368 



JOURNEY. 



found my young friend very sentimental and 

 home-sick, as he had only just quitted his do- 

 mestic circle, to which he was much attached. 

 Our fare was not particularly sumptuous : he 

 made some soup from pork-sausages, salt-beef, 

 and the ar^acatcha root; and T supplied a salted 

 fowl, cooked in rice, which ate like tough lea- 

 ther, having neither savour nor flavour. Our 

 chief comfort was a cup of good chocolate 

 and some biscuit. I now found myself de- 

 prived of any chance of obtaining punch, as, 

 through the carelessness of a peon, the cala- 

 bash, which contained my spirits, was split, 

 and the liquor had leaked out. We did not 

 drink intemperately, as water was our only 

 beverage ; and we did not admire Doctor 

 Sangrado's prescription sufficiently to partake 

 too copiously of it. 



January 2d. At six, a. m., the thermome- 

 ter at 55^. The road on this day terrible; — 

 was compelled to walk great part of the way. 

 In many places, I observed above my head 

 the line of road formed by the Spaniards, as 

 the beams were sticking out at the sides, 

 which had been placed there to give solidity 

 to the whole : in other parts, when mounted 



