and of Mr. F. Hinckley, of the Harvard Observatory. It
was proposed that Mr. Hinckley, who had twice ascended El Misti
(19,120 ft.), should accompany us to the top, while Mr. Watkins,
who had only recently recovered from a severe illness, should take
charge of the Base Camp.

The prefect of Arequipa obligingly offered us a military escort in
the person of Corporal Gamarra, a full-blooded Indian of rather more
than average height and considerably more than average courage, who
knew the country. As a member of the mounted gendarmerie, Gamarra had
been stationed at the provincial capital of Cotahuasi a few months
previously. One day a mob of drunken, riotous revolutionists stormed
the government buildings while he was on sentry duty. Gamarra stood
his ground and, when they attempted to force their way past him, shot
the leader of the crowd. The mob scattered. A grateful prefect made
him a corporal and, realizing that his life was no longer safe in that
particular vicinity, transferred him to Arequipa. Like nearly all of
his race, however, he fell an easy prey to alcohol. There is no doubt
that the chief of the mounted police in Arequipa, when ordered by the
prefect to furnish us an escort for our journey across the desert,
was glad enough to assign Gamarra to us. His courage could not be
called in question even though his habits might lead him to become
troublesome. It happened that Gamarra did not know we were planning
to go to Cotahuasi. Had he known this, and also had he suspected the
trials that were before him on Mt. Coropuna, he probably would have
begged off--but I am anticipating.

On the 2d of October, Tucker, Hinckley, Corporal Gamarra and I left
Arequipa; Watkins followed a week later. The first stage of the
journey was by train from Arequipa to Vitor, a distance of thirty
miles. The arrieros sent the cargo along too. In addition to the
food-boxes we brought with us tents, ice axes, snowshoes, barometers,
thermometers, transit, fiber cases, steel boxes, duffle bags, and
a folding boat. Our pack train was supposed to have started from
Arequipa the day before. We hoped it would reach Vitor about the
same time that we did, but that was expecting too much of arrieros
on the first day of their journey. So we had an all-day wait near
the primitive little railway station.

We amused ourselves wandering off over the neighboring pampa and
studying the medanos, crescent-shaped sand dunes which are common in
the great