208 



DESCRIPTION OF A CUESTA. 



of wind^ accompanied with rain, from whence we 

 had a view of the Andes, enveloped in black 

 clouds, where, it was very evident, there was a 

 severe temporal, or Snow storm. 



To look down these cuestas when at the top, 

 is a most beautiful sight ; the height, I should 

 imagine to be about one thousand feet ; and the 

 whole way up are beautiful zig-zag paths, each 

 about two hundred feet in length ; so that you 

 may look down and count fifteen or sixteen of 

 them at a time. While I was enjoying this 

 view, a troop of mules were ascending, and 

 another descending : they amounted in all to 

 about three hundred ; as they met, it was beau- 

 tiful to see the peons keeping their own troops 

 separate from each other ; for viewing them from 

 the height above, they appeared to be running in 

 all directions ; and when separated, it was impos- 

 sible to tell whether they were coming up or 

 going down, for they were all in contrary direc- 

 tions, according to the zig-zag paths they had 

 taken. Night overtook us, and it turned out 

 dark and rainy: my peon entertained me with 



