1812 – Diario de viaje a Chile – Transcripción del original

Monday 4th May 1812
At 11 Am
left Buenos Ayres for
Chile in company with
the Coreo¹ (Benito Elias)
at 8 pm arrived at
Canail de la Cruz² 23
leagues 4 posts

Tuesday 5 May left at 7 am
& at 7 pm arrived at
Cania de Gomez³ 29 leagues
5 Posts

Wednesday 6th May
left at 7am
arrived at 10 pm at
Nicholas Galliagoes⁴ 6 Posts
33 leagues met here Mr.
Vanuxen of Baltimore
from Chile for Bs. Ays. in
these 33 leagues saw more
Cattle than in the
other 52 leagues & the land
appeared more fertile
also saw immense
numbers of austriches (sic)
sometimes at one view
2 or 300 of these birds.

Thursday 7th May
left at 7 ½ & at
6 pm arrived at Salladillo⁵
5 posts 24 leagues with the
intention of proceeding
but it being so dark
could not get horses
our course has been about
NW untill 1 pm when
we came to River Tercero
we then went SW about
10 leagues & crossed Rio
Salladillo we then con-
tinued our course NW
along the banks (occasionally)

of the Rio Tercero

Friday May 8
left Salladillo
8am passed
Frile meurte⁶ a small
village of 30 or 40 houses
& arrived at 5 at
Hosie Ignacio de Casas⁷
where I was well enterted.
by a fine family
danced & supper 22 leagues

Saturday left at 8 am
May 9th & arrived at

Corral de Barrancas⁸
27 leagues since we came
to the River tercero
*** the fields are
partially covered with
doves(?) of bushes with thorns
& of the momose⁹ trees
& in this days journey
the road was covered
with bushes with thorns
which inconvenienced
our travelling much
& the road worn very
deep in the tracks where

the horses(?) usually go

Sunday 10th May
left at 7 ½
& at 12 leagues
met a range of
mountains of 17 leagues
from side to side
arrived at 19 at
el Pentosuelo¹⁰ 22 leagues

Monday May 11
left at 2am
& at 6 arrived at
a small village of S. Jose
del Moro¹¹ 7 leagues

& arrived at 4pm at
Punto St Luis¹² 30 leagues

Tuesday May 12
left at 2pm
& at the desaguadero¹³
de Mendoza 20 leagues
at 11pm

Wednesday left at 7
May 13 crossed(?) the
desaguadera & at
7 arrived at las
Catitas 31 leagues

Thursday 14 May
left at 6 am & at
4pm arrived at
Mendoza 25 leagues
& 286 leagues from Bs. Ayres
it contains about
inhabitants houses
some of which are well
built & have an elegant
appearance it is
situated about half
a league to the east
of the base of the
Andes whose lofty heads
are seen for 60 leagues

took a room at the coffee
house but it is not
the custom to furnish
beds therefore I contented
myself with the same
I had slep (sic) on on the road
from Bs. Ays. which is
composed of the saddle
furniture & three blankets
& a poncho
Friday 15 May
Called on by Senior
Garcias &Mr Richards
whom I had called on the
night before to the former

I had a letter of introduction
dined with Senior Gracia (sic)
Called on la Senora
Dolores Castella¹⁴ to whom
I had letters of introduction
walked with Mr Richards
& in the evening called
on an old friend

Saturday 16 May
made a bargain
with a bacuano (sic)
of the cordilleras to furnish
me with horses & mules
to St. Jago & to carry my
baggage across the cordilleras

for 35 Dls & to find me in
provisions & every thing necessary
for the voyage
passed the most of the day
with Mr Richards & in the
afternoon visited the chackara
of Senor Molina

