CHAPTER THREE.
A JOURNEY ACROSS THE CORDILLERAS.
At length the _Inca_ was at anchor off the city of Guayaquil. I had afaint recollection of its appearance, with Chimborazo's snow-capped dometowering up in the distance. Ellen, who had forgotten all about beingthere, was delighted with the scenery. Guayaquil is situated at themouth of the river Guayas--the largest on the Pacific coast. On goingon shore, however, we were somewhat disappointed, as the buildings,though grand at a distance, have a tumbledown appearance, partly owingto the earthquakes to which they are subjected, and partly to thecarelessness of the inhabitants in repairing them. We had great hopesof meeting our father, but his correspondents in the city had not heardfrom him for some time. The country, we found, was in a very unsettledstate, owing to which, probably, he had not come down from Quito. Webade farewell to our kind captain and the crew of the _Inca_.
Some time before, Peru, Chili, and the other Spanish provinces of SouthAmerica had thrown off their allegiance to the mother country, formingthemselves into republics. Their government, however, especially in thenorthern provinces, had been as yet far from well established.Disturbances were continually occurring, preventing the progress of thecountry. First one party took up arms to overthrow another inauthority, and in a short time those who had been superseded played thesame trick to those who had stepped into their places.
We lost no time in making preparations for our journey, the first partof which was to be performed on board a boat,--seventy miles up theriver to Bodegas. We were there to engage mules to proceed over themountains to Quito, of the difficulties of which journey I had someslight recollection.
We spent two days at Guayaquil. Had we not been anxious about ourfather and the rest of our family, we should have been well amused.From the balcony of our house we had a magnificent view of the toweringrange of the Andes seen from the east of us, and extending like a mightywall north and south. Far away on the left, and fully a hundred milesoff, appeared the mighty Chimborazo, whose snow-capped summit, risingfar above its fellows, formed a superb background to the range of lessermountains and grand forests which cover the intermediate space. I havebefore mentioned the delicious fruits that may be found in abundance inthe city; and I described the curious balsas, on board of which thenatives navigate the coasts and rivers. We all supplied ourselves withstraw hats, such as are shipped in great numbers from this place underthe name of Panama hats. They are made from the leaves of anarborescent plant about five feet high, resembling the palm called_toquilla_. The leaf grows on a three-cornered stalk, and is about ayard long. It is slit into shreds, and after being immersed in boilingwater is bleached in the sun. The plaiting is very fine, and the hat isso flexible that it can be turned inside out, or rolled up and put intothe pocket. It is impenetrable to rain and very durable. The chiefexport from the place are chinchona, tobacco, orchilla weed, hides,cotton, coffee, and cacao.
Our friends, we found, were anxious about the difficulties we mightencounter on our journey, on account of the disturbed state of thecountry. They advised us, indeed, to postpone our departure till ourfather's arrival, or till we should hear from him. The thought,however, that he and our mother and sister might be exposed to dangermade us the more desirous of proceeding; and at length our friends--against their better judgment, they assured us--concluded thearrangements for our journey. We were seated taking coffee the eveningbefore we were to start, with the magnificent scene I have describedbefore us, when a stranger was ushered into the room. He wore over hisshoulders a gay-coloured poncho, and held a broad-brimmed hat in hishand. His breeches were of dark cloth, open at the knee, and he had onembroidered gaiters, and huge spurs, with rowels the size of acrown-piece. His jet-black hair, which hung over his shoulders, hisreddish-olive complexion, dark eyes, and somewhat broad face, though hisfeatures were in other respects regular and handsome, told us at oncethat he was a native Peruvian. Our friends saluted him as Don Jose. Headdressed us in a kind tone, and told us that, having heard we wereabout to proceed to Quito, as he was also going in that direction, andmight be of service, he should be happy to accompany us. Our friends atonce replied that we would thankfully accept his offer, and allarrangements were quickly made. We were glad to obtain so intelligent acompanion. His kind and gentle manner at once gained our confidence,and though his dress and appearance were those of ordinary Indians ofthe upper class, he looked like one accustomed to receive the respect ofhis fellow-men. That he was no common person we were sure. Why he tookthe interest in us which he evinced we could not tell. John and Italked the matter over, and at length, recollecting that our father'smother was of Indian descent, we came to the conclusion that besidesbeing a friend of our father, he was connected by the ties of blood withour family. Still, from the way our friend spoke, there appeared to besome mystery about him; but they did not offer to enlighten us, norcould we with propriety ask them, he also was evidently not inclined tobe communicative about himself.
