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who gain an uncertain living by hunting the wild mares of the Pampas, and killing them for their hides. These people may be described as resembling the Back-woodsmen of North America. They are continually shifting their habitation, as the prey of which they are in search becomes scarce; and they seldom follow this wandering mode of life for any great length of time; always abandoning it as soon as they have gained a little money to purchase cattle and commence breeding them in another situation. But to begin even this first occupation of mare-killing, it is necessary to be possessed of a herd of about two hundred tame horses and mares, all of which are trained to follow a bell fastened to the neck of the most docile among them-which is hence called Madrina. Two or more Gauchos having joined their stock of horses together, they erect a mud house on the open waste, and thatch it on the top with rushy grass; after which they procure from a great distance, and by almost incredible labor, a quantity of wooden palisades, with which they form a corral, or penfold, of great size. Their stock in trade being thus established, they set out from their new home to scour the country; taking little or no material for subsistence with them, but depending on their own skill in procuring it for themselves when needed. They are frequently absent on these expeditions for a month together; never sleeping under a roof during all that time, and their food the flesh of wild animals, and a little brackish water. Their mode of taking the wild mares of which they are in search is very simple, and attended by little difficulty. On encountering a herd of wild horses they drive their own troop of tame ones among them, and the two soon become, as it were, incorporated together. The whole are then driven in one body towards the Puesto, and on reaching it are made to enter the enclosures of palisades; where the wild mares are noosed one by one, with the lazo, and

dragged outside to a short distance, where they are slaughtered, and their hides taken off the carcasses being left to be devoured by the vultures, caranchos, and other birds of prey, which are always present in vast numbers in the immediate vicinity of these loathsome shambles. Before quitting this subject, it should be mentioned, that all the young horses which are found among the mares caught in the manner above described, are immediately broke to the saddle, by main force as it were, in the course of about two days; and the hides of the mares, after being dried in the sun, are sold at the nearest town for about half a dollar each. The purchaser, when he has collected a sufficient number together, sends them in carts to Buenos Ayres, where they produce from six reals to a dollar each.

About this point of our journey it was hourly to be expected that the wild Indians would make their appearance. At Punta del Sauce, therefore, our supercargo had engaged with an active Cordovese Gaucho, and a gigantic Negro, both of whom were well acquainted with the country, and who were to keep a constant look-out in advance of the troop, in order to prevent a surprise from these roving marauders. The tract of country over which we now had to pass was one level plain, entirely covered with pasture; and on the 20th we crossed a deep stream called Saladillo, and entered upon the Indian territory. Having filled our water-jars at the above-named stream-which was of a brackish taste-we now travelled day and night, with the least possible intermission-as it was considered unsafe to linger a moment longer than was necessary in these rude and inhospitable wilds. Our chief occupation by day was running down or shooting the fallow deer-a sport which took a most animated character from the nature of the ground over which we were passing; and in these beautiful plains the game is extremely abundant. This sport was sometimes varied by that of snaring partridges—

with which game the plains also abounded. This we effected by means of horse-hair nooses, fixed to the end of long canes. Another practice was, to ride round in a circle swiftly, decreasing the extent of the circle, till the bird became literally bewildered and giddy by its efforts to escape, and at last suffered itself to be approached near enough to kill it with a ridingwhip.

During the eight days that were occupied in crossing the Pampas, I found it scarcely possible to get an hour's sleep, either by night or day. The only means by which I could effect it at all were, by riding forward in advance of the troop for some distance, and then dismounting, fling myself into one of the deep wheel ruts, which sheltered me from the cold winds, still retaining my horse's bridle in my hand. On these occasions, instead of being awakened by the creaking and lumbering of the carts, as they passed me, I was pretty sure to sleep till these sounds ceased, and then to awake by the absence of the noise as the miller is said to do when his mill stops. One night, however, when I had been unusually oppressed by sleep, I found, on awaking, that the carts were out of sight and hearing. At first I was not at all alarmed, and springing on my horse, thought to regain my company in a few minutes. Not coming up with them as soon as I expected, I looked up to the heavens, and found that the constellation Orion was on the wrong side of me. I therefore quickly retraced my course; but it was full an hour before I regained my companions. If it had been a cloudy night I should assured ly have lost my road altogether, and in all probability have remained several days without meeting with any assistance in regaining it. Indeed, more than one European has been lost in these extensive solitudes, and died from starvation.

