292 IN THE WILDS OF SOUTH AMERICA 



of corn-meal and chargue (dried beef). They had a meal 

 in the morning and another at night; during the long walk 

 throughout the day they chewed coca leaves. The mules 

 were turned loose to shift for themselves, but as plenty of 

 wild cane grows near the rivers, they had an abundance of 

 food. One of the animals carried a bell tied to its neck, 

 and the others would seldom stray out of hearing of the con- 

 stant clanging. In the morning the men easily located 

 the bell-mule and led it back to camp, the others following 

 in single file. Should one be missing, which was a rare 

 occurrence, it was only necessary to take the bell and 

 shake it vigorously; this soon brought the stray member 

 to the spot. 



The remainder of the journey was through the heavily 

 forested lowland; the last of the mountain ridges had been 

 left behind. 



During the dry season the caravans follow the courses 

 of streams as much as possible. The water is low, and the 

 wide, rocky margins serve as roads. This is far from being 

 easy on the mules; the animals go stumbling and slipping 

 along, but a good many miles are cut from the total length 

 of the journey. Streams are encountered with frequency, 

 and as one penetrates farther into the interior they become 

 wider and deeper. We crossed not less than six fords in a 

 single day, all between two hundred and three hundred 

 feet wide, the water averaging from three to four feet deep. 

 Although the current is strong, the mules are accustomed 

 to this kind of work and usually manage to cross safely, 

 often stopping in the deepest, swiftest spot to unconcern- 

 edly take a drink. Occasionally, however, one of the ani- 

 mals slips on a moss-covered boulder and falls: then it is a 

 difficult matter to assist the drowning creature to his feet, 

 as the swift water may roll him over, and the weight of the 

 pack keeps him down. In any event, the least result of 

 such an accident is the thorough saturation of everything 

 in the pack, and this means a day's loss of time while the 

 soaked effects are spread out to dry. During the rainy 



