"It seems so," said I, "judging by the look of the fields, but it is very unpleasantly damp just now." "Just now," said the old gentleman, echoing my words, "it is always damp here.

You see that drizzling mist; that is the chipi-chipi.

Never heard of the chipi-chipi! Why it is the riches and blessing of the country.

Sometimes we never see the sun here for weeks at a time, and it rains a little every day nearly; but look at the fields, we get three crops a year from them where you have but one on the fields just above.

And it is healthy, too; look at those fellows at work there.
When we get up to the Llanos you will see the difference." The valley grew narrower as we drove on; and at last, when it seemed to end in a great ravine, we began to climb the steep hill by a zig-zag road.