New-York tribune., 1890-04-20
ACROSS SOUTH AMERICA.
THE HEART OF THE ANDES.
VI.

UsPALLATA-FIRsT GLIMPsEs OF THE SNOW
CLAD PEAKs-AsCENT OF THE crMBRE
-MAGy1FICExT MOUNTAIN GOKGEs
A MENDACIoUs AND IN
TEMPERATE GUIDE
yRomArArr CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBUSr.l
Santa Rosa de Los Andes. February q.
Man proposes. the malign innkecpcr dlsposes.
had nlarned waiting in Mendoza several days. un-
iii 7 could find party of travellers destined for
Chilli A poor breakfast, worse dinner and
glimpse of the ill-ventilated sleepng-room where
] was to pass the night combined TO make me
desperate Chilian guide offered TO start win
me early in the morning for the CordIilera ana
Santa Rosa In appearance he was as picturesque
a rufian as ! have ever seen of the lyric stage.
He wore a genuine Indian poncho. Wild red
stripes and blue ground, garment woven from
the wool of the guanaco, and at once shawl
and cape, leaving the arms free large
scarlet handkerchief, loosely tied about his head.
completed his resemblance to the brigand IA
marly known in melodrama. He declared that
an Engshman was going with him, and that
would have good company As he said this. his
eyes rolled uncasily, and | knew that he was
living to me. But the hotel was irrctrcvably bad:
INQUIRIES for parties of travellers bound for TIE
Andes had proved futile: and was in hot haste
the opinion of the railway officials TO whom
had presented letters of introduction. ] coniided
10 them my missivings respecting the mucteers
honesty and trustworthincss. They questioned
him closely and pronounced him n safe man, cs-
pecially as he was recommended at the hotel.
This last consideration had less weight with Inc
since | had eaten the breakfast and the dlnher
which had been served there with malice alore-
thought Still, I glad TO he reassurcd, and'
oftcr clinchinc the bargain with the guide, pro-
cured supplies for the journey of five days
At daybrcak the guide stakcd into my room
without ceremony. and transferred my baggage to
the back of a pack How about the Eng
lishman who was TO 90 with us? Ah' he hah
changed his plans. But there was another trav-
cller going in his place, and the road was per-
fectly safe. Ny suspicious returned with over
powering force. Evidently the Englishman was
q mythical parsonage, conjurcd into ransltoiy en-
istcncc for the purpose of tncking me INTO
planning the ioIrney. Prudence dictated a h"'
nntiI n more Trustworthy guide could be procured
and American or English companions recruited
But was weary of Mendoza and its so-calied
hotels: and there my mountain stced sadded
and waiting for me, with my baggage already on
the back of the packmule. | lighted cigarette.
hcsitated. stared at the guide. whiSted Yankee
Doodle" and started We rode two or three miles
IN the outskirts of the city. and were Joined by a
Chilan mulctcer happily with a face that IN
snired confidence Six mules were added TO the
three already saddlcd. After delay caused pN
the readiustmcnt of saddles and loads we started
for the Cordillera-two Chilians who dld not
know word of English one American, whose
Spanish was rudimentaIy, and nine mules, VINO
understood the music of the tnklins bell fastened
TO the leaders neck.
THE ANDEAN PASSES
There are two Andean passes by which Chill
may be reached from Mendoza. One is the
Portillo leading toward Santiago. between the
lofty SUBMITS of Tupungato and Maypu Inc
other is the Uspalata, which follows the River
Mendoza TO its sources in the heart Of the Andes
and the Aconcagua and other mountain torrents
from the central summit to the Colorado Valley
and the high levels of Santa Rosa. The first pass
is the shorter and more prccipitous receiving It's
name from an overhanglng shell OF rocN at one
of the entrances which resembles doorway
II is 1870 feet at the highest, ana is very
dangerous in winter The Jspallata Is the great
highway between the Argentine and Chill us
extreme height is 12,7s0 feet above the sea III
opens between Juncal and AconcaGua. the loitiest
summit of the Cordlcra from Panama to tie
straits: and it involves a journey OF 2"1 niles
Mendoza
los Andes Mr. Darwin, in his celebrated cX-
cursion TO the Cordillera. entered Argentina by
the Portillo and returned to Chilli by the Uspaata.
his record of observations the physical features
of the country remaining after fifty years the
only trustworthy work of reference on that section
of the mountains The Andean system here, as
further north in Peru, comprises three distinct
chains or cordillcras with average breadth
of 90 miles for the entire mountain belt The
easternmost cordicra is known as the Paramillos
The central cordicra is the highest continuous
section of the Andean wall, there being only Two
cans from Aconcacua TO Maypu Ia distance OF
nearly one hundred miles, where the crcsis fall
below l8 900 or o. 900 feet. Two Of the SUBMITS
Aconcagua and Tupunsato, exceed 22,ooo icet In
height San jose. with smoke curling from its
crater. is over 90, 900 feet above the SEA.
The Ispallata was the gorge for which we
were heading but there were dull Levels tc bc
trayersed before the gates of the Paramilos couid
be passed. For thirty miles after Mcndoza WIN
its irrigated meadows, its long files OF popars
and its wcll-kept vineyards and farms had peen
loft hebind the road led north, through an and
region, on line parallel with the mountains
Tho heat was intense cloud Of suaocaiI..S dust
was raised by the mules hoofs: ana every hlile
Of progress was wearisomc and laborious. There
wore neither posadas nor houses along this barren
stretch and breakfast at noon had TO re suPpheu
from the saddlcbag and gulpcd down under a
blazing sun The oatlying spurs of the Paramillos
saomed worry near bat we hours III passing
fhem II was . o'clock before we could turn
westward from the arid plain and enter the
defe leading to the Cordillcra. Then began Il
toilsome ascent, gradual at the outset, but pre-
cipitous in the course Of two hours. For hfieen
miles from rhe entrance of the dcfc kept my
scat in the saddle, exhausted with the fatigue OF
first DAYS tramp of fory-fve miles, begun with
ont coffee and continued on n cold breakfast. AT
last. toward o'clock, my head began to swln' ana
found myself falling, faint and senseless' from
the back Of the mule.
This was a crownng opportunity for the
Cbilian guides, whom l had suspected carly
in the morning of harboring sinister designs
against an unprotected traveller. One OF them