TORRENTIAL RAIN 
they sank so deeply in the slush and soft earth that we 
had three or four hours’ extremely hard work to cover 
a distance of about fifty metres. The animals became so 
scared that they would not go on at all. The men who 
pushed and led them along that dangerous passage with 
a deep precipice on one side were in constant danger. 
The rain, which had been torrential during the night, 
continued during the entire day, swelling the streams and 
making them most difficult to cross. In one stream my 
mule and I were swept away altogether. I had water 
right up to my waist while riding, and the mule showed 
only its head above the water. We were thrown with 
great force against some rocks, where, fortunately, my 
muleteers came to our help and got us out again. 
The trail, about half a metre wide, wound its way 
up to a great height above the foaming river. There 
were beautiful ferns of immense height, some of which 
had finely ribbed, gigantic leaves. Graceful yellow 
flowers, or sometimes beautiful red ones, were to be seen 
on tall trees with white, clean stems. We passed a coffee 
plantation owned by English people, near a charming 
settlement of whitewashed houses on the opposite side of 
the river. When we came to cross the Rio Las Palmas 
— heavily swollen — we were once more nearly swept 
away in riding across with water up to our chests. The 
baggage naturally suffered a good deal in those constant 
immersions. This was, unfortunately, the wrong season 
for crossing the Andes; but I could not help that, as I 
was anxious to get through, and could not wait for the 
fine weather to come. 
Farther on we crossed the river Paucartambo near 
the Pueblo Pardo. We next followed the Rio Chancha- 
mayo, which afterwards became the Rio Perene, along 
which extensive English farms had been established. We 
were now getting near to civilization. I felt that my 
work was entirely finished, as the country hereabouts was 
well known. 
Vol. II. — 25 
885 