Sunday 17 May
left at ten & a half
with 5 peons & a
passenger & 2 mules loaded
with baggage & provisions
our course was north
for 7 leagues about a league

from the foot of the
andes to the *** ***
is almost a perfect level.
we now **ed over more(?)
W into a bay(?) surrounded
by mountains & a tolerable
streight (sic) road gradually
ascending at about 16º
We then came to the
foot of the mountains
&in a tolerable level
road but following
the windings that nature
has diverted the waters
to pursue(?) that run

from the mountains at
7 arrived at a hut called
Villa vecencia¹⁵ 15 leagues
from Mendoza; the evening
was rather cold but
just before *** ***
felt severe gusts of hot
oppressive wind succeeded
by cold **** the difference
in the change from cold
to hot was at least
18ºF & left the night
somewhat warmer than
the evening *** ***

Monday 18 May 1812
Waited the
whole day for the coreo
who from his *** of
diverting himself
did not leave Mendoza
yesterday, he arrived at
5pm too late to journey
in mode(?) has the coreo
spent out of the 24 hours
about 11 hours in the
road from Bs Ays for
we were not more than
7 ½ on horseback & 5 ½ sleeping

so that in changing horses
telling stories & laying on the
*** that he has spent
nearly half the time

Tuesday 19 May
left at 10 with
a thick fog
which turned to a snow
storm at 11 & continued till
12 when it cleared off & a
fine pleasant day continued
our winding course & ascending
at the rate of *** 15 to 18º till
we arrived at the foot of
a mountain of a few

thousand feet high called
Paramillo 4 leagues from Villa
vecencio it ascends at
the rate of about 50º-55º
&were the road to the
summit is in a zig zag
winding, from the summit
we saw the Andes with
their snowy heads pointing
in the clouds this appears
to be a grand division
in the ridge of ranges
of the Andes for we

now began to descend
gradually & instead of
the cleaving rocks which
formed the mountains on
on the other side they
now became more regular
& not so lofty some ground
almost level with gentle
descents continued descending
& occasionally ascending a
few small hills till we
arrived at Huspallata¹⁶
15 leagues from villa vicencia
on the tops of Paramilla

the cold was rather severe
& within two hours after
descending it was
uncomfortably warm
the wind was from the SW
saw a number of guanacos
an animal that produces
the finest wool that
is known it is about
3 ½ feet in height of
a bright reddish brown
colour somewhat of
the shape of a camel

particularly its neck
& head the flesh has the
taste of mutton
at this Post there is
a mud church it is
situated in an extensive
plane of about 2 leagues
in diameter & surrounded
by lofty mountains & there
are marks of endeavors
to form an extensive
vineyards & cultivation
on a large scale but
every thing has gone to
ruin

20th May Wednesday
waited all
day in
consequence of observing
a heavy snow storm a
few leagues to the W of
us

21st May 1812 Monday
left Huspallata
at 10 am in 2 leagues
arrived at the
river called the
Desaguadera¹⁷ de Mendoza
which finds its way
thro’ the mountains

& passes that town to
which place we continued
descending from Paramilla
at the rate of about
19º we now began to
ascend & continued our
course along the edge of
the above river & at
5pm arrived at a place
called Tambillos 10 leagues where
we dismounted made
fire roasted some beef &
supped, made our
beds in the open air
& on the ground with the

heavens for our covering

Tuesday 22 May 1812
left at 8 continued our
course along the above
river occasionally by
its edge at other times
a few thousand feet
on the edge of the
mountains nearly
perpendicular over it
& shelving(?) mountains
hanging over our heads
when with the least

shock there is danger
of tons of stones falling
upon our heads at
about 5 leagues arrived
where it was covered
with snow about 2 inches
thick continued a league
more & crossed the river to
the S side where the sun
had melted the snow
from to make *** for
the rest of our journey
left there at 4 recrossed
the river & continued our
journey to *** de Cana(?)

