40 



FISH AND HORNED CATTLE. 



white persons, who were of Spanish descent, and neatly dressed in blue. 

 The town was filled with people from the surrounding country. Musi- 

 cians marched round the plaza in the rear of six Indian matadores, who 

 taking their positions, a strict silence followed. A door opened, and 

 out popped an immense condor, fastened by the bill with a line, and to 

 the other end of which a large man was attached. This surprise 

 brought forth shouts and laughter. The bird flapped his large wings* 

 and ran about trying to escape. The music commenced again, and he 

 was taken out, when, during another silent pause, in bounced a young 

 wild bull. As the Indians shouted, he came to a stand in the centre, 

 as though waiting to be heard. He soon began to play ; shaking his 

 head, he made a dash, and knocked a man down. The Indian lay flat 

 upon the ground ; the bull bellowed with rage, while he endeavored to 

 get his horns under the body to toss him, throwing back dirt with his 

 fore-foot. Not succeeding, he got down on his knees, yet the Indian 

 was too flat for him to lift. Others came up and teased the bull away, 

 when he charged at several, until the animal was completely exhausted. 

 Then he made for the door, and the people so laughed at him, that he 

 came back in a rage ; but there were many on the ground, and he was 

 bewildered, and could not make up his mind who among us all he 

 could attack. He retired with the music ; others entered, till the after- 

 noon passed away. When we were far on our road, Jose said the 

 people were merrily dancing away the night. The chicha is brought 

 from a distance on jackasses, in large raw-hide bags, well corked ; two 

 bags are slung over the sides of the animal. 



In the flat bottom near the town of Suriti, some small fish were 

 bottled from a snow-water stream. During a heavy hail storm from 

 the southeast, sheep flocked together in small gangs, and stood in a ring, 

 with heads out, like a drove of partridges going to rest. The hail-stones 

 were as large as peas. Thunder clapped about our ears. At mid-day 

 thermometer, 65°; two hours after, amidst the hail storm, it fell to 41°. 



Ducks, geese, snipe, and a large black curlew, are found in the valley 

 in great numbers. In the rainy season, a portion of the lands are 

 flooded. Now the cattle have good pasture. This land shows the 

 remains of a large lake, to judge from appearances. The annual de- 

 posits washed from the mountains decrease the depth of water at the 

 end of each rainy season. The land gradually rises, channels are formed, 

 and the water is drained off", which in time will leave the valley free of 

 floods. When fish become extinct, horned cattle and the shepherd's 

 herd occupy their places. The Indians are breaking up their barley 

 stubble with ploughs. Population increases. The road is paved as we 



