252 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



counted as provisions. Some of the Indians had a 

 few fowls, pigs, and turkeys of their own, which 

 they were in general willing to sell, and every morn- 

 ing those who came out to work brought with them 

 water, fowls, eggs, lard, green beans, and milk. Oc- 

 casionally we had a haunch of venison, and Doctor 

 Cabot added to our larder several kinds of ducks, 

 wild turkeys, chachalachas, quails, pigeons, doves, 

 parrots, jays, and other smaller birds. Besides these, 

 we received from time to time a present from the 

 Dona Joaquina or Don Simon, and altogether our 

 living was better than we had ever known in ex- 

 ploring ruins. Latterly, however, on account of the 

 thickness of the woods, Doctor Cabot had become 

 disgusted with sporting ; having no dog, it was some- 

 times impossible to find one bird out of six, and he 

 confined his shooting to birds which he wanted for 

 dissection. At this time, too, we received intelli- 

 gence that the fowls at the hacienda were running 

 short, and the eggs gave out altogether. 



There was no time to be lost, and we forthwith 

 despatched Albino with an Indian to the village of 

 Moona, twelve miles distant, who returned with a 

 back-load of eggs, beans, rice, and sugar, and again 

 the sun went down upon us in the midst of plenty. 

 A pig arrived from Don Simon, sent from another 

 hacienda, the cooking of which enlisted the warm- 

 est sympathies of all our heads of departments, Al- 

 bino, Bernaldo, and Chaipa Chi. They had their 

 own way of doing it, national, and derived from 