On these extensive plains I frequently had occasion to observe the singular effect of the "mirage," described by travellers over the Arabian

deserts; and several times our whole company were deceived by it. On one occasion I perceived before me, apparently at the distance of about a mile, two low trees, of singular appearance, which I turned to inquire the name of, and found that they were called Los Quebrachos; but on turning the next instant to look at them again, there was no such object within sight. At first I could not believe my senses, but was informed that the occurrence was quite a common one. And in fact the trees themselves were, as I afterwards found, at a distance of about two leagues from us at the time I saw the illusive appearance, and were completely hidden from actual view by an undulation in the surface of the ground. The explanation of this phenomenon is now well known, and need not be more particularly referred to. But another curious instance of the effects of the mirage is worth relating. One morning, about eleven o'clock, we suddenly perceived, at a considerable distance a-head, what we conceived to be the figure of an Indian, and as there was little doubt that we should soon see a party of them approach us with hostile intentions, we did not wait for the appearance of more, but instantly prepared to meet their attack. This was done by, in the first place, arresting the progress of all the carts, and causing them to be drawn up in a double line, so as to serve as a sort of fortification, behind which each man was posted with his musket, and prepared for a desperate resistance. On riding up and down, to see that all were in due order, I soon perceived that more was to be apprehended from the awkward movements of our men themselves, (most of whom were entirely unaccustomed to the use of muskets,) than from the expected enemy. I therefore consulted with the supercargo, and it was presently arranged that only seven or eight of our party, who were accustomed to fire-arms, should attempt a defence by that means, and that the rest should lash their knives to the end of their

bullock goads, and use them by way of pikes an instrument they were much more likely to handle to advantage. I was not long in discovering too, that our drivers were much better disposed to mount their horses and run away, than stand their ground and defend themselves: so that, to guard against an event of this nature, some of us were obliged to swear that we would shoot the very first man who did not stand his ground fairly, and take his chance with the rest. Presently, however, all chance of escaping seemed cut off, for the enemy were now seen advancing on all sides, and seemed closing in upon us in a circle, carrying their long lances erect. Our entrenchment being complete, we awaited the onset, each with several loaded guns, but firmly resolved not to fire till sure of our shot telling. Suddenly, however, our opponents made a dead halt, as if intimidated by something in our appearance; on this our hitherto cowardly drivers took courage, and shouted them on to the combat. But still they remained stationary-seeming, as well as we could distinguish, to be brandishing their long lances in the air. At this moment the mist that surrounded us cleared partially away, and we discovered that our supposed enemies were no other than a herd of wild horses, which, being startled at the unusual appearance of our caravan, had lifted their heads, with erect ears, high in the air, and seemed to approach us momently, by reason of the thickening mist magnifying their size, and at the same time changing their real appearance into something like that for which our fears had mistaken them. As soon as our ludicrous mistake was discovered, shouts of laughter burst from all our company, and such of them as were mounted, riding towards the cause of our late fears, they turned in an instant, and fled away across the plain with the speed of the wind.

The next day we met with an instance of that extraordinary spirit of independence and enterprise, which is only to be met with in savage life.

We saw before us, at a little distance, a man mounted on a horse, and driving twelve horses before him. On approaching him, to ascertain who it could be that was thus traversing the desert plain alone, where man meets his fellow man only to dread him as an enemy, he proved to be an old Gaucho, sixty years of age, a native of Rojas, who told us that he was journeying to San Ignacio, in the mountains of Cordova, to fetch home his son. This seemed so unlikely a tale, that we asked to see it corroborated by his passport, and it proved to be true. He had, in fact, set out from Rojas for San Ignacio, a distance of seventy leagues, fifty of which were over pathless plains, where nothing could guide his way but the sun by day, and the stars by night; and with no provisions but a little dried beef in his saddle-bags, two small horns of water, and a little tobacco. There was also the constant risk of meeting with the wild Indians, and he had moreover the perpetual anxiety attendant on keeping together twelve animals who were entirely loose, and well enough disposed to make their escape. These latter the old man rode alternately, catching one with his lazo whenever he wished to change his saddle, and at night it was his practice to stop immediately after the sun went down, and feed his horses, he himself lying down to sleep for a few minutes at a time, but being compelled to get up and mount a horse every now and then, in order to keep the herd together. The bridle of the horse he was riding, he used always to keep in his hand while sleeping. This rencontre presented me with an instance of mingled simplicity and self-confidence, which it would be difficult to parallel in a more civilized class of life.