10 leagues from Tambillos
where we recrossed the
river to the S side
made a fine supper
& slept in the open air
passed a casucha (a house
built for the cows)

Saturday 23 May 1812
muffled up my feet
with skins in order
to withstand the cold
which until now had
not been very severe
& at 8 recrossed the river

& continued our journey
to a steep mountain
(5 ½ leagues) called
Paramillo¹⁸ which we ascended
in a zig zag form &from
the snow occasionally rather
deep for the mules descended
1 ½ leagues more & passed
the Casucha de la
Cumbre at 1 arrived at
the foot of the grand
ridge of the Andes which
rises about(?) at the
elevation of about ***

65º commenced ascending
in a zig zag road untill
about 3 oclock when
the mount snow was so
deep that the mules
could not proceed, unloaded
them &the peons took
the baggage on their
backs &we continued a
foot to climb up the
mountain when at
about 6 5 ½ we reached
the summit (called the
cumbre) we then descended

to the casucha de la (blank)
where we arrived at 7 ½
since my arrival at Villa
vecencio I found myself
as I supposed much effected
with the tisee¹⁹ for the
least exercise or labour
xxx shortened my respiration
to that degree I was much
alarmed &when I dismounted
from my mule to ascend
the mountain I really supposed
myself severely affected with
that complaint for I could
not walk for ten steps without

being much oppressed for
want of breath panting as
if I had been running a
race. I found it necessary
for every step I took to
sit down & respire three
times before I was sufficiently
rested to continue
but I found all the
peons effected (sic) in the
same manner when
I asked one the cause
he could give me no
reason but said every
one in crossing these

mountains were effected
in the same this account
&seeing all the others of
panting quite quieted
my fears on the score of
the tisse(?) the cause can
be attributed to the
lightness of the air
at so great an elevation
above the surface of
the earth. We made a
fire cooked some supper
of charka²⁰ (dried saltbeef)
& went to bed.

Sunday 24th May 1812
At 7 left
the casucha with the
appearance of a fine
day, the snow(?) ***
we began to descend
was very deep sometimes
sinking up to to my body(?)
at 8 it began to blow
from the SW &in half
an hour it began to snow
which with the severity
of the wind it was
almost impossible to

look to the windward these
storms are called Temporales
the dread & terror of the
vacuanos²¹ & peons of the
Andes of our six peons
two were fine resolute
fellows with whom kept
a head of all the others
in company with those
two I kept up &we
lost sight of all the rest
from the severity of the
storm the snow being so
thick that we could not
see ten yards the snow

that fell on my face
melted a little mixing
with the continued accumu-
lation that my whiskers
beard & colar (sic) of my coat
was compleatly covered with
ice & occasionally it would
almost entirely cover my
face & nose so that the
end of my nose was
somewhat frozen the
snow that fell in my
eyes occasionally when
I was looking to the

windward to discover(?)
the casucha (for the peons
themselves had some fears
that they might have passed
it) xxx xxx xxx xxx
xxx xxx was almost
as severe as sparks of
fire so that once in
particular from the pain
it occasioned I was obliged
to keep one shut for some
time in the course of
*** to(?) endeavoring
to open it I found it
entirely covered with ice(?)
&had some difficulty in

separating it from my
the hair of my eyelashes
so that I could open it
which for three days
after gave me much pain
at 12 o’clock with much
fatigue we reached the
Casucha de las Colinas
(2 leagues from where we
started) with the intention
of proceeding to the next
beyond 1(?) ½ leagues more
we were waiting with anxious
expectations for the arrival
of the others at 2 pm

the coreo &the other passenger
&a peon arrived without
any information of the others
for whom we now began to
have much fear supposing
they might have given up
with fatigue & fallen to sleep
at three nor four they
did not arrive it was
4 ¼(?) when they made their
appearance much to our
joy & satisfaction when it
was too late to proceed
*** we all found ourselves
in a dirty little house without
a door & the snow beating in
without coal or anything

*** *** situated in
a pleasant valley entirely
surrounded by mountains
after riding about two
leagues the ground was
entirely free from snow
& saw it only on the tops
of the mountain which
melting formed numerous
small cascades on each
side of the river (the
Cordillera on this side
*** much more the
appearance of wood(?) ***

that on the other side
for on this you will
see trees of a respectable
height & verdant valleys
while on the other side
they are thinly covered occasionally with small
bushes in our rout
there appears to be
only two grand chains
of the andes the 1st passed
the 19 &the 2nd &grand ridge
is the cumbre that I passed
the 23rd the declension from
the cumbre to St Rosa is

is 1 ½ or 2 degrees more
than either sides of the other
chain of the Andes

Tuesday May 26
left St. Rosa at
11 am, at 3 leagues
passed over a lofty mountain
passed Chacabuco 12 leagues
& Colina 18 leagues & arrived
at St. Jago at 7pm a dis-
tance of 20 leagues & which
I came on one horse & which
arrived with as much
spirit as he left St. Rosa
in passed many pleasant

