San Bernardo, a town four leagues south of the capital. He was desirous to show me a bridge over the Maypu, constructed with lassoes and branches of trees, after the ancient Indian method. This bridge is some four or five miles lower down the river than the one previously mentioned. As the stream here is on one side of the wide space which is sometimes washed during floods, the bridge has been made only across it, and not from bank to bank; therefore its length is scarcely 200 feet. Two chains, whose ends are firmly secured to the shore, are supported at one third the distances from their extremities by piers of wood some fifteen feet high, imbedded in piles of stone. Between the uprights the chains hang in curves, to which strips of hide of unequal lengths are fastened, supporting stout ropes of the same material drawn tolerably tight from shore to shore. A floor of reeds and brush, of sufficient strength to bear a horseman, being laid across the ropes, is secured to them, and then wattled together. The bridge is safe enough, but the passage of a horseman immediately communicates oscillation not altogether pleasant. Among the aborigines of course there are neither chains nor midway uprights, but only hide ropes between the most elevated natural points; an idea for which engineers of the Old World are indebted to unlettered savages for their airy suspension bridges.

CHAPTER XV.

A VISIT TO THE SOUTHWARD.

ÑOR NICOLAS.-EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOURNEY.-COUNTRY CARTS.-MULE TRAINS.-SAN FERNANDO; POSADAS; BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK.—FROM SAN FERNANDO TO THE CHIMBARONGO.—FROM THE CHIMBARONGO TO THE TENO.—THE POSADA AT QUECHEREGUAS.—REGION OF TUFA.—MOUNTAIN CHAINS.—SNOW LINE.—FROM THE TUFA DISTRICT TO TALCA.—THE CITY OF TALCA; PUBLIC BUILDINGS; ITS PEOPLE; MORTALITY; CLIMATE; HOSPITALS; EDUCATION; HOSPITALITY.—ÑOR NICOLAS AGAIN.—LEAVE TALCA.—THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE CITY AND LOS PERRALES, ON THE MAULE,-LOS PERRALES.-BOATS ON THE RIVER.-NAVIGATION OF THE MAULE; ITS SCENERY.-ENVIRONS OF CONSTITUCION.—MOUTH OF THE RIVER; ITS POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT.—CONSTITUCION; SHIP-BUILDING; TRADE; BIRD'S-EYE VIEW FROM CERRO MUTUN; NATURAL HISTORY.-LEAVE THE CITY.-SCENES ON THE RIVER.-PASSAGE UP STREAM.—THE WESTERN CORDILLERAS AND PENINSULA BETWEEN THIE CLARO AND MAULE.-GOLD MINES OF CERRO CHIVATO.—THE MAULE AT THE FORD.-FROM THE RIVER TO THE BATTLE-FIELD OF LONCOMILLA.-HEAD-QUARTERS OF GENERAL CRUZ.-ORDER OF BATTLE; INCIDENTS OF THE ACTION; ITS ANOMALOUS RESULT.-RETURN TO TALCA.—HOLY THURSDAY.—GOOD FRIDAY.—MONTE BAEZA.-EASTER SUNDAY.LEAVE TALCA FOR THE NORTH.-TUFA.-CONDORS.—FROM THE MIDWAY POSADA TO QUECHEREGUAS.—THE RIVER LONTUE, CROSSING A HIDE BRIDGE.—CURICÓ.—CERILLOS DE TENO.—FROM THE CHIMBARONGO TO SAN FERNANDO.—SAN FERNANDO.— THE PLAIN TO THE NORTHWARD.-NATURAL HISTORY.-VALLEY OF COLCHAGUA.-RENGO.-THE COUNTRY TO THE NORTHWARD.—TO THE BATHS OF CAUQUENES.—THE RIVER CLARO AND LAKE CAUQUENES.—SCENERY.—PANORAMIC VIEW FROM THE BATHS.-ACCOMMODATIONS FOR INVALIDS; THE BATHS; LIFE AT A WATERING-PLACE; ELEVATION OF THE PLATEAU; METEOROLOGY.—LEAVE CAUQUENES.-AN AVALANCHE IN 1847.-THE CACHAPUAL.

