246 TRAVELS A3I0NOST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. xiii. 



possible, as they brought nothing, and ate up food we wanted. 

 People grumbling, and wanting to return. 



April 15. At Corredor Machai. Started Verity and David 

 at 4 a.m. to hurry up provisions, as we are now reduced to 

 biscuit and water. It continued to rain incessantly. This 

 night while dozing in my den, I thought the stars had at last 

 come out. Found that the light proceeded from a luminous 

 beetle. Caught it, and put it into methylated spirit.^ 



"Disputes have been, and still prevail, 

 From whence his rays proceed, 

 Some give that honour to his tail. 

 And others to his head." 



Or, at least, so says a Poet. Though this insect must have 

 expired in a minute or two after immersion, it glowed for 

 several hours ; and gave enough light to tell the time by my 

 watch, and to read the small writing in my Journal. The light 

 was emitted from the two abdominal segments next above the 

 lowest one. Min. temp, at night 39° '5 Faht. 



April 16. At Corredor Machai. At mid-day temperature 

 rose to 58° Faht. ! In the afternoon, the Jovial Man and the 

 Spy arrived with meat, bread, and other things just at the 

 right time, and soon afterwards it left off raining. AYith the 

 exception of about twelve hours in all, it has rained continu- 

 ously from the night of the 10th until now. At 4 p.m. mists 

 cleared away a little, and at 5 we saw Sara-urcu. Got its 

 bearing and sketched it.'^ In a few minutes the mountain was 

 invisible again. Arranged for a forced march to-morrow. 



All the reeds round about our platform at the base of the 

 cliff had been cut or beaten down, so that the view should not 

 be impeded. The mountain appeared nearly in the place wo 



^ Mr. Gorham identifies this insect as a male Photinus longipennis of Motschul- 

 sky, and says it is common in Colombia. I had previously obtained a female at 

 La Dorraida. See Supp. App., p. 48. 



2 It was useless to try to photograph in this misty atmosphere. One could 

 not work with the camera with the same certainty as with the pencil. 



