t of the
neck it wears a black ruff. The wing feathers and tail are black, and
the lower part of the body white, and the rest a fine grey satin
colour."

While John was speaking, the birds, spreading out their huge wings,
glided off the rock, and then by an imperceptible movement of them
soared upwards, and, hovering for a few seconds in the air, they darted
downwards into the plain, and were lost to sight.

"You need not be afraid of their attacking any living creature, Senora
Ellen," observed Don Jose. "They have no relish for meat till it has
gained a higher flavour than we should like, and dead lizards and snakes
are much to their taste. Even those they discover, I believe, rather by
sight than by scent."

We had been proceeding along a somewhat broader part of the road than
usual, though, as it was very steep, we climbed but slowly. Now
rounding a sharp point, we came to a spot which made me wonder if those
ahead could possibly have got by; and I could not help gazing anxiously
downwards, almost expecting to find that some one had fallen over the
precipice. Ellen kept up her courage admirably, and never hesitated to
follow where others led. I could not help asking once if she did not
feel afraid. "No," she answered. "I always look upwards when I come to
a difficult place, and so pass without alarm." Ellen's plan is the
right one, metaphorically speaking, to adopt in all the difficulties and
trials of life: look upwards, and we shall be carried safely through
them. On we went till we found ourselves among a chaos of mountains,
separated by ravines so deep that the eye could scarcely distinguish the
rapid streams which found their way below. On one side rose into the
clear blue sky the majestic summit of Chimborazo, while other peaked and
round-topped mountains reared their heads proudly around. At length the
summit of the sierra was reached, and our mules commenced a descent into
the valley, drawing their legs together and sliding down with fearful
velocity. I had bean anxious before, I was doubly so now; but the
animals with wonderful sagacity kept the centre of the path, and in time
I lost all sensation of fear, and could admire the beautiful scenery.

The tambos, or road-side inns, we stopped at were mostly huts of the
rudest kind, with mud walls and floors, kept by Indians, and dirty in
the extreme. The entertainment provided for us was boiled chicken and
potato-soup, called in the mountains _l