PERUVIAN BRIDGES OF WOOD. 237 



Humboldt did not consider this danger great, when a 

 single person passed over the bridge as quickly as possi- 

 ble, with his body leaning forward. The oscillations of 

 the ropes, however, become very strong, when the travel- 

 ler is conducted by an Indian who walks quicker than 

 himself; or when frightened by the view of the water 

 which he sees through the interstices of the bamboos, he 

 has the imprudence to stop in the midst of the bridge, 

 and lay hold of the ropes that serve as a rail. A bridge 

 of this kind lasted generally in good condition only 

 twenty or twenty-five years. It was necessary to renew 

 some of the ropes every eight or ten years. But in these 

 countries the police was so negligent, that Humboldt 

 often saw bridges, in which most of the pieces of bam- 

 boo were broken. On these old bridges it was necessary 

 to proceed with great circumspection, to avoid holes, 

 through which the whole body might slip. A few years 

 before Humboldt's visit to Penipe, the bridge of the 

 Eio Chambo suddenly broke down. This was owing to 

 a very dry wind having succeeded long rains, in conse- 

 quence of which all the ropes gave way at the same time. 

 By this accident four Indians were drowned in the river, 

 which was very deep and rapid. 



The ancient Peruvians constructed also bridges of 

 wood, supported by piers of stone ; though they most 

 commonly satisfied themselves with bridges of ropes. 

 These were extremely useful in a mountainous country, 

 where the depth of the crevices and the impetuosity of 

 the torrents prevented the construction of piers. It was 

 by a bridge of ropes, of extraordinary length, on which 

 travellers could pass with loaded mules, that a permanent 

 communication was established between Quito and Lima, 



