necessity for the social success of
the trip, for, as the advertisements say of patent sweepers and the
Encyclopaedia Britannica, "no party is complete without" her, so every
one was glad to hear that she had agreed to accompany the northern
pioneers. Those favoured ones who have seen her "on the boards," whisper
that her histrionic genius is marvellous; we, who are not among the
fortunate number, can only say that if her acting equals her talent for
giving (when required) a really concise, lucid description of anything,
it must indeed be wonderful. Her quotations, too, are so ready and apt,
though occasionally they remind us, by their vagueness, of her namesake
and favourite book.

NINTH: _The Kid_. Why she is brought along, nobody will ever know. It
may have been as a "contrapeso" ("an addition of meat or fish of
inferior quality, thrown in to complete the weight," _vide_ Arturo
Cuyas' Dictionary), but we think she came with the sheep. Anyhow, it was
not until the first part of the journey had been accomplished that she
was discovered bleating in the corner of one of the coaches. We had a
meeting to decide whether she should come on with us or not, and
arranged to put her on the job of tidying up for the trip; but her
hopeless incompetence and ready impertinence to her superior officers,
necessitated instant dismissal without a character. However, as she is
really not worth the trouble of sending back, we locked up the tea tin,
and let her continue the journey on the condition that she will not talk
too much, awake or asleep. With any luck, we may yet lose her somewhere
in the wilds.

* * * * *

The one disappointment expressed by all the party was that Our Hostess
decided not to accompany us on the trip, but to await our return at
Cristobal.

We started out from the estancia house as soon as the ladies' luggage
could be brought downstairs, and we should like to remark, in passing,
that it was a very affecting sight to see Our Guest, The Delineator, and
The Wild Man lifting and carrying heavy boxes and baggage (with no
thought of gain) out to the peons, who, under the able direction of The
Chaperon, loaded them scientifically on to one of the four carts, which,
when ready, were sent on ahead with the nine peons who had been told off
for the trip. Cameras appeared from every available corner as we
prepared to move, and many invaluable photos of the start of the caravan
must have been