I left Aguila at noon of the 26th of March (1852), in company with Ñor Nicolás,* an old dependent of the hacienda, selected by my good friend. Nicolás was to be my guide, and was charged with the care of the horses and such personal service as might be needed. He was decidedly a character in his way, and, as my only companion of the road for above two hundred leagues, is worthy of a tributary notice.

He might then have been some 50, or at most 55 years old, was of moderate height, and, except in hair and eyes, quite Indian-like in color and features. The former, or what was left of it— for he was somewhat bald-had a tendency to curl; and the latter were of a positive brownish hue, as though the sun had caught him with them open one day and extracted their original "ivory black." Possibly the disposition of his hair to twist itself upward may only have been apparent; for there was some reason to believe him still in happy ignorance that pretenders to civilization had invented an implement called a comb. Diagonally across the nose there was a broad and whitish scar, which preserved a distinct color from the rest of the face in spite of abstinence from water, as though the skin of dirt that formed over it peeled off every day or two. Whether originating in the solitary life he had led among the hills whilst a vaquero, or from natural disposition, Ñor Nicolás was never garrulous unless when scolding his mules. If by chance seduced into a talk during the preparation of a "casuela" for our meal, in less than two minutes after he had bolted nearly whole potatoes and swallowed a quart of soup, he would be snoring on the already-arranged bed of pellons, and a monosyllabic reply was all that was obtainable from him until the time of our departure on the following morning.

For shoes, his feet were encased in triangular bits of raw hide, laced with thongs of the same material over the top of the foot, and forming a point which curled upward like Turkish slippers. Wide and flowing blue trousers, reaching to the calf of the leg, were held above the hips by a broad band of leather, fancifully colored and fringed. This served at the same time. as a purse and to support a long sheath-knife. Cotton drawers of equal width with the trousers

* Ñor and Ña are abbreviations of señor and señora, applied to dependents whose age and good qualities entitle them to this evidence of respect by their employers.

were visible below them, the glory of their pristine color long since departed and forgotten. A calico shirt with a wide collar, turned over the neck of a tight jacket made of faded ticking, its sleeves half-way up his bony wrists, and cut with a sharp peak quite down the back, a blue and red poncho tied diagonally across the shoulders and body like a scarf, and a coarse, dirt-colored straw hat, in the form of a truncated cone, hauled down on a mass of crispy hair, complete his costume. When it became warm, two ends of a red cotton handkerchief were stuck under the hat, the remainder forming a flowing bag behind. At the same time, his poncho was put on properly. It might be inferred such changes would increase the bodily heat; but experience proves the contrary, the motion of the horse converting both handkerchief and poncho into fans, which keep a pleasant circulation of air about the neck and body. For this purpose, and to protect the hair from dust, equestrians, both male and female, have almost universally adopted the fashion of wearing a loose handkerchief about the head. Horsemen elsewhere may, in summer, take a hint from the Chilenos.

Nervous and twitching at all times, the walk of Nicolás certainly was not improved in gracefulness by the use of spurs with rowels three inches from tip to tip, for there were no heels to his sandals, and he could only move on the extremities of his toes. Yet, masses as they were,a load of iron to be lifted at every step, he never parted with them until ready for sleep at night. So essential are spurs regarded to a horseman's equipment, that the servants at the posadas, not comprehending how or why a gentleman should ride without, invariably intimated to me at starting that I had forgotten them; and when told that I never wore such things, the bare heels of my boots were looked upon with more curiosity than my light hair and fair skin. More than once they hallooed to companions across the street, "Mira al caballero que anda sin espuelas” (look at the gentleman who rides without spurs). But to conclude with Nor Nicolás. He had a pile of ponchos and sheepskins for the composition of his saddle in bulk quite sufficient to load a mule; yet he managed to arrange them so as to travel on top, though my sympathies were no little interested for the four-legged animal compelled to travel beneath such a sweltering burden day after day.