Valleys that of Colina
is a most delightful
one & well cultivated with
vines fruit &c&c the town
consists of about a dozen
houses & a chappel (sic y corregido) that of
Colina about half as
many²⁴ – Took lodgings
by the recommendation of
the Coreo in a dirty
posado belonging to
a Gomez without a bed
but merely a stretcher(?) & a
chair in this country

they have no idea of
a lodging house &there
is not Isuppose one in
the whole Kingdom.

Wednesday May 27
Took a view
of Chile St Jago
had a call from the Consul
&Mr. Matthew Haverel
&Mr. Richard Bond

Thursday 28 In the afternoon
delivered a letter
of introduction to Mr.
James Whiticker

Friday 29 – introduced by
Mr Whiticker to La
Senora (blank) (the
Presidenta)²⁵ & to the family
of Roderriges or (blank)

Sunday 31st Moved my lodgings
to Mr. Whitickers, introduced
by him to the family of Pinto
& Lavaca sent my letters
of introduction from F**
Pinto²⁶ (the deputy in Bs. Ayres
for this Govt.) to the Conde
del Quinta alegra²⁷ who was

at Valparaiso) & to the
Marquis de la Raine²⁸

June 3d. calld on by the
Marquis de la Raine
not at home

June 5 called on again by the
Marquis who made me
offers of services &c &c

June 7 Called on by the
Count dela Quinta Alegra
not at home. Called on
the Marquis without receiving
any other civilities excepting

an offer of letter of
introduction to Concepcion(?)
(a transfer of the civilities
that my letter to him d**
his(?) shewing me)

June 9 Called on the old(?)
Count not at home
June 13 met him at the
Presidentas he made great
professions of friendship
& civilities

June 17 left St Jago for
Valparaisa in company

with Mr. Boughan of
Baltimore arrived there the
20th. Valpº. is the principle (sic)
port in this Kingdom it
contains about 600 houses
including the Almendral
&is well situated for
commerce it is 33 leagues
from St. Jago, left there
alone the 25th & arrived the
26th at St Jago, took rooms
at (blank) for the
purpose of (blank) left them
the 5 July in consequence
of the American Printers²⁹

having been brought there
who were wounded in our
function of the 4th July, & took
my old room at James
Whitickers.

July 1st left here on foot
at 4 am went to the
lake of Puriuel³⁰ shot 16
ducks, stripped myself
& waded in to my armpits
& got out 8 of them which
I brought with me to St.
Jago & arrived on foot at
half past ten am it

is four leagues from St. Jago
to Puriuel & in shooting I
walked about a league
& a half so that at my
arrival at St Jago I had
walked this morning nine
leagues & a half, which so
much astonished the weak
minds of the natives that
they concluded I must have
been brought up & accustomed
to hard daily labour
for my sustenance to have
been able to proform (sic)

such a feat of strength.

July 4 – dined at the Printers
with about twelve Americans
in the evening attended a
grand ball & supper given
by the Consuls³¹, it was
the most stylish function
that was ever in this
City, they were however only
about 65 ladies & 100 gentlemen.

July 16 left St. Jago for Coquimbo
in Company Joseph Barnes (Bames?)
a Catalan who went with
cargoes to establish himself

in the retail business I
engaged the mule driver
to take me & find me
mules for 25 Dollars left
at 3 OClock & arrived at 7
at Colina – 7 leagues

July 17 lodged at Silva³² about
15 leguas

July 18 commenced the Valley of
Aconcagua &loged (sic) at Punta
de Guala (?)

