ANDACOLLO — LIMA PANAMA JAMAICA. 151 



fifty dollars {101.), and tlie scenery tlie finest in the 

 world, without any reservation. No revolvers are 

 required, and remember to take Peruvian soles or else 

 American twenty-dollar gold pieces. (Let me here 

 give general advice to all about to travel in South 

 America : take American twenty dollar pieces ; they are 

 current anywhere at a premium.) 



If I had had the time, I should certainly have gone 

 up to Quito, down by the Napo, struck the Amazon, 

 and so to Para — a journey of thirty-five to forty days. 

 A Yankee professor (I forget his name) did the trip a 

 short time ago, and made out in his preface that it was 

 an undertaking "never before attempted/' &c. A little 

 dirty (he luas dirty) Jew pedlar on board our steamer 

 quite laughed at the idea when I mentioned the fact. 

 " Go there ! why, Vve been all over Ecuador and 

 Bolivia with one servant and with this,'' he said, 

 pulling a small penhnife out of his waistcoat pocket. 

 I'd sooner go rambling about Ecuador all day than 

 visit the Seven Dials at night ; the amount of non- 

 sense one hears about the dangers of travelling in 

 South America is really ridiculous. A mosquito net is 

 by far the most necessary article of one's kit. 



On the 3rd of August I arrived at Panama. It is 

 the fashion on the coast to abuse Panama and its climate, 

 and, above all, its hotel. Well, its climate is not 

 charming, but I have been in far worse ; and they make 

 the very best cocktails, both gin and brandy, I have 

 ever tasted out of 'Frisco. The hotel is a good one, 

 and you get well swindled there ; but, goodness 

 me ! where don't you get swindled when a landlord 

 gets you in a tight place ? Go to Newmarket in a 

 race week; go — well, go anywhere and get in a place 



