2G0 OVEE THE EA.STEEN COEDILLEEA. 



walls mantled with vines. A portion of this one, how- 

 ever, Avas in a good state of preservation ; the principal 

 court-yard, used as an enclosure for trains of donkeys and 

 mules, being surrounded by a pleasant arcade, which had 

 suffered but little from the effects of time. The room fur- 

 nished us afforded no conveniences for sleeping, except 

 several huge bread-trays, and, each selecting one adapted 

 to his lengtl), we spread our blankets within, and found 

 them quite comfortable. The night passed pleasantly, 

 but it was unfortunate for our morning nap that tlie next 

 was baking-day ; and early the Indians came in for their 

 kneading-troughs. Not wishing to retard culinary busi- 

 ness, we turned out, the trays were lifted through the low 

 window, into the back court-yard, and the process of bread- 

 making commenced. Then we paid a visit to the mill. 

 It was a primitive affair, attended by an xigly squaw, who 

 was wading barefooted in the flour, which was allowed to 

 fall directly upon the floor, from all sides of the uncovered 

 stones. 



Part of our baggage having come up during the night, 

 and being assured that by evening all would reach Tablon, 

 a small Indian village upon the sien-a, several thousand 

 feet above Itulcachi, we set out in advance, and reached 

 the place early in the afternoon. Beneath us lay the 

 valley of Quito, and beyond stretched along the wall of 

 the Western Cordillera, broken by the towers and pin- 

 nacles of Pichincha, Atacatzo, Corazon, and Iliniza. Its 

 deeply-serrated ranges seemed to have been torn and 

 tossed, by the Titanic power of a tremendous upheaving 

 force, into a thousand rude piles of rock and earth. From 

 Tablon we had a most glorious sunset. We never wearied 

 viewing sunset among the Andes. The great elevation of 

 the Quito Valley has an influence upon the rays of the 

 sun, so that the landscape, under a waning light, is un- 

 rivalled even by that beneath the classic skies of Ital}^ 



