278 STATE OF AFFAIRS AT SANDIA. Chap. XVII. 



percJi upon the adjoining trees. Humming-birds are nume- 

 rous, and very beautiful ; I saw also a little cream-coloured 

 hawk, and lordly eagles were soaring over the ravine, having 

 then- eyries in the inaccessible parts of the lofty cliffs. Ap- 

 proaching Sandia in the early morning of May 15th, I came 

 upon many groups of Indians, with their wives and daughters, 

 who had slept in the road, on their way to and from their 

 coca-harvests. They were boiling their breakfasts of potatoes 

 over little fires of dry sticks, which crackled pleasantly. 

 Grand precipices towered up on either side of the valley, and 

 in the bottom, Avliere the bright river was mm-muring on its 

 way, there was a hut in a field of maize, surrounded by the 

 drooping crimson flowers of the " love-lies-bleeding," with a 

 girl in a bright blue woollen dress sitting at the door. 



On arriving at Sandia I went through tlie ceremony of pay- 

 ing off my Indians, and taking leave ; and Vilca, Ccuri, and 

 Quispi returned to their homes. I formed a very high opinion 

 of the Indian character from my experience with these my 

 fellow-labourers. Suspicious they certainly were at times, 

 and with good reason after the treatment they have usually 

 met with from white men, but willing, hard-working, intelli- 

 gent, good-humoured, always ready to help each other, quick 

 in forming the encampments, conversing quietly and without 

 noise round the camp-fires, and always kind to animals ; alto- 

 gether very efficient and companionable people. 



I found things at Sandia in a very alarming state ; most of 

 the people had been excited by letters from Quiaca to prevent 

 me from continuing my journey with the chinchona-plants, 

 and a sort of league had been made with other Juntas Muni- 

 cipales to protect their interests, and prevent foreigners from 

 injuring them. The tactics which were adopted would have 

 succeeded in their object, but for a great piece of good luck. 

 I was prevented from hiring mules, except to go to Crucero, 

 where I knew Martel was stationed, with the intention of 