As a part of the intended journey would be through a country where the best accommodations to be expected are shelter from the night air, bread, a casuela, and perhaps a little mosto, a sumpter mule carried bedding, luggage, a package of tea and sugar, and some few other articles of provision which custom has almost rendered necessities, but which would be asked for in vain at any country inn. The mattress and bedding are placed within a case of raw hide, called an almofrez, which laces with leather loops at the centre and sides. Besides these legitimate articles, the almofrez serves to contain a multitude of others, and, being impenetrable by ordinary rains, when packed on top of the trunks, it becomes an efficient protection to them. Except between the capital and Valparaiso, few persons ever travel fifty miles without an almofrez, and previous experimental exercises, with fleas in the bedding of the posadas, rendered it an inestimable pleasure to know that when a day of fatigue on horseback was terminated, it would enable me to rest free from these agile young lobsters. In order that I might change to animals of different gaits from day to day, there were two extra saddlehorses. Nicolás had one, making our number of four-footed animals six in all; of which four were driven in advance along the road, and were secured by his lassoes when crossing the streams.

The scenery and topography of the country between Aguila and Rancagua are described in another place; and therefore I need only mention that we arrived within five hours, and took up the same quarters I had occupied about two years previously. The elevation of Rancagua above the ocean is 1,552 feet.* A walk through a part of the town did not bring to light many changes or improvements about which to talk with the landlord. The distance proposed to be accomplished next day was forty-five miles, and though I had on this occasion abundance of books and papers to occupy the early hours of the evening, it must be acknowledged that the * By levelling of the engineers of the Santiago and Valparaiso railroad, 1,600 feet.

North American papers of December preceding (the last and latest possible dates), filled, as many of them were, with rhapsodies about Kossuth, were less attractive than bed.

As in passing over a country one is likely to judge erroneously of some things, and omit others of a more important character altogether, only brief notes were taken during the journey to the southward. Therefore, although the reader may be subjected to occasional repetitions, I will endeavor to pass over the ground to Talca rapidly, telling him more of events than localities, rather of transient than of permanent objects, and rely on the narrative of the return ride for accurate descriptions. A long dry summer had passed; autumn had consumed nearly one third of its alloted span; the fields of wheat and maize, which form such important and beautiful portions of agricultural scenery, had already been garnered; and there remained only stubble-fields to disfigure the earth. The deciduous trees, too few in number to fascinate the eye by the variant colors of their dying leaves, were already robbed of their charms; and there was little, except the everlasting mountains and a limited number of the feathered tribes, to demand one's particular attention.

March 27.-We made an early start, in order to accomplish a part of the fifteen leagues before breakfast. Crossing the Cachapual about 8 o'clock, so much time was occupied in fording its multitude of little streams and in traversing its wide stony bed, that we did not reach the hacienda of Señor until after 10 A. M. At leaving Aguila, where this gentleman was then making a visit, he had insisted on my stopping at his house for breakfast, instead of going to a posada; and had given me a note for the mayordomo, instructing him to save us all possible detention, and to supply me with another horse, should one be required. As our cavalcade had so far proved perfectly satisfactory, to my mind there was no necessity for this extra tax on his generosity, and the subject was not even alluded to when the mayordomo solicited orders. Judge then of my surprise, at starting, to find another fine animal in the train! Nor Nicolás, it seems, entertained different views from myself, and, knowing the authority, had notified the mayordomo that I (he) required another horse. Vanity was at the bottom of it. The old man had too much pride to ride a mule, if he could obtain a horse; and though he continued on the long-eared brute that day to keep up pretences, he never mounted her again until the afternoon we returned to the hacienda.

Apart from the quantities of agricultural products coming from the fields, there was very little of interest to note during the day. These, instead of being conveyed in large covered wagons constructed like those to the north of the Maypu, were generally packed in small rudely wattled bodies mounted on solid wheels of wood. I was about terminating the sentence with, "of from two to two and a half feet in diameter;" but this would have implied that they were circular; and as they are of every possible form except round, it is necessary to substitute instead the word "across." As the axles are composed wholly of wood, and a guaso would invariably prefer lubricating the inside of his throat to the outside of an axle, no grease is ever used on them, and the creaking of these queer vehicles may usually be heard at the distance of half a mile. Nor do proprietors or drivers seem to regard it as of the least consequence that the holes in the hubs should approximate to the diameter of the axles, but will sometimes make the former two or three times the dimensions of the latter; so that when one wheel chances to be nearly a square, and the other an elongated oval or ellipse—as I once saw -the locomotion would make some of our wheelwrights stare. And yet the driver sat contentedly in his hoppity-go-jump vehicle, puffing a cigarrito and punching the oxen with his long goad, evidently well pleased to be saved the trouble of walking. There were many of these carts loaded with pumpkins, maize, and onions; some going to hamlets not far off the road, others from distant parts of the haciendas to the residences; and at every mile or two groups of them were collected about rude arbors by the roadside where piles of melons were exposed for sale. A water-melon and half a pint of flour made from roasted wheat is a common meal for a peon, and one highly relished by him. Bits of melon are dipped in the flour until sufficient has been eaten from the centre to pour the remainder of the flour into the cavity,

