URIQUE AND ITS MINES. 295 
in the morning from some of its small 
tributaries on the cumbra was as cold as 
ice. 
The post office in the little town was 
a most curiously primitive affair, being 
merely an awning of branches held up 
against a tree by a post in the ground. 
Under this an old man was seated on 
a chair ; we saw nothing here to indicate 
a post office, but were assured this was 
the spot to deposit our letters. The man 
regarded me with surprise and distrust, 
and the sight of the three or four letters 
I wished to mail drew a large crowd. 
The old man could not read, and I told 
him where the letters were to go ; then, 
after a great deal of jabbering among the 
crowd regarding the amount of postage, 
which I fortunately knew and told him, 
the letters were mailed by being deposited 
