CHAPTER XIII. 



PERU — CONTINUED. 

 1839. 



On the arrival of the Relief at Callao, Messrs. Pickering, Rich, 

 Agate, and Brackenridge, requested permission to make a jaunt to the 

 Cordilleras of Peru, for the purpose of making botanical collections. 

 I felt much gratified that this object had been effected, although I 

 could not but regret that they were suffered to depart without the 

 necessary instruments for obtaining the altitudes, which had been put 

 on board the Relief at Orange Harbour, for that very purpose. 



Mr. Rich spoke the Spanish language well, which afforded the 

 party many facilities for overcoming the difficulties that were thrown 

 in their way. 



In Lima the journey was considered as a very serious undertaking, 

 and likely to be attended with much danger, from the banditti who 

 frequent the route they intended to pass over, — that to the* mines of 

 Pasco. Through the friendly assistance of Mr. Biggs, of the house of 

 Messrs. Bartlett & Co., every thing was made easy. By his advice, 

 they supplied themselves, not only with blankets and horse-furniture, 

 but with all sorts of provisions, and particularly with bread, of which 

 they took as much as they could carry, notwithstanding the country 

 was described as well inhabited. As a preliminary step, it was 

 necessary to provide themselves with passports, for which they lost no 

 time in applying. After the delay of a day, the passports came in the 

 form of a letter of protection and recommendation from Lafuente him- 

 self, to the local authorities throughout all Peru, couched in the most 

 liberal terms, and treating the affair with as much importance as if it 

 were a national one. It is a regulation that the names of all who 

 receive passports, shall be published in the official gazette; their 

 intention, therefore, became known to all Lima. From the few who 

 w f 253 ) 



