Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

138
NOTES OF A BOTANIST
fowl was boiled and plantains roasted for supper.
Then, wrapped in my blanket and stretched on my
mattress, with my feet near to a good fire, I pre-
that how-
pared to pass the night, and I may say
ever much I might have suffered through the day,
1 generally slept tolerably well and rarely suffered
from cold.
June 15. We had heavy thunder-showers from
2 to 4 A.M., and wet dripped from the roof on to the
foot of my bed. The day was cold and drizzling
throughout. Our course was still mostly along the
top of the ridge, gradually ascending, rarely descend-
rivulets. About noon we
ing a little to pass slight
reached the highest part at a place called the
" "
Ventanas (windows), where the track ran along
the edge of a steep barranco to the right, down
which we looked into a tremendously deep valley,
whose bottom was obscured by rolling mist, though
we distinctly heard the murmuring of the nascent
Bombonasa it. along Travellers and cargoes arrived
pretty well soaked at the end of this day's journey,
and the same was the case through nearly all the
rest of the way. The ground to-day was mostly
gravelly.
June 1 6. Again heavy showers before daylight
which left the forest soaking wet for our journey.
There was a little sun till 9 o'clock, then came on
showers, which, with very short intervals, lasted
till 4 P.M. Our cargueros were accustomed to
breakfast at daybreak, I and my muchacho at the
same hour made our coffee and cooked a fowl to
be eaten on the way by some stream of cool water,
whenever hunger should invite us. On reaching
the first stream from our sleeping-place, the women