LOSE A MULE DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. 107 



but not losing their balance^ slipping on their 

 haunches^ at times thirty or forty feet down the 

 mountain ; all this time the peons were shouting, 

 roaring, and whirling their lassoes ; at last one 

 mule lost its balance, and over he went, rolling 

 and bounding head over heels, two hundred feet 

 down the mountain into the torrent beneath, 

 where he was whirled and dashed against the 

 rocks by the velocity of the current, and much 

 to my astonishment reached the opposite side of 

 the river apparently not much injured by its fall, 

 but its services lost to us ; presently the one 

 with half our provisions lost its hold, over and over 

 he went, all the lassoes flew at him, when after 

 bounding all down the mountain, they brought 

 him up just as he reached the torrent, thus 

 saving the poor animal and our provisions, but 

 we lost all our wine, some bread and beef, and 

 a pot for boiling. This day's work was not yet 

 over : as we advanced, the snow increased, and 

 we arrived at the fifth pass, Juan de Pobre; 

 which, if possible, was worse than all, for it was 



