514 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
take the proper course, and found the " deep dry 
ravine " (marked on the map as " Quebrada honda "), 
and after it the mountain of Margasitas ; but here 
they were all puzzled by the ''Guide" directing 
them to leave the mountain on their left while the 
hieroglyph seems to leave it on the right, and fol- 
lowing this latter instruction they have failed after- 
wards to find any of the other marks given by 
Valverde in his " Guide." Spruce himself suggests 
that the upper part of the Rivera de los Llanganatis 
(which is outside the portion of the map here given) 
is the " way of the Inca " referred to in the " Guide." 
But this is going quite beyond the area of the three 
mountains, so clearly stated as the objective of the 
" Guide." 
It seems to me, however, that there is really no 
contradiction between the " Guide " and the map, 
and that the route so clearly pointed out in the 
former has not yet been thoroughly explored to its 
termination, as I will now endeavour to show. 
After crossing the deep dry ravine (" Quebrada 
honda " of the map), we are directed to "go forward 
and look for the signs of another sleeping-place." 
Then, the next day — " Go on thy way, and thou 
shalt see a mountain which is all of margasitas, the 
which leave on thy left hand." But looking at the 
map we shall see that the mountain will now be on 
the right hand, supposing we have gone on in the 
same direction as before, crossing the deep ravine. 
The next words, however, explain this apparent 
contradiction : they are — " and I warn thee that 
thou must go round it in this fashion," with the ex- 
planatory hieroglyph, which, if we take the circle to 
be the mountain and the right-hand termination of 
