Difficulty in procuring mules. The llama used 

 as a beast of burden. Inroad of vagabonds. 



Sagacity of the mule. CasaCancha. Muleteer's > 

 nut Native cooking and eating. "** 



many wealthy people. How true this may be, it 

 was impossible from appearances to determine, 

 for the high and low, the rich and the poor, all 

 seem to live in the same style. 



The difficulties that occurred in procuring mules 

 for their journey, had delayed them so long, as to 

 place it out of their power to proceed before the 

 next day. The opportunity of visiting the environs 

 was taken, and a large collection of plants was ob- 

 tained, the annuals being found in the right season 

 for making collections. The cascade which was 

 seen as they approached was visited, and exhibited 

 a picturesque and beautiful appearance, even when 

 it was four miles distant. 



At Obrajillo there are many pretty gardens and 

 fields, under a good state of cultivation. The 

 roadside itself looked like a flower-garden, and 

 flowers of every hue were seen on either side, 

 calceolarias, lobelias, &c. 



Here was the first point where they had met the 

 llama used as a beast of burden; the load which 

 they carry is from seventy to ninety pounds. 



On the 19th, at an early .hour, some vagabonds, 

 assuming the name of Chilians, went the rounds 

 of the village, helping themselves to every thing 

 they desired, to the utter dismay of the inhabitants, 

 who made no resistance. The consequence was, 

 that having neglected to supply themselves with 

 bread the evening before, they lost the opportunity 

 of doing it. This was a serious inconvenience, for 

 Obrajillo supplies the upper country with bread, as 

 Lima does the lower, and it is procured with diffi- 

 culty, except at these two places. Potatoes were 

 therefore taken as a substitute, though a very in- 

 convenient one, from their great weight and bulk. 



They were on the route by six o'clock, and an 

 hour's ride brought them to a spot where the river 

 formed a very picturesque rapid, soon after which 

 they entered into a wild and romantic pass, be- 

 tween steep acclivities and precipices of immense 

 height. 



At ten o'clock they reached Culnai, a distance 

 of five leagues ; it contains about thirty cottages; 

 its height is believed to be ten thousand feet above 

 the sea, and here cultivation ceases, ending with 

 the potato, tropseolum, oxalis, and basella. The 

 second region of plants also terminates here; and 

 now ensued the " Paramera," or pasture region of 

 the Andes, avoided by the inhabitants of the lower 

 districts on account of the cold. This third region 

 gives growth to a set of plants which make a 

 gradual transition from those of the second region 

 to low alpine scraggy bushes, none of which exceed 

 two feet in height. The Paramera is remarkable 

 for a dense sward of coarse grass, and low herba- 

 ceous plants, principally of the order compositse. 

 The flowers of the latter it was remarked were 

 particularly large in proportion to the plant. These 

 form a rich pasturage for the flocks and herds, 

 which are seen feeding in the valleys and along 

 the sides of the hills. 



No cultivation is attempted beyond Culnai, and 

 but two species of Cacti were met with above this 

 point. 



They had hitherto for the most part followed a 

 northerly direction, but now they diverged more 

 to the north-east. The temperature was falling as 

 they ascended, the air was clear and bracing, and 

 the scenery as they advanced became more in- 

 teresting, and even sublime. To its wild and pre- 



cipitous features was now added the high snowy 

 peak of La Vinda in the distance, and some few 

 spots of snow were occasionally seen in places 

 sheltered from the sun's rays. The mule-paths 

 had become narrow, and when they met with 

 mules, which was often the case, it became neces- 

 sary to turn under the rocks, until the path was 

 clear. On one occasion, one of the party allowed 

 his mule to take the outside ; the consequence was 

 that a muleteer shoved mule and rider several feet 

 over the bank. No injury was received, and the 

 dilemma passed off with a good laugh at the fright. 



The sagacity of the mules on these occasions is 

 remarkable. They always endeavour to cling to 

 the wall side, and will succeed in doing it if not 

 prevented by the rider. Their caution is great 

 when they apprehend danger in passing over steep 

 places ; the instant danger was anticipated, the 

 nose and fore feet were used to ascertain its ex- 

 tent, which done, the animals cautiously proceeded, 

 and reached the bottom with great care and ease 

 both to the rider and themselves. 



About three o'clock they had gamed the fourth 

 or alpine region, where they were met with sharp 

 and cutting winds, accompanied with hail and 

 snow, that proved very uncomfortable to their 

 sunburnt faces : this was supposed to be at an 

 elevation of about fifteen thousand feet. Our gen- 

 tlemen now felt the effects of the elevation in 

 headache, difficulty of breathing, and excessive 

 lassitude. The crest of the Cordilleras is at this 

 place a league in width, the surface very uneven, 

 containing small lakes without outlets, sunk in 

 deep hollows; beyond this the streams which form 

 the extreme sources of the Amazon were running 

 to the eastward. After travelling two leagues on 

 a gentle descent, they arrived at Casa Cancha 

 about dusk. 



Casa Cancha consists of three huts, and is no- 

 thing more than a muleteers' rendezvous; the place 

 was in charge of two women, who in expression, 

 if not in form, might have been taken for witches. 

 The accommodations, if they may be so called, 

 were an apartment common to all the inmates, 

 with no fastening to the door or windows, with- 

 out a fire, and nothing but the hard ground to lie 

 upon. 



At night the thermometer frequently falls to the 

 freezing-point, and the climate is like that of win- 

 ter; there is not, however, a stick of wood nor any 

 resinous umbelliferse, as on the Chilian Andes, to 

 be had, and the cooking is done with turf when it 

 can be obtained, but dry cowdung is most com- 

 monly used for this purpose. This is the only and 

 the best establishment the place affords; even the 

 first females in the country can procure no better 

 accommodations, and will bear it for the night 

 with contentment. 



As a special mark of distinction, a smaller apart- 

 ment was assigned to our gentlemen, in a hut ad- 

 joining that in which their supper was cooked, of 

 which they witnessed the preparation. The cook- 

 ing range was of peculiar construction, and might 

 serve as a pattern for a modern cuisine. It oc- 

 cupied one corner of the apartment, and appeared 

 to be convenient and well adapted to the wants of 

 the inmates. 



After a time the fore-quarter of mutton made 

 its appearance in the hands of their landlady, 

 scorched to a cinder. Being unprovided with a 



