6th——Weproceededduesouth，andsleptatRancagua。Theroadpassedoverthelevelbutnarrowplain，boundedononesidebyloftyhills，andontheotherbytheCordillera。ThenextdayweturnedupthevalleyoftheRioCachapual，inwhichthehot-bathsofCauquenes，longcelebratedfortheirmedicinalproperties，aresituated。Thesuspensionbridges，inthelessfrequentedparts，aregenerallytakendownduringthewinterwhentheriversarelow。Suchwasthecaseinthisvalley，andwewerethereforeobligedtocrossthestreamonhorseback。Thisisratherdisagreeable，forthefoamingwater，thoughnotdeep，rushessoquicklyoverthebedoflargeroundedstones，thatone’sheadbecomesquiteconfused，anditisdifficulteventoperceivewhetherthehorseismovingonwardorstandingstill。Insummer，whenthesnowmelts，thetorrentsarequiteimpassable；
theirstrengthandfuryarethenextremelygreat，asmightbeplainlyseenbythemarkswhichtheyhadleft。Wereachedthebathsintheevening，andstayedtherefivedays，beingconfinedthetwolastbyheavyrain。
Thebuildingsconsistofasquareofmiserablelittlehovels，eachwithasingletableandbench。TheyaresituatedinanarrowdeepvalleyjustwithoutthecentralCordillera。Itisaquiet，solitaryspot，withagooddealofwildbeauty。
ThemineralspringsofCauquenesburstforthonalineofdislocation，crossingamassofstratifiedrock，thewholeofwhichbetraystheactionofheat。Aconsiderablequantityofgasiscontinuallyescapingfromthesameorificeswiththewater。Thoughthespringsareonlyafewyardsapart，theyhaveverydifferenttemperature；andthisappearstobetheresultofanunequalmixtureofcoldwater：forthosewiththelowesttemperaturehavescarcelyanymineraltaste。Afterthegreatearthquakeof1822thespringsceased，andthewaterdidnotreturnfornearlyayear。Theywerealsomuchaffectedbytheearthquakeof1835；thetemperaturebeingsuddenlychangedfrom118to92degs。[1]Itseemsprobablethatmineralwatersrisingdeepfromthebowelsoftheearth，wouldalwaysbemorederangedbysubterraneandisturbancesthanthosenearerthesurface。
Themanwhohadchargeofthebathsassuredmethatinsummerthewaterishotterandmoreplentifulthaninwinter。TheformercircumstanceI