192 MULES. 



and dells that fancy can depict. At eleven 

 o'clock we stopped to breakfast at one of 

 the refreshment houses, or ventas. Finding 

 that our mules were completely tired, I en- 

 quired if it were possible to procure fresh 

 ones; the muleteer, who had by this time 

 become a little sobered, answered in the 

 affirmative, but without mentioning the dis- 

 tance at which they were to be obtained. 

 I immediately set off with him, leaving my 

 friend to look to the preparation of our re- 

 past. The muleteer and myself descended 

 the mountain, and proceeded to a deep glen 

 beneath, a distance of at least a league from 

 the house where we had stopped ; on reach- 

 ing the farm-yard at the foot of the moun- 

 tain, I was of course very anxious to have 

 mules got ready without delay ; but after 

 much entreaty I discovered that there were 

 none upon the spot, and that in order to 

 procure any, it was necessary to send out 

 and catch them. 



