New-York tribune., 1890-04-20

tyyn hours we assembled this barrier Tor over
1000 feet, the pat, ,ror reading @ e w 70 another.
,s we 60 higher the snow-clad peaks J"hgai,
| Aconcarua and Tupunsato tower above us o'cc
more they did on the second day AT nro ,'r st.
nrndons i few more miles OF toilsoinc ascent
and we were at the crest of the tunhre-i-;' -;'"'
feet ahave sea level. Those silver th!clcs ' nric
and tbcrc are the beginnings OF rivers cnpt. .lnS
| into thc Atlantic. Those tangled skeins near olc
Glaciers wonder are the sources Of the Aconcaeua
and rivers flowing into the Pacliic. ms eica,
bowl. shaped like an ancient crater TORN W. w..
doom rents and hoorcd with volcanic roc@s'
| omdnr which the hardest yellow and whre
towcrs of the sub-ArctIc zone are now IN piouni'
| is = continental dividing line. II is an earth
nnakc-shattercd region over which the creative
mysteries of the past seem to brood The gales
| which sIycep over it come from the Atlantic
| AND dcnostinr their last drops of moisture In
| snoy. pass on t. the rainlcss scaboard OF the
| Pacific dry. cool and balmy. This is the heart
of the Andes II fills one Win shuudcrlhs "c"'
| of IcsoIotion and stupcndouS creative energy
| MAGNIFICENT as is the scenery here. with Jungai
| revealing its ruined crater ana AcohcaSua ai' an
| Tupungato towering III solemn sicnce yos
| feet overhead one cannot llnSer long In tns ues-
| olatc spot There is hut OF the crest Tor the
| nrotccti0n of travellers besct with Andlne snow
storms and hurricanes, but there is no provision
sor Tho mulcs and il is impossible to corral them
| on the wiud-swept summit. The descent from
| tho Cumbrc is rapidly made. At Caaveras 'ierc
;e anothcr huf and further on there Is yet an
"thcr Then comes the descent Of the Caracoes,
one Of the boldcst and most PICTURESQUE scr'''hs M
| of tho Iispaata circuit The springs OF ,ne
| iconcarua are now traced to SnowdrlI's m'HihS
! On tho mountain sides. II gives one strange
sensation 10 see river, which are to he sources 1i
| life systematic irrigation ana Negetapie grown
octnoIi, ted under ones eyes in the oozc oi the
| tnJcan ,,laccrS and gradually deepening INT"
| brooks and widening into rivers AZ lainpillos
| ,vc are nj q sen level of ! 900 feet. Thence
scrics of PERCEPTIONS dcSccnts reach
! tranouil river course ana 4 post-honse =" pre-
! cipitols are the slopes Of the Cordillrra on thr
| Gillian side that by ni2htfa we are 1,ooo le''
/ below the summit and '.34O feet above the se''
ADVENTURES IN THE ANDES.
The conduct Of the guide had been so ire
proachablc for four days and the road had been
ircoucntcd by So many mule droves and groups
Of travellers that all sense Of danger and loneli'
70 had hccn dislccl. our team of nine mules
had frequently been increased 10 twenty or thirty.
and our group of two guides and one passenger
IN a company OF Il dozen mon by additions on
thc road The travellers were Chlln noun
taiurrs. who fratcrnizcd with the guides. but
their salutations 10 ne were courteous. and their
manner unobtruSivc II during the foarth
evening, when my confidence IN the gnidr whom
| had convicted Of shameless mendaclN on the
first day. had been completely restored that ne
revealed his true character anc iIsf'hcl my caIi'
est apprehcnsions. He came TO mr with n face
flushed with drink. and demanded an increase
| in his hire | deliberately refused 10 understand
him. making good of my unfamillarliy with
Spanish The next morning he returned I" the
assault and was met in the same way we
mounted for the fifth days ride to the Colorado
and Santa Rosa. The scenery was Of enchanting
oyciness the rivers icaming IN rapids ana iaiilil"
in casradcs Tie greater part of illr way and the
mountain gorge gradually opening into broad
| and beautiful valley. The guide was ho' d>po>,I
| 10 allow me 10 enjoy this wonderful SCENERY III
pcacc Rcpcatculy he ioincl me and sought I"
| ronyincc me that | must pay HIM more moitN III
order 10 hc conducted all the way 10 Santa hosh.
