8o NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



a great projecting buttress has allowed the line to be 

 carried in great part along a spiral line traced upon 

 its flanks. 



Nearly two hours after sunset we at length reached 

 the terminus at Chicla, very uncertain as to the 

 resources of that place in point of shelter and food. 

 We had had the pleasure of meeting in the train 



Mr. H , a distinguished German statesman, who 



had travelled with us in the Islay on his way from 

 California to make the tour of South America. He 

 was accompanied by Baron von Zoden, the German 

 minister at Lima. As their object was merely to see 

 the railway line, they intended to return on the 

 following morning ; but meanwhile we resolved to 

 confront together any difficulties that might arise. 



The architecture of Chicla is remarkably uniform, 

 the only differences being in the size of the edifices. 

 Stone, brick, tiles, slate, and mortar are alike un- 

 known. Planks are nailed together around a frame- 

 work, the requisite number of pieces of corrugated 

 iron are nailed to some rafters on the top, and the 

 house is complete. After stepping from the railway 

 car and scrambling up a steep bank, we found our- 

 selves before the chief building of the place, a so-called 

 hotel, kept by a worthy German whose ill fortune 

 had placed him on the borderland, where for some 

 time the place was alternately occupied by small 

 parties of Chilian or Peruvian troops. Besides some 

 rooms on an upper floor occupied by the people of 

 the house, the hotel consisted of two large rooms on 

 the ground floor, where food and drink were supplied 

 to all comers, with an adjoining kitchen. For such 



