ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
We came to the Colorado River, a tributary of the 
Chanchamayo, and passed S. Luiz de Shuaro, a charm¬ 
ing little village of whitewashed houses. The scenery was 
beautiful on nearing La Merced. The river basin showed 
luxuriant grassy slopes and immense sugar plantations. 
La Merced was situated on the left bank of the Rio 
Chanchamayo, formed by the meeting of the Rio Tulu- 
mayo and the Rio Tarma, which joined near the village 
of S. Ramon. It had two modest hotels and various 
commercial houses. In a way I was sorry to get to a 
town again, because in those places you had all the 
trumpery illusion of civilization without any of its real 
advantages. One met, however, with the greatest civility 
from everybody, and, indeed, with the greatest honesty* 
So that travelling in those regions was quite a pleasure. 
To my amazement that evening a burly Italian came 
into the hotel. Who was he? — Garibaldi's grandson, the 
son of General Canzio and Garibaldi’s daughter. He 
was interested in some mines in the district, and had 
lived there for some years trying to make a fortune. 
What impressed one most in the settlements on the 
Andes was the great neatness and cleanliness of all the 
buildings, and the charming manners of all the people 
one met. Everybody, without exception, saluted you 
politely as you approached; everybody was anxious to 
be of assistance or offer you hospitality. There was, 
nevertheless, nothing of great interest in those high- 
placed villages. 
On January twenty-sixth I went on in a drenching 
rain, having changed my animals at that place for an¬ 
other lot of excellent mules. The hire of animals was 
somewhat high, but after the prices one had to pay in 
Brazil, everything seemed, by comparison, dirt-cheap in 
Peru. I also said good-bye to the Peruvians who had 
accompanied me so far, and employed Indians to take 
charge of my animals. 
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