The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-29
LOS ANDES. CHII.b

[ IN high up on the Chilean side
of the Andes. ready to cross over the
mountains from the Pacific to the At
lantic slope Of the continent. Ny next
letters will be from Argentina, and
will describe the greatest bread and
meat lands of the future. / am now
on the roof of the continent right in
the shadow Of Mount Aconcagua and
within plain sight of the highest peak
on our hemisphere. To the north of
me this mighty range extends as far
rs the distance from Boston to San
francisco. 1t rises and falls in a
mighty wall whose average height is
more than two and one-half miles and
whose width is greater in many places
than the distance between Philadel-
phia and Boston. In some places
there are two mighty parallel ranges
that uphold plateaus as great in area
rs some of our largest States, and at
the far north there are three ranges,
from n of which branches Off the
spur which drops down into the Guile
era cut at the Isthmus Of Panama.
The Andes run southwark from here
60 the Str; it of Magellan, and, jump
ing that strait. are found again in the
Mountains of TERRA del Fuego, ending
at last in Cape Horn. a mighty rock
which is as high as Mount Washing
ton. In these southern ranges there
are many low passes. and in a half
dozen places Chile is planning to
build railroads connecting the oceans.
The Mountains gradually fall as they
near the strait, but the seas on each
side OF them are Of great depth, and
the Andes with their rocky heads still
tower high above the waters.
During the past ear my travels
have been largely confined to the
Andes. and in this and in other trips
! have made to South America I have
travelled through them from one end
10 the other. / have never set 1Oot
on Cape Horn. but / have seen the
mountains of TERRA del Fuego, and III
a coasting steamer have wound my
way in and out among h glacial
peaks Of Patagonia and through the
Strait Of Magellan at the southern enc
Of the continent.
The Strait of Magellan is merely 9
pass through the mountains. Cap
Pillar, which marks it's western END
terminates in two massive rocks i;oU,
feet high, and the great archlpelagt
of TERRA del F'uego consists or mlgnt!
mountains, which are more tina nal
under the sea. I know OF no nne'
scenery than that of the ISLANDS Wnicl
border the western coast or soutnerl
Patagonia. 1t is like riding IN a Shll
amid the snowy peaks OF the nlsncs
mountains. / wound my way tnrousi
in a small vessel, going through passe
so dangerous that we dared not traVe
at night. The distance was three .
our hundred miles, and we COAST
slowly along through these mis.l
flords walled on the lower slopes VIZ
stunted pine forests and W.
glaciers which here and there Prove
their way through the green and am
down to the water. Darwin compare
the glaciers Of Mount Sarmiento !
Terra del FuegO to one huhul.
frozen Niagaras. The waters Oh weS
ern Patagonia made me thinh "
hundred Lake Comos, Lake IeheVa
and Lake Lucernes tied together !
an ever winding, ever-changinS rIv.'
The mountains above w.
the Alps. Here q giant rock' 90" rns
d~raI-shaped, covered with moss; eoss
straight upward for a thousano he,
n further on mountains .. q
heads lost in the clouds roppe q
most precipitously into the sea. 70
were narrow gorgeS in WHICH ~
steamer had to tack TINS way O.
that to get through. we pio~eu -,
of floating ice, and went tnIouen 80
yons walled with ice several ho
feet deep.
remember we passed several lioa
ing icebergs during the trip and hoo'
now and then we could near ~ -
of a great ice block that a Drohs
from a glacier. We had 10 sal. ~
fully SO as not to pc STU ctonne
bergs, and at one place we s.1pps
and anchored beside one IN ~
break off a chunk Of ice welgnans 80
eral tons. which by means y ri
rick we loaded on to the snip COO,
ice was Of a beautiful opaiesGe,
We wrapped a log chain around
and the steam engine hoasteo ~
deck. A little later the butcher ~
ed a fat pig which our Vesssi -,
CARVING. and for the REMAINDER VI "