19 continued in the Valley
&passed the river Pocos &lodged
in la Ligua³³, the Valley of
of Aconcagua is fertile

& produces a few grapes, hemp
beans &wheat more hemp is
raised in this Valley than all
the other parts of Chile & is
sold at Quillota at from 4 to 6
Dls the Quintal, it is almost
incredible the cheapness
of wheat in this part of
the country it is frequently
from 3 to 4 rials the fanegan (sic)
which weighs 150 lbs &it is
even bought at 2 rials when
the money is paid in advance
before the crop is geathered (sic)

July 20th lodged in Sailiman (?)

the road very uneven passed
a long(?) hill. Ihave observed
in many parts of the road
a herd of black sheep that
have a tuft of white wool
on their head & the ends of
their tails it is singular
that this breed should have
preserved these marks so entire
when they are in flocks with
white sheep I am told it
is many years since they were
known

July 21 lodged in Chisgualque³⁴
” 22 ” in Quillaquillo³⁵
” 23 ” in Hornillos³⁶

July 24 lodged in Sococos³⁷
” 25 ” in Quebrada Seca
” 26 ” in la Punta (?)

July 27 – arrived at twelve at
Coquimbo in the road passed
the town of la Ligua in
the province of Coquimbo about
70 leagues of Coquimbo there
are two towns of this name
about a league distant
the one contains about 400 houses
the other which I passed thro’
about 150 at this place
there are some mines of
gold but not very rich passed
also the town of (blank) 12 leagues
from Coquimbo the principle (sic)

employ of the inhabitants in
this town which contains about
150 miserable scattered houses
is that of making purses from
kid skins they are skined (sic) whole
& one end sewed up & painted
with many bright colours &are
sold from 1 to 3 rials. Delivered
my letters of recommendation
to Doctor George Edwards
who offered me lodgings
at his house &which I
accepted

July 28 introduced to almost
every family in Coquimbo
&in the evening invited

to a ball at Sr. Godemar where
there were a collection of about
20 ladies the fairest of Coquimbo
& not a handsome one amongst them

August 15 From the circumstance
of my not bringing with me
my ship the knowing ones of
Coquimbo have been pleased
to suspect me for a spy of the
English or French Govt. & have
sent letters to the Govr. anonymous
denouncing me to that effect
&saying that this country
was not safe by allowing a
character of my appearance
to remain in Coquimbo &demanded
my arrest, in consequence of which

the Govr. named Dn. Juan Gerrera³⁸
to examine me &take my
declaration which he accordingly
did he asked my name nation
& business which I answered he
informed me that I could not
proceed to the Guasco³⁹ (for which
place I had already engaged horses)
without a Passport from the Govr.
I applied to him – he refused
allowing me to proceed & as then
I demanded his reasons he informed
me that I had been denounced
to him as a suspicious person
in consequence of enquiries I had
made respecting the country &c &c
he refused giving me their names
or their reasons of suspicions & would
not allow me to go see a foundry

of copper about 4 leagues from thence
&would not give me an opportunity
to justify myself but said he
had laid the business before
the Govt. of St. Jago, the suspicions
of the people were so elert (? alert?) that
I could not even enquire what
were the productions of the
country without giving great suspicion
that I was a Spy &ever enquiry
was carried fresh to the Governor
The people in this part of the
country are the most ignorant
that the Almighty ever sufferd
to enjoy his benefits & those of
civilisation, there is scarcely a man
altho’ he may possess a fortune
of 20 or 60.000 Dollars that has
the least idea of the geography of

the world & the writing of both
them & particularly the women
is almost unintelligable (sic) & I
do not believe there are fifteen
women that can tell the time
of the day by a watch & if
by chance a foreigner from
curiosity visits this place
& who knows that Paris is
not in England or that
London is not in France, he
is a man of so much knowledge
that he must be a spy & they
think that the least information
that is carried from the country
or any production of the country
is a material disadvantage to
the Kingdom inasmuch as
it is of the greatest impor-

tance to the enemies of the country
added to this ignorance they are
the most malicious & jealous
beings that exist unworthy of
confidence without honor or
integrity & full of the most
unaffected assurances of
friendship & hospitality, in
this town there is scarcely an
amour in a family or any other
trifling circumstance but
what is sent an account
of it is sent to the Govr. in
an anonymous letter or stuck
up in hand bills, notwithstanding
this may be considered the character
of many I do not rush to exclude
many who are men of charater (sic)

honour & integrity.

