the inhabitants of each of thefe towns than they had hitherto enjoyed. We were informed by our guides, that the whole of the new road was not yet finiflied, but was at that time in a progreflive Hate towards completion, and that we (hould meet the people employed upon it as we
proceeded.
Under the prefent circumftances of this road, and whilft the dry feafon ma)' conri "e, it is doubtlefs as commodious a pafs as could have been .. dt. , °d ; but, from the ' — '"-nv.fs of the foil, and the acclivity of the hills along the fides of which it is carried, it appeared to us that it would be liable to great injury in the winter feafon ; which, we were told, is frequently fubjeft to extremely heavy rains, that muft neceffarily rufh with great impetuofity down the fides of this fteep mountainous country.
Having gained the top of the road, which paffes over a deprefTed part of that ridge of lofty hills which bind the fea coaft, we arrived in a fpa- cious plain, nearly on a level with the fummit of the hills we had now left behind us. This plain extended to a confiderable diftance, in a north- eafterly, eaftcrly, and fouth-eaft direftion, where it finifhed at the bafe of another ridge of hills, beyond which were feen other ranges varioufly diverfified, and rifing in fucceflion one after another ; until our view was terminated by the hoary head of the lofty Andes, wrapped in undiflblving fnow. Had the intervening plain, and the furrounding rifing hills, exhibited the verdant produ6lions of nature, afliltcd by the hand of man, the landfcape would have been beautiful in the extreme, but this was not the cafe ; and the apparent fterility of the wide wafte, that now encompafled us on every fide, rendered that abundant fupply of good things which we had been daily accuftomed to fee in the market of Valparaifo, a circumftance not ealily to be accounted for.
Inftead of numerous villages, fertile paftures, and fields in high cultivation, which I had expefted to find, after paflTing over the hills near the fea fhore, an extenfive open defert now appeared before us, deftitute of wood, and nearly fo of verdure ; as a few ftunted trees only,
>795- April.
