THE ANDES. 



35 



I looked for it that morning in vain. The 

 peon^ who was a wag, and had been watching 

 my fruitless attempts to find it, heard me 

 grumbling about my loss ; at last he went to 

 the fire, where he drew out the spit, and pre- 

 senting it to me, very gravely said, Esto es 

 el baston senor;^^ in other words, " Here 

 is your honour's stick;'' and endeavoured to 

 console me by the assurance that we could 

 have had no supper if he had not dedicated 

 my stick to this employment. 



We passed without accident the torrent 

 not far from the place where we had slept. 



We now found the valley becoming gra* 

 dually greener, and perceived some herds of 

 cattle grazing at a distance. Soon afterwards 

 appeared two shepherds of Chile, on horseback. 

 Their saddles were composed of six or seven 

 immensely thick long-haired sheepskins, placed 