Next morning at daylight we went on board our boat. In the centre wasan awning, or _toldo_, which served as a cabin. The crew, consisting ofeight native Indians, urged her on with long broad-bladed oars when thewind was contrary, while their chief or captain stood astern and steeredwith another. When the wind was favourable a large sail was hoisted,and we glided rapidly up the river. The banks are beautifully green,and covered with an exuberant growth of many varieties of trees; indeed,the plains on either side vie in richness of vegetation with any otherspot between the tropics. Several times we cut off bends of the riverby narrow canals, the branches of the trees, interwoven by numberlesscreepers, which hung down in festoons covered with brilliant blossoms,forming a dense canopy over our heads. Although the stream is sluggish,we were unable to reach Bodegas that night. We stopped therefore at thehouse of a gentleman engaged in the cultivation of cacao. The tree onwhich it grows somewhat resembles a lilac in size and shape. The fruitis yellowish-red, and oblong in shape, and the seeds are enveloped in amass of white pulp. It is from the seeds that chocolate is prepared.The flowers and fruits grow directly out of the trunk and branches.Cacao--or, as we call it, cocoa--was used by the Mexicans before thearrival of the Spaniards. It was called by them _chocolatt_, fromwhence we derive the name of the compound of which it is the chiefingredient--chocolate. So highly was it esteemed, that Linnaeus thoughtit worthy of the name of _theobroma_--"food for gods." The tree israised from seed, and seldom rises higher than from twenty to thirtyfeet; the leaves are large, oblong, and pointed. It is an evergreen,and bears fruits and blossoms all the year round. The fruits arepointed oval pods, six inches long, and contain in five compartmentsfrom twenty-five to thirty seeds or kernels, enveloped in a white pithypulp with a sweet taste. These seeds when dried form the cocoa ofcommerce, from which the beverage is made and chocolate is manufactured.There are three harvests in the year, when the pods are pulled from thetrees and gathered into baskets. They are then thrown into pits andcovered with sand, where they remain three or four days to get rid of,by fermentation, a strong bitter flavour they possess. They are thencarefully cleaned and dried in large flat trays in the sun. After thisthey are packed in sacks for the market. Our friend in the morningshowed us some blossoms which had burst forth from the roots during thenight, which happened to be somewhat damp and warm--an example of theexpansive powers of vegetable life in that region. An oil is extractedfrom another species of cacao, the nut of which is small and white. Itis called cacao-butter, and is used by the natives for burns and soresand cutaneous diseases. A large quantity of cacao for the manufactureof chocolate is exported to Spain. Among the trees were numbers of thebroad-leaved plantain and banana, which had been planted to protect theyoung cacao trees from the heat of the sun. The fruit of the banana,one of the most useful productions of the Tropics, is eaten raw,roasted, boiled, and fried. It grows in large bunches, weighing fromsixty to seventy pounds each.
Continuing our voyage the next day, we passed amid gro
ves of oranges andlemons, whose rich perfume was wafted across the water to us. Here alsothe mango, bearing a golden fruit, spread around its splendid foliage;while, above all, the beautiful cocoanut palm lifted its superb head.Now and then we saw monkeys gambolling among the trees, as well as manybirds of brilliant plumage. Among others, a beautiful bird got up froma bed of reeds we were passing, spreading wide its wings and broad taildirectly before us. John shot it, and the small canoe we sent to pickit up. It was about the size of a partridge, with a crane-like bill, aslender neck, and shorter legs than ordinary waders, though a wader itwas. The plumage was shaded curiously in bands and lines with brown,fawn-colour, red, grey, and black, which Ellen said reminded her of asuperb moth she had seen. It was the caurale, or sun-bird (_ScolopaxHelios_), our books told us, found also in Demerara. Less attractive inappearance were the gallinazos, or vultures, the scavengers of thoseregions; while frequently on the mud banks we caught sight of alligatorsbasking in the hot sun, often fast asleep, with their mouths wide open.
We reached Bodegas early in the day. It is a large village, built on aflat. In the rainy season it is so completely flooded that the peoplehave to take refuge in the upper stories of their houses. Thanks to ourfriend Don Jose, and the exertions of his chief attendant, Isoro, muleswere quickly procured; and as the attractions of Bodegas were not great,we immediately set off towards the mountains. John called Isoro DonJose's henchman. He was, like his master, of pure Indian blood, but ofnot so high a type. Still, he was good-looking, active, andintelligent. His dress differed only from that of Don Jose in being ofcoarser materials. We were at once struck with the respect and devotionwith which Isoro treated his master, and with the confidence Don Joseevidently reposed in him. We had a journey before us of two hundredmiles, which would occupy eight or ten days. The first village wepassed through was built high up off the ground on stilts, for in therainy season the whole country is completely flooded. After passing thegreen plain, we entered a dense forest. Road, I should say, there wasnone. Nothing, it seemed to me, could surpass the rich luxuriance ofthe vegetation. On either side were numerous species of palms, theirlight and feathery foliage rising among the other trees; bananas, withtheir long, glossy, green leaves; and here and there groves of theslender and graceful bamboo, shooting upwards for many feet straight asarrows, their light leaves curling over towards their summits; whileorchids of various sorts, many bearing rich-coloured flowers, entwinedthemselves like snakes round the trunks and branches. Don Jose told usthat in the rainy season this road is flooded, and that then the canoetakes the place of mules.
We put up the first night at a _tambo_, or road-side inn, a bamboo hutof two stories, thatched with plantain leaves. As the lower part wasoccupied by four-footed animals, we had to climb into the upper story bymeans of a couple of stout bamboos with notches cut in them. We herehung up our hammocks, and screened off a part for Ellen and Maria. Nextday we began to ascend the mountains by the most rugged of paths.Sometimes we had to wind up the precipice on a narrow ledge, scarcelyaffording footing to the mules. It was trying to the nerves, for whileon one side rose a perpendicular wall of rock, on the other theprecipice went sheer down for several hundred feet, with a roaringtorrent at the bottom. Wild rocks were before and above us, trees andshrubs, however, growing out of every crevice and on each spot wheresoil could rest, while behind spread out a wide extent of forest, amidwhich we could distinguish the river winding its way to the Pacific.Few birds or beasts were to be seen--the monkeys and parrots we had leftbelow us; gallinazos, or black vultures, were, however, still met with,as they are everywhere throughout the continent, performing theirgraceful evolutions in the air, wheeling round and round without closingtheir wings, in large flocks, above the watery region we had left. Theblack vulture (_Cathartes atratus_), which closely resembles thewell-known turkey buzzard in habits and appearance, performs, like it,the duty of scavenger, and is protected therefore by the inhabitants ofall parts of the country. It may be distinguished from the latter bythe form of the feathers on the neck, which descend from the back of thehead towards the throat in a sloping direction; whereas the turkeybuzzard has a frill of them completely round the throat. The head andpart of the neck of the black vulture are destitute of feathers, and arecovered with a black wrinkled skin, on which a few hairs only grow."See, what grand fellows are these!" exclaimed Arthur. I gazed up. Ona rock close above us stood a couple of large birds, which wereunmistakably vultures.
