272 BENEATH THE FOEEST. 



with a fire in front, surrounded by four of our Indians. 

 One was a mere boy, who had carried a pack of eighty 

 pounds ! How the little fellow had brought it along the 

 trail, which led across rivers, up precipices, through jun- 

 gles and dense forests, which hemmed the path so closely 

 that we, unembarrassed by any load, found it almost im- 

 possible to force our way, was ever a mystery to us. The 

 same pack was, during one long day's march, carried by 

 a woman. Our provisions, blankets, and dry garments, 

 were with the other party. This was pleasant ! But there 

 was no alternative, and we threw ourselves in our wet 

 clothes upon the ground, crowded together, and — waited 

 for the morning. It did come at last, and cold, stiff, sleepy, 

 and hungry, not knowing whom to blame for our discom- 

 fort, we sat crouching over a little fire which w^e had suc- 

 ceeded in building, waiting for our Indians to come up. 

 They arrived a little after sunrise, and we had soon pre- 

 pared the best breakfast oui' stock of provisions would 

 afford. Leaving this camping-place, often to be recalled 

 during the remainder of our tour, we recommenced our 

 march for Archidona, where we arrived early in the day. 

 Here we received a cordial welcome from the bishop and 

 padre, Jesuit missionaries laboring among the Indians. 



Archidona lies just at the foot of the Andes, upon the 

 banks of the Misagualli, and contains an Indian popula- 

 tion of about five hundred. Buried in the midst of the 

 great forest, it is almost completely isolated from the rest 

 of the world, and can be reached only by Indian trails. 

 The huts are low, the thickly-thatched roofs reaching near- 

 ly to the ground. The Archidonian Indians in physical 

 development are superior to any with whom we came in 

 contact in South America. The men are taller than 

 those of the table-lands of the Andes, are slightly and 

 even delicately built ; their long, dark, sometimes curling 

 hair, falling over then- shoulders, giving them a peculiarly 



