LETTERS FROM BRAZIL 99 



siz, Coutinho, and I going first, our companion waiting 

 to look after the baggage. If you had seen me, dear 

 Mother, on some parts of that day's ride I think you 

 would not have believed your eyes. You would have 

 said, "either our Lizzie has gone completely out of 

 her senses and is downright crazy, or it's not she at 

 all." What do you think, with my sentiments about 

 horse flesh in general, of my fording streams with the 

 water up to the horse's breast, so that I was in momen- 

 tary anguish lest he should take to swimming? All I 

 could do was to hold up my habit and tuck up my feet 

 as high as I could, notwithstanding which they got 

 very wet, and then cling for dear life. Luckily there 

 were houses near the two deepest rivers, so I hired a 

 man to come and wade before me to find the best 

 places and take hold of the bridle when the bottom 

 was bad; for often there were logs and deep ruts so 

 that the horses went floundering about in a frightful 

 way. Altogether I think it was the most perilous 

 day's journey I've had yet in all my wanderings. 

 Notwithstanding the anxieties Agassiz was happy for 

 all his prophecies were fulfilled. 



We came upon the tracks of moraines and all sorts 

 of glacial debris, to the importance of which I confess 

 I found it difficult to give my mind under the circum- 

 stances. We rode in this way a very long four leagues 

 (some twelve miles) and did not reach our next stop- 

 ping place till two o'clock, having started at half 

 past eight o'clock in the morning. We were going to 

 ask hospitality for the night from some friends of 

 Coutinho and I was, oh, so glad when we turned off 



