188 



and the custom is continued to the present day. After mass, 

 the congregation, headed by the priests, marched in pro- 

 cession round the plaza, and while the latter were chaunting 

 a part of the church service, the Indian girls continued to 

 dance and sing round them, accompanied by several men 

 dressed in the ancient costume of the Incas, some of them 

 having their faces covered with hideous masks made from 

 calabashes. This performance was continued even while 

 the priests were officiating at a temporary altar, erected on 

 one side of the plaza. Immediately after the procession, a 

 cock-fight was exhibited, and the rest of the day was con- 

 sumed in eatin<y and drinking. 



As no one could be prevailed upon to go in search of our 

 mules during these important proceedings, it was long past 

 noon on the 25th ere we were able to pursue our journey, 

 and we determined only to proceed as far as Culluay, three 

 leagues higher up, and the last inhabited place in the valley. 

 The next stage, of seven leagues, lies across the Cordillera, 

 and there is no intermediate place to sleep at. 



I had first seen the Perilomia at the entrance of Obrajillo, 

 and just above the town it was very abundant for a few 

 hundred yards, after which I saw no more of it; neither 

 did I observe the MoUe, nor the Hiiarumo, above Obrajillo; 

 but the Miitisia continued to spread itself in every direction 

 over the shrubs, which were loaded with its blossoms. After 

 skirting the hills for some distance, the road descended to 

 the valley, along which it then continued. As we ascended, 

 we perceived every moment that we were entering a colder 

 climate, where the season was less advanced. Green grass 

 appeared among the numerous shrubs, and many plants 

 were only coming into flower; among these were Loasa 

 contoi'ta, Calceolaria bicolor, and other species of that genus. 

 The most common plant was the large shrubby Lupine,* 

 which flowered lately in the Botanic Garden of Glasgow. 



A little below Culluay, the valley expands, and a consider- 



Lupinus Cruchshanksii, nob. ia Bot. Mag. t. 30.3G. — Ed. 



