394 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



were crawling about. From this mass the juice distilled, 

 flowing in a stream through an opening at the lower end of 

 the vat into a wooden tub sunk in the ground. On tasting 

 the juice in the tub, we found that it possessed no flavour 

 but that of sweetness. At some distance beyond the vine- 

 yard we passed a remarkable suspension-bridge over the river, 

 at one end of which was a hovel, with walls formed entirely 

 of reeds and saplings ; and farther on we noticed many more 

 habitations of an equally primitive description. Three 

 methods of building seem to prevail among the dwellings of 

 the lower classes in the country. In the first, the walls are 

 formed of adob^ bricks, in the second of saplings plastered 

 with mud, and in the third of saplings with the interstices 

 left open. About noon we ascended a hill of about eight 

 hundred feet in height, for the sake of the view to be gained 

 from the summit, which was very fine. The tall Cereus 

 abounded everywhere on the hills ; and on cutting out pieces 

 from the circumference of some of the plants with a pocket- 

 knife, I observed an abundance of sphseraphides, which fell 

 out like little white grains of sand. On the parasitic Zo- 

 ranthus, I found many examples of an insect apparently allied 

 to Coccus, with a thick gummy secretion covering the dorsal 

 surface. After descending this hill, we continued to follow 

 the road for some miles, at length leaving the mud walls 

 behind us. As it was winter, very few plants were in bloom, 

 a pretty purple-flowered shrubby species of Witheringia, and 

 a Leguminous shrub {Psoralea), with racemes of small bluish- 

 white flowers, being almost the only specimens obtained. A 

 characteristic feature of these mountain-roads was furnished 

 by long cavalcades of mules carrying great hide panniers, the 

 leader provided with a bell which tinkles as he goes. We 

 spent some time watching with interest a couple of peons 



