The walk back by moonlight was delightful. Some of our party
afterwards went to the Union Club, where they met several English
gentlemen, who were most kind and pressing in their invitations to
them to stay a few days longer, and go up the mountains to see the
views and to have some guanaco shooting. About twenty-four hours from
here they say you can have your first shot, and a little further on
you meet them in herds which may be counted by thousands. There are
also wild horses and wild donkeys. Quaggas and huemuls used to be
found, but are now extinct. The last named is a rare animal, exactly
resembling a horse in every particular, except that its hoofs are
cloven. It used only to be found in the mountains of Chili, and it is
one of the supporters of the national coat of arms.
_Saturday, October 28th_.--At 5 a.m. we were called, and soon
afterwards parting gifts of flowers began to arrive, and even I was
obliged to confess that four large clothes-baskets full of rosebuds
were more than I quite knew what to do with. At seven Mr. Long came to
know if he could help us in any way, and a little later Madame
Cousino's coachman appeared with the carriage, to take us to the
station.
We had a pleasant drive down the Alameda, the sun shining brilliantly
in a bright blue sky, and the distant mountains for the first time
being clearly visible.
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