"Dreadful-looking creatures," cried Ellen. "They make me shudder. Theyseem as if preparing to pounce down on some little innocent lambs tocarry them off."
"It would prefer a dead mule, I suspect," observed John. "Like othervultures, it is not nice as to the nature of its food. It is called theKing of the Vultures (_Sarcoramphus papa_), properly so, for it is thestrongest and bravest of the vulture tribe though inferior in size tothe condor. Observe its head and neck, brilliantly coloured withscarlet and yellow to make amends for the want of feathers. On thecrown of its head, too, is a rich scarlet patch. Close to the eye thereis a silvery blue mark, and above it part of the skin is blue and partscarlet. The bill is orange and black, and those curious lumps orcarbuncles on its forehead are rich orange. At the lower part of theneck it wears a black ruff. The wing feathers and tail are black, andthe lower part of the body white, and the rest a fine grey satincolour."
While John was speaking, the birds, spreading out their huge wings,glided off the rock, and then by an imperceptible movement of themsoared upwards, and, hovering for a few seconds in the air, they darteddownwards into the plain, and were lost to sight.
"You need not be afraid of their attacking any living creature, SenoraEllen," observed Don Jose. "They have no relish for meat till it hasgained a higher flavour than we should like, and dead lizards and snakesare much to their taste. Even those they discover, I believe, rather bysight than by scent."
We had been proceeding along a somewhat broader part of the road thanusual, though, as it was very steep, we climbed but slowly. Nowrounding a sharp point, we came to a spot which made me wonder if thoseahead could possibly have got by; and I could not help gazing anxiouslydownwards, almost expecting to find that some one had fallen over theprecipice. Ellen kept up her courage admirably, and never hesitated tofollow where others led. I could not help asking once if she did notfeel afraid. "No," she answered. "I always look upwards when I come toa difficult place, and so pass without alarm." Ellen's plan is theright one, metaphorically speaking, to adopt in all the difficulties andtrials of life: look upwards, and we shall be carried safely throughthem. On we went till we found ourselves among a chaos of mountains,separated by ravines so deep that the eye could scarcely distinguish therapid streams which found their way below. On one side rose into theclear blue sky the majestic summit of Chimborazo, while other peaked andround-topped mountains reared their heads proudly around. At length thesummit of the sierra was reached, and our mules commenced a descent intothe valley, drawing their legs together and sliding down with fearfulvelocity. I had bean anxious before, I was doubly so now; but theanimals with wonderful sagacity kept the centre of the path, and in timeI lost all sensation of fear, and could admire the beautiful scenery.
The tambos, or road-side inns, we stopped at were mostly huts of therudest kind, with mud walls and floors, kept by Indians, and dirty inthe extreme. The entertainment provided for us was boiled chicken andpotato-soup, called in the mountains _locro_. Wooden spoons were servedto enable us to ladle up the soup, but our fingers had to be used forthe chicken, instead of knives and forks.
We seldom had an opportunity while on mule-back of exchanging thoughtsexcept at the top of our voices, as in most places we were compelled totravel in Indian file, one following the other. We were once moreascending the steep side of the mountain, when, on rounding a point, wesaw coming towards us a single traveller. As he caught sight of us hestopped his mule, and made signs for us to come on toward the spot wherethe grea
ter width of the road would allow us to pass him. As we got upto him I saw that he was a negro, dressed in the usual poncho andbroad-brimmed hat of the traveller in the Andes. Don Jose, John, andArthur had ridden by, when the stranger's eye fell on Maria.
"It must be, after all!" I heard him exclaim in Spanish. "Maria! yes,it is you! Si, _si_, and I rejoice greatly."
"And you are Domingos; I am sure you are," exclaimed Maria.
"Yes, that is true," answered the old man. "I have come expressly tofind you. I have brought bad news; but it might be worse, so be notalarmed."
"What is it?" I asked eagerly. "Are my father, or mother, or sisterill?"
"No; they are all well," said Domingos; "but sad events have occurred atQuito. There has been a great disturbance--a revolution--no new thingunhappily; and your father's house has been burned down, and they havehad to fly, and try to escape from the country. They are safe by thistime, I hope. I came on to conduct you to them. I have been ridingfast to try and meet you to prevent you taking the direct road to Quito.A body of troops are marching along the road, and if you were to fallinto their hands you would be ill-treated. We will descend somedistance by the way you have come, and take shelter in yonder forestwhich clothes the side of the mountain. We shall be safe there, and Idoubt not obtain shelter in one of the huts of the chinchona gatherers."
Domingos had given me this account in a few hurried words. I instantlycalled to the rest of our party who were ahead, and we were all sooncollected in a nook in the side of the mountain, where we held aconsultation as to what should be done. We quickly agreed to follow theadvice of Domingos. Don Jose was greatly agitated at hearing what hadoccurred.
"They would treat me with but scant ceremony, were I to fall into theirhands," he observed; "and I am afraid that you would suffer also were Ito be found in your company. However, we may easily escape in theforest should any search be made for us, and therefore let us lose notime in seeking its shelter."
While he was speaking, I caught sight of some figures high up themountain, at a point round which the path wound its way. I pointed themout to Domingos.
"They are the soldiers," he exclaimed; "I see the glitter of their arms!We have no time to lose. Move on, my friends, move on! If we wereovertaken it would fare hard with us."
Don Jose, who had also been looking towards the point, made us a sign tofollow, and rapidly led the way down the side of the mountain, ournative muleteers being evidently as anxious to avoid the soldiers as wewere. The Indians had, it appeared, taken an active part in theinsurrection which had just broken out, and our guides knew, therefore,that, should they be caught, the party in power would very likely wreaktheir vengeance on their heads.
