THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 161 



kind, much appreciated, give me a collar cita '* (little 

 necklace), but they had pleasant, sweet entreating 

 voices and nothing of the street beggar about them. 



Yesterday, Friday, May 3, was the last day of a 

 journey I shall never forget. Being the last day I in- 

 dulged myself in a bit of romance and lunched under 

 one of the thatched sheds where I have told you the 

 poorer travellers take their meals. We had the new 

 wine brewed yesterday and the tortillas on our cosy 

 little table in the open air. I felt about eighteen and 

 brimful of sentiment and poetry. Early in the day we 

 reached Curicu, the small town where the railroad 

 begins and romance ought to end. We did not expect 

 much comfort here knowing it was a little place, but 

 to my great surprise we were welcomed like friends 

 by the host of a most respectable looking inn. He was 

 a German, a political refugee, having taken part as a 

 student in the revolution of '48, was condemned to ten 

 years' imprisonment, escaped, and here he was. He 

 was quite a gentleman, a man of education, knew all 

 about Agassiz, had heard that he was on the road, had 

 our rooms all ready for us, and gave us a hearty wel- 

 come. 



Steindachner and I took our usual stroll after we 

 had brushed off our dust and taken a cup of coffee 

 (we always dine late to make the most of the day- 

 light). We wandered through the Alameida and 

 came to the foot of an excessively steep hill up which 

 a winding path had been cut. As we went up we met 

 many women and children either descending or as- 

 cending; there were very poor women among them 



