- We stayed three days at Concepcion,
and then sailed for Valparaiso.
The wind
being northerly, we only reached the mouth of the
harbour of Concepcion before it was dark. Being very near
the land, and a fog coming on, the anchor was dropped.
Presently a large American whaler appeared alongside of us;
and we heard the Yankee swearing at his men to keep quiet,
whilst he listened for the breakers. Captain Fitz Roy hailed
him, in a loud clear voice, to anchor where he then was. The
poor man must have thought the voice came from the shore:
such a Babel of cries issued at once from the ship - every
one hallooing out, "Let go the anchor! veer cable! shorten
sail!" It was the most laughable thing I ever heard. If
the ship's crew had been all captains, and no men, there could
not have been a greater uproar of orders. We afterwards
found that the mate stuttered: I suppose all hands were
assisting him in giving his orders.
On the 11th we anchored at Valparaiso, and two days
afterwards I set out to cross the Cordillera. I proceeded to
Santiago, where Mr. Caldcleugh most kindly assisted me in
every possible way in making the little preparations which
were necessary. In this part of Chile there are two passes
across the Andes to Mendoza: the one most commonly used,
namely, that of Aconcagua or Uspallata - is situated some
way to the north; the other, called the Portillo, is to the
south, and nearer, but more lofty and dangerous.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 483 of 776
Words from 129377 to 129637
of 208183