August 25 – This day was celebrated
by a function in honour to
the Patron of the city St. Bartholome
in which the Govr &all the
troops &military assisted it had
more the appearance of
a banditty (sic) than that of
a solemn & military procession in
honour to the Patron of the
City

Sepr 4 – embarked on board
the Ship Spanish Ship
Pearle for Valparaiso the
wind being ahead we stretched
off to the SW untill
we made the Islands of

Juan Fernandez & Mas a Feura⁴⁰
when the wind became favourable
& arrived at Valparaiso the
16th

17th – disembarking my baggage
the commandant de Resguardo
would not allow a box of
mineral stones I had to pass & said
was necessary for an order
from the Govr. I petitioned to him
he replied for information to
the Comdt. his reply shews
correctly the ideas of many
people in this country, he
mentioned “altho’ this foregoing
box of various stones of metal
were of but trifling importance

in themselves but they
might be of the greatest importance
if they were carried into
foreign parts & particularly
if they were sent to that
nation who were at
present at war with
the peninsula of Spain
but that the Govr. could
do what he thought
proper in this business”.
The Govr. gave me orders
to receive it.

Sepr 19 left Valparaiso at
10am &arrived at
Casa Blanca⁴¹ at 4pm

&lodged at Guzmans

Sepr 20th left at 6am & arrived
at St. Jago at 3pm – took
lodgings at the house
of Vacunia with Mr. Boughn⁴²
of Baltimore.

Sepr 22 Called on Mr Poinsett⁴³
the American Consul Genl
&stated my Coquimbo embassy
to him he accompanied me
to call on (blank) Prou the
President of the Hunta he
observed he had received
information that I was
there suspected as a Spy

but from the assurance
of Mr Poinsett he was
perfectly satisfied that
my intentions were not repug-
nant to the interest of this
Country.

Sepr 25 – called on the President
& requested a passport for
Bs. Ays. & also a certificate of
his being satisfied of my conduct
in Coquimbo he requested
me to call tomorrow at the
Pallace (sic).

Sepr 26 – Call with my passport
to have it signed, the President

requested me to leave it & call
tomorrow.

Sepr 27 at 7 am recd. a message
from Mr. Poinsett to call on him
immediately. I went he shewed me
a letter from the Govr. stating they
had received private information
in regard to my political conduct
that as an American Citizen they
advised him that they would have an
examination with all possible dispatch
&required of him an obligation in
writing that I should not leave here
untill they were satisfied, or they
insinuated Ishould be arrested the
Consul required my word of honor
which I gave him &he this day

waited on the Govt. with the
offer of security but explained
to them the circumstances that
induced me to visit this country
&that the suspicions of my denouncers
in Coquimbo were from motives
of revenge which originated from
an enemy of mine there they
were apparently satisfied & promised
him to grant me my passport.

Sepr 30th this evening visited
by invitation of the Govt.
an entertainment at the
Casa de Moneda it was
a refreshment supper &ball
in celebration of the

installation of the Hunto (sic for Junta)
it was splendid and every
thing profuse there were
about 70 ladies & 250 men
it continued untill 7 am

Oct 1st – Called on Portallis⁴⁴
a member of the Hunto with
a letter from the Consul
inclosing the note they
had before sent him respecting
their suspicions &requesting
a passport then not being a
Junto this day he promised
to consider it in the
evening & requested me

to call tomorrow at the
Pallace

Octr 2 – Calld at the Pallas (sic)
was informed they were
considering my affair &
to call in the evening
called in the evening, the
secretary was not at the Pallace
saw him at his house he
promised me my passport tomorrow at
11am

