40 



INTRODUCTORY. 



hoofs were round, sound, and apparently as hard as iron, we decided 

 not to shoe; and, I believe, did better than if we had followed a 

 contrary course. "We also purchased about a thousand yards of coarse 

 cotton cloth, made in the mills at Lima, and put up for mountain travel 

 in bales of half a mule-load ; hatchets, knives, tinder-boxes, fish-hooks, 

 beads, looking-glasses, cotton handkerchiefs, ribbons, and cheap trinkets, 

 which we thought might take the fancy of the Indians, and purchase 

 us services and food when money would not. These things were also 

 put up in boxes of the same size and shape, and each equal to half a 

 mule-load. Our trunks were arranged in the same way, so that they 

 might be lashed one on each side of the mule's back, with an India- 

 rubber bag, (also obtained from the Raritan,) which carried our bed- 

 clothes, put on top in the space between them. This makes a compact 

 and easily-handled load ; and every traveller in the Cordillera should 

 take care to arrange his baggage in this way, and have, as far as 

 possible, everything under lock and key, and in water-tight chests. 

 Such small, incongruous articles as our pots and pans for cooking, our 

 tent, and particularly the tent-pole, which was carried fore and aft 

 above a cargo, and which, from its length, was poking into everything, 

 and constantly getting awry, gave us more trouble than anything else. 



Our bedding consisted of the saddle-cloths, a stout blanket, and any- 

 thing else that could be packed in the India-rubber bag. An English- 

 man from New Holland, whom I met in Lima, gave me a coverlet 

 made of the skins of a kind of raccoon, which served me many a good 

 turn ; and often, when in the cold of the Cordillera I wrapped myself 

 in its warm folds, I felt a thrill of gratitude for the thoughtful kindness 

 which had provided me with such a comfort. We purchased thick 

 flannel shirts, ponchos, of India-rubber,, wool, and cotton, and had straw 

 hats, covered with oil-cloth, and fitted with green veils, to protect our 

 eyes from the painful affections which often occur by the sudden 

 bursting out of the sunlight upon the masses of snow that lie forever 

 upon the mountain tops. 



We carried two small kegs — one containing brandy, for drinking, and 

 the other, the common rum of the country, called Bon de Quemar, for 

 burning; also, some coarse knives, forks, spoons, tin cups and plates. I 

 did not carry, as I should have done, a few cases of preserved meat, 

 sardines, cheese, &c, which would have given us a much more agreeable 

 meal than we often got on the road ; but I did carry, in the India- 

 rubber bags, quite a large quantity of biscuit, which I had baked in 

 Lima, which served a very good purpose, and lasted us to Tarma. 



We had the mules fitted with the heavy, deep-seated box saddles ot 



