■^^ Wll.ll l-I.OWI'.kS OF ((lI.OKAno. 



tliat he must load, the others woul.l follow without .rui<iin<r T 

 would like to s.i\-e you a sketch of the start, but, as 1113' sketches 

 must be confined to flowers, I refrain. 



We follow the bell. The animals arc so small that the tall 

 men of the party are obliged to hold their legs akimbo to keep 

 their feet from dragging. There was a halt at least every ten 

 mmutes. Some one of the party is on the ground instead of on 

 the burro, and the saddle is where the "cingle" should be. The 

 unfortunate one is helped up, the saddle is adjusted, and we start 

 again— I wish I could say on a trot, but with all the coa.xing and 

 whij.ping they can not be persuaded to go faster than a walk, and 

 th.w insist upon having their own w.ny in climbing a mountain. 

 'Hiey follow their leader, who ^^■l\\ go along the side of the 

 mountain for eight or ten rods, then take a short upward turn of 

 ten or tweh'e feet, and make a trail in the shape of the letter 

 S until they reach the top. They are taught this, when y.,ung, 

 by the miners, who use them for carrying immense loads to their 

 mines. I have seen them so loaded d.nvn with tents, provisions, 

 and all kinds of cabin furniture that you could hardly see the 

 animal. 



It is a queer sight to see ten or fifteen of these little thincrs 

 Starting- out ior some mine, perhaps miles away. They will carry 

 without injury to themselves two hundred and fifty pounds each. 



On one of them I once saw tent poles fastened on length- 

 wise ; on these was placed a tent, and on the tent sat a cooking 

 stove, with tea-kettle and fr)'ing-pan fastened on it. You could 



