NOTICES OF PERU. » 385 



drawn out into a thread with the fingers, which were occasion- 

 ally rubbed on a large lump of chalk beside her, and twisted 

 by aid of a stick, having one end pointed, and on the other a 

 heavy button, that was set in motion by a dexterous twist of 

 the fingers, and the weight kept it revolving for some time. As 

 the thread was spun, it was wrapped on the stick that per- 

 formed the office of a spindle. In the same rancho, several sea 

 stars were roasting on the coals, and a young Indian was eat- 

 ing one with aji, which was contained in a small gourd. A lit- 

 tle to the northward, is a small stream of fresh water, on whose 

 banks grow some small trees, which are the only relief from 

 the reflection of the fine white sand. 



One of the persons whom we met in the port, was a young 

 man with black hair, dressed in a short jacket and pantaloons 

 of white, and without stockings. This personage very courte- 

 ously introduced himself to us as a lieutenant of the navy, and 

 offered his assistance to procure us horses to ride to San Pedro, 

 the chief town in the province, distant two leagues. Our party 

 consisted of three persons. After some delay, four horses were 

 brought forward, but only three saddles could be found, and 

 our compagnons de voyage would be three, so that we made 

 six in all. One animal was a little lean pony, about four feet 

 high, and it somehow happened that he fell to the longest 

 legged man in company. In place of a saddle, a fragment of a 

 rug was folded and placed on liis back, and the owner of the 

 animal insisted upon riding a ancas or en croupe. The other 

 chargers were, to judge from appearances, descendants either 

 in direct line, or from a branch of the renowned Rocinante, for 

 they seemed to possess all the spirit of their sire, and not a jot 

 more. I was fortunate, and had an entire horse to myself, so 

 that we set off" for the pueblo. 



Our route lay over deep sand, that did not retain the tracks 

 of our animals, and after a mile, we found ourselves amongst 

 drifting sand hills, which are common in several places along 

 the coast. Here the fellow-traveller of our long legged friend 

 got down, and took to his own legs, in preference to being 

 longer dandled on the sharp rear of the hard trotting pony. 

 Seeing him toiling through the sand, I, in sheer compassion, 

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