Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-09-01

a .'NoWr in South america.
fCoNcLuDrn.'

II,
and passing along q Winding road, continued
gtadrally 90 ascend ior Eve leagues. The heat
WAS condensed in this gorge. Of the ,nountaius,
aud was almost insupro,Iab!e. We dinea and
passed the sieSta under some rocks, winch al.
forded a refreshing shade. andin the afternoon
coptiAued our journey. On ieavin. III. ietiie
we fonad oursel,e, on Il long chain ci hliis
which commanded INtcISiNe view ~ the
east OF the whole district al Mendoza. -.
We encamred II the entrance ct a second tie
fir. hal shot duIag the day Il suaiIaco,
which yielded us al, a sump,uoos repaSi. This
suimdi, which aaoands al tsc plans ~ he loot
~ the Auj.S, aad iu The mountains ot tllls Coz
diliera, resembles the camel, except that Il ~
smaller, ami no rising on tla baCis. The hind
feet are shorter than the fore so That when
pursued Il always rams Iowa hid. In the wiz
ter Il SnOn iaiigues itself Ia ;he siIoW. but III
the SunI,ner the hun,SmaH fu,ls il difficult ia
approach ii. ~ that season lie purSuss the
nu,nal 10 lice flsiiles which the su3l;lVr reach
CO by rnaa'ng along the marrow iedges thar
Overriding thu prccipiceS; the hnntsInao, who
remains Ia the valley. sends his dogs abcve the
game. The gudnacos go ia herds. always
Keeping the yonHg ~ itcnt on rerceiyiny the
dogs they rash dOwa nto the valley; iere the
huntSmam lies III wait tor them. aud with his
lassos and balls and cord. seculeS two or three
before they break through. they ave easily
tanned, and ate perfectly harmless. When ir-
ritaicd, thcironly defence i, la spit out a teiid
saiiva.-During the night the cold sSas intense,
aud gladly shook eli my blankets. NJ the dawn
or dSs, 10 walk forward aud warm myself by
exercise. After passing the second detiie, the
mountains become more abrupt and barren.
visited the natural bridge over The Mendoza,
here totreut only twenty iset wide. II il
called Ell Puerto del inca, and j. an c&catated
rock about seven feet vide. Tic inside OF the
Atch - hung with stalactiies and the river
Rows through It. Not far from Ills spot saw
warm mineral spring, strongly i'm pr CO mated
with sulphur. t,Om Il, nee The asreHt becomes
r,ore rapid, and the road winds aloug The
course OF the ~ srdoza
After suaerin. very ,uuc, from the heat ws
.tsCl ttf
hIhted our tire with the roots of the p,rkiV
shr"O, which spread along and the STR.
face OF the earth. and 4, The ouiy si.n of veee-
titIon At this heI-i,t. Oar mules descended
iSto the valley, and broNsed on the mass and
stanty heritage on the banks of the river. la
I'e mornIns we entered the passes called Las
Caieras,a narrow path along the edge OF
precipice OF ave hundred feet, 1T the bottom
ofwhich rolls q torrent. The loaded mules
scraPe 'oae side against the rocks aud the soil
on which they tread Is loose gravel which
constantly rolls from beneath their feet. a
man would find IL next 10 Impossible 10 keep
MS footing; accidents are very rave, but are
Faithfully recorded by the muleteers, who en-
terrain the traveller while he is on this DANCE
rous path, with long accounts of unluckv mules
mi sing their footing, and being preciptated
INTO the iorrent-vaOio the rest of the drove
started aud stopped, and ho,o they dreaded
mat some OF them would have attempted TO
turn which would have been The certain pefdi.
ton OF them all. Before entering these paSsa-
ses, II rs necessary 10 ascertain whether they
he entirely free from distractions as the con.
sequence of meeting "A troop OF nnles vouId
prove the sacrifice Of one party. TO turu il
inipossiDle, and to pass mule equally so.--
Inc mnle'eers warn each other ny shouting. or
sehd forward one of their party 10 station
himself at the opposite entrance.
ne mules frequently derauge the epuilibri-
nm OF their load by striking against the project
ing rocks. The muleteer then catches Them
with the lasso, and covering their eyes with
the poDchO, adjusts the load
Inc ROAD continued TO wind along deep
chasins and precipices, and the mountains as
su'ned wilder and more desolaie appearance
the torrents likewise became wider " more
rapid. We passed several casuchas, small
stone buildings erected at convenient distances
tor the accommodation of the conriers during
the winter The, pass with the pail ti.rou. "a
out me whole year, between BueuGs Ayres aud
Santiago. The building contains 4 room 10
feet square; the entrance is by door raised
above tic height of The snow
The passage Of the CordilIeras in the winter
is only ATTEMPTED after the first storms are
over and the ravines tliedup with snow The
passenger has his legs and Thighs rolled mp
with s5eep skins, and his feet swaihed with
handages so as 10 exclude the suew. armed
win long pole IL sound his way, and accom-
panied By guides carrying char coal and provi-
siohs, he enters on this perilOus and faticuing
Journey, and must at all hazards, gain every
night caSucha all who wish 10 pass AT that
season, either wait for a courier or ioiu some
other passenger who is well accompanied =.
AFTER tCiiinS all day OH foot sometimes slim
pug On the nara frozen snow, and Oii1cu 10
new steps TO ascend by, aud at other times
piungins up to the middle in the loose DRIFT ,
they are obliged to pack themselves into a ca
sucha seated for therei is seldom room enough
TO lie down, and in this manner they pass the
night, warming themselves by charcoal fires
The passage the COrdiieras in the winter is
not so dangerous that of the Alps; \ va.
lancses are unknown, nor are there any lacieIs
formed in the Andes.
On the fourth night we slept at the foot of
the steep ascent which leads over the crest of
tue CoTdieras, and set off at the dawn of day
IN order to pass over before the wind rose 80.
AtthIs height the wind blows with treat VIC.
lence from ten o'clock until evening. In the
whole passage of The Cordilieras the traveller
suffers from the Sudden gusts of wind which
are ireqnent and very violent VIC i0iled UP
this ascent for four hours passing over the
loose stones, which are constantly rsng from
The rocks above. Near tie summit, | oh,eTY-
ed two birds of the dark grey color OF the
rocks understanding ia shape The dove. They
dd net attempt 10 lily when tar0wu at, aud
merely moved their heads tire muleteers call
them agdcba d0ches (do4geTS.) They ATE al
ways seen IN pairs, and may be approached
within yard before they rise.
The cOndur was seen lowering over tbP lot
test heights. This bird, OF which cxd.gcf.tcd
accounts have been gwen, has the head and
form OF The eagle, the plumage of The neck,
body, aiid wings is raven black a white stripe
about four inches vide blends along the tIp
OF the wings, and when the bird IS sitting,
appears 10 encircle the body circular fringe
OF UhIie feathers ornaments the geek Of the
male. They ave very bold, aud may be ap.
preached very near. We shot two of them.
one measufed nlne feet and three quarters
froGi wiHg 90 wiH9. aud ile Other ten feet and
bali. They are generally seen IN pdiis, unless
attracted IN larger Hnmbrrs bS some dead ani
Icai. Their sense OF smell is very acute, and
they are serH flying from all parts TO feast on
deed cattle They frequently carry of sheep,
dwhen pressed by hunger, descend in t1oGks
OIL the claims and destroy calves and colts Ia
order 10 effect this the, fOTrld circle enclosing