4 THE ANDES. 



»«. 



the whirl of a torrent^ and we had cause to con- 

 gratulate each other when we were safe over, 

 for we were told^ for our comfort^ that last year, 

 about this time^ a drove of mules from Chile, 

 in attempting to cross at the same ford, were 

 swept away and perished. I slept in the open 

 air, on my blankets, in front of the farm-house; 

 but during the night I was continually awakened 

 by certain horrible insects, called binchuchas, 

 common in this province, and in Chile. They 

 are of the size of a blackbeetle. They fly about 

 at night only, and settle upon the skin. 

 The bite of the binchucha excites an inflam- 

 mation, and itching pain, from which tra- 

 vellers suffer more than from that of the 

 mosquito ; besides which, being very large, 

 they must take away a considerable quantity of 

 blood. We rose at two o^clock, by moonlight, 

 sent the peons to collect our beasts, made a 