We descended for a considerable distance along the path by which we hadcome. Occasionally looking back, I caught sight of the troops as theywound their way in a thin column down the mountain. We, however,appeared to be keeping well ahead of them; and I hoped that our smallparty might have escaped observation. At length Don Jose stopped, andgetting off his mule, surveyed the side of the hill which sloped awaybelow us. Coming back, he took the bridle of his mule, and made it leapoff the path on one side on to what appeared a mere ledge of rock."Come on," he shouted; "I will show you the way; but you must alldismount and follow the mules on foot." We accordingly got off ouranimals, which were made to leap down to the ledge below us, andwillingly followed the first mule, which Don Jose was leading. John andI took charge of Ellen, while Domingos helped Maria along. The path wasvery narrow and steep, but where the mules had gone we had little doubtthat we could follow. In a short time we found ourselves descending bya zig-zag path among trees which grew out of the side of the mountain,here and there huge blocks of rock projecting among them. Thus we wenton for a considerable distance. Once when we stopped I looked upwards,and caught sight of the head of the column of troops just as they werereaching the very place we had left. At length we reached the bottom ofthe valley, through which a stream went foaming and roaring downwardsover a rocky bed. The mountains rose up on either side, completelysurrounding us. "This stream will be a safe guide," observed Don Jose;"and if we proceed along its banks, we shall reach a spot where we canremain concealed even should a whole regiment come in search of us." Weproceeded on foot some distance, the active mules leaping from rock torock, while we scrambled on after them. Sometimes we could withdifficulty get round the rugged points at the foot of which the streamforced its way, while the cliffs towered up high above our heads. Hereand there we caught sight of the snowy pinnacles of the mountains risingtowards the sky. At length we emerged into a more open valley, and wereonce more able to mount our mules. We now entered the forest. Don Joseled the way by a path which was scarcely perceptible. I observed hereand there notches on the barks of the trees, which I concluded served toguide him. Through an opening in the trees I saw the sun settingtowards the valley below us; and had I not possessed great confidence inour conductor, I should have been afraid that we were about to bebenighted. Directly afterwards we entered a thicker part of the forest.Often it was with difficulty we could see our way amid the densefoliage. Don Jose, however, did not hesitate. After proceeding forsome distance, the sound of a woodman's axe reached our ears, and we sawthrough an opening ahead several persons engaged cutting away at thevines which had prevented the tall tree they had just hewn down fromreaching the ground. A little way beyond was a hut, and in itsneighbourhood several persons were at work. "These are my friends,"said Don Jose, "and they will willingly afford us shelter for the night,and protect us to the best of their power."
While he was speaking, the man who appeared to be the director of theparty came forward and greeted him. A short conversation ensued.
"We will remain here for to-night," said Don Jose, "but it may be moreprudent to proceed further into the depths of the forest to-morrow. Itis possible that our enemies may discover the road we have taken andcome here to search for us, and, besides the risk we ourselves shouldrun, we should bring trouble on our friends."
Riding up to the hut, our mules were unloaded, and our hammocks and thepackages were taken inside. It was a large shed, far better built thanmany of the tambos we had stopped at, with thick walls and roof toprotect the bark from the effects of the weather. It was already abouthalf full of bundles of this valuable commodity. Each bundle wastightly done up, and weighed as much as a man could carry up the steepmountain's side.
We as usual set to work to form a separate chamber for Ellen and herattendant: this we did with bundles of the bark, leaving a door andwindow for ventilation. Ellen thanked us for our trouble, saying thatshe had not had so comfortable a room since the commencement of ourjourney. John, Arthur, and I slung our hammocks in the building, whilethe rest of the party were accommodated in the huts of thebark-gatherers. A rough table was soon formed within the large shed,and benches were brought in, and a substantial repast made ready. Thechief dishes were the usual potato-soup and some roast meat. We couldnot at first make out whether it was venison or mutton, but found oninquiry that it was the flesh of a vicuna, which had been shot by thesportsman of the party in the morning. It is an animal resembling thellama, the well-known beast of burden of the ancient Peruvians. DonJose and his friend sat down to table with us, and Domingos waited.
"But of what use is this bark!" asked Ellen, looking up at the hugebundles piled up on either side. "Is it for tanning?"
"Oh no," answered John. "This is the celebrated Peruvian bark, to whichthe name of chinchona has been given. It was bestowed on it inconsequence of the wife of the Viceroy of Peru, the Countess ofChinchona, having been cured of a tertian ague in the year 1638. Thecount and his wife, on returning to Spain, took with them a quantity ofthe healing bark; and they were thus the first persons to introduce thisvaluable medicine into Europe, where it was for some time known as thecountess's bark or powder, and was named by the celebrated naturalistLinnaeus chinchona, in memory of the great service the countess hadr
endered to the human race. The Jesuits were great promoters also ofthe introduction of the bark into Europe. Some Jesuit missionaries in1670 sent parcels of the powder or bark to Rome, whence it wasdistributed throughout Europe by the Cardinal de Lugo, and used for thecure of agues with great success. Hence, also, it was often calledJesuit's bark, and cardinal's bark."
"Yes, I have heard of that," observed Don Jose, laughing; "and I am toldthat for some time it was in consequence opposed by the Protestants, andespecially favoured by the Roman Catholics."
"Yes," said John, "I believe that for a very long time a very strongprejudice existed against it; and even physicians opposed its use,considering it at best a dangerous medicine. It is now, however,acknowledged to be a sovereign remedy for ague of all descriptions. Ibelieve the French astronomer De la Condamine, who went to Quito in theyear 1735 to measure an arc of a degree, and thus to determine the shapeof the earth, was the first person who sent home a full account of thetree."
