Atnight，astrangerarrivedatthehouseofDonBenito，andaskedpermissiontosleepthere。Hesaidhehadbeenwanderingaboutthemountainsforseventeendays，havinglosthisway。HestartedfromGuasco，andbeingaccustomedtotravellingintheCordillera，didnotexpectanydifficultyinfollowingthetracktoCopiapo；buthesoonbecameinvolvedinalabyrinthofmountains，whencehecouldnotescape。Someofhismuleshadfallenoverprecipices，andhehadbeeningreatdistress。Hischiefdifficultyarosefromnotknowingwheretofindwaterinthelowercountry，sothathewasobligedtokeepborderingthecentralranges。
Wereturneddownthevalley，andonthe22ndreachedthetownofCopiapo。
Thelowerpartofthevalleyisbroad，formingafineplainlikethatofQuillota。Thetowncoversaconsiderablespaceofground，eachhousepossessingagarden：butitisanuncomfortableplace，andthedwellingsarepoorlyfurnished。Everyoneseemsbentontheoneobjectofmakingmoney，andthenmigratingasquicklyaspossible。Alltheinhabitantsaremoreorlessdirectlyconcernedwithmines；andminesandoresarethesolesubjectsofconversation。Necessariesofallsortsareextremelydear；asthedistancefromthetowntotheportiseighteenleagues，andthelandcarriageveryexpensive。Afowlcostsfiveorsixshillings；meatisnearlyasdearasinEngland；firewood，orrathersticks，arebroughtondonkeysfromadistanceoftwoandthreedays’journeywithintheCordillera；andpasturageforanimalsisashillingaday：allthisforSouthAmericaiswonderfullyexorbitant。
June26th——IhiredaguideandeightmulestotakemeintotheCordillerabyadifferentlinefrommylastexcursion。Asthecountrywasutterlydesert，wetookacargoandahalfofbarleymixedwithchoppedstraw。
Abouttwoleaguesabovethetownabroadvalleycalledthe“Despoblado。”