PRELIMINARY EXPLORATIONS. 45 



inquiry that three packets of letters besides newspapers 

 have been sent to me, and that the one I received was the 

 only parcel without enclosures for me. I expected also to 

 hear from the Minister and the Consul in answer to my 

 letters of introduction, which I left before I went up country. 

 I have written to the postmaster at Carandahy, have 

 been to the post-ofiSce here, and set on foot numerous 

 inquiries, which I hope will lead to something.* 



To-day the streets are crowded by thousands of beggars. 

 They are allowed by law to beg on Saturday, so they boldly 

 enter every shop, and attack all the passers-by, while the 

 church porches are full, as usual, of poor wretches exhibit- 

 ing ghastly sores to excite sympathy. 



Monday, July 23. — Burrell, who came out in the Coto- 

 paxi, arrived yesterday morning, and took me to church. 

 It is rather barn-like ; but the stipend is, I believe, ;^8oo a 

 year, the British Minister giving £ifiO, and twenty firms 

 and banks £20 each. I then went up the inclined plane by 

 invitation to visit Glover at Santa Theresa. He and Burrell 

 live with some other Englishmen in a boarding-house on 

 this hill, which commands one of the finest views of the 

 Bay of Rio that is to be seen from any inhabited spot. 

 We climbed about a little in the afternoon, but the heat 

 was very great ; and it rained such deluges the whole even- 

 ing that I was glad to accept the kindly offer of a bed, and 

 returned this morning very much pleased with my first 

 little excursion here. 



July 27. — All my business is completed, but it has been 

 much delayed by having to await the arrival of certain 

 steamers; however, I am off to-morrow. I had really 

 finished most of what was necessary the first day, but have 

 been compelled to spend an hour or two at least each day 

 * Some of these letters turned up two and a half months afterwards. 



