ever a greater husbanding of the national resources than there was throughout the length and breadth of the vast dominions of the Children of the Sun. The people in the United States, especially those who live in the Rocky Mountain region, have much to learn from them, and the sooner they profit by the lessons taught by the Peruvians of long ago the sooner will they see the vast wilderness of sand and sage-brush that extends from the Columbia to the Rio Grande transformed into broad grain fields and extensive orchards of untold value and productiveness.

I spent two days in and about Casa Grande and enjoyed every moment of the time. When I prepared to depart, the charming and hospitable family of my good host gently expostulated with me for making my visit so brief. "We had hoped, when you arrived," one of them was kind enough to say, "that you would give us an opportunity of getting acquainted with you, but the first greetings are scarcely over when you make haste to leave us." They all insisted that I should make them a longer visit the next time I came to Peru, and on my agreeing to do so, they all joined in a cordial adios; hasta otra vista-Good-by; until we meet again.

"Le pondré á Ud en Cajamarca"-"I will deliver you at Cajamarca," said the good-natured prefect of Trujillo, as he bade me farewell, "and I have no doubt that the prefect of Cajamarca will see to your safe arrival in Chachapoyas."

The escort he had selected for me a gallant young lieutenant and a private-were promptly on hand at Casa Grande at the hour set for my departure. They had brought the necessary pack-mules for my baggage, and the saddle horses that they themselves were to ride. My own mount, which was provided by my ever-thoughtful and generous host, was a splendid, white mule that was used to traveling in the sierras, and exceptionally sure-footed, even along the steepest and most dangerous paths. He was, without question, one of the most intelligent beasts of his

much-abused race I ever saw, and was so gentle that a child could have ridden him in safety. Like a favorite white mule I once had in Egypt, he could keep up a fine, easy, ambling gait for hours at a time, and seemed to be as fresh and vigorous at the end of the day's journey as he was in the morning after a good night's rest. I was indebted to my kind host of Casa Grande for many favors, but for none more than for the splendid animal that carried me up the steep declivities of the western Cordillera.

Although I took leave of his family at Casa Grande, Mr. G—— insisted on accompanying me to Sausal, a flourishing town about twenty miles distant, but which is likewise a part of the company's property. Here his administrador, being advised of our arrival, had a delightful luncheon prepared for us, to which every one did full justice. Thence we went together to Jaguey, some fifteen miles further, where we arrived at two o'clock in the afternoon. Here it was that the noble, whole-souled Mr. G bade us a Godspeed, in words so touching that I felt I was leaving a lifelong friend.

I had now gotten away from steamers and railroads. Before me was a long journey of nearly a month on muleback over a mountain trail, and most of it through a very sparsely settled country. But this, far from being a deterrent factor, appealed to me as one of the most attractive features of the trip. I was now about to gratify another wish of my youth-a visit to Cajamarca and a ride from the Pacific to the Amazon.

"I shall have to rough it somewhat," I said to myself, "but then I shall be off the beaten track, and shall come in contact with people who have not been spoiled by strangers and tourists. I shall be able to commune with Nature in her most beautiful and sublime manifestations and shall have an opportunity of studying such marvels of sky and mountain and forest as may be seen in but few regions of the globe. With such surroundings, I shall not miss the comforts and luxuries of our modern metropolises."

Our objective point for the day was Cascas, a small town about ten leagues distant in the foothills of the Cordilleras. Our path was through an arid district where the chief vegetation was composed of a few scrubby trees here and there, and a large number of representatives of the cactus family. The most notable among these were certain cerei, whose immense size and long, candelabra-like branches remind one of the giant cactus of Arizona.

After traveling about four hours, we found ourselves on an elevated projection from the Cordillera, when, lo! there suddenly appeared before us one of the most perfect and brilliant rainbows I had ever witnessed. "Esto es buen pronostico""This is a good omen," said the young officer of Spanish descent who was with me. "You are going," he said, addressing me, "to have a safe and pleasant journey."

But his companion, an Indian from the Lake Titicaca basin, was not so enthusiastic about this beautiful apparition in the heavens. What was the reason? Was he indifferent to such a gorgeous spectacle, or did he secretly entertain the view of his Indian ancestors respecting this, to them, mysterious phenomenon.

Among the Aymaras the rainbow-Kurmi—is regarded as a fetish-achachila—and in some places the Indian mothers forbid their children to gaze at it, lest it kill them. To the old Quichua Indians the rainbow-cuychu—was something sacred-huaca-both because of the beauty of its colors and because they knew that this beauty was derived from the sun. For this reason, Garcilaso informs us, the Inca kings adopted it for their arms and for their device. But, like the Aymaras, the Children of the Sun had a certain dread of the rainbow, for, "owing to the veneration they felt for it when they saw it in the air, they shut their mouths, and put their hands over them, for they said if they exposed their teeth they would loosen and decay." 1

1 Garcilaso, Commentarios Reales, Cap. XXI.