CHAP. III. THE RETREAT. 79 



stop where we were. I reminded him of the labour which had 

 been incurred in establishing our camps, and pointed out the 

 severe loss that would occur if they Avere broken up. He 

 assented to all that I said, and simply took up the ^^osition 

 that lie would not ascend Ohimborazo again. Louis did not join 

 in the discussion, — the older man spoke for both. Upon asking 

 for a reason, he said that he considered the length of time we 

 were at so great a height was injurious to his health ; that he 

 had pains all over his body, and was afflicted with dysentery. 

 After spending much time in argument, and finding that he 

 could not be brought into a different frame of mind, I despatched 

 Perring to Guaranda to bring up mules for the retreat. ' 



To tell the truth, I did not think much of the ailments he 

 mentioned, for he appeared to be in very good 2)reservation ; 

 and I concluded that he was tired of the monotony of his life, 

 and unfavourably contrasted the tameness of our proceedings 

 with the dashing exploits to Avhich he had been accustomed. 

 From this point of view a good deal might have been said. The 

 cousins had been employed on Ohimborazo more as beasts of 

 burden than as mountaineers, in weather which for continuous 

 badness was the worst we had* known, in occupations that 

 brought them no compensation for the hardships they endured ; 

 and I did not feel inclined to judge them too harshly, though 

 intensely chagrined at their sudden collapse, and at being com- 

 pelled to descend when our work was not half finished. 



During the time Mr. Perring was absent, all the baggage 

 was concentrated below ; and on the 10th, when the team 

 arrived, it was speedily loaded, and despatched to the tambo of 

 Chuquipoquio, on the east side of Ohimborazo. Perring neces- 

 sarily accompanied the caravan as interpreter, and I remained 

 alone at the second camp ; for I refused to leave until some 

 of my projects were accomplished, amongst these the most 



* This day (Jan. 7) we went up to recover the instruments, and got to the 

 foot of the Southern Walls in eighty-five minutes. 



