WRECK OF THE CHALLENGER, 



85 



ing made up his mind to accompany us to the 

 wreck, we started at 5 o'clock, and about sunset 

 came to a few ranchos on the top of a hill, called 

 Mitmessin : here we supped, and retired to bed ; 

 but passed a miserable night, in consequence of 

 its blowing a gale from the northward, and the 

 rancho being neither wind nor water tight. 



Saturday, SO. — Arose and breakfasted ; it 

 still blowing hard, and raining heavily : our 

 anxiety greatly increasing for the safety of the 

 crew. At 10 took leave of our friends, and ar- 

 rived at the Indian pueblo of Albarado at 11, 

 and went to the rancho at which we slept on our 

 way up. Here we found the people celebrating 

 a festival — singing and dancing in a frightfully 

 savage manner, all more or less intoxicated with 

 chichi. They would not allow us to proceed 

 until we acknowledged our friendship by par- 

 taking of some of their chichi. We then lit our 

 pajitas, and, about 3, crossed the river, which 

 we found running very rapidly, the current being 

 increased by the heavy rains. I stopped a few 

 minutes at the house of Camilo's major-domo : 

 the inmates welcomed my return ; but I was 

 obliged to hurry my visit, and rejoin the party. 

 We arrived at Lumaco at (i, having passed the 



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