THE GREAT CORDILLERA. 1^9 



Still, while the capataz and peon first put on the 

 large straw pack-saddle, which they girthed to him 

 in such a manner that nothing could move it. 

 They then placed the articles one by one on each 

 side, and bound them all together, with a force and 

 ingenuity against which it was hopeless for the 

 mule to contend. 



One could not help pitying the poor animal, on 

 seeing him thus prepared for carrying a heavy 

 load such a wearisome distance, and over such lofty 

 mountains as the Andes; yet it is truly amusing 

 to watch the nose and mouth of a mule, when his 

 eyes are blinded, and his ears pressed down upon 

 his neck in the poncho. Every movement which 

 is made about him, either to arrange his saddle or 

 his load, is resented by a curl of his nose and upper 

 lip, which in ten thousand wrinkles is expressive, 

 beyond description, of every thing that is vicious 

 and spiteful : he appears to be planning all sorts of 

 petty tricks of revenge, and as soon as the poncho is 

 taken off, generally begins to put some of them into 

 execution, either by running with his load against 

 some brother mule, or by kicking him ; however, 

 as soon as he finds that his burden is not to be got 



K 



