28 



THE ANDES. 



some of the horses^ and we rode forward the 

 next day on those which before had been driven 

 loose. Though we were provided with shoes 

 for re-shoeing the horses when necessary, and 

 every attention was bestowed in looking after 

 them, they still went lame from the roughness 

 of the paths. The mules alone seemed capable 

 of doing their work without injury. 



The crossing of the torrent in the morning 

 was both a dangerous and a tedious affair. The 

 unusual melting of the snow, added to the igno- 

 rance of the peon about the proper ford, created 

 a delay of at least an hour, whilst we tried first 

 one place and then another, finding most of 

 them too deep for the baggage. The peon, on 

 one occasion, got well soused in making an in- 

 effectual attempt to cross. The sagacity and 

 caution of the mules and horses were remark- 

 able. They dwelt unusually long upon each 



