light, and I had to remain in darkness all night.  My saddle-bags were with the mule, and I did not even know now where the animal might be.  I was soaking wet, shivering with ague, nothing to eat, plenty of cigarettes and matches, but unable to smoke or even make a light, so my disagreeable plight can to some extent be imagined.  Moreover, there were about six inches of water all round me, so that I could not attempt to sleep.  The cold was intense, and I can safely say that I never spent such a long, disagreeable, and dreary night in all my previous experience, and I hope never to be compelled to do so again.  There are bears in this district also, but I am thankful to say that I was not molested in any way.

Towards morning the rain slackened, and when daylight came I never felt more thankful in my life.  I climbed out of my nest, and there, only about a hundred yards away, was my faithful mule standing exactly as I had left him.  I waited until the water in the stream had gone down sufficiently, and crossing on foot, with the water about two feet deep, I mounted my mule, and then recrossed on muleback.  I knew from the number of hours I had travelled on the previous day I could not be far from Injenio, and I was right, as in less than an hour I saw my destination right ahead of me.  I was in a pitiful condition, and could hardly stand up.  The old Indian recognised me and got me dry wraps after a fashion, and I got under his dry blankets.  I could not eat, but I drank a large quantity of “Aguardiente,” which at least put some life into me.  In the meantime I did not know what had become of my pack animals and Indians, but I was not in a state to worry about them, and didn’t.  Instead, I kept my bed for about thirty hours, until I was revived somewhat.  Then, luckily, my men turned up, and I was able to continue my journey to Sorata.

Well, we left Tolapampa about 6 a.m., and for the best part of the day the route was over country very similar to that passed on the previous day; but we were descending rapidly now, and the temperature became perceptibly much warmer, in fact, by the afternoon we had indications that soon we should arrive in the “montes,” where we would have vegetation in abundance, and consequently we would at least have some shade during the heat of the day.  The road, nevertheless, continued to be very rough and broken, and we had frequently to dismount and lead our animals for long distances at a time.  The long pass of Margurani was unusually tiring, as it was down hill most of the time, and over loose rocks and stones, which were very hard on our poor feet.  Pararani, a small stopping-place, was reached about 2 p.m., and as both we and the animals had just about had enough of it, we decided to remain for the night.