Tlif AiiOe* or La Vltid*. wr-ntt lluac fondor *ecn. n 



IUiW 1 fcUU. purtrait oi the »lcaldc'§ ftthcr-ln-Iaw. 00 



of the delay necessary to pass down to the places 

 where they were at work ; and wishing to devote 

 their attention to the interesting region of botany 

 in which they then wore, they gave up their pur- 

 pose of descending. 



On part of their journey did they find so 

 many remarkable, plants as 011 this mountain. 



Towards the middle of the aftemouu they re- 

 turned to the hut, when they determined to pro- 

 ceed to Banns. Previous to leaving Alpamarca, 

 they had some difficulty with the guides, who were 

 dissatisfied with their bargain; it therefore required 

 s MM management to prevent them from deserting 

 altogether, and caused our gentlemen smite fear 

 Jest they might he compelled to return ; but after 

 much dispute, the- guides consented to proceed, 

 although it must be allowed that the bargain was 

 far from being advantageous to thcra. 



Along the mad to Dafms they passed some 

 rirlg^H. with snow anil ire coming at times down to 

 the' path ; also lakes in deep ravines, somewhat re- 

 sembling small craters, which, like all the rest thpy 

 had seen, were tenanted by numerous water-fowl. 



The crest nf the Andes did not appear here quite 

 so liroad as it had bean found to be four leagues to 

 the southward, but its elevation was thought to be 

 greater. The continuous ranges of snowy peaks in 

 the direction of Pasco were very striking. The 

 Indians have names for all the most remarkable 

 ones, hut the Spaniards embrace the whole, toge- 

 ther with the principal one, under the name of La 

 Vinda. 



Fr<«m the direction of the descent to the north- 

 ward and westward, they began to suspect they 

 were descending upon the western slope of the Cor- 

 dilleras instead of the eastern ; this proved to he 

 the eas.-, which was no small disappointment, as it 

 was their original intention to reach the wooded 

 district on the eastern slope, termed " Montana*. " 

 In this they were therefore disappointed. As they 

 proceeded the country improved, the climate be- 

 came milder, aud the" soil richer ; on their way 

 they crossed a small stream, which was said to bo 

 the source of the river Chaucai. 



At dark they reached IWms, which is computed 

 tn be upwards of fivo leagues from Casa Cancha. 

 lianos is considered to be at about the sun.' eleva- 

 tion as Culnai, but the descent is more rapid to the 

 former. According to the custom of the country, 

 thev applied to the alcalde for accommodations, who 

 is obliged, according to law, to furnish travellers 

 with a house, if the town should possess none f»r 

 the use of strangers, free of expense, and to pro- 

 vide them with a cook; the travellers buy their 

 own provisions, and pay for the cooking, one real 

 for each dish. 



Ban us i<i celebrated for its mineral hot-springs, 

 from which it derives its name ; they flow from the 

 base nf a high mountain. 



The town consists of about thirty houses and a 

 church, of which the inhabitants arc very proud. 

 It 18 a neat village, situated in a deep ravine, by 

 the side of a tumbling wiream. bounded on both 

 sides by mountains three thousand feet high. The 

 mountain sides appear so precipitous, that the 

 remark was made by one of the party, "that he 

 could not e .nceive why the cattle that were feeding 

 on their sides did not fall off." 



Along the margin of the stream, carnations, 

 pinka, stock gillyflowers, and French marigolds 



are naturalized ; the pinks grow in immense num- 

 bers in every ciack and crevice. 



The cabbages here are woody and arborescent, 

 like ihe cow or trei -cabbage, the trunk aud branches 

 being quite hard and covered with bark ; they 

 have at a distance sonic resemblance to the Drug- 

 mansia suavt oiens. 



The thermometer stood nt 50°, and the weather, 

 in comparison with the day before, was quite mild. 



The soil m this valley is good, and cultivated in 

 some places with care : tm fruit was observed. 

 The largest trees wvix' a species of elder and 

 a bmldiea ; calceolaria, salvia, and heliutropium 

 abounded. 



On the 22nd they determined to remain at Banns, 

 j At an early hour 111 the morning they found the 

 village deserted, and it appeared on inquiry that all 

 the inhabitants had gone abroad to tend their herds. 

 For the purpose of taking as wide a range as pos- 

 siUe in search of plants, mir gutleineu separated, 

 some going up, while others descended ; they all 

 met with great success in their botanical researches. 

 Or. Pickering attempted the ascent of one of the 

 summits • by noon he had reached a high eleva- 

 tion, and looking up, he espied a huge condor soar- 

 ing down ihe valley. lie stopped to observe the 

 majestic bird as it soiled slowly along. To his 

 surprise it took a turn around him, then a second 

 and a third, the last time drawing so near that he 

 began to apprehend it meditated an attack. He 

 describes himself as being hi the worst possible 

 condition for a fight, his strength being exhausted 

 by climbing, and his right hand having been lamed 

 for some days from a hurt. The nature of the 

 ground, too, was any thing but favourable for de- 

 fence ; hut there was nothing left but to prepare 

 for a tight, and with this intent fie took a seat and 

 drew his knife. At. the instant, as if intimidated 

 by the sight of the weapon, the bird whirled off in 

 a different direction. l>r. Pickering confessed, 

 however humiliating the acknowledgment, that he 

 was at the time very well satisfied with the coii- 

 dor's determination to let him alone. 



Dr. Pickering was enabled to reach the ridge 

 that bounded the valley, but there were many 

 highi-r beyond. The view thence was magnificent, 

 overlooking to the west eight distinct ridges be- 

 tween him and the sea, which was scarcely defined 

 enough to be made out with any certainty. He 

 descended by the same route again to the village. 

 The alcalde discovering that one of the party (Mr. 

 Agate) was an artist, became extremely anxious 

 that he should make a sketch or his father-in law, 

 an old revolutionary soldier, who raided there. 

 As the son-in-law had been so attentive, and offered 

 them so many civilities, among others the loan of a 

 silver dish, spoon, and fork, he could do no less 

 than gratify these wishes. For this purpose the 

 old man dressed himself in his uniform. The task 

 of sitting was almost too much for him, and he was 

 nearlv overcome with the excitement ami exertion. 

 The old man was greatly delighted with the pic- 

 tore, as were all those about him, except the son- 

 in-law, who expressed great dissatisfaction that it 

 should be without legs, it being only a half-length, 

 and offered a large price to have them put on ; but 

 time did not admit of it. 



Mr. Agate's first effort was deemed so success- 

 ful that his reputation was at once established at 

 Rafios, and shortly afterwards ho was called upon 



