286 TRAVELS AMONGST THE GREAT ANDES, chap. xiv. 



bounding down the declivity, had been hopelessly smashed into 

 thousands of fragments, and we abandoned the wreck of our 

 fragile treasures on the dreary paramo. 



When night fell we were still some hours from Malchingi, 

 stumbling and floundering among ruts and camellones. The others 

 implored me to stop, and we dropped down and camped in a 

 muddy ditch on the open moorland. I have reposed on better 

 and cleaner couches ; though, after all, a muddy ditch is not the 

 worst of beds — one soon becomes attached to it. At 'Malchingi 

 the dilapidated mule was left to recruit, and I pushed on to Quito 

 — Cevallos following at his leisure ; and arrived at the Capital 

 at 10 p.m. on the 3rd of May, feeling more dead than alive, and 

 looking, I was told, ^ fit for the grave. ^ 



THE MONEY-BOX. 



