ANDACOLLO LIMA PANAMA JAMAICA. 1 61 



and was assured by that gentleman that he would pro- 

 vide me with a horse that would take me to St. Anne^s 

 Bay and back in three days, the price I was to pay 

 being, I think, 21. 10s. I was advised to start early in 

 the morning, as the first part of the road is not much 

 worth seeing. I got up very early and proceeded to the 

 stables, where I found a quadruped (I won^t call it a 

 horse) ready saddled for me. I am sorry Ican^t describe 

 that animal ; I am extremely sorry I forgot to have his 

 photograph taken. All I can say is that it was a species 

 of grass-eating animal, proved by its having a wisp of 

 hay sticking out between its bit and lips, standing on 

 four very groggy legs, minus one eye, and covered all 

 over with some cutaneous eruption which had taken off 

 half its hair ; the black ostler volunteered the observation 

 that he " kicked considerable, and was death on the bite.''^ 

 I had almost forgotten to mention that he had a bridle 

 on several sizes too large for him, and was harnessed 

 with an extraordinary Spanish-looking saddle, which 

 reached nearly to his tail, one girth being buckled in 

 the usual way near the fore legs, and another being 

 placed behind the animals stomach close to his hind 

 legs, a precaution rendered necessary by the enormous 

 size of the saddle. Never in all my experieuce did I see 

 such an extraordinary turn-out. 



" Do you really think I am going to ride that beast 

 eighty miles ?" 



''This 'oss, sir; why, sir, he'll take yer flying, he 

 will." 



''1 wouldn't ride him, if I was paid 21. 10s. a mile."" 



" What, sir, not ride him ! Look here, sir !'' (patting 

 the nose of the quadruped affectionately and confiden- 

 tially), '^ you don't know him yet.'' 



M 