| He was reinforced bv three thllIans. VINO sur
| roundc1 me and made unmisiakabc gestures IN
The direction Of my pocket. but declined I" COM
urrhcud their meaning. This comedy was r.
| enacted al D. H.. when We reached "u'iTl'.
where, the frontier cuSiou-h"i>e Is situated Inc
Guide was royalty drunk. his successive iMinIr'
| 10 make his passenger understand ana c"inp|
with his cAaciIons having driven MN IN d'sp"h"-
emf mood into every waNsdc drinking place
Kr This time was weary Of thi, bl play.
Concluding from the aspect of the country lhAl
we could not be- far from Santa Rosa ana NM INN,
IL would not bc difficult To obtain a c"ach
called the guide 10 me. paid him the oriSina! con,
| tract price, and discharged HIM lic was h"N''
| for y moment. and then quickly rallied. assuring
me that | could not get cod'h. ana NAV - j.
would be impossible 10 reach Santa Rosa that
! day | must go on with him. Ihs refused 70
do and orlcn'd him 20 unload NY baggage muic.
| Instead of complying with this driiiAl'l. i'
| vhippcd up the mule and disappeared down the
| road The glimpse Of my baggage vanishing M
| The turn Of the road made me disconSolat"
had no alternative. | must follow my baggage
| or run the risk of losing il altogether | mounted
nv mule and went um with the train for an hour
or longer. apprchrndlue that the drunken EI''r
! would lodge me ior the night ~ some wrctrhrn
posada where | miIht hc exposed I" s'rlous dhl-
| ger In this emergency two 'hlNAn gentlemen
appeared opp"rinncy upon thr s''he' 1riNlhE IN Ia II
| coach with three horses 10 Santa Rosa. They
! had heard that an American traveller MAS haflhI
| trouble with drunken guide. and had come fo
the rescue In five minutes ny hasaaac was Oh
Eps, in
! thc road toward Santa Rosa. At We wcr'
dining in an excellent hotel in tlr plaza of the
town. the long journey from Mendoza ha|ihH
ended
\ WONDERFUL MOrNTN1N RIDE
The passage Of the Ispallaia is made most easily
during January and February. when the snow has
disappeared from the lower mountain slopes and
tie river levels are lowest. From April - No
,culrr snowstorms are constantly met with. the
bridlc-paths are slippery and the d.scomioris aud
pcrils Of the journey are multiplied, Mountain
ners and mnil-couricrs make the passage even in
,he most nclcmcni weeks of winter. travelling on
! foot over the Cumbrr The scenery in the winter
| limo when the ahysscs are cngulfed with snow
| and the rugged mountain walls are incascd in ice.
| must he of unrivallcd grandeur, but "A prudent
traveller will be content 10 make the Journey in
midsummer Even when the road is dry there
is a constant source of danger. since "A mule with
characteristic pcrvcrsliy persists IN travelling
along the outer edge of the slope on the edges of
the pccipccs and it is unsafe rs well as useless.
| to attempt 10 make him swcrvc from his self
regulated course When the road is coated over
with ice one must he hardy mountanccr in
order 70 rise superior TO the pcrils OF PERCEPTIONS
chosms and deeply sunkcn river bottoms. The
seuso Of loneliness increases moreover. when few
,raycllers are on the highway. ana one Is con
frontcd with the solemn illness and gloomy
nr,ud.ur of the Andes In midsummer the passn.
! of mule trains unparts animation ana variety 10
the Journey. Tie picturesque ponchos-l regret
to say that the native garment lMS been largely
an imitation sleeveless sl.aWl capc-and the bright
fantastic patterns OF the ncck-gcar worn by flc
ouidcs and mountainccIs add welcome touch
| of color 10 the barren edges of bride paths.
When fellow-travcllcrS are met II IS Il sndd len
refreshing contact OF human companonShip.
Smiles and burnos dos exchanged, and the
file of the passing cayacade is watched as II dis
appears in the 2Ig-zag Of the road. Human SO
.sI.