LORE TO INHABITANTS. 



253 



his ease than those who get into tight-fitting old cloth clothes. Bed- 

 steads, chairs, and tables were put into different rooms, with jars of 

 fresh water. Indians came rubbing their eyes, and, looking at us, 

 smilingly offering to assist the correjidor. A fire was kindled, water 

 heated, and a first-rate chicken soup made, while the cotton hamacs 

 were slung across the room. A white table-cloth was spread ; after 

 soup, coffee was produced, and the party rested in the hamaes, with 

 home-made cigars. 



The day's ride has been a fatiguing one. The motion of a horse 

 wading in water is unpleasant and harassing, both to man and beast. 

 This journey to Trinidad cannot be made on horseback during the rainy 

 season. The roads are navigable for canoes half the year, when trav- 

 elling is much more easy than when the season is called dry. The 

 Indian builds his hut on those elevated places which remain islands ; 

 when the great flood of waters come down, crickets, lizards, and snakes 

 crawl into his thatched roof ; droves of wild cattle surround his habita- 

 tion. Armadilloes rub their armor against the pottery in the corner 

 of his hut, while the tiger and the stag stand tamely by. The alligator 

 comes sociably up, when the "gran bestia" seats himself on the steps by 

 the door. The animal family congregate thus strangely together under 

 the influence of the annual deluge. Those of dry land meet where the 

 amphibious are forced to go, and as the rains pour down, they patiently 

 wait. Birds fly in and light upon the trees and top of the hut, while 

 fish rise from out of the rivers and explore the prairie lands. The 

 animals begin to seek a place of refuge in the month of January, when 

 the soil becomes gradually covered. As the waters subside in March, 

 they spread out over the drying earth, and pasture upon young grasses, 

 which spring up upon the passing away of the flood. At these annual 

 meetings of the beasts, birds live upon fish and upon each other. All 

 the carniverous animals, man included, fare the best ; while horned 

 cattle, tapirs, deer, and horses suffer for want, and become an easy prey. 

 As the fluctuation is uncertain, many are drowned, or die from exhaus- 

 tion in running about with the water up to their chins, out of sight or 

 reach of shelter. 



The Indians of Mojos are not friendly to the Spanish race at heart ; 

 that they love and respect the influences and arrangements of the church 

 there is no doubt. The Indians of Loreto are of the Mojos tribe, and 

 are remarkable for beauty and intelligence. The men are very indepen- 

 dent. One of the most wealthy went to his chacra, while the prefect 

 was here, and remained there, not only because he disliked him, but all 

 the creole race. 



