VIEW OF ANTISANA. 269 



marshes, but, after bathing, and donniug dry clothes, we 

 felt in humor for a good supper, drawn from our commis- 

 sary stores, after which we rolled ourselves up in our 

 blankets and dreamed of home. 



The morning of the 6th of November was clear and 

 bright, and by seven we were making an easy ascent, 

 which was soon alternated by a precipitous descent and a 

 torrent, and then followed two hours of almost perpendic- 

 ular climbing, that placed us upon a dizzy ridge, flanked 

 by immensely deep valleys, threaded by the wliite lines 

 of torrents, which, in their hurrying course, were dashing 

 themselves into foam. Westward we had a splendid view 

 of Antisana. "We had never appreciated its height before, 

 for we had always viewed it from the elevated table-lands. 

 We almost shuddered as, having lifted our eyes to its lofty 

 summit, we dropped them to the bottom of the deep ra- 

 vines. We passed the night at a camping-place called 

 Pachamama, and the following day reached Baeza, a 

 hamlet consisting of two Indian huts, and, as our natives 

 desired a rest, we tarried here one day. From the family 

 occupying one of the dwellings our Indians purchased a 

 pig, and we gratified them by dispatching it with our rifle, 

 when they singed it, then all day long held high carnival. 

 We opened our cans and concocted some flapjacks, and 

 baked and ate, and ate and baked, till we fairly astoiiished 

 our natives. 



Upon the 9th, continuing our march, we pushed on to 

 the Ilio Cosanga, a broad, rapid stream, upon the banks 

 of which we encamped for the night, and were lulled to 

 sleep by the roar of the torrent. The next day's mai'ch 

 of twelve miles up the left bank of the stream was made 

 with the utmost difficulty, the trail being poorly cut, and 

 the mud often to our knees. Toward night we reached a 

 rudely-constructed Indian bridge, which spanned the most 

 formidable portion of the torrent. By this shaky structure 