"We call it quinquina," (bark of barks), observed Don Jose. "Some ofits virtues, if not all, were known to the Peruvians long before theywere discovered by Europeans."
"Ah! that is the reason it is called quinine by the English," observedJohn. "I did not before know the derivation of the word."
"Since its use became general in Europe, the export trade of thequinquina has been very considerable," observed Don Jose. "Forestscontaining groves of these trees are found in various regions throughoutthe northern parts of the Cordilleras. My friend here has been engagedsince his boyhood in collecting the bark, as was his father before him.When searching for new districts, it is the custom for thecascarilleros, or bark-collectors, to set forth in parties of a dozen ormore men, with supplies of food and tools. They make their way into theunknown forest, where they suppose, from its elevation above the sea andits general appearance, that the chinchona trees will be found. Theyare always accompanied by an experienced searcher, called the_cateador_. He climbs the highest tree in the neighbourhood, andsearches about till he discovers the _manchas_, or clumps, of thechinchona trees by their dark colour, and the peculiar reflection of thelight from their leaves, which can be distinguished even in the midst ofa wide expanse of forest. He then, descending, conducts the partythrough the tangled brushwood, often for hours together, marking his waywith his wood-knife, till he reaches the clump. Here they build roughhuts, such as you see around us, and commence their work. The firstoperation is to cut down a tree, when the bark is carefully strippedoff, and kept as free as possible from dirt or moisture, as it easilybecomes mouldy, and loses its colour. It is important to cut the treeas close down to the ground as possible, in order that fresh shoots maygrow up. There are various species of the quinquina. One is known bythe name of grey bark, another as the red bark, which is considered themost valuable. The bark which you see around you is of the latterspecies; and the men employed in collecting can each make from one totwo dollars a day. In the more distant forests, however, they have toundergo great danger in the work. Sometimes they have been known tolose themselves in the forest and having exhausted their provisions,have died of hunger. They are compelled also to carry the load of barkon their own backs, and occasionally a man breaks down under the weightand can proceed no further, when, if he is separated from hiscompanions, he has little hope of escaping with life. There are,besides the species I have mentioned, a vast number of chinchona, thoughthe bark of some yields little or none of the valuable drug."
As soon as supper was over we retired to our hammocks, that we might beprepared to set out at an early hour to a more secure spot in theforest. John and I lay awake for some time, talking over our prospects.Of course we were very anxious about what might happen to our family;for though Domingos had evidently not wished to alarm us, we saw that hewas uneasy about them. We also could not shut our eyes to thedifficulties and dangers we should have to undergo; not that we caredmuch about them on our own account, but on Ellen's. Though she was abrave girl, we were afraid that she might suffer from the hardships shemight have to endure in travelling over that mountain region. What ourfather had done to draw upon himself the hostility of the Governmentparty we could not tell. He had, however, always shown an interest inthe natives, and by his just and kind treatment of them had won theirregard. We concluded, therefore, that he was in some way supposed to beimplicated in the outbreak which had lately taken place. At length wedropped off to sleep.
The rest of the night passed quietly away. I awoke as the grey dawn wasstealing into the hut, and at once turned out of my hammock. I stoodcontemplating the wild scene for some minutes, admiring the size andvariety of the trees which rose up in the forest before me. Some hadenormous buttress trunks, which sent down rope-like tendrils from theirbranches in every direction. There was the gigantic balsam-tree, theindia-rubber-tree, and many others. Among them were numerous palms--onetowering above the rest with its roots shooting out in every directionfrom eight feet above the ground, and another slender and beautiful; butthe most remarkable of all was the _sayal_--so Don Jose called it--themonarch of the palms of these forests. It had rather a short, thickstem, the inner fibres of its stalk being like black wool; but itsremarkable feature was its enormous leaves, which grew erect from thestem for forty feet in length. They must be the largest leaves, Johnand I agreed, in the whole vegetable kingdom. There were many brightand scarlet flowers, and numberless beautiful orchids hanging from thebranches of the trees. Beyond the forest rose rugged cliffs, dark blackrocks with lofty ranges of mountains towering above them. I was soonjoined by my companions, and in a little time Ellen and Maria cameforth. As it was almost dark when we reached the spot, we had formed noidea of the wonderful scenery surrounding us Domingos did not appear,and John inquired of Don Jose what had become of him.
"He has gone to ascertain in what direction the troops have marched," heanswered. "We shall have to take our road accordingly. Besides thehigh road, there is another by which I can lead you, but it is stillmore steep and difficult yet, as we shall thus avoid the risk of meetingwith enemies, it may be the safest for us."
A couple of hours passed away, during which we breakfasted on somedelicious chocolate prepared by our host. Still Domingos had notreturned. The mules, however, were got ready, that we might start,should it be necessary, immediately he appeared.
"I trust the honest man has not been taken prisoner," observed Don Jose;"it might fare ill with him. But I am sure he would endure any crueltyrather than betray us; and if he does not soon appear we will proceed onour journey, and my friend here will send a man to show him the road wehave taken."
An hour passed, and as Domingos did not return, we mounted our mules andproceeded through the forest. Had we been on foot we might havefollowed some paths which the bark-collectors had cut; but many of themwould only allow of a person proceeding in a stooping posture under thenumberless creepers which were interwoven amid the branches of thetrees. We had therefore to make a considerable circuit. At length wecame to a less frequented part of the forest, and here we were compelledto use our knives and hatchets to clear away the art-work of creeperswhich impeded our progress. We all dismounted, and led the mulesthrough the path we had thus formed. In several places we found, afteran hour's toil, that we had not progressed more than half a mile.
"We shall reach more open country by-and-by," said Don Jose, "so we neednot despair."
