WRECK OF THE CHALLENGER. 



65 



runs through it. Here we dismounted, and our 

 guide, with the assistance of his major-domo, 

 went out and caught fresh horses, while we sat 

 by the fire drying our clothes, amused by the 

 interesting interrogations of two old dames, the 

 major-domo's wife and wife's sister, who were 

 feeding us with roasted apples and potatoes. 



Our guide came in with his trousers very 

 much torn ; and knowing that I had a needle 

 and some thread about me, applied to have them 

 repaired. This I was most ready to do, in return 

 for the kind treatment we had received, and the 

 essential services he had rendered us. He then 

 killed a sheep, which was cut in halves, and put 

 under our saddles, as provisions for the journey. 

 About one we again mounted, leaving directions 

 for the horses to be returned to the Indian from 

 whom we had borrowed them, took leave of our 

 kind hostesses, and galloped off on our fresh 

 steeds, much invigorated ; but before night 

 things we realtered — we were for galloping, 

 and they for walking. About two leagues from 

 our guide's residence, we crossed the river Euri- 

 heulHn, which forms the boundary of this part 

 of his portraco, which is about twelve miles in 

 length, and as many in breadth, and consists 



F 



