CHAP. XV 
PASSAGE OF THE CORDILLERA 
335 
breakers. Captain Fitz Roy hailed him, in a loud clear voice, 
to anchor where he then was. The poor man must have 
thought the voice came from the shore : such a Babel of cries 
issued at once from the ship—every one hallooing out, “ Let 
go the anchor ! veer cable ! shorten sail! ” It was the most 
laughable thing I ever heard. If the ship’s crew had been all 
captains, and no men, there could not have been a greater 
uproar of orders. We afterwards found that the mate stuttered : 
I suppose all hands were assisting him in giving his orders. 
On the iith we anchored at Valparaiso, and two days 
afterwards I set out to cross the Cordillera. I proceeded to 
Santiago, where Mr. Caldcleugh most kindly assisted me in 
ever}/ possible way in making the little preparations which 
were necessary. In this part of Chile there are two passes 
across the Andes to Mendoza : the one most commonly used 
—namely, that of Aconcagua or Uspallata—is situated some 
way to the north ; the other, called the Portillo, is to the south, 
and nearer, but more lofty and dangerous. 
March I 8 th .—We set out for the Portillo Pass. Leaving 
Santiago we crossed the wide burnt-up plain on which that city 
stands, and in the afternoon arrived at the Maypu, one of the 
principal rivers in Chile. The valley, at the point where it 
enters the first Cordillera, is bounded on each side by lofty 
barren mountains; and although not broad, it is very fertile. 
Numerous cottages were surrounded by vines, and by orchards 
of apple, nectarine, and peach trees—their boughs breaking 
with the weight of the beautiful ripe fruit. In the evening we 
passed the custom-house, where our luggage was examined. 
The frontier of Chile is better guarded by the Cordillera than 
by the waters of the sea. There are very few valleys which 
lead to the central ranges, and the mountains are quite impass¬ 
able in other parts by beasts of burden. The custom-house 
officers were very civil, which was perhaps partly owing to the 
passport which the President of the Republic had given me ; 
but I must express my admiration at the natural politeness of 
almost every Chileno. In this instance, the contrast with the 
same class of men in most other countries was strongly marked. 
I may mention an anecdote with which I was at the time much 
pleased : we met near Mendoza a little and very fat negress, 
