Appendix. 137 



several miles of rough mountain roads from the house where we 

 stopped. This, a rough stone building covered with grass, was 

 the place where the proprietor stopped when visiting his estate, 

 and was occupied by the overseer, who seemed to be a poor 

 relation of the proprietor. After a night's rest, broken somewhat 

 by the attacks of garapatos (a peculiar species of ticks, the bite 

 of which produces inflamed and painful wounds), we set out 

 under the guidance of the overseer and several Indians, who 

 followed on foot, to visit the fortress. We had to cross the 

 ravine by the most dangerous roads, where the most cautious of 

 us dismounted and climbed on foot. We passed a low, dirty 

 village of stones and mud, covered with grass, where the Indians 

 of the estate lived, and after an hour's riding through thick 

 bushes, came out in sight of the fortress, a long, low wall sur- 

 rounding the crown or ridge of the mountain. As we rode near 

 it we estimated it at half a mile in length and perhaps a quarter 

 of a mile in width, with walls from thirty to sixty feet in height: 

 On the side on which we approached there was a peculiar gate- 

 way in the wall. This was some six or eight feet in width at the 

 bottom, but gradually growing narrower, until at a height of 

 twenty feet the walls nearly touched, and had probably originally 

 done so, forming a pointed arch, if it could be called such. The 

 wall was of regular layers of limestone slabs, laid up without 

 mortar. The stones were from one to two feet in thickness and 

 two to four feet in length. They had all been carefully worked, 

 but apparently bruised into shape with some dull, blunt instru- 

 ment, rather than cut, the corners being all somewhat rounded, 

 though the joints were close. As we entered the gateway we 

 found ourselves in a walled passage, open above. We gradually 

 ascended, the passage growing wider and then suddenly narrowe r 

 until, at the top, but one person could pass through at a time. 

 Passing out here, we found ourselves on a plateau, stone and 

 earth having been carried up and filled in, until the whole interior 

 of the fortress was built up to the height of the walls. Another 

 gateway and passage led up from the opposite side of the fortress, 

 and opened above within a few feet of where the one we had 

 ascended came out, making it possible for a few armed men, 



