112 Ascent of the Volcano of Fopocatepetl. [February, 
We were urged to discard our shoes and let the guias wrap 
our stockinged feet in rags with a pair of rough leather sandals, 
but we preferred to wear over woolen stockings our ordinary 
high shoes and over the latter a pair of arctics, and found that 
they answered the purpose admirably in walking over the soft 
snow and yielding sand of the peak, while our feet did not suffer 
from the piercing cold winds of the early morning hours. We 
had provided ourselves at Mexico with a pair of native blankets 
for the bivouac at the ranch. Thick gloves are also needed, 
while blue-glass goggles, which most of the party bought at 
Norriega’s, are absolutely indispensable. It is impossible to walk 
over the snow fields of Popocatepetl in the glaring sunshine with- 
out them. I carried and tried to use a pair of colored eye- 
glasses, but they would slip off while walking, and proved a 
source of constant annoyance until my guia changed with me, — 
and considerately made the best use he could of my glasses. 
The charges of the guide Rafael were fair, but we could have 
dispensed with the Spanish assistant guide and the mozo to attend 
the horses. The gutas, or sub-guides, were Indians, nearly of 
quite full-blooded, and were strong, faithful young men. They 
expected and received besides their regular pay a gratuity for 
their services. Were I to make the ascent again alone, a good 
mozo besides the guide would be indispensable. No one should 
attempt to ascend the mountain alone without such attend- 
ance, as some accident might happen on account of the altitude, 
though there.is no dangerous climbing. We were gone a day 
and a half from Amecameca, but of course two working days 
were spent and charged in our bill, _ 
Our cavalcade passed through the dusty hot streets of the 
town, here and there shaded by hedges of cactus or maguey and 
rows of mesquite trees, the unclouded tropical sun beating upon 
our heads, though a cool westerly breeze somewhat refreshed us. 
Leaving the town the road passed through broad wheat and corn 
fields, and in an hour's ride from the city we left the plain and 
came to the edge of the foothills of the cordillera of Ahualco, 
the range from which rises the two volcanoes, of which Popocate- 
petl is the southernmost. — 
We were now ascending, and were for several hours to ascend 
the range, into the pass between the two volcanoes over the trail. 
made by Cortez during his march from Puebla to the City of 
+ 
Ataa 
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