74 



THE MARKET. 



We paid off and parted with the arriero, Pablo Luis Arredondo. I 

 did not find him so great a rascal as I expected ; for, except the disposi- 

 tion to get all out of me he could, (which was very natural,) and an 

 occasional growl, (which was also to be expected,) I had no reason to 

 be dissatisfied with Luis. Ijurra was always quarrelling with him ; but 

 I think Ijurra has the fault of his countrymen generally, and wants the 

 temper and patience necessary to manage ignorant people. By soft 

 words and some bribery, I got along well enough with the old fellow ; 

 and he loaded his mules beyond their usual cargoes, and drove them 

 along very well. I was frequently astonished at the difficulties they 

 surmounted, loaded as they were. The usual load is two hundred and 

 sixty pounds ; and these animals of ours, with, I am sure, in some 

 instances, a heavier load, and of a most incongruous and heterogeneous 

 description, ascended hills and descended valleys which one would 

 scarcely think an unloaded mule could travel over. Our riding mules 

 were perfect treasures : sure-footed, steady, strong, and patient ; they 

 bore us along easily and with comfort ; and Gibbon says that he will 

 part with his with tears, when we are compelled to give them up and 

 take to the boats. 



The market at Tarma is tolerably good, though the meat is badly 

 butchered. Beef costs six cents a pound ; a small leg of mutton, eigh- 

 teen and three-quarter cents ; good potatoes, nearly a dollar a bushel ; 

 cauliflowers, three small heads for twelve and a half cents ; oranges, pine- 

 apples, and peaches are abundant and cheap, but not good ; bread, very 

 good, is baked in small loaves by a Frenchman, four for twelve and 

 half cents ; flour comes from Jauxa ; eggs are ten cents a dozen. 



We had a visit from the Cura, and went to see the sub-prefect of the 

 province — a gentleman named Mier, who promised me such assistance 

 as I needed in my visit to Chanchamayo. Both of these gentlemen 

 earnestly deprecated the idea of trusting myself and party among the 

 " Chunchos" Indians on the other side of the river Chanchamayo, say- 

 ing that they were very hostile to the whites, and dangerous. The Cura 

 promised to look out for a servant for us. We had visits, also, from 

 several gentlemen of the town, among them a Senor Cardenas, who 

 gave me a copy of the memorial of Urrutia. All seemed much inter- 

 ested in my expedition to Chanchamayo, and hoped a favorable report. 



June 11. — We rode about a league down the valley which leads 

 to Chanchamayo, to the farm of General Otero, to whom we brought 

 letters from Mr. Prevost, and Pasquel, Bishop of Eretrea. We found 

 this farm a different sort of affair from anything we had hitherto seen 

 in this way in our travels. This is in a high state of cultivation, well 



