TRADE OF VINCHUTA. 



199 



bad time, be would also slip into a gambling house and lose his month's 

 wages in a few moments. I have often persuaded him to let me keep 

 back his pay, and told him he should not throw it away ; when he would 

 gently answer, " Ah, serior, there are very few perfect people in this 

 world." We became much attached to him; Richards would often 

 say, " if we could only persuade Jose to go down the rivers with us, we 

 would be certain to get through." 



I also regretted to part with my faithful mule, Rose. She had car- 

 ried me nearly two thousand miles over the worst roads known to the 

 white man, without having fallen once during the whole route. This 

 was the third time she had descended the eastern side of the Andes into 

 the montana, without injury to herself or others. When she saw dan- 

 ger she came to a stand-still, and never would proceed until I dis- 

 mounted, and then she would often refuse to go on until some other 

 mule went before her. 



The horse may be driven into danger by the rider ; with the spur a 

 horse may be made to break his neck' over a rickety mountain bridge; 

 he is man's favorite ; is stabled, fed, combed, and watered, in health ; 

 when sick he has a doctor. But the jackass will^not cross a dangerous 

 place ; whip him, he hangs down his head, lays back his long ears, and 

 lets fly both heels at whoever attempts to force him. He will turn 

 round and bite ; in this he shows a higher order of intelligence than the 

 horse, Man beats the jack; uses him all day, and at night turns him 

 out on the road-side to feed upon thistles, and to find drink where he 

 can. 



Rose has the characteristics of both animals. In gentleness of dispo- 

 sition and intelligence, she takes after her sure-footed father, the jack ; 

 in activity, beauty of form, and liveliness of spirit, after her mother, the 

 mare, of the Argentine pampas. This cross is the only animal valu- 

 able as a beast of burden in these mountainous countries. The horse 

 would fall or be worried to death where the mule passes with ease. Their 

 backs are short, and therefore can carry a load better than a horse. The 

 jackass is too slow for a long journey, but like the llama will serve the 

 purposes of the Indian, who suits himself to the gait of those animals. 



The best mules are thought to be the females ; they are better tem- 

 pered, work easier, carry heavier loads, and keep in good order upon 

 less food than the male mule. The females are invariably the best sad- 

 dle mules. 



Vinchuta is the eastern commercial emporium of Bolivia, but foreign 

 manufactures come down from the mountains of the country instead of 

 the rivers from the sea. After the cotton goods, glass ware, and 



