Beneath one of these we prepared our bivouac, the strange natives doing their utmost to render themselves useful.

They had never before seen white people, and the quickness with which they understood our wants and hastened to gratify them was very satisfactory.
MEETING WITH NATIVE WOMEN.
After we had tethered the horses and made ourselves tolerably comfortable we heard loud voices from the hills above us: the effect was fine for they really almost appeared to float in the air; and as the wild cries of the women, who knew not our exact position, came by upon the wind, I thought it was well worth a little trouble to hear these savage sounds under such circumstances.

Our guides shouted in return, and gradually the approaching cries came nearer and nearer.
CURIOUS SUPERSTITION.

CEREMONIES.
I was however wholly unprepared for the scene that was about to take place.

A sort of procession came up, headed by two women down whose cheeks tears were streaming.