Octr 3 at 11 called at the
Pallace (sic) received my passport
at 3pm left St. Jago for Bs.
Ayres at 8 the Postillions
horse being tired Iwent on

ahead for Chuca Buco⁴⁵ to
wait his arrival it however
being dark I missed my road
& took one that led me toward
the Cordilleras &after travelling
about three two leagues I found
a small hut the owner of
which I hired to conduct me to
Chuca Buca where we
arrived at about 11 pm shortly
after my arrival the Postillion
(who had got another horse)
arrived & after supping off a
few ollives & bread we proceeded
for the Bailla (?)⁴⁶ 20 leagues where we
arrived at 4 am & found

fold Coreo there who had
promised to take me to
Mendoza for 30 Dls

Octr 4 somewhat indisposed
& a little fever at 11 left
Baille & arrived at la
Premira⁴⁷ Quebrada 4 leagues

Oct 5 left at 7 & at 2 pm
arrived at the 1st casucha
much indisposed & a slight fever

Oct 6 left at 7 & at 10 arrived
to where the snow was so deep
that the mules could not
proceed we dismounted & proceeded
on foot to the casucha of the
Callivara⁴⁸ where we arrived at

half past eleven my fever
had left me & I felt somewhat
better but rather weak

Octr 7 at 5 am left on
foot the snow was about
half leg deep &it was tolerable
good travelling, at half past
eleven arrived at the cumbre
(the top of the grand ridge) & as
the sun has more influence the
other side we found the mules
waiting a short distance from
the cumbre no one who has
never passed the cordilleras can
imagine the fatigue one has
to go thro thus to day for 6 ½
hours we were continually

up steep hills covered with
snow &what makes it still more
fatiguing is the lightness of the
air at so great a height
from the surface of the sea
that the same volume of air
does not contain half the weight
of air as it does on the surface
of the sea therefore to receive
that quantity that is necessary
to sustain life it is necessary
to inflate the lungs twice
as much as at the surface
of the sea & are continually
panting. I found I could not
walk but 23 steps in the
course of a minit (sic) &even at
that slow rate for each

step I was obliged to stop
to breath three times for ea
step so that if Iwalked 20
steps without stopping it
was necessary to stop untill
I had breathed 60 times, after
I had passed the cumbre &waited
half an hour I found Ithen
breathed at the rate of 76 time
a minit, at 12 we mounted
mules & proceeded down the
cordillera untill 4pm
when we arrived at Punta
de las Vacas where we lodged
at about 9 pm I awoke
with a most insufferable
pain in my eyes &the tears

running from them almost in
a continued stream & I could not
admit the least ray of light
they continued paining me untill
morning & at daylight the
water stopped running from
them &they were a little
alleviated

Octr 8 my eyes continued
extremely painful &was obliged
to cover them with my handkerchief
in this way I mounted at 7
entirely blind & at about 6
pm arrived at Huis Pallat⁴⁹
where we lodged

Octr 9 – at 6 left my eyes
still paining me & not

able to admit the least
ray of light at 3 arrived
at Villa Vecencia⁵⁰ 15 leagues
where we lodged, several times
yesterday & to day being entirely
bling (sic) my mule carried me
into several dangerous
places &was obliged to be led
out by the postillion

Octr 10 – my eyes somewhat
recovered I could admit a little
light but was obliged to keep
them covered with a hdkf
at 6 left my eyes recovering
first so (it being cloudy) at
10 ½ I was able to take off

the handkerchief & at
half past twelve arrived
at Mendoza invited to take
up my abode by Mr. Richards
at his house. found myself
extremely weak &with almost
the same shortness of breath
that Ihad in the cordilleras
&with a most severe cough
&pain in my breast, & the ends
of four fingers on my right hand
frozen on the morning of passing
the Cumbre without an
appetite

Octr 13 – the coreo left for
Bs. Ays. with whom I intended
to go but my health would

not allow me

Octr 15 began to take bark
without any effect, took several
sweats extremely weak, expectoration
& a severe cough

Octr 20th applied to Dr Sanches
who ordered me bark & opeom (sic)

Novr 1 began to recover a little
strength but my pains in
my breast &cough continuing

Novr 15 recovered a tolerable
degree of strength &began
to think of moving for
Bs. Ays.

