ADVICE TO TRAVELLERS. 



167 



above all things ought to be sewed up in hide^ 

 for it may easily be supposed they will cut and 

 chafe a good deal in a journey of one thousand 

 three hundred miles ; for the want of this^ mine 

 were cut literally through, damaging my clothes 

 in the inside : and last not leasts a steady peon 

 must be engaged at Buenos Ayres^ to act as 

 servant ; and I would recommend^ if going to 

 Chili, to engage him for the whole way. So 

 much for the Pampas : the Cordillera requires a 

 little more circumspection, especially in the win- 

 ter. On arriving at Mendoza it is customary to 

 engage an arriero or guide of the mountains, 

 whose place it is to supply mules and peons to 

 carry over the luggage ; as I have before stated, 

 ours deceived us ; in the first place, not having 

 peons sufficient, next, very little provisions, and 

 thirdly, not having his charcoal made according 

 to agreement, before leaving Mendoza; which 

 was the cause of detaining us one day and two 

 nights at Uspallata, and so very true is it, that 

 delays are dangerous, that this one day proved 



