A DANGEROUS ROAD IN THE MOUNTAINS.
"From the crest of this ridge we proceeded over a table-land and along a gentle descent for about fifteen miles, till we reached the rancheria of Uspallata, where we passed the night. It consists of a series of adobe houses built around a court-yard; several of these houses are divided into rooms for the accommodation of travellers, and as soon as Manuel could secure one of them it was delivered into our custody. It was the Eastern khan or caravansary over again, and I fancy that the idea must have been brought from Spain by the early settlers, and originally obtained from the Moors during their residence in the Peninsula.
"My room contained a chair and a table, but no other furniture. On one side there was a shelf of adobes four feet wide and two feet above the floor, which was intended for a bed, but there was not even a rawhide upon it. I was expected to supply my own bedding, and with the aid of my overcoat, blankets, saddle, and saddle-gear, I had a very comfortable couch under the circumstances. I was too weary to be particular, and, five minutes after lying down, was oblivious to all outward things.
PEONS AT REST.
"Manuel piled our personal belongings in one corner of the room, and slept on the floor near them. Our mules were turned into the clover-fields which surround the buildings, and afford good pasturage for cattle and mule trains. Federico told me he was obliged to pay a sum equal to about twenty cents of our currency for each animal; he and his men had all the work of collecting and managing their beasts, and the proprietors had nothing to do except to collect the money. They must make a fine revenue from the place, as each room yields a dollar a night when occupied, and everybody is or has his own servant. But perhaps they are so heavily taxed by the government that their profits are materially reduced. The governments in this part of the world do not permit a private citizen to make money rapidly except in rare instances.
"We obtained beef and eggs and a loaf of bread for supper, so that we were not obliged to draw upon our mountain provisions. Manuel made an excellent omelette from the eggs; he cut the beef into small pieces, through which a long stick was thrust, and then held the meat over a fire until thoroughly cooked. I opened a can of oysters that I brought from Buenos Ayres, and prepared a savory stew in a kettle borrowed from the kitchen of the rancheria. Oysters, fresh beef, bread, maté, and the hunger of a famished wolf! what more could be required for an excellent meal?
"In the morning we had breakfast (identical with the supper, but without the oysters), and were ready for the road at an early hour. When I went into the court-yard of the rancheria there were at least a hundred mules, all mixed up in the wildest confusion. There were half a dozen trains, some bound east, and the others west; the arrieros and their peons were busy saddling their animals, and as soon as one had received his cargo he was allowed to wander among the herd at will. There was a chorus of braying which surpassed a Chinese band of music or the noise of a boiler factory, and the lack of accord was emphasized by vigorous kicks on the part of the animals. How I wished to photograph the scene, and phonograph it too, at the same time!