Wespentthedayonthesummit，andIneverenjoyedonemorethoroughly。
Chile，boundedbytheAndesandthePacific，wasseenasinamap。Thepleasurefromthescenery，initselfbeautiful，washeightenedbythemanyreflectionswhicharosefromthemereviewoftheCampanarangewithitslesserparallelones，andofthebroadvalleyofQuillotadirectlyintersectingthem。Whocanavoidwonderingattheforcewhichhasupheavedthesemountains，andevenmoresoatthecountlessageswhichitmusthaverequiredtohavebrokenthrough，removed，andlevelledwholemassesofthem？ItiswellinthiscasetocalltomindthevastshingleandsedimentarybedsofPatagonia，which，ifheapedontheCordillera，wouldincreaseitsheightbysomanythousandfeet。Wheninthatcountry，Iwonderedhowanymountain-chaincouldhavesuppliedsuchmasses，andnothavebeenutterlyobliterated。
Wemustnotnowreversethewonder，anddoubtwhetherall-powerfultimecangrinddownmountains——eventhegiganticCordillera——into-gravelandmud。
TheappearanceoftheAndeswasdifferentfromthatwhichIhadexpected。
Thelowerlineofthesnowwasofcoursehorizontal，andtothislinetheevensummitsoftherangeseemedquiteparallel。Onlyatlongintervals，agroupofpointsorasingleconeshowedwhereavolcanohadexisted，ordoesnowexist。Hencetherangeresembledagreatsolidwall，surmountedhereandtherebyatower，andmakingamostperfectbarriertothecountry。
Almosteverypartofthehillhadbeendrilledbyattemptstoopengold-mines：
therageformininghasleftscarcelyaspotinChileunexamined。Ispenttheeveningasbefore，talkingroundthefirewithmytwocompanions。TheGuasosofChile，whocorrespondtotheGauchosofthePampas，are，however，averydifferentsetofbeings。Chileisthemorecivilizedofthetwocountries，andtheinhabitants，inconsequence，havelostmuchindividualcharacter。Gradationsinrankaremuchmorestronglymarked：theGuasodoesnotbyanymeansconsidereverymanhisequal；andIwasquitesurprisedtofindthatmycompanionsdidnotliketoeatatthesametimewithmyself。
Thisfeelingofinequalityisanecessaryconsequenceoftheexistenceofanaristocracyofwealth。Itissaidthatsomefewofthegreaterlandownerspossessfromfivetotenthousandpoundssterlingperannum：aninequalityofricheswhichIbelieveisnotmetwithinanyofthecattle-breedingcountrieseastwardoftheAndes。Atravellerdoesnotheremeetthatunboundedhospitalitywhichrefusesallpayment，butyetissokindlyofferedthatnoscruplescanberaisedinacceptingit。AlmosteveryhouseinChilewillreceiveyouforthenight，butatrifleisexpectedtobegiveninthemorning；evenarichmanwillaccepttwoorthreeshillings。TheGaucho，althoughhemaybeacutthroat，isagentleman；theGuasoisinfewrespectsbetter，butatthesametimeavulgar，ordinaryfellow。Thetwomen，althoughemployedmuchinthesamemanner，aredifferentintheirhabitsandattire；
andthepeculiaritiesofeachareuniversalintheirrespectivecountries。
TheGauchoseemspartofhishorse，andscornstoexerthimselfexceptwhenonhisback：theGuasomaybehiredtoworkasalabourerinthefields。
Theformerlivesentirelyonanimalfood；thelatteralmostwhollyonvegetable。
Wedonothereseethewhiteboots，thebroaddrawersandscarletchilipa；
thepicturesquecostumeofthePampas。Here，commontrousersareprotectedbyblackandgreenworstedleggings。Theponcho，however，iscommontoboth。ThechiefprideoftheGuasoliesinhisspurs，whichareabsurdlylarge。Imeasuredonewhichwassixinchesinthe_diameter_oftherowel，andtherowelitselfcontainedupwardsofthirtypoints。Thestirrupsareonthesamescale，eachconsistingofasquare，carvedblockofwood，hollowedout，yetweighingthreeorfourpounds。TheGuasoisperhapsmoreexpertwiththelazothantheGaucho；but，fromthenatureofthecountry，hedoesnotknowtheuseofthebolas。
August18th——Wedescendedthemountain，andpassedsomebeautifullittlespots，withrivuletsandfinetrees。Havingsleptatthesamehaciendaasbefore，werodeduringthetwosucceedingdaysupthevalley，andpassedthroughQuillota，whichismorelikeacollectionofnursery-gardensthanatown。Theorchardswerebeautiful，presentingonemassofpeach-blossoms。
