al work whatever was permitted
to be introduced; and the people were kept in the grossest ignorance of
their natural rights. It was only into learned institutions that a
glimmering of the light of freedom found its way, and it was amongst the
professors of these institutions that the "rights of men" first began to
be discussed. Many of these noble patriots were the first victims
offered up on the altar of Spanish-American independence.

Don Pablo, I have said, was a naturalist; and it was perhaps the first
journey he had ever made without observing attentively the natural
objects that presented themselves along his route. But his mind was busy
with other cares; and he heeded neither the _fauna_ nor _flora_. He
thought only of his loved wife and dear children, of the dangers to
which he and they were exposed. He thought only of increasing the
distance between them and his vengeful enemies. During that day they had
made a toilsome journey of fifteen miles, up the mountain--a long
journey for the llamas, who rarely travel more than ten or twelve; but
the dumb brutes seemed to exert themselves as if they knew that danger
threatened those who guided them.

They belonged to Guapo, who had not been a mere servant, but a
cultivator, and had held a small "chacra," or farm, under Don Pablo.
Guapo's voice was well known to the creatures, and his "hist!" of
encouragement urged them on. But fifteen miles was an unusual journey,
and the animals began to show symptoms of fatigue. Their humming noise,
which bears some resemblance to the tones of an Eolian harp, boomed loud
at intervals as the creatures came to a stop; and then the voice of
Guapo could be heard urging them forward.

The road led up a defile, which was nothing more than the bed of a
mountain-torrent, now dry. For a long distance there was no spot of
level ground where our travellers could have encamped, even had they
desired to stop. At length, however, the path led out of the
torrent-bed, and they found themselves on a small ledge, or table,
covered with low trees. These trees were of a peculiar kind, very common
in all parts of the Andes, and known as _molle_ trees. They are more
properly bushes than trees, being only about ten or twelve feet in
height. They have long delicate pinnate leaves, very like those of the
acacia, and, when in fruit, they are thickly covered with clusters of
small bright red berries.

These berries are used among some tribes of Indians for