"The baggage was piled on the mules that were to carry it, and when all was ready we mounted our saddle animals. They were not very prepossessing in appearance, and looked as though the mountain journey would be too much for them, but they were the best in the train, and we concluded to be content with the situation. Mules are considered better than horses for this sort of work, as they are surer in their footing, and will venture in places where a horse refuses to go. Bulls and donkeys are also used here for carrying burdens along the mountain roads, but they are not equal to mules.
A PACK-TRAIN UNDER WAY.
"We filed out of the village, accompanied by several travellers who were going in the same direction, so that altogether we formed a long cavalcade. As we ascended the hills the road became very rough, and frequently the path was blocked by trains going in the opposite direction. In spite of all the good-nature that the arrieros displayed towards each other, there were several serious detentions; we found the donkeys more obstinate about holding the track to themselves than the other animals, though none of the latter were to be praised for their courtesy.
"Some of the trains we met were laden with coffee and cacao on its way to the seaport, while others carried potatoes, barley, pease, fowls, and other produce intended for consumption in the country. The people were, without an exception, civil and obliging, but they could not always induce their beasts to follow their example. Many of the men were accompanied by their wives and daughters, but whether the latter were going for a pleasure-trip or formed a part of the working force I am unable to say.
"The road increased in roughness as we advanced; properly speaking, it was not a road, but simply a track worn in the rocks by the feet of the animals that had travelled there for hundreds of years, and by the water that sweeps down in torrents during the rainy season. In some places the way was a sort of rocky staircase, and our mules placed their feet in steps which had been worn to a depth of five or six inches. It was often so steep that if we had not leaned well forward we should have been in danger of a backward somersault, and the consequences of such a fall, especially if the man should carry his mule with him, are fearful to think of.
"Accidents are frequent here, and the great wonder is that there are no more of them. Fortunately, we did not meet any of the descending trains in the most dangerous spots, where the path wound around precipices or through narrow defiles; there are many places where it does not seem possible for two animals to pass in safety, and I can well understand that there is a foundation for stories about men engaging in fights for the right of way. The unprogressiveness of the Spanish people in Ecuador is shown by their being content to get along with this kind of road between their seaport and their capital city during three centuries!
"Night came upon us while we were climbing the hills, and as it is very dangerous to travel after dark, we halted where there were a couple of rude huts, not sufficient for sheltering our party. The arrieros and their peons slept outside with their animals, while the travellers were made as comfortable as their blankets would permit on the floor of the huts. There was the solid earth to sleep on, and we were relieved from monotony by the presence of innumerable fleas. In the morning, each of us felt sure he had been bitten at least three thousand times, and Fred thought he could count not less than four thousand distinct and well-defined bites. Fleas are even cheaper than bananas to cultivate and much more abundant to the acre; it is certain they are not destructive to life, for if they were there would be no living thing in Ecuador.
"Before going to bed we supped from some of our provisions, aided by a dish of stewed potatoes prepared by the owner of the hut where we slept. A favorite dish among the mountaineers is potato stew or soup, which is known as locro; sometimes it is prepared plain, while at others it contains chicken, beef, or any other obtainable meat. The presence of meat adds materially to the dish for European palates, and when well prepared a dinner of locro is not to be despised.