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 11th 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 every 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 18th.--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 impassable 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, riding astride on a mule. She had a
_goitre_ so enormous that it was scarcely possible to avoid gazing at
her for a moment; but my two companions almost instantly, by way of
apology, made the common salute of the country by taking off their
hats. Where would one of the lower or higher classes in Europe, have
shown such feeling politeness to a poor and miserable object of a
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