when the soft and liquid pulp is converted into paste. If not in strict accordance with the taste of epicures in fruits, as the wheat has been thoroughly cooked in the roasting, it is doubtless a very wholesome repast, and may be pleasant to the palate. What most excites surprise is the facility with which they can stow a melon nearly a foot in diameter under their waistbands.

From the accounts which had been given me, I supposed the country a continuous plain or valley, with a slight though uniform inclination to the southward. Strictly speaking it cannot be so considered, but is rather a succession of basins that communicate with each other through gorges sometimes on the same level, though quite as often with slight intervening eminences, the continuation of spurs abutting the two ranges of mountains. There were just clouds. enough overhanging the latter to temper the heat and render the day pleasant; and but for the dust stirred up by the constant mule-trains, the ride would have been charming. Many of these trains were bringing planks and small timber from beyond Talca. From 300 to 400 pounds weight is packed on each animal in such manner that the upper ends project above and in advance, and the lower trail along the ground free of the mule's heels. It is by no means pleasant on a narrow road to encounter caravans thus loaded. Wandering as the animals will in search of melon-rinds left by travelling cartmen, or impelled by the cries of the arrieros from side to side, it is much safer to give them the whole road than risk the legs of a horse among the trailing lumber.

Rengo-a straggling village built on both sides of the main road for more than a mile-is an hour's travel from the hacienda of the Requinua. Some of its houses have decided pretensions to the first rank, and its people a regularity of features especially notable. We made no halt here, but continued our journey over a road that left the town of Curicó two miles to the right. San Fernando-our resting-place-was reached an hour before sunset. Stopping before an untidy-looking house in the northern skirts of the town, the guide told me it was the posada; but its appearance was so uninviting, I concluded that so extensive and populous a place must afford better quarters, and pushed on, thinking to find them nearer the centre. Evidently (in my thought) Nicolás knew nothing, having never departed from the line of the road to the south, and, like the rest of his kind, having never made inquiries beyond the want of the instant, little caring for others if that want was supplied without his aid. But the only other inn to be heard of was at the most distant extremity of the town, on the road to the Tinguiririca ford. Not supposing it could be worse than that before us, as so much would be gained in the direction of the journey, there seemed no risk in seeking it.

When we arrived there, its very decent sign-board, a house large enough to accommodate a score or more of guests, good corridors along its front, and an ample patio, together with a field in the rear supposed to afford good pasturage, were all fair external promises; and when the landlord promised "anything" to eat, the decision to come on seemed a subject of congratulation. "All is not gold that glitters," says the proverb; and so it proved here. The rooms had never been whitewashed; and their bare earthen floors apparently gave repose to the accumulated dust of ages—all but one being as destitute of furniture as on the day that the builders had left them. Within this room there were a pair of tressels, with three or four boards across them, to serve as a bedstead, an equally rude table of unsmoothed planks, and one rush-seat chair-the only one, I believe, within the whole enclosure. True, there was an abundance of dry pasturage, though neither a stalk of alfalfa nor other green food for the horses; and as for the "anything" promised as our food, there were small potatoes, a pumpkin, and fowls still pecking about the yard. But the horses had been unsaddled and the cargo-mule relieved of her load, before its impoverished condition was fully ascertained; and as there might be many such accommodating posadas to encounter before returning, it was better to meet the contretemps with a smiling face. And thus it was not long before a couple of fowls, knocked over with sticks, were simmering with some vegetables in an olla, and a neighbor sold us a small loaf of bread to help out the repast.