Up on the said peak the mountains were almost everywhere destitute of forests; for except in the very damp ravines, reed-grass does not grow, or any tree except pines.  For that reason, wherever one looks from the height, very many mountains are to be seen, so jagged, steep, and near together that it seems impossible for men or any other living thing to exist on them.

The climate of those mountains is cold rather than temperate, and less healthful than sickly.  The winds that usually prevail are north and south, and the south winds generally bring rain, accompanied by extremely violent thunder-storms.  Dense fogs always prevail, and generally make the country very damp.

Certain streamlets of water issue from the springs of those mountains, from which people drink; and these waters are so cold and thin that, if one does not eat sufficient, they do him much harm.  For that reason it must be that birds do not breed there; for, since the first is lacking to them, those that can escape do not await their destruction.  Only certain little birds like linnets are seen, and at times some crows, which must be foreign to them.

None of the most common useful and fruit trees, which abound in all the neighboring provinces, are found there; and less any of new or old Espana; nor any other that yields either known or wild fruits:  so that the mountains are covered only with a great quantity of pines, whose roots do not penetrate the ground more than half a vara.  The ground to that depth is black, but below that red and so hard [53] that the roots, not being able to penetrate it, are very easily torn up at any violent wind.  All the said peaks are so cleared and despoiled of trees that they do not hinder one from noticing and seeing, for a great distance below the pines, whatever preparations are being made.

The houses in which those Ygolotes protect themselves from the inclemencies of the weather—­which is intolerable, both because of the sun when it shines, and from the rains and cold—­are very small, built of straw and short wood.  They have no walls, for the roofs serve as everything, extending from above even to the ground.  They sleep high up, on some boards or planks roughly put together.  The doors of their houses, which are very small, are so low that one must get down on hands and knees in order to enter them.

Their settlements are established on the peaks of the mountains, and on the roughest of them, whence afar off they can see all the paths, so that no one can approach them without being seen by their sentinels, who always guard their posts day and night.  If there is any danger, they can easily retire without being seen, leaving behind nothing more than their miserable huts; and, not fearing whether any go to seek them, they defend themselves as they may by hurling down huge rocks which they have suitably placed, sharp-pointed reeds, [54] and stones; and especially do they seek the sure and convenient site.  In the rainy season they fear firearms but little, for they know that they are of less effect than none at all.