ANDEAN SUSPENSION BRIDGES. 85 



the difficulty of crossing the streams by which the 

 upper ranges of the Andes are everywhere intersected. 



The art of constructing suspension bridges must 

 have originated in the subtropical zone of Eastern 

 Peru, where the abundance of climbing plants with 

 long, flexible, tough stems supplied the requisite 

 materials. These, being light and easily transported, 

 were everywhere used in the valleys of the Andes to 

 sustain hanging bridges, of which the roadv\^ay was 

 formed of rough basket-work. The only change that 

 has resulted from the introduction of European arts is 

 that of late years iron wire is used instead of flexible 

 lianes to sustain the bridges ; but the roadway is still 

 made of basket-work, which is rapidly worn by the 

 feet of passing men and animals, and the natives have 

 a disagreeable habit of stopping up the holes, not by 

 mending the basket-work where this has begun to 

 give way, but by laying a flat stone over the weak 

 place. Being very slight and not nicely adjusted, 

 these bridges swing to and fro under the feet of a 

 passenger to an extent that is at first rather startling, 

 but, as in everything else, habit soon makes one in- 

 different. Our first experience this afternoon was 

 very easy, as the bridge connecting the station with 

 the pueblo, or village of Chicla, was new and more 

 solid than usual. 



The little village, altogether composed of frail 

 sheds, was occupied by the Chilian detachment of 

 about two hundred men, posted here to guard the 

 railway line. Four houses, larger than the rest, 

 wherein the officers had established themselves, were 

 adorned with conspicuous painted inscriptions worthy 



