第45章
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  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,andthegirthwithspinesofthebranchesbetweenthreeandfourfeet。

  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-failingsourceofpleasurewastoascendthelittlehillockofrockSt。Luciawhichprojectsinthemiddleofthecity。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。

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