Novr 17 found myself worse
& cough increasing & extremely
weak

Novr 19th applied a blistering
plaster to my left side
where I felt much pain
extremely weak

23 felt myself somewhat
recovered & prepaired (sic) for my
journey for Bs. Ays.

Novr. 26 hired a man to carry
me to La Punta for 6 Dollars
&to leave here at 5pm with
better spirits than I entered it
&better of my illness than at

any other day since I crossed the
Cordilleras at 8 arrived at Jose
Barrosos who like a brute would
not allow me to lodge at his house
therefore proceeded ½ league further
&lodged 2 leagues fm Mendoza.

27 left at 4am & at 10 arrived
at the Retamera 9 leagues (a small
scattered village of 6 or 8 houses) dined
& at 4pm left & arrived at 8 at
the new Post of Arroyo de Chacon
8 leagues somewhat fatigued
yesterday I supposed I could not have
been able to have gone more than
8 or 10 leagues, for about 3 leagues frm
Mendoza the land is entirely
overrun with a prickely bush & except
at the retamera & about half a dozen

houses between these & Mdza. it is
entirely desolate those pieces of
land which are cultivated being
near the rivers they are waterd
by canals as is all the land that
is cultivated at Mendoza.

Novr 28 left at 5 arrived at the
Capilla at 3pm 12 leagues, land
barren &overrun with bushes &a
few trees of the memosa kind

Novr 29 left at 3am without having
slept in consequence of the
immense number of a large sized
tick that 3/4 in long &crall (sic) into the
bed &sting &suck the blood they are
so large that they will prick in
at least 12 or 15 different places
before they are satisfied their sting
is as severe as to be pricked by the

point of a needle. I killed during
the night at least 100 of those bugs
& had my fatigue been so great as
to have obliged me to have slept
I am certain that to day I would not
have been able to travel from the
wounds of those ticks the country people
do not mind them. by the post road
it is only 12 leagues to the Post
of Disaguadiera⁵¹ de Mendoza but my
Postillion not being acquainted with
the road carried me a roundabout
way of more than 20 leagues so that
we did not arrive untill 3pm
the soil for the most part is of
a white sand which the maredian (sic)
sun reflecting on almost blinded
me & burnt the skin off my nose
& lower part of my face &were

much necessiated (sic) for water
as that we brought with us
was finished at 10 OClock at
the Capilla there is a small
Church & 6 or 8 houses frm there to
the Post we did not meet with
any other passed thro’ some wood
dined, horses tired hired another
& at 6 left to pass the 20 league
desert which is occasionally coverd
with trees & sometimes shrubs
& other parts sand passed on until
1 OClock about half way

Novr 30 at 1am pitched our tents
a little distant from the road to
avoid thieves tied our horses slept
untill 4 & mounted horses much
fatigued having the day before gone

30 leagues without eating, in the night
the Postillion drank all the water
which I brought in horns
so that at 10 I began to suffer
much for the want of it at 11 bought
for a rial a tumbler water of a
passenger I met at 12 arrived at
La Punta de St. Louis the horses so much fatigued
they could not move out of a
walk, my ankle much inflamed
swelled & painful from the
bight (sic) of the aforementioned ticks
dined with Dn. Estevan Ramos
with whom I left a horse I brought
frm Mendoza to forw’d me to
Bs Ays at 5 presented myself to
the Gov & procured my licene (licence?) for
post horses

Decr 1 at 6am left La Punta
de St. Louis & at 10 arrived at
the Post of Rio Quinto, La Punta

de St. Louis is a small town has
its cavildo, is situated at the
end of a ridge of mountains
that runs frm N to S frm which
I presume it takes its name
the land to this post is rather
uneven with hills of gentle ascent
& occasionally scatterd with memosa
trees – at 10 ½ left & arrived at the
Post of St. Jose 11 leagues dined & slept
at 6 arrived at the Post of Portecuello⁵²
7 leagues & 30 frm La Punta passes
2 small ridges of hills the land
uneven with gentle ascents &descents
supped & lodged

end of journal