NIGHT SCENE AMONGST THE ANDES. 139 



every step. He sees, for example, what he takes 

 to be a precipitous cliff, which judging from his ex- 

 perience in daylight, he fancies many a league off ; 

 but in the midst of his admiration, he thrusts his 

 head amongst the branches of an olive tree, the 

 dark outline of which he had mistaken for that of 

 one of the remote Andes. Or, being anxious to 

 inquire his road, and seeing what he conceives to 

 be a peasants hut some fifty yards before him, he 

 hastens forward to inquire the way ; but at length 

 to his amazement, discovers that this fancied hut 

 is some far distant peak of the Cordillera ! In 

 short, he is perplexed and bewildered at every 

 step. 



The day had been calm and sultry, but the 

 evening no sooner closed in, than we were cheer- 

 ed by a cool and reviving breeze, blowing gently 

 from the mountains, like the land-winds from off 

 the coasts of hot countries ; and, no doubt, from 

 the same cause, namely, the difference of tempe- 

 rature between the mountains and the plain. The 

 stars shone out with singular brilliancy, and we 

 rode on in pleasing uncertainty of what was to come 

 jiext. The fancy, at such a season, is very apt to 



