Ch. XII.] JOURXEY COXTIXUED.. 215 



The land around was fertile, but the people too lazy to 

 cultivate it. Many of the houses were dilapidated huts ; 

 and the place altogether had a most depressing aspect of 

 poverty and idleness. I asked one man what the people 

 worked at. He said, " Nada, nada, senhor," that is, 

 " Nothing, nothing, sir." Some of them possess cattle ; 

 and those that have none sometimes help those that have, 

 and get enough to keep them alive. The principal subject 

 of interest seemed to be the " caritos," who had come up 

 the river, and given them guns and iron pots for their 

 black dogs ; but no one had the curiosity to ask what 

 they wanted the dogs for. It was Sunday, and many 

 of the country people from around had come into the 

 village. All that had any money were at the estancia, 

 drinking aguardiente. The men were dressed alike, with 

 palm-tree hats, white calico jackets, and trowsers ; the 

 latter, often on one leg rolled up to the thigh, as is the 

 fashion in this part of the world. Nearly all were bare- 

 footed. 



Having breakfasted off tortillas and cheese, we con- 

 tinued our journey, and crossed two rivers running to the 

 eastward ; then ascended a high and rocky range, along 

 the top of which the path lay. We took this mountain- 

 path to avoid some very bad swamps that we were told 

 we should encounter if we went by the main road. The 

 mountain range was bare and bleak ; but we had a fine 

 view over the surrounding country. Opposite to us, on 

 the other side of a wide valley, was a similar range to 

 that along which we were travelling, the sides partly 

 wooded and partly cleared for planting maize. We 

 passed several Indian huts with grass-thatched roofs, 

 and met a party of Indians travelling down the mountain 