Isaw，also，inoneortwoplacesthedate-palm；itisamoststatelytree；
andIshouldthinkagroupofthemintheirnativeAsiaticorAfricandesertsmustbesuperb。WepassedlikewiseSanFelipe，aprettystragglingtownlikeQuillota。Thevalleyinthispartexpandsintooneofthosegreatbaysorplains，reachingtothefootoftheCordillera，whichhavebeenmentionedasformingsocuriousapartofthesceneryofChile。IntheeveningwereachedtheminesofJajuel，situatedinaravineattheflankofthegreatchain。Istayedherefivedays。Myhostthesuperintendentofthemine，wasashrewdbutratherignorantCornishminer。HehadmarriedaSpanishwoman，anddidnotmeantoreturnhome；buthisadmirationfortheminesofCornwallremainedunbounded。Amongstmanyotherquestions，heaskedme，“NowthatGeorgeRexisdead，howmanymoreofthefamilyofRexesareyetalive？”ThisRexcertainlymustbearelationofthegreatauthorFinis，whowroteallbooks！
Theseminesareofcopper，andtheoreisallshippedtoSwansea，tobesmelted。Hencethemineshaveanaspectsingularlyquiet，ascomparedtothoseinEngland：herenosmoke，furnaces，orgreatsteam-engines，disturbthesolitudeofthesurroundingmountains。
TheChiliangovernment，orrathertheoldSpanishlaw，encouragesbyeverymethodthesearchingformines。Thediscoverermayworkamineonanyground，bypayingfiveshillings；andbeforepayingthishemaytry，eveninthegardenofanotherman，fortwentydays。
ItisnowwellknownthattheChilianmethodofminingisthecheapest。
Myhostsaysthatthetwoprincipalimprovementsintroducedbyforeignershavebeen，first，reducingbypreviousroastingthecopperpyrites——which，beingthecommonoreinCornwall，theEnglishminerswereastoundedontheirarrivaltofindthrownawayasuseless：secondly，stampingandwashingthescoriaefromtheoldfurnaces——bywhichprocessparticlesofmetalarerecoveredinabundance。Ihaveactuallyseenmulescarryingtothecoast，fortransportationtoEngland，acargoofsuchcinders。Butthefirstcaseismuchthemostcurious。TheChilianminersweresoconvincedthatcopperpyritescontainednotaparticleofcopper，thattheylaughedattheEnglishmenfortheirignorance，wholaughedinturn，andboughttheirrichestveinsforafewdollars。Itisveryoddthat，inacountrywheremininghadbeenextensivelycarriedonformanyyears，sosimpleaprocessasgentlyroastingtheoretoexpelthesulphurprevioustosmeltingit，hadneverbeendiscovered。Afewimprovementshavelikewisebeenintroducedinsomeofthesimplemachinery；buteventothepresentday，waterisremovedfromsomeminesbymencarryingituptheshaftinleathernbags！
Thelabouringmenworkveryhard。Theyhavelittletimeallowedfortheirmeals，andduringsummerandwintertheybeginwhenitislight，andleaveoffatdark。Theyarepaidonepoundsterlingamonth，andtheirfoodisgiventhem：thisforbreakfastconsistsofsixteenfigsandtwosmallloavesofbread；fordinner，boiledbeans；forsupper，brokenroastedwheatgrain。Theyscarcelyevertastemeat；as，withthetwelvepoundsperannum，theyhavetoclothethemselves，andsupporttheirfamilies。
Theminerswhoworkinthemineitselfhavetwenty-fiveshillingspermonth，andareallowedalittlecharqui。Butthesemencomedownfromtheirbleakhabitationsonlyonceineveryfortnightorthreeweeks。
DuringmystayhereIthoroughlyenjoyedscramblingaboutthesehugemountains。Thegeology，asmighthavebeenexpected，wasveryinteresting。
Theshatteredandbakedrocks，traversedbyinnumerabledykesofgreenstone，showedwhatcommotionshadformerlytakenplace。ThescenerywasmuchthesameasthatneartheBellofQuillota——drybarrenmountains，dottedatintervalsbybusheswithascantyfoliage。Thecactuses，orratheropuntiaswerehereverynumerous。Imeasuredoneofasphericalfigure，which，includingthespines，wassixfeetandfourinchesincircumference。Theheightofthecommoncylindrical，branchingkind，isfromtwelvetofifteenfeet，andthegirth(withspines)ofthebranchesbetweenthreeandfourfeet。
