CH. xix IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 217 



. . . Here, on the eastern side of the Cordillera, 

 summer fairly began last month (October), but its 

 continuity has been interrupted for some days by a 

 succession of terrific thunderstorms, one of which has 

 caused a break of two hours in the writing of this 

 letter. Three days ago, two women were struck 

 dead by lightning while gathering sticks on the 

 plain outside the town ; and yesterday six people 

 were killed and a wheat -stack burnt down at a 

 village a little south from us. 



. . . Matters are in a very unsettled state here, 

 and preparations for war with Peru resound on 

 every hand. Recruiting --forced contributions of 

 money and horses people hiding in the forests 

 and mountains to avoid being torn from their 

 families scarcity and dearness of provisions such 

 are some of the precursors of the contest. And the 

 war if it actually comes will be something like 

 what you have read of in India; yet nobody knows 

 what it is to be about ! These Spanish Republics 

 are not unlikely to squabble among one another until 

 -like the Kilkenny cats there is nothing left of 

 them but their tails; and then Jonathan will step 

 in and make an easy prey of their mangled carcasses 

 (Hibernice loquitur). 



. . . How often have I regretted that England 

 did not possess the magnificent Amazon valley 

 instead of India! If that booby James, instead of 

 putting Raleigh in prison and finally cutting off 

 his head, had persevered in supplying him with 

 ships, money, and men until he had formed a per- 

 manent establishment on one of the great American 

 rivers, I have no doubt but that the whole American 

 continent would have been at this moment in the 



