40 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



" May you be more fortunate than either of your pred- 

 ecessors has been." It was melancholy, that one who 

 had died abroad in the service of his country was thus 

 left on a wild mountain, without any stone to mark 

 his grave. I returned to the house, directed a fence 

 to be built around the grave of Mr. Shannon, and my 

 friend the padre promised to plant at its head a cocoa- 

 nut-tree. 



At daylight the muleteers commenced loading for 

 the passage of the Mountain." At seven o'clock the 

 whole caravan, consisting of nearly a hundred mules 

 and twenty or thirty muleteers, was fairly under way. 

 Our immediate party consisted of five mules ; two for 

 Mr. Gather wood and myself, one for Augustin, and 

 two for luggage ; besides which, we had four Indian 

 carriers. If we had been consulted, perhaps at that 

 time we should have scrupled to use men as beasts of 

 burden ; but Seiior Ampudia had made all the arrange- 

 ments for us. The Indians were naked, except a small 

 piece of cotton cloth around the loins, and crossing in 

 front between the legs. The loads were arranged 

 so as to have on one side a flat surface. The Indians 

 sat on the ground with their backs against the surface ; 

 passed a strap across the forehead, which supported 

 the load ; and, adjusting it on their shoulders, with the 

 aid of a staff or the hand of a by-stander rose upon 

 their feet. It seemed cruel ; but, before much sympa- 

 thy could be expended upon them, they were out of 

 sight. 



At eight o'clock Mr. C. and I mounted, each armed 

 with a brace of pistols and a large hunting-knife, which 

 we carried in a belt around the body ; besides which, 

 afraid to trust it in other hands, I had a mountain ba- 

 rometer slung over my shoulder. Augustin carried 



