40 



THE ANDEI§. 



an officer^ at a custom-house^ on the road-^ 

 side. We slept on the outside of the cottage^ 

 where we halted for the nighty as we had done 

 the evening before; but we could not^ for a 

 long time^ get rid of a number of dirty girls^ 

 and old women^ who sat round our fire^ 

 giggling at us, and occasionally eating from 

 a pot of greasy soup. It was not until they 

 departed that we could retire to rest. We 

 were to start at five ; but the guide mistook 

 the hour and rose at two o^clock, and made us 

 rise also, so we had to wait for three hours. 

 Being too wide awake to sleep again, we had 

 no other resource than talking and drinking 

 mate round the fire until ready to start. We 

 were now only ten leagues distant from San- 

 tiago. At daylight we resumed our progress, 

 and emerging from the valley, entered upon a 

 flat burnt-up plain, skirted by mountains which 



