8 FROM THE ALPS TO THE ANDES 
  
my place as postilion, which I had already 
Hb filled for two months, and decided to go with 
him. 
| We embarked at Marseilles and crossed the 
Mediterranean to .Tunis where we stayed 
several days—my employer having some 
= business to transact—and here also we laid 
in a stock of provisions and engaged porters. 
| My first impression of our new surroundings 
‘| was not exactly a favourable one. When I 
: saw the unprepossessing and often scantily- 
clad forms of the natives, with their dark 
faces and burly limbs, I asked my patron 
if they carried arms. He told me they did 
not and, moreover, that woe would betide us 
if we gave them a chance of handling 
weapons. 
I now felt more at ease, and we started on 
our expedition, taking fourteen porters with 
us, among whom I was careful never to go 
unarmed. Three camels and two horses 
formed part of our cavalcade which travelled 
by night as, owing to the extreme heat, it was 
impossible to proceed by day. We set out in 
the direction of Algeria and crossed many 
hills whose names I do not even remember, 
for I took but few notes, being somewhat 
bewildered by my surroundings; nor did it