158 ELIZABETH CARY AGASSIZ 
as to who we are and the strange countries we have 
come from. 
The next day we left Chilian very early, having our 
long day’s ride before us. This journey seems to make 
real for me what I have read of the mode of travelling 
a century and a half ago in England, — posting with 
five or six horses and an outrider, fording streams in 
the absence of all bridges; then the number of horse- 
men on the road, looking to be sure like Spaniards and 
not like Englishmen, in the broad hat and brilliant 
poncho, and with the enormous heavy stirrups; then 
women riding on pillions behind the men, sometimes 
countrymen with their mates, sometimes the better 
class of horsemen with a lady behind in flounced dress 
and crinoline. The life of a Spanish American on his 
horse is truly a double life; it is fascinating to see 
them, the man is absolutely one with his horse. One 
day we passed a troop of laden horses, and a man was 
trying to catch one that had strayed. He tore along 
at full speed,- horse and man swaying together and 
sometimes swooping sideways at such an angle that 
it seemed as if the man must fall off. The next instant 
he had thrown his lasso and was upright in his saddle 
as quiet as you please, the horse trotting quietly. 
This night, the fourth of our journey (Wednesday, 
May 1) we reached Sinarez. This is a small town 
and we should have fared badly at the little country 
inn but that a polite Chileno hearing a Senhora was 
in the case gave up to me the crack room of the 
house, the only nice one I fancy, so we fared very 
comfortably. | 
