296 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
caterpillars, which also had to be combated. In 
short, it is impossible to detail here all the ob- 
stacles encountered, and which only Mr. Cross's 
unremitting watchfulness enabled him to surmount. 
As his labours have been crowned by success, he 
may perhaps give a separate account of them, 
which will necessarily be fuller and more accurate 
than any I could furnish. 
The passage of troops still went on for some 
days after Mr. Cross's arrival at Limon. A good 
deal of rain had fallen in the upper woody region 
and the roads were horrible. The poor beasts of 
burden, ill-treated and with their heavy loads ill- 
adjusted, had their backs worn into sores, and 
many of them sank under their burdens. Wher- 
ever a beast gave in, there it was turned adrift. 
In the warm forest, maggots soon filled their sores 
and ate into their very entrails ; so, after wandering 
about for a time, most pitiable objects, they at 
length nearly all died. Between Guaranda and 
Ventanas not fewer than 300 dead horses and 
mules strewed the track and the adjacent forest, 
and above 20 carcasses were laid within nose-shot 
of our hut. I set the Indians to roll them into 
ditches and hollows, and cover them with branches 
and earth, but the horrid smell turned their 
stomachs and they never half performed the task. 
During the day, whilst we were going about, we 
did not feel so much inconvenience, but when the 
night breeze filled our hut with the vile odour we 
found it impossible to sleep. Now I smoked 
awhile, and then I lay down, covering my face 
with a handkerchief wetted with camphorated 
spirit, but all in vain. When I considered the fate 
