CHAP. XVI. THE MASTER OF CANDELARIA. 303 



was decided to proceed via Penipe, and we went to that place on 

 June 16^ leaving part of our animals at Eiobamba to recruit.^ 



At Penipe, the Jefo-politico was also the village tailor. He 

 administered the law and mended trousers alternately ; and created 

 a favourable impression on five minutes^ acquaintance, after declar- 

 ing, according to the manner of the country, that his house was 

 ours, by adding with uncommon frankness, ''but, Senor, I would 

 recommend you not to go in-doors, for the fleas are numerous, and 

 I think your Excellencies would be uncomfortable ! '' 



Having obtained some information from him, we went on in 

 the afternoon to a small hacienda called Candelaria, a miserably 

 poor place, where nothing eatable could be had ; and, being advised 

 that mules could not be used much farther, negotiated transport 

 with several young louts who were loafing about. For eighteen- 

 pence each per day, and food, four of them agreed to go to the 

 end of their world — that is to say, to the head of the Valley of 

 Collanes. 



The master of this ragged team could hardly be distinguished 

 from his men. He was a young fellow of three or four and twenty, 

 who wore a tattered billycock hat, and no shoes or stockings. His 

 very sad countenance probably had some connection with his 

 obvious poverty. The farm could scarcely have been more bare 

 of food. There was general want of everything — of yerha for the 

 beasts, who had to go back for forage ; for ourselves there was 

 nothing; and food for the porters had to be fetched from a dis- 

 tance and sent up after us. The master volunteered to come on 

 the same terms as his men, and to this I consented, on condition 

 that he worked ; though feeling that it was somewhat out of ])\ace 

 to have one of the great landed proprietors of the country in my 

 train. This shoeless, stockingless, and almost scms-culottian youth 



1 Riobamba probably covers nearly as much ground as Quito. Its principal 

 Plaza is large, and the streets are made of very unusual width, as a precaution in 

 case of earthquakes. For the same reason the houses mostly consist of one floor 

 only. It had an empty and deserted air, and in 1880 cannot, I think, have contained 

 more than 7000 inhabitants. 



