CHAP. VII. FIRST CAMP ON COTOPAXI. 139 



3.50 p.m., on arriving at a rude framework of poles at the height 

 of 15,130 feet, we decided to camp, and sent all our animals back 

 to Machachi — presently learning that we had unexpectedly hit 

 on the place where Von Thielmann had stopped, by discovering 

 a bottle containing his record. 



It was not a very eligible locality, for two of the essentials 

 of a good camping-place — wood and water — were wanting ; and 

 one half of my forces went upwards in search of s7ioiv, whilst the 

 others descended two thousand feet in quest of scrub, leaving me 

 in charge of the camp, to act as cook, journalist, and cattle-tender. 

 One of the sheep had already been killed, and some of the choicest 

 cuts had been placed in our pots and kettles to be boiled, and I 

 promised my people that when they returned they should have 

 such a feed as would make up for days of semi -starvation. But 

 when they were gone I began to think that I had promised too 

 much, for the fire would not burn, and I had to lie flat on my 

 stomach and blow hard to keep it alight at all. And then snow 

 and hail began to fall, and I found my feet got uncomfortably 

 cold while my head was exceedingly hot, and just at this time 

 I heard a noise, and, looking up, perceived that the other sheep, 

 which had not been turned into mutton, had escaped from its 

 fastenings, and Avas hurrying down the slope. I gave chase and 

 caught it, and talked to it about the wickedness of attempting 

 to escape. The sheep certainly looked sheepish, but it would not 

 return upwards without much persuasion, and when we got up 

 again I found that the sheej) that liad been turned into mutton 

 had turned over into the volcanic ash, and had nearly put out 

 the fire. All the broth had descended among the ash, the fire 

 was nearly extinguished, and the meat itself w^as covered in a 

 most abominable way with a sort of gritty slime. Such nasty- 

 looking stuff it has never been my lot to see, before or since ; 

 and I almost blush to think of the devices which had to be em- 

 ployed to make it presentable. But alFs well that ends well ! I 

 came up to time, and my people were never the wiser, though 