At length we came upon a small party of men engaged in stripping off thebark from a tree which they had lately cut down. Don Jose spoke tothem. They saluted him with marks of respect, and one of them, throwinghis arm over his shoulder, led us through the forest to a small hutconcealed by the surrounding trees. Its interior was not very tempting,but it would afford us shelter from the night air should we be detainedthere. It was destitute of furniture, with the exception of severalhammocks hung up at one end, and a few pots and other cooking apparatusin the corner. Our attendants, however, at once began to sweep it out,while Ellen and Mari
a sat down on a log outside.
"The night is likely to be fine, and our friends will gladly give you uptheir hut," said Don Jose.
"We will wait here till Domingos appears. I have made arrangements thatwe should have ample notice should any enemies come in pursuit of us.We are surrounded by friends, and I have no doubt we shall be able toescape."
Don Jose had secured a fresh supply of food, so that in a short time anample meal was spread on the ground, round which we collected in picnicfashion. We had just concluded it when we heard footsteps approaching.As we looked out, Domingos appeared before us. His countenanceexhibited anxiety, and taking Don Jose aside, he conversed with him forsome minutes.
"We must proceed at early dawn by the road I have mentioned to you,"said our friend, returning to us. "Domingos has had a narrow escape ofbeing made prisoner. He tells me that the soldiers are pursuing thepatriots and natives in every direction, and treating them with thegreatest cruelty, shooting and hanging them whenever they are found.Although they would not venture probably to ill-treat you, you might besubjected to great inconvenience, and certainly detained and preventedfrom reaching your parents. However, I trust that we shall be able toavoid them, and to reach the eastern slopes of the Andes withoutinterruption. Your father has ever proved my firmest friend, and Irejoice therefore to have the opportunity of showing my gratitude bybeing of service to his children. We shall be able to remain hereduring the night, and will recommence our journey by dawn, so as toreach the most difficult pass by mid-day, and I trust before evening tohave gained a place of safety."
"You will do well, my dear masters, to trust our friend thoroughly,"said Domingos to John and me, while Don Jose was at a little distance."I know your father has a great regard for him, and whatever he promiseshe can perform. You are indeed fortunate in meeting with him. He is acacique, whose fathers once had great power in the country; and thoughdeprived of his lands, he is still looked up to with respect by thenatives in all parts of the country."
"Then how comes he to be called Don Jose?" I asked.
"That is the name by which he is known to the whites, and it is thesafest by which to speak of him," answered Domingos. "I know not if Iought to tell his real name; but you will be cautious, or he might bedispleased with me."
"Yes; do tell me," I said; "I am curious to know more about him."
Domingos looked around. The person we were speaking of was still out ofhearing.
"I will tell you, then," he replied. "His real name is Pumacagua. Hisfather, who headed the last attempt of the Indians to gain their libertybefore the revolution, when numerous tribes gathered to his standard,was defeated, made prisoner, and shot. Young Jose, our friend, afterfighting bravely, escaped, and though sought for, was not discovered.Your father had concealed him at great hazard, and afforded him sheltertill better times came round. He and I were the only persons in thesecret. Jose Pumacagua has, therefore, reason to be grateful to yourfather, besides being connected with him by the ties of blood."
Just then Don Jose, as I will still call him, came up, and we wereunable to ask further questions of Domingos. Ellen was much interestedwhen we afterwards narrated to her what we had heard, and said that sheshould try and get Don Jose to tell us his adventures, as she was surethey must be very curious.
We were soon left quite alone; for the cascarilleros, having loadedthemselves with the result of their labour, took their way through theforest. Our friend told us that they were carrying the bark to avillage out of the forest, where it would be free from damp, and beexposed to the drying influence of the sun. When thoroughly dried itwould be conveyed to the town of Guaranda, and then sent down by mulesto Guayaquil. I should have mentioned that the chinchona treessurrounding us were very beautiful and graceful. They had large, broad,oval, deep green, shining leaves, with white and fragrant flowers, andthe bark was of a red colour. The trees varied in height from forty tosixty feet. There were other trees in the neighbourhood which lookedvery like them, but Don Jose showed us the difference. The nature ofthe bark is known by its splintery, fibrous, or corky texture. The truebark is of the former character.
Having cleaned out the hut, we made our usual arrangements for passingthe night. Don Jose and Domingos, I saw, were somewhat uneasy, and twoof the men were sent out as scouts to watch the path by which we hadreached the hut.
"It is well to take precautions against surprise," observed our friend."However, our enemies, if they do follow us, will not travel during thenight, so that we shall be able, by moving early, to have a good startof them."
At length, two hours after sunset, the Indians returned, reporting thatthey had seen no one. I was awaked by hearing Don Jose's voice--"Up,friends, up! We will be on the road, and not breakfast till we reach aspot where no foe is likely to follow us." He held a torch in his hand,by the light of which we got ready to mount. The Indians had meantimesaddled the mules, which were brought round to the door of the hut."Follow my example," he said, producing from a bag which he carriedslung over his shoulder, under his poncho, some dried leaves. "Thiswill enable you to travel on for many hours without hunger, and assistin preventing the damp air of the forest from having any ill effect."Sitting down on the trunk of a felled tree, he placed the bag beforehim, and put leaf after leaf into his mouth, till he had formed a smallball. He then took out from the bag a little cake, which I have sincefound was composed of carbonate of potash, prepared by burning the stalkof the quinoa plant, and mixing the ashes with lime and water. Thecakes thus formed are called _llipta_. The coca-bag, which he calledhis _chuspa_, was made of llama cloth, dyed red and blue in patterns,with woollen tassels hanging from it. His attendants followed theirmaster's example, as did John, Arthur, and I. Domingos, however,declined doing so, and speedily prepared some chocolate for Ellen,Maria, and himself. A little time was thus occupied, and mounting, weturned our mules' heads towards the east, just as the grey light of dawnappeared above the mountain-tops, the stars still shining with a calmlight out of the deep blue sky above our heads, not glittering andtwinkling as in northern climes. We were thus initiated by our friendin the use of the far-famed coca.
