Ch. II. SOUTH AMERICA. 219 



procured from Quito j and, instead of ñtiid water, our 

 pot was filled with ice: we had the same resource with 

 regard to what we drank : and, wliile we were eat- 

 ing, every one was obliged to keep his plate over a 

 chaftngdish of coals, to prevent his provisions from 

 íreezinñ:. The same was done with regard to the 

 water. At first we imagined, that drinking strong 

 liquors would diiTuse a heat through the body, and 

 consequently render it less sensible of the painful 

 sharpness of the cold ; but, to our surprise, we felt no 

 manner of strength in them, nor were they any greater 

 preservative against the cold than common water. 

 For. this reason, together with the apprehension that: 

 they might prove detrimental to our health, besides 

 the dangfrr of contracting an ill habit, we discontinued 

 their use, having recourse to them but very seldom, 

 and then sparingly. We frequendy gave a small 

 quantity to our Indians, together v/ith part of the 

 provisions which were continually sent us fromQiiito; 

 besides a daily salary of four times as much as they 

 usually earn. 



But, nocwithstandini? all these encoura.Q;ements, 

 we found it impossible to keep the Indians t .^gether. 

 On their first feeling the rigours of the climate, their 

 th«"-]ghts were immiediateiy turned on deserting us. 

 The first inssrance v^e had of this kind was so unex^ 

 pected, that, had not one of a better disposition thai\ 

 the rest staid with us, and acquainted us of their de- 

 sign, it might have proved of very bad consequence. 

 The affair v/as this: there being on the top of the 

 rock no room for pitching a tent for them, they used 

 every evening to retire to a cave at the foot of the 

 fnountain, where, besuies a natural diminution of the 

 cold, they could keep a continual fire; aad conse- 

 quendy enjoyed more conifortabie quarters than their 

 masters. Before they withdrev/ at night, they fastened 

 on the outside the door of our hut, which was so low 

 that it was impossible to go inoroutwithoi^t stoophig; 



and 



