62 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. hi. 



On January 1^ 1880, leaving the Carrels to continue this 



repulsive work, I went down to inspect the depot, where F 



was remaining as watchman, and took the three Indians to col- 

 lect firewood, as our stock was getting low. The majority of 

 the boxes were too solid to be broken open, and pilfering I foulid 

 had been confined to a wine case (from which six bottles were 

 abstracted) and to a flimsy trunk belonging to Perring. Having 

 despatched the Indians upwards with their loads of wood, I fol- 

 lowed them leisurely, searching in the Vallon de Carrel for treas- 

 ures that had no attractions for the authorities at Guaranda.^ 

 The Indians, saw their opportunity, and upon return to camp 

 I discovered that they had dropped their loads and brought up 

 no wood whatever ; and, having stealthily picked up their little 

 bundles of belongings under the very noses of the Carrels, had 

 vanished, like the others. 



The labour of porterage was again thrown upon Jean-Antoine 

 and Louis, Avho bore their burdens cheerfully, and started off at 

 an early hour on Jan. 2 with a couple of loads to the third 

 camp. About 10 a.m. Perring made his appearance, accompanied 

 by two persons in uniform, carrying rifles, and a muleteer and 

 boy with a load of wood. I recognised ^the guard,' but desired 



the other packages in the case several times with soap and water, and to rub 

 them bright with sand, before we could venture to open them. When opened, 

 we found that the stench had often penetrated the joints of the tins, and rendered 

 their contents unfit for consumption. The Avorst part of the business, however, 

 was the prejudice that it caused against the rest of the tinned food, all of which 

 was found to be unexceptionable, unless it had been defiled by the ox-cheek. 

 Some of my followers flatly refused to touch any of it. 



Messrs. Crosse and Blackwell did 7iot supply the ox-cheek and did supply 

 some of the rest ; and, as one would expect, their goods were found satisfactory. 

 Their preserved soups, in particular, were excellent for our purposes. 



^ In this vallon I found roches moutonnees several miles lower than the existing 

 Glacier de Thielmann ; and I obtained in it most of the insects and plants which 

 are enumerated In Chapters V. and XVIII. At a little less than 15,000 feet 

 above the sea I found a solitary fern (IWjpodlnni pycnolepis, Kze.). This is the 

 greatest height at which a representative of this family was obtained on the 

 journey. 