"How do you like it?" he asked.
"I find the smell of the leaf agreeable and aromatic, and now I amchewing it, it appears to give out a grateful fragrance," I answered.It caused, I found, a slight irritation, which somewhat excited thesaliva.
"Ah! you will be enabled to go on if you wish till noon without eating,and then with a fresh supply continue on with active exercise tillnightfall," he observed. "It is with this wonderful leaf that therunning chasquis or messengers have from time immemorial been able totake their long journeys over the mountains and deserts. It must not beused to excess, or it might prove prejudicial to the health, yet inmoderation it is both soothing and invigorating. It will prevent anydifficulty of respiration also as you ascend the steep mountain-sides."
The coca-plant grows, I should say, at an elevation of about 6000 feetabove the level of the sea. It is a shrub from four to six feet high,the branches straight and alternate, and the leaves, in form and size,like tea-leaves. They are gathered three times a year. They are thenspread out in a drying-yard and carefully dried in the sun. The driedleaf is called coca. They are afterwards packed in sacks made of bananaleaves. It is most important to keep them dry, as they otherwisequickly spoil.
Daylight at length enabled us to see our way along one of the wildestand most rugged paths on which I should think it is possible for animalsto proceed. Up, up we went, with a roaring torrent on one side, and aglorious view beyond of mountain above mountain, some snow-covered,others running up into sharp peaks--others, again, considerably lower,clothed even to their summits with graceful palms, whose feathery topsstood out against the sky. Sometimes we had to cross narrow chasms onthe fallen stems of trees; now we arrived at a wide one, to be crossedby means of a suspension bridge, which swung frightfully from side toside. It made me giddy as I watched those who first pas
sed along it.It was composed of the tough fibres of the maguey, a sort of osier ofgreat tenacity and strength, woven into cables. Several of these cablesforming the roadway were stretched over buttresses of stone on eitherside of the bank, and secured to stout timbers driven into the groundbeyond them. The roadway was covered with planks, and on either sidewas a railing of the same sort of rope as the rest of the bridge. Lightas it appeared, the mules one by one were led over. We followed, notventuring to look down into the foaming torrent, rushing impetuouslyalong a hundred feet or more below us. Soon after this a ladder ofrocks appeared in front of us. We were here compelled to dismount, DonJose and John helping up Ellen, Domingos assisting Maria, Arthur and Iscrambling up by ourselves while the Indians, waiting till we hadreached the summit, remained behind to drive on the mules. Everyinstant I expected to see one of them roll over; but they climbed upmore like monkeys than quadrupeds, and at length joined us on a smalllevel spot at the summit.
"A dozen bold men might hold this pass against a thousand enemies,"observed our friend. "Few but our people know it, though. We willproceed yet higher, and cross the most elevated pass before we stop forbreakfast, if your sister can endure hunger so long."
"Oh yes, yes!" exclaimed Ellen. "I would not have you delay on myaccount. The chocolate I took prevents me feeling any hunger, eventhough this pure air is calculated to give an appetite."
On and on we went, at as rapid a rate as our mules could move, upwardsand upwards, the scenery if possible growing wilder and wilder at everystep. Huge masses of rock rose above our heads, with snow-toppedpinnacles peeping out at each break between them. We had gone on someway further, when at a short distance on our left I saw perched on thetop of a rock a huge bird, its head bent forward as if about to pouncedown upon us. Presently we saw its wings expand. It was of great size,with huge claws, a pointed, powerful beak, a neck destitute of feathers,and a huge comb on its forehead. The feathers were of a glossy blackhue, with a white ruff at the base of the neck.
"Do you think he will attack us?" I said to Don Jose.
He laughed. "No; he is a coward! We can easily drive him off if hemake the attempt."
He shouted loudly. At that instant the condor, for such was the birdnear us, spreading out its huge wings, slowly glided into the air. Atfirst the weight of its body seemed to keep it down, but gradually itrose, mounting higher and higher, until it appeared like a mere speck inthe blue sky.
"He has gone off to the distant ocean," observed our companion; "or toseek for prey among the flocks on the plains below. He will not returntill evening, when probably we shall see him, or some of his brothers,flying over our heads, and pitching on the lofty peaks amid which theydwell."
The highest point of the pass was at length reached. We all felt adifficulty in breathing, and even our hardy mules stood still and gaspedfor breath. We let them proceed slowly, while we had time to admire themagnificent spectacle which the mountain scenery afforded. Around us onevery side rose up lofty peaks and rugged heights, prominent among whichappeared the snow-capped, truncated peak of Cotopaxi, looking like avast sugar-loaf. The rocks, too--huge masses of porphyry--were brokeninto all sorts of shapes, and were of every variety of colour, from darkbrown to the brightest lilac, green, purple, and red, and others of aclear white, producing a very curious and beautiful effect, and at thesame time showing us to what violent throes and upheavings that regionhas been subjected. Below our feet was spread out that gloomy plainwhich has been so frequently devastated by the lava and ashes which themountain has cast forth.
Descending, we reached a sheltered spot, where grass was found for ourtired mules. Our saddle-bags were unpacked, the fires lighted, and in ashort time cups of boiling chocolate and a steaming stew, previouslycooked, were arranged for us on the grass.
