Difficulty in procuring mulea.— The llama used ppi»n Sagacity of the mu(c— Casa Cancha — Mulelect'i 

 u a bcaat ot burden.— Inroad of vagabond!. Jr&lvLI. hut.— Nativu cooking and culing. 



many wealthy people. How true this may bo, it 

 waa impossible froin appearances to determine, 

 for tho high and low, the rich and the pour, alJ 

 seem to live in the sarue style. 



The difficulties that occurred in procuring mules 

 for their journey, had delayed the in ho long, us to 

 place it out of their power to proceed before the 

 m'Xt day. The opportunity of visiting the environs 

 u;i- t.i L'. tj, and a lurge collection of plant* was ob- 

 tained, the annuals being found in the right season 

 fur making collections. The cascade which mu 

 seen as they approached was vihited, ami exhibited 

 a picturesque and beautiful appearance, eveu when 

 it was four miles distant. 



At Obrnjillo there are to any pretty gardens and 

 fields, under a good stale of cultivation. 'Die 

 roadside itself looked like a flower-garden, and 

 flowers of every hue were seen on cither side, 

 calceolarias, lobelias, &c. 



Hire was thi« first point where they had met the 

 llama used as a beast of burden; the load which 

 they carry is from seventy U> ninety pounds. 



Un the Hlth, at an early bom, ■ iu< \ a^aLoiids, 

 assuming the name of Chilians, went the rounds 

 of the village, helping themselves to every thing 

 they desired, to the utter dismay of the inhabitants, 

 who made no resistance. The consequence was, 

 thai having neglected to supply themselves with 

 bread the evening before, they lust the opportunity 

 of doing it. This was a serious inconvenience, for 

 Obrnjillu supplies the upper country with bread, as 

 Lima ditcs the lower, and it is procured with diffi- 

 cnlty, except at these two places. Potatoes were 

 therefore token as a substitute, though a very in- 

 convenient one, from their great weight and bulk. 



They were on the route by bix o'clock, and an 

 hour's ride brought them to a spot where the river 

 formed a very picturesque rauid, soon after which 

 they entered into a wild and romantic pass, be- 

 tween steep acclivities and precipices of immense 

 height. 



At teu o'clock they reached Culnai, a distance 

 of live leagues ; it contains about thirty collages; 

 its height is believed to he ten thousand feet above 

 the sea, and here cultivation ceases, ending with 

 the potato, tropteoluin, oxalis, and basclla. Tho 

 second region of plants also terminates here; and 

 now ensued the ■ Paramero," or pasture region of 

 the Andes, avoided by the inhabitants of the lower 

 districts on account of the cold. This tlurd region 

 gives growth to a set of plants which make a 

 gradual transition from those of the second region 

 to low alpine scraggy bushes, none of which exceed 

 two feet in height. The Paramera is remarkable 

 for a dense sward of coarse grass, and low herba- 

 ceous plants, principally of the order composita.'. 

 The flowers of the latter it was remarked were 

 particularly large in proportion to the plant. These 

 form a rich pasturage for the Hocks and herds, 

 which are seen feeding in the valleyB and along 

 the sides of tho hills. 



No cultivation is attempted beyond Culnai, and 

 but two species of Cacti were met with above this 

 point. 



They had hitherto for the most part followed a 

 northerly direction, but now they diverged more 

 to tho north-east. The temperature was falling as 

 they ascended, the air was clear and bracing, and 

 the scenery as they advanced became more in- 

 teresting, and even sublime. To its wild and pre- 



cipitous features was now added the high snowy 

 peak of La Vinda in the distance, and some few 

 spots of snow were occasionally seen in places 

 sheltered from the sun's rays. The mule-paths 

 had become narrow, and when they met with 

 mules, which was often the case, it became neces- 

 sary to turn under the rocks, until the path was 

 clear. On one occasion, one of the party allowed 

 bis mule to take the outside ; the consequence was 

 that a muleteer shoved mule aud rider several feet 

 over the bank. No injury was received, and the 

 dilemma passed off with a good laugh at the fright. 



The sagacity of the mules on these occasions in 

 remarkable. They always endeavour to cling to 

 the wall side, and will succeed in doing it if not 

 pre vented by the rider. Their caution is great 

 when they apprehend danger in passing over steep 

 places ; the instant danger was anticipated, the 

 nose and fore b et were used to ascertain its ex- 

 tent, uhich done, the animals cautiously proceeded, 

 ami reached (he bottom with greal care and ease 

 both to the rider ami themselves. 



About three o'clock I hey had gained the fourth 

 or alpine region, where they were met wiih sharp 

 and cutting winds, accompanied with hail and 

 snow, that proved very uncomfortable 10 their 

 sunburnt faces : ibis was supposed u> be at an 

 eforaliofl of about fifteen thousand feel. Our gen- 

 tlemen now felt the effects of the elevation in 

 headache, difficulty of breathing, and excessive 

 latitude. The crest of the Cordilleras is at this 

 place a league in width, the surface very uneven, 

 containing small lakes without outlets, sunk in 

 deep hollows; beyond this the streams which form 

 the extreme sources of the Amazon were running 

 to the eastward. After travelling two leagues on 

 a gentle descent, they arrived at Casa Cancha 

 about ilnsk. 



Casa Cancha consists of three huts, und is no- 

 thing more thau a muleteers' rendezvous; the place 

 was in charge of two women, who in expression, 

 if not in form, might have been takcu for witches. 

 The accommodations, if they may be so called, 

 were an apartment common to all the inmates, 

 with no fastening to the door or windows, with- 

 out a fire, and nothing but the hard ground to lie 

 upon. 



At night the thermometer frequently falls to the 

 freezing-point, aud the climate is like that of wiu- 

 ter; there is not, however, a slick of wood nor any 

 resinous umb.'lliierje, as on the Chilian Amh«s to 

 be had, and the cooking is done with turf when it 

 can be obtained, but dry cowduug is most com- 

 monly used for this purpose. This is the only and 

 the beat establish men t the place affords; even the 

 first females in the country can procure no better 

 accommodations, and will bear it for the night 

 with contentment. 



As a special mark of distinction, a smaller npart- 

 ment was assigned to mir gentlemen, in a hut ad- 

 joining that in which their supper was cooked, of 

 which they witnessed the preparation. The cook- 

 ing range Was of peculiar construction, and might 

 serve as a pattern for a modern cu trine. It oc- 

 cupied one corner of the apartment, and appeared 

 to be convenient and well adapted to the wants of 

 the inmates. 



After a time the fore-quarter of mutton made 

 its appearance in the hands of their landlady, 

 scorched to a cinder. Being unprovided with a 



