PRELIMINARY EXPLORATIONS. 45 



inquiry that three packets of letters besides newspapers 

 have been sent to me, and that the one I received was the 

 only parcel without enclosures for me. I expected also to 

 hear from the Minister and the Consul in answer to my 

 letters of introduction, which I left before I went up country. 

 I have written to the postmaster at Carandahy, have 

 been to the post-office here, and set on foot numerous 

 inquiries, which I hope will lead to something.* 



To-day the streets are crowded by thousands of beggars. 

 They are allowed by law to beg on Saturday, so they boldly 

 enter every shop, and attack all the passers-by, while the 

 church porches are full, as usual, of poor wretches exhibit- 

 ing ghastly sores to excite sympathy. 



Monday, July 23. Burrell, who came out in the Coto- 

 paxi, arrived yesterday morning, and took me to church. 

 It is rather barn-like ; but the stipend is, I believe, ,800 a 

 year, the British Minister giving 400, and twenty firms 

 and banks 20 each. I then went up the inclined plane by 

 invitation to visit Glover at Santa Theresa. He and Burrell 

 live with some other Englishmen in a boarding-house on 

 this hill, which commands one of the finest views of the 

 Bay of Rio that is to be seen from any inhabited spot. 

 We climbed about a little in the afternoon, but the heat 

 was very great ; and it rained such deluges the whole even- 

 ing that I was glad to accept the kindly offer of a bed, and 

 returned this morning very much pleased with my first 

 little excursion here. 



July 27. All my business is completed, but it has been 

 much delayed by having to await the arrival of certain 

 steamers ; however, I am off to-morrow. I had really 

 finished most of what was necessary the first day, but have 

 been compelled to spend an hour or two at least each day 



* Some of these letters turned up two and a half months afterwards. 



