. The Spanish-American republics . e thrown out from an intermittent river in thecentre of the pampa. From kilometre 81 to 89 the line runs alongthe precipitous face of a broken mountain, on a ledge blasted out ofred granite rock, with one short tunnel. So we reach the station ofUspallata, at kilometre 91, whence the line passes midway betweenthe river and the mountains over a bare stony plain to kilometre 105,where it clings close to the mountain to avoid a large and curiousbarranca some seventy metres in vertical height. At kilometre 106the Uspallata Pampa is left behind, and the line enters
. The Spanish-American republics . e thrown out from an intermittent river in thecentre of the pampa. From kilometre 81 to 89 the line runs alongthe precipitous face of a broken mountain, on a ledge blasted out ofred granite rock, with one short tunnel. So we reach the station ofUspallata, at kilometre 91, whence the line passes midway betweenthe river and the mountains over a bare stony plain to kilometre 105,where it clings close to the mountain to avoid a large and curiousbarranca some seventy metres in vertical height. At kilometre 106the Uspallata Pampa is left behind, and the line enters the upper val-ley between the Paramillos, which is a range parallel with the Andes,forming a sort of avant-garde, and attaining heights of from two tothree thousand metres. At kilometre 114 there is a short piece ofbroken ground, with a tunnel through a rock spur; but after this thetrack becomes easy up to kilometre 121, where the turbulent RioBlanco is reached. As far as this point the earthworks of the line ACROSS THE ANDES. 53. LOS LOROS (CHILI SIDE). were nearly complete when I passed. The rails alone remain to belaid, and the iron bridges to be fixed on the columns of masonry. At kilometre 121 we enter upon that portion of the line which,although the route is practically settled, is not yet visible on theground, and at this point begin the difficulties of grade, which haveled to the adoption in the upper part of the Cordillera of the Abtrack system, about which we shall have more to say anon. Towardskilometre 135 there is a very difficult place to pass, the whole valleyhaving been filled up by slips from the mountains, which the river hassubsequently cut through. It is at this spot, I understand, that thefirst rack section is necessary. At the level of the Paramillo de lasVacas the line is being built in the river itself, on the south side, onan artificial embankment of rocks. At Punta de las Vacas, where 54 THE SPANISH-AMERICAN REPUBLICS. the earthworks are well advanced
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