Noclothesseemedtoopposeanyobstacletotheair；Isufferedverymuchfromthecold，sothatIcouldnotsleep，andinthemorningrosewithmybodyquitedullandbenumbed。
IntheCordillerafurthersouthward，peoplelosetheirlivesfromsnowstorms；
here，itsometimeshappensfromanothercause。Myguide，whenaboyoffourteenyearsold，waspassingtheCordillerawithapartyinthemonthofMay；andwhileinthecentralparts，afuriousgaleofwindarose，sothatthemencouldhardlyclingontheirmules，andstoneswereflyingalongtheground。Thedaywascloudless，andnotaspeckofsnowfell，butthetemperaturewaslow。Itisprobablethatthethermometercouldnothavestoodverymanydegreesbelowthefreezing-point，buttheeffectontheirbodies，illprotectedbyclothing，musthavebeeninproportiontotherapidityofthecurrentofcoldair。Thegalelastedformorethanaday；themenbegantolosetheirstrength，andthemuleswouldnotmoveonwards。Myguide’sbrothertriedtoreturn，butheperished，andhisbodywasfoundtwoyearsafterwards，Lyingbythesideofhismuleneartheroad，withthebridlestillinhishand。Twoothermeninthepartylosttheirfingersandtoes；andoutoftwohundredmulesandthirtycows，onlyfourteenmulesescapedalive。Manyyearsagothewholeofalargepartyaresupposedtohaveperishedfromasimilarcause，buttheirbodiestothisdayhaveneverbeendiscovered。Theunionofacloudlesssky，lowtemperature，andafuriousgaleofwind，mustbe，Ishouldthink，inallpartsoftheworldanunusualoccurrence。
June29th——Wegladlytravelleddownthevalleytoourformernight’slodging，andthencetoneartheAguaamarga。OnJuly1stwereachedthevalleyofCopiapo。Thesmellofthefreshcloverwasquitedelightful，afterthescentlessairofthedry，sterileDespoblado。WhilststayinginthetownIheardanaccountfromseveraloftheinhabitants，ofahillintheneighbourhoodwhichtheycalled“ElBramador。”——theroarerorbellower。Ididnotatthetimepaysufficientattentiontotheaccount；
but，asfarasIunderstood，thehillwascoveredbysand，andthenoisewasproducedonlywhenpeople，byascendingit，putthesandinmotion。