202 A VOYAGE TO Book V. 



ful abysses ; and as they generally follow the direc- 

 tion of the mountain, the road, instead of lying in 

 a level- forms two or three steep eminences and de- 

 clivities, in the distance of two or three hundred yards; 

 and these are the parts where no camelones can be 

 lasting. The mules themselves are sensible of the 

 caution requisite in these descents; for, coming to the 

 top of an eminence, they stop, and having placed their 

 fore feet close together, as in a posture of stopping 

 themselves, they also put their hinder feet together, 

 but a little forwards, as if going to lie down. In 

 this attitude, having as it were taken a survey of the 

 road, they slide down with the swiftness of a meteor. 

 All the rider has to do is to keep himself fast in the 

 saddle without checking his beast; for the least motion 

 is sufficient to disorder the equilibrium of the mule, 

 in which case they both unavoidably perish. The 

 address of these creatures is here truly wonderful j 

 for, in this rapid motion, when they seem to have lost 

 all government of themselves, they follow exactly the 

 different windings of the road, as if they had before 

 accurately reconnoitred, and previously settled in their 

 minds, the route they were to follow, and taken every 

 precaution for their safety, amidst so many irregula- 

 rities. There would indeed otherwise be no possi- 

 bKlity of travelling over such places, where the safe- 

 ty of the rider depends on the experience and address 

 of his beast. 



But the longest practice of travelling these roads 

 cannot entirely free them froin a kind of dread or 

 horror which appears when they arrive at the top of a 

 steep declivity. For they stop without being checked 

 by the rider ; and if he inadvertently endeavours to 

 spur them on, they continue immoveable; nor will 

 they stir from the place till they have put themselves 

 in the above-mentioned j)osture. Now it is that they 

 seem to be actuated by reason ; for they not only at- 

 tentively view the road, but tremble and snort at the 



danger, 



