aughter. 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 were 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 26th I went on in a drenching rain, having changed my animals
at that place for another 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.

From La Merced there was a trail from one to three metres wide, cut out
in the solid rock and skirting all along the foaming river, which flowed
in the opposite direction from that in which we were travelling. In
several places narrow tunnels had been excavated in the rock, through
which the trail proceeded. These tunnels were dangerous when you
encountered caravans of pack animals coming through from the opposite
direction. The animals often got jammed in the middle of the tunnel,
tearing their loads to pieces in their attempts to disentangle
themselves. Once I got jammed myself, and came out minus a patch of skin
several inches long from my left shin and knee.

Between La Merced and S. Ramon, a distance of some 10 kil., one had to
cross the shaky suspension bridges of La Herreria and S. Ramon. The
oscillations of those bridges were so great that it was always a marvel
to me that the animals and riders were not precipitated into the river
below. The planks of the bridges were in many places so rotten that it
was not uncommon for the animals to put their legs right through them.
Only one animal at a time could go across, as the bridges were not strong
enough to support more.

Farther on we arrived at two more bridges--the Puntayacu and the Rio
Seco, one a suspension bridge, the other built of masonry. One met
hundreds of Indians upon the trail, in costumes resembling those of the
Calabrese of Italy. The men wore heavy woollen hand-knitted stockings up
to their knees, or else over their trousers, white leggings left open
behind as far dow