nguished part in the ceremony.

"The day before the expedition was to set out, we repaired to the
village of the tribe--a collection of rude huts, straggling along the
bottom of one of the deep clefts or valleys of the Cordilleras. This
village lay several thousand feet below the level of the Puna plains,
and was therefore in a much warmer climate. In fact, the sugar-cane and
yucca plant (_Jatropha mainhot_) were both seen growing in the gardens
of the villagers, and Indian corn flourished in the fields.

"The inhabitants were `_Indios mansos_' (civilised Indians). They
attended part of the year to agriculture, although the greater part of
it was spent in idleness, amusements, or hunting. They had been
converted--that is nominally--to Christianity; and a church with its
cross was a prominent feature of the village.

"The cure, or priest, was the only white man resident in the place, and
he was white only by comparison. Though of pure Spanish blood, he would
have passed for a `coloured old gentleman' in any part of Europe or the
States.

"My companion introduced me to the padre, and I was at once received
upon terms of intimacy. To my surprise I learnt that he was to
accompany the chacu--in fact to take a leading part in it. He seemed to
be as much interested in the success of the hunt as any of them--more
so, perhaps, and with good reason too. I afterwards learnt why. The
produce of the annual hunt was part of the padre's income. By an
established law, the skins of the vicunas were the property of the
church, and these, being worth on the spot at least a dollar a-piece,
formed no despicable tithe. After hearing this I was at no loss to
understand the padre's enthusiasm about the chacu. All the day before
he had been bustling about among his parishioners, aiding them with his
counsel, and assisting them in their preparations. I shared the padre's
dwelling, the best in the village; his supper too--a stewed fowl, killed
for the occasion, and rendered fiery hot with `aji,' or capsicum. This
was washed down with `chica,' and afterwards the padre and I indulged in
a cigarette and a chat.

"He was a genuine specimen of the South-American missionary priest;
rather more scrupulous about getting his dues than about the moral
welfare of his flock; fat, somewhat greasy, fond of a good dinner, a
glass of `Yea' brandy, and a cigarette. Nevertheless, his rule was
patriarchal in a high degree, and he was a favourite