ARICA. 



193 



the ground is sometimes black, generally of a 

 dark brown, and here and there a streak of white 

 occurs ; but nothing more barren, forlorn, or un- 

 inhabitable, was ever seen. Nor can it be well 

 conceived without being witnessed; at least all 

 the ideas I had formed of such a scene fell infi- 

 nitely short of the reality ; which had the effect 

 of depressing the spirits in a remarkable degree, 

 and inspiring a horror which it is difficult to de- 

 scribe or account for. 



In the middle of the valley ran a small stream 

 of water, accompanied in its course through the 

 desert by a strip of rich green, infinitely grateful 

 to the eye, from the repose it afforded, after look- 

 ing over the surrounding country. The road was 

 judiciously carried amongst the trees, near the 

 margin of the stream ; and so luxuriant was the 

 vegetation, that we fairly lost sight of the neigh- 

 bouring hills amongst the great leaves of the ba- 

 nana, and the thick bushy cotton trees, the pods 

 of which were in full blossom. 



Being in quest of adventures, we rode up to 

 the first house we came to, which we found occu- 

 pied by a respectable old Don, a merchant of 



VOL, I. 