Aheavyfallofsnowonthemountainspreventedmeduringthelasttwodays，frommakingsomeinterestingexcursions。Iattemptedtoreachalakewhichtheinhabitants，fromsomeunaccountablereason，believetobeanarmofthesea。Duringaverydryseason，itwasproposedtoattemptcuttingachannelfromitforthesakeofthewater，butthepadre，afteraconsultation，declareditwastoodangerous，asallChilewouldbeinundated，if，asgenerallysupposed，thelakewasconnectedwiththePacific。Weascendedtoagreatheight，butbecominginvolvedinthesnow-driftsfailedinreachingthiswonderfullake，andhadsomedifficultyinreturning。Ithoughtweshouldhavelostourhorses；fortherewasnomeansofguessinghowdeepthedriftswere，andtheanimals，whenled，couldonlymovebyjumping。
Theblackskyshowedthatafreshsnowstormwasgathering，andwethereforewerenotalittlegladwhenweescaped。Bythetimewereachedthebasethestormcommenced，anditwasluckyforusthatthisdidnothappenthreehoursearlierintheday。
August26th——WeleftJajuelandagaincrossedthebasinofSanFelipe。
ThedaywastrulyChilian：glaringlybright，andtheatmospherequiteclear。
ThethickanduniformcoveringofnewlyfallensnowrenderedtheviewofthevolcanoofAconcaguaandthemainchainquiteglorious。WewerenowontheroadtoSantiago，thecapitalofChile。WecrossedtheCerrodelTalguen，andsleptatalittlerancho。Thehost，talkingaboutthestateofChileascomparedtoothercountries，wasveryhumble：“Someseewithtwoeyes，andsomewithone，butformypartIdonotthinkthatChileseeswithany。”
August27th——Aftercrossingmanylowhillswedescendedintothesmallland-lockedplainofGuitron。Inthebasins，suchasthisone，whichareelevatedfromonethousandtotwothousandfeetabovethesea，twospeciesofacacia，whicharestuntedintheirforms，andstandwideapartfromeachother，growinlargenumbers。Thesetreesareneverfoundnearthesea-coast；andthisgivesanothercharacteristicfeaturetothesceneryofthesebasins。WecrossedalowridgewhichseparatesGuitronfromthegreatplainonwhichSantiagostands。Theviewwasherepre-eminentlystriking：
thedeadlevelsurface，coveredinpartsbywoodsofacacia，andwiththecityinthedistance，abuttinghorizontallyagainstthebaseoftheAndes，whosesnowypeakswerebrightwiththeeveningsun。Atthefirstglanceofthisview，itwasquiteevidentthattheplainrepresentedtheextentofaformerinlandsea。Assoonaswegainedthelevelroadwepushedourhorsesintoagallop，andreachedthecitybeforeitwasdark。
IstayedaweekinSantiago，andenjoyedmyselfverymuch。InthemorningIrodetovariousplacesontheplain，andintheeveningdinedwithseveraloftheEnglishmerchants，whosehospitalityatthisplaceiswellknown。
Anever-failingsourceofpleasurewastoascendthelittlehillockofrock(St。Lucia)whichprojectsinthemiddleofthecity。Thescenerycertainlyismoststriking，and，asIhavesaid，verypeculiar。IaminformedthatthissamecharacteriscommontothecitiesonthegreatMexicanplatform。
OfthetownIhavenothingtosayindetail：itisnotsofineorsolargeasBuenosAyres，butisbuiltafterthesamemodel。Iarrivedherebyacircuittothenorth；soIresolvedtoreturntoValparaisobyaratherlongerexcursiontothesouthofthedirectroad。
September5th——Bythemiddleofthedaywearrivedatoneofthesuspensionbridges，madeofhide，whichcrosstheMaypu，alargeturbulentriverafewleaguessouthwardofSantiago。Thesebridgesareverypooraffairs。Theroad，followingthecurvatureofthesuspendingropes，ismadeofbundlesofsticksplacedclosetogether。Itwasfullofholes，andoscillatedratherfearfully，evenwiththeweightofamanleadinghishorse。Intheeveningwereachedacomfortablefarm-house，wheretherewereseveralveryprettysenoritas。Theyweremuchhorrifiedatmyhavingenteredoneoftheirchurchesoutofmerecuriosity。Theyaskedme，“WhydoyounotbecomeaChristian——forourreligioniscertain？”IassuredthemIwasasortofChristian；buttheywouldnothearofit——appealingtomyownwords，“Donotyourpadres，yourverybishops，marry？”Theabsurdityofabishophavingawifeparticularlystruckthem：theyscarcelyknewwhethertobemostamusedorhorror-struckatsuchanenormity。
