 presented its characteristic azure expanse, studded with myriads 

 of meteor-like stars. 