While wandering a little way from our temporary camp, I saw some largepale yellow flowers growing on a low shrub. Presently several smallbeautiful birds appeared hovering above them, in no way daunted by mypresence. As they dipped their long bills into the flowers, I couldobserve their plumage, and was convinced, though found at so great anelevation, that they were humming-birds. After watching them for sometime, I called Ellen and Arthur to look at them.
"Ah, yes, they are worthy of admiration," exclaimed our Inca friend."The bird is the Chimborazian hill-star humming-bird. It is found16,000 feet above the ocean, close to the region of snow, and seldom ata less elevation than 12,000 feet."
The head and throat of the little creature which had excited ouradmiration shone with the most brilliant tints, though the rest of thebody was of a more sombre hue. The upper parts of the body were of apale, dusky green, except the wings, which were of the purple-brown tintcommon to humming-birds in general. The head and throat were of themost resplendent hue, with an emerald green triangular patch on thethroat, while a broad collar of velvety black divided the brilliantcolours of the head from the sober ones of the body. The hen bird,which was mostly of a sombre olive-green, was flying about under thebushes, and almost escaped our notice.
Don Jose told us that a similar bird inhabits the sides of Pichincha,with different marks on its neck, and that neither at any time visitsthe other, each keeping to its own mountain, on which they find thefood, flowers, and insects best suited to their respective tastes. Itwould have been barbarous to have shot the beautiful little birds; buteven had we wished it, it would have been difficult to do so. So rapidwas their flight, that it was only when they were hovering over a flowerthat we could have taken aim. Ellen wanted to have one caught to keepas a pet; but Don Jose assured her that it would not live in the lowregion of the Amazon, but that we should there find many still morebeautiful species of the same family, some of which she might verylikely be able to tame. After watching the birds for some time, wereturned to the camp.
Domingos was the first to mount his mule, riding on ahead, that he mightascertain if the road was clear, while he promised to return and give usnotice should any enemies appear, that we might have time to concealourselves. This we hoped to be able to do among the wild rocks whichrose up in every direction. We rode on, however, without interruptionfor the remainder of the day, and stopped towards evening at a small mudhut, inhabited by a Quichua family, who willingly agreed with Don Joseto conceal and protect us with their lives. In the morning we proceededin the same way as on the previous day. Thus for several days wetravelled on, resting during the night at rude tambos, the inhabitantsof which, directly Don Jose spoke to them, willingly undertook to giveus accommodation. The weather was fine, the air pure, bracing, andexhilarating; and in spite of the fatigue we underwent, none of ussuffered. Ellen and Maria bore the journey wonderfully. Although wewere making our way towards the east, frequently we found ourselvesriding round a mountain with our backs to the rising sun. Now we wereascending by the side of steep precipices, and now again descending intodeep ravines. At length Don Jose gave us the satisfactory intelligencethat we had left Quito behind us to the north-west, and that we mighthope to escape falling in with hostile forces. "Still," he saidprivately to John and me, "I cannot promise that we are altogether safe.We must use great caution, and avoid as much as possible the beatentracks. Parties may have been sent out to the east in search offugitives; but we will hope for the best."
As we were ascending a mountain-side, we saw before us, windingdownwards, a long line of animals. A couple of Indians walked at thehead of the troop, while several other men came at intervals among them.Each animal carried a small pack on its back; and we soon knew them tobe llamas, as they advanced carrying their long necks upright, withtheir large and brilliant eyes, their thick lips, and long and movableears. They were of a brown colour, with the under parts whitish.
As we approached, in spite of the efforts of their conductors, theyscattered away up and down the mountains, leaving the path open to us.The Indians, however, made no complaint; but as we gained a height abovethem, we saw them exerting themselves to re-collect their scatt
eredcavalcade. They were going, Don Jose told us, to the coast, to bringback salt--an article without which human beings can but ill supportlife in any part of the world.
We soon after found ourselves travelling on a wide, lofty plain, boundedby still higher peaks. In several directions we saw herds of llamas, asalso a smaller animal of the same species--the alpaca. It somewhatresembles the sheep, but its neck is longer, and its head moregracefully formed. The wool appeared very long, soft, fine, and of asilky lustre. Some of those we saw were quite white, others black, andothers again variegated. There were vast herds of them, tended byIndians, as sheep are by their shepherds in other parts of the world.
The following day, descending from the plain and passing through a deepvalley, we caught sight of a herd of similar creatures, which Don Josetold us were vicunas. Their shape appeared slighter and more elegantthan that of the alpaca, with a longer and more graceful neck. Thecolour of the upper part of the body was a reddish yellow, while theunder side was of a light ochre. A peculiar shrill cry reached our earsas we approached, and the whole herd turned, advancing a few paces, andthen suddenly wheeling round, off they went at a rapid rate. Don Josetold us that they are hunted with the bolas, as cattle are in theplains. There is another animal, the huanacu, which is larger than thellama, but resembles it greatly. It is considered by some naturaliststo be a wild species of the llama. Huanacus live in small troops.Their disposition is very different from that of the llama. Thougheasily tamed when caught young, they can seldom be trained to carryburdens.
John reminded me of an account he had read of the llama, which islikened to the dromedary of the desert, the services it is called uponto perform being similar. Though it has not the ugly hump of thedromedary, it possesses the same callosities on the breast and knees;its hoof is divided in the same manner, and is of the same formation.Its internal construction, which enables it to go for a long timewithout drinking, is also similar. It will carry about one hundredpounds, and proceed at the rate of twelve or fourteen miles a day. Whenoverloaded, however, it lies down, and nothing will induce it to risetill it has been relieved of part of its cargo.
Llamas were the only beasts of burden employed by the ancient Peruvians.Mules and horses were introduced by the Spaniards, and have now in manyplaces superseded the llamas, as mules will carry a much greater weight,and are far more enduring and patient animals.
On the Banks of the Amazon Page 3