THE GREAT CORDILLERA. 



161 



under the weight of the mules, who recovered 

 themselves in a surprising manner, and as if accus- 

 tomed to it. 



We now passed one of th3 brick huts, which, at 

 every two or three leagues, have been built to protect 

 the traveller from the dreadful storms which here 

 assail him, and after continuing our course till the 

 sun was low, we stopped at the second of these huts. 



We saw a party of loose mules at some distance 

 standing among the stones ; and leaving my mule at 

 the hut, I walked to them, and found two or three 

 " arrieros^' on the ground asleep. 



I leaned over one fat fellow, and asked him to give 

 me something to eat, for we had lost all our provi- 

 sions at the Ladera de las Vaccas. As he awoke, 

 he seemed at first alarmed at seeing a stranger well 

 armed so near him ; however, we soon came to an 

 understanding, and in a few seconds he was putting 

 some money into a long purse, while I was walking 

 towards the hut, with my arms filled with hard sea 

 biscuits, some dried beef (charque) with one hand 

 full of salt, and in the other red Chili pepper. 



With this our men prepared a good dinner, 

 while I reconnoitred our situation. It was barren 



M 



