hich and into
well-worn holes the careful and sagacious animal placed his foot tenderly, knowing that an inch or two on the wrong side of it would send him sliding down the steep slope. Now we would be under a canopy of creepers trellised with palms, now winding through a valley of impervious undergrowth, rustling with serpents, in- sects, and birds, and then out into the broad, open, burning plain, crossing turbid streams and mountain rills, wading some filthy morass, rounding rocky cliffs, and exposed alternately to sun and rain. Descending with slow and cautious step the steep declivities from the little spot of table-land round Gorgona, then as- cendinor and descendino; ao;ain and again until tierra caliente is reached, the scenery is ever changing, now captivating with its beauty, and now thrilling with its magnificence. Often we passed through ravines which had been washed out by the rain, and so narrow at the bottom that on entering at either end persons must shout in order to notify others wish- ing to come from the opposite direction. Hearing the whoops of muleteers within, we were often obliged to wait until they should emerge, when we could enter, and shout for those coming from the opposite direction to wait their turn. Some of these gullies have been worn down thirty feet and more by centuries of travel, and are so narrow at the bottom that a loaded mule can barely get through. Often when travellers met, one would have to turn back ; and again, when caught in tight places, horsemen would draw up their legs, and so let the animals squeeze past each other, when this could be done. All along the way crosses marked the resting-place of those overtaken by fever or assas- sin, while the murderer himself found unsanctified sepulchre beneath a pile of stones at the cross-roads. Every now and then we would stop to rest at a way- side rancheria, where bread, warm water, and vile liquors were sold at exorbitant prices. Then there were more pretentious houses where the belated trav- eller could spend the night, the '* Halfway House " and
