CHAIN BRIDGE. 



69 



the lakes at Morococha, joins this river here, and this is the connexion 

 that I spoke of between those lakes, near the very summit of the Andes 

 and the Atlantic ocean. 



The bridge consisted of four chains, of about a quarter of an inch 

 diameter, stretched horizontally across the river from strong stone-work 

 on each side. These are interlaced with thongs of hide; sticks of 

 about one and a half inch in diameter are laid across them and 

 lashed down, forming a floor. Two other chains are stretched across 

 about four feet above these, and connected with them by thongs of 

 hide; these serve for balustrades, and would prevent a mule from 

 jumping off. The bridge was about fifty feet above the water when we 

 passed. It seems very light, and rocks and sways under the motion of 

 the mules in crossing it. The heavy cargoes are taken off and carried 

 over on the shoulders of the bridge-keeper and his assistants. The toll 

 is twelve and a half cents the mule ; and the same, the cargo. The 

 bridge- ward seemed astonished and somewhat annoyed when I told him 

 that one of the cargoes which he left on the mule was the heaviest I 

 had, being a box filled with bags of shot, balls, and powder, together 

 with the specimens of ore and rocks we had collected. 



The river at this place turns from its southern course and runs to the 

 eastward, by the village of Oroya, where we camped. This village con- 

 tains about one hundred inhabitants, though we saw only five or six 

 men ; most of the male inhabitants being away to the harvest on the 

 plains above. The women seemed nearly all to be employed in spin- 

 ning wool; holding the bundle of wool in the left hand and spinning it 

 out by a hanging broach. Very few of them spoke Spanish, but a cur- 

 rupt Quichua, or language of the Incas. We bought barley straw for 

 the mules, and got a beef chupe, with eggs and roasted potatoes, for 

 ourselves. We saw some small trees within the deserted enclosures 

 where houses had been, bearing a very fragrant flower, something re- 

 sembling the heliotrope, but much larger, and tinged with a reddish 

 color. We also saw flocks of sheep, but got no mutton for dinner. 



June 6. — Got under way at 9 a. m., steering N. N. E., and making 

 a considerable ascent for about two miles. We then rode over a plain, 

 with rolling hills on each side, covered with a short grass, giving 

 pasturage to large flocks of sheep and some cows. The road then rose 

 again, taking our column of mercury in the barometer out of sight, till 

 half-past eleven, when we stood at the head of a ravine leading down to 

 the valley of Tarma. The height of this spot above the level of the 

 sea was eleven thousand two hundred and seventy feet. We rode down 

 this ravine, north, for three-quarters of an hour, and at an angle to the 



