OVERTAKEN BY MR. ROBERTSON. 271 



sailing in the Ayacucha brig; but it appeared 

 that he had changed his mind, and left his wife to 

 go round the Horn^ while he crossed the country. 

 We therefore, travelled on together through rain, 

 mud, and dirt. The roads were in a most dread- 

 ful state : it was certainly dangerous riding, but 

 who would not be anxious to get out of such 

 misery as soon as possible, and there is no other 

 method but galloping for it. Both our peons fell 

 together, when horses and men rolled over in the 

 mud, and were literally covered from head to 

 foot.^ I forgot to mention a poor miner belong- 

 ing to the Famatina Mining Company, whom I had 

 picked up on the road the day before yesterday; 

 he had three or four falls this day, and it was ab- 

 solutely impossible to tell what colour he was. It 

 rained without ceasing till three o'clock, still we 

 travelled through it, paying double posts in order 

 to get on. On arriving at the Puente de Marces, 

 to our mortification we found that here were no 

 horses to be procured : the ones we were on had 



* One received a severe kick in the eye. 



