ciiAF. XVII. A THREATENED ATTACK. 313 



approaching. Said nothing ; took my whip and aroused the 

 others ; hung out the lanterns to shew them the way^, and shouted 

 defiance. Apparently^ the thieves thought they might have a 

 warm reception and went off. Night being very dark, we saw 

 no one. After this my people considered that it might be as 

 well to keep watch, and I went to sleep. A windy, rainy night. 



June 27. From Camp near High Road to Camp on the south side 

 of Carihuairazo. At 8.15 a.m. a muleteer from Machachi (known 

 to Cevallos) came in and said that eleven beasts had, been stolen 

 from him last night, a few miles on the other side of the tambo. 

 Even the loss of one animal would have caused us great incon- 

 venience, — probably would have upset everything ; and, as there 

 were evidently cattle-stealers about, we abandoned the measure- 

 ment, and moved upwards out of their reach, and beyond the 

 attentions of the robber of Chuquipoquio. At 1.30 p.m. broke up 

 camp, and proceeded by the valley between Chimborazo and 

 Carihuairazo, called Yacu-larca, passing a number of half-wild 

 cattle, with lashing tails and twitching heads, who could have 

 made a very pretty mess of us if they had charged ; and about 

 3.30 crossed the stream. 



In the bed of this river (the Rio Blanco) there were quick- 

 sands, of which I became aware by being nearly shot over the 

 head of my animal ; ^ and the slopes on the farther side were found 

 to be very swampy. Large thickets high up on the flanks of 

 our mountain, with trees of considerable age, lead one to suppose 

 that it was long since it was an active Volcano. We steered for 

 a rather prominent clump, in a vallon running north and south, 

 and camped at 13,377 feet on its western or right bank, nearly 

 due south of the two principal summits of Carihuairazo. Violent 

 wind at night from E. to N.E. Min. temp. 33° Faht. 



^ As the Rio Blanco was a trifling stream, we began to cross it in three or four 

 places at once. Several of the animals passed over without trouble. My own 

 refused to advance, until whipped, and in the very next step it plunged into a 

 quicksand. All hands coming quickly, it was speedily extricated. 



2s 



