lves in endless torrents of rain. At night we took up
our abode in some deserted hut; but never, if we could avoid it, did we
rest in the abode of man, and whenever we did, Manco kept three or four
of our allies watching at a distance outside; and we always again
started at early dawn. As we reached the extreme eastern edge of the
_Ceja_, we looked down on an interminable extent of forest, composed of
trees of a height with which few in other parts of the world can vie.
These wooded plains are called Montanas, which is the name given to the
whole of the country eastward of the Andes.

As we advanced, our ears were saluted by the cries of numerous birds and
animals. Sometimes I thought I heard the roaring of a bull at a
distance, when I found it to proceed from the black ox-bird; and at
others the grunting of a hog sounded close to us; and a beautiful bird
called the _Tunqui_, like a cock with a tuft of red feathers, and an
orange bill, started up and astonished us with the contrast between his
gruff note and gay plumage. In the evenings, groups of the
pheasant-like _Hachahuallpa_ summoned their distant companions with the
cry of _Ven aca, ven aca_--Come here, come here; and owls and bats flew
out with noiseless wings to pounce on their unwary prey. Bears and
ounces, pumas and tiger-cats crossed our path; and stags started from
their thickets, where they had sought shelter from some of those
above-named enemies. Monkeys chattered at us, and squirrels leaped
among the trees; rats and mice were found in the huts, and _argutis_ in
the maize-fields; snakes crawled along the ground, and birds of prey
circled high above our heads. But in truth it would be impossible to
describe one-tenth of the beasts, the birds, and reptiles we encountered
in our journey; though I shall mention those I had opportunities of
examining.

We approached one evening the farm of a cacique, who, with most of the
men of his village, had marched to join the army of Tupac Amaru. The
women only, and some of the old men and children, remained. It was on
the extreme borders of the country inhabited by Christian Indians.
Beyond all was totally unknown to the white men, and but seldom visited
by the civilised natives.

Manco sent on a messenger to give notice of our approach, and to crave
the hospitality of the cacique and his family. He returned shortly,
saying that the females only were at home, and that as yet they had
received no account of