these men come down from their bleak habitations only once in every
fortnight or three weeks.
During my stay here I thoroughly enjoyed scrambling about these huge
mountains. The geology, as might have been expected, was very
interesting. The shattered and baked rocks, traversed by innumerable
dykes of greenstone, showed what commotions had formerly taken place.
The scenery was much the same as that near the Bell of Quillota--dry
barren mountains, dotted at intervals by bushes with a scanty foliage.
The cactuses, or rather opuntias were here very numerous. I measured
one of a spherical figure, which, including the spines, was six feet
and four inches in circumference. The height of the common
cylindrical, branching kind, is from twelve to fifteen feet, and the
girth (with spines) of the branches between three and four feet.
A heavy fall of snow on the mountains prevented me during the last two
days, from making some interesting excursions. I attempted to reach a
lake which the inhabitants, from some unaccountable reason, believe to
be an arm of the sea. During a very dry season, it was proposed to
attempt cutting a channel from it for the sake of the water, but the
padre, after a consultation, declared it was too dangerous, as all
Chile would be inundated, if, as generally supposed, the lake was
connected with the Pacific. We ascended to a great height, but
becoming involved in the snow-drifts failed in reaching this wonderful
lake, and had some difficulty in returning. I thought we should have
lost our horses; for there was no means of guessing how deep the drifts
were, and the animals, when led, could only move by jumping. The black
sky showed that a fresh snow-storm was gathering, and we therefore were
not a little glad when we escaped. By the time we reached the base the
storm commenced, and it was lucky for us that this did not happen three
hours earlier in the day.
August 26th.--We left Jajuel and again crossed the basin of San Felipe.
The day was truly Chilian: glaringly bright, and the atmosphere quite
clear. The thick and uniform covering of newly fallen snow rendered
the view of the volcano of Aconcagua and the main chain quite glorious.
We were now on the road to Santiago, the capital of Chile. We crossed
the Cerro del Talguen, and slept at a little rancho. The host, talking
about the state of Chile as compared to other countries, was very
humble: "Some see with two eyes, and some with one, but for my part I
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