1 1 6 Travels and Adventures 



which scarcely finds room to grow amongst the 

 crowds of American aloes and other prickly cacti. 



On arriving at the little village called Subi, I was 

 surprised at the great change of temperature. Instead 

 of the fresh, bracing air of the plain, the heat here is 

 intense, the thermometer seldom falling below ioo° in 

 the shade. The village has lately become a health- 

 resort for invalids suffering" from diseases of the skin. 

 Many of the patients may be seen all day'bathing in 

 the swift-running stream, the waters of which, although 

 coming from the high, cold hills, become warmed in 

 their transit through this burning valley. Here also I 

 found a lovely little bird which I had not seen before 

 — a small creeper about the size of a robin, with 

 dusky-brown wings, but having the breast of a brilliant 

 scarlet, and wearing on the head a crest of long 

 feathers of the same gaudy colour, which it raises or 

 lowers at pleasure. I was glad to rest our mules and 

 pass the night here ; but long before daylight next 

 morning we began to make the ascent of the precipices 

 on the other side, and by the time the sun was up we 

 had already made half the ascent of the mountain. 

 The view from here is very beautiful ; the stupendous 

 rocks may be seen on one side of the chasm, with the 

 immense prairies of La Mesa de Los Santos stretching 

 away as far as the eye can reach, losing themselves in 

 the horizon. To the south,, one of the tributaries of 



