142 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



indeed to have them on the way to Lima again safe 

 and sound without their having passed over to the 

 enemy. 



Lake Titicaca, at an elevation of 12,500 feet, on the 

 boundary of Peru and Bolivia, is a sheet of water some 

 120 by 40 miles, about half the size of Lake Erie. On 

 arriving at the little town of Puno, on the shore of the 

 lake, Agassiz found that Mr. Garman had chartered a 

 small schooner, and was off on a dredging expedition. 

 One may imagine his surprise to see the cows in the neigh- 

 borhood, finding nothing to eat on shore, wade up to 

 their middles in the lake, and dive bodily in search of 

 water weeds, a habit which he noticed had as yet pro- 

 duced no apparent effect on these amphibious animals, 

 although carried on for a good many generations. 



TO MRS. LOUIS AGASSIZ 



Puno, Feb. 20, 1875. 



I wrote you such a shabby letter last time ; what with 

 the hurry and the difficulty of rinding room for a peace- 

 ful time, it seemed as if I never would get a moment. I 

 have been living in Puno on board a railroad car fitted 

 up for the engineers, in which I have a bunk, and natu- 

 rally the space at my command is not large. The car has 

 at one end a small kitchen, then comes a small dining 

 room with three bunks at one end, then a space for two 

 bunks and a little bit of a parlor at the other end. It is 

 very compact and cozy and enjoys the name of " Saints' 

 Rest;" it is very appropriate for this country, as the 

 saints are always much better taken care of than any- 

 body else, in spite of their not needing it much. 



All the time I have had in Puno I have spent in 



