THE VOYAGE OF THE HASSLER 161 
kind, much appreciated, give me a collarcita” (little 
necklace), but they had pleasant, sweet entreating 
voices and nothing of the street beggar about them. 
Yesterday, Friday, May 3, was the last day of a 
journey I shall never forget. Being the last day I in- 
dulged myself in a bit of romance and lunched under 
one of the thatched sheds where I have told you the 
poorer travellers take their meals. We had the new 
wine brewed yesterday and the fortillas on our cosy 
little table in the open air. I felt about eighteen and 
brimful of sentiment and poetry. Early in the day we 
reached Curicu, the small town where the railroad 
begins and romance ought to end. We did not expect 
much comfort here knowing it was a little place, but 
to my great surprise we were welcomed like friends 
by the host of a most respectable looking inn. He was 
a German, a political refugee, having taken part as a 
student in the revolution of ’48, was condemned to ten 
years’ imprisonment, escaped, and here he was. He 
was quite a gentleman, a man of education, knew all 
about Agassiz, had heard that he was on the road, had 
our rooms all ready for us, and gave us a hearty wel- 
come. 
Steindachner and I took our usual stroll after we 
had brushed off our dust and taken a cup of coffee 
(we always dine late to make the most of the day- 
light). We wandered through the Alameida and 
came to the foot of an excessively steep hill up which 
a winding path had been cut. As we went up we met 
many women and children either descending or as- 
cending; there were very poor women among them 