On the 24th of September, our water being all exhausted before reaching the expected means of supplying it, we were tormented for some hours with a burning thirst. Towards evening we discovered a pond at a distance, and rode eagerly towards it;

out the power of moving. With the rapidity of lightning the Cordovese now dismounted, and the blood of the animal was the next instant gushing forth beneath his knife, After satis

marshy pool, the carcass of the lion was dragged to the carts, where the skin was taken off, and the flesh cut into small pieces, roasted and eaten, within an hour of our first sight of the living animal! The flesh, which I tasted, was very white, and resembling veal, but of a fishy flavor; it was much preferable, however, to that of a newly slain buck, which was roasted at the same time. The flesh of the lion is esteemed a great delicacy by the Gauchos. The next day we arrived at Melinqueçito, near which place there was an enormous lake of salt water, having the character almost of an inland sea, for we could not perceive the opposite side of it. On this lake were immense numbers of aquatic birds, and in particular, large flocks of the splendid flamingo. On the firing of our rifles, these magnificent birds rose from the water in vast numbers, and the effect of their gorgeous plumage shone upon by the rays of the morning sun, was brilliant beyond description.

but on reaching it, we found that although half a mile in circumference, it was no where more than two inches in depth, and lay on the surface more like oil than water. We were, however, not to be deterred by its ap-fying our thirst by returning to the pearance, nor by the clouds of musquitoes that were hovering over it; but spread our handkerchiefs on the surface, and lying on our faces, sucked the muddy liquid through them, and felt it like nectar to our parched throats. The next instant the whole was converted into a quagmire, by the horses and mules rushing into it, and attempting in vain to quench their thirst. It was not till towards the middle of the next day that we again discovered a rushy marsh at the distance of about a league, and as this offered the probability, though not the certainty, of a supply of water, I hastened to it, accompanied by the capataz and our Cordovese scout, which latter was the most active and skilful horseman I ever beheld. On approaching pretty near to the marsh, we discovered, to our infinite delight, a considerable quantity of rain water among the rushes, and were on the point of dismounting to partake of it, when suddenly a large Puma, or South American lion, sprung from a rushy lair where he had been couched, and instantly fled across the plain. This somewhat startling appearance dispersed our thirst, or the sense of it, for the moment, and we all turned our horses in pursuit of the fugitive. I have elsewhere described the extraordinary skill of the Gauchos with their lazo. On this occasion I had to witness a new instance of it in the Cordovese scout, who, presently coming up with the lion, cast his lazo over its head in an instant, and brought it to the ground almost choked by the running noose. On recovering himself a little, the lion seemed disposed to turn on his assailants and defend himself, but before he could rise, the lazo of the capataz was dexterously cast round his hinder legs; and the holder of it riding on, the lion was stretched on the plain by the tightened cords, with

On the 27th we reached Melinque, which was formerly a settlement of some importance, but now abandoned, having been previously ruined by the repeated ravages of the Indians. On the evening of this day, the sky threatened a pampero, or land storm, in consequence of which the carts were drawn up in a circle, and lashed together, for the purpose of securing the oxen within the inclosure thus formed. This necessary arrangement for preventing the escape of the cattle was scarcely completed, when faint flashes of lightning were seen on the verge of the horizon, which proved the near prelude of a most furious hurricane. To the "pitiless pelting" of this storm, which was so violent that even the heavy ox-carts could scarcely stand against it, the Boyeros were exposed during the whole night,

being obliged to ride round the entrenchment constantly, for the purpose of seeing that the oxen did not escape in their fright; but notwithstanding these precautions, it was found in the morning that four of the cattle were missing, and a Boyero was immediately sent after them, but did not rejoin us for four days, having lost his way during another storm two nights after.

The condition of these poor fellows is perhaps worse than that of any other class of their countrymen. The one I have just alluded to, who was sent after the stray cattle, had neither eaten nor drank during the whole period of his absence from the troop, having taken nothing with him but a little tobacco, with which he contrived to sustain nature; and yet, on his return, his case did not seem to be looked upon as a peculiarly hard one. He was only considered as having performed an ordinary portion of his duties, for which he receives 15 dollars per month, or six weeks, i. e. for the whole period of the journey, which is more or less, according to the condition of the oxen. I observed that immediately on the return of the one alluded to above, he proceeded to "refresh" himself, by devouring about four pounds weight of tough beef, without either bread or salt. This, with a draught of brackish water, formed his repast, after which he betook himself to sleep-not having closed his eyes during his absence.

On the 29th of September we reached the little town of Rojas, which presents a very characteristic scene, arising out of the necessities and corresponding expedients of its peculiar position. The town consists, besides a fort mounting three guns, of many detached houses, each of which is an impregnable fortress in itself—that is to say, impregnable with reference to the attacks likely to be made upon it. Each house is surrounded by a deep ditch, and, within that, planted with a hedge the nature of which renders it a perfect safeguard against the attacks of the Indians. This hedge consists 17 ATHENEUM, VOL. 2, 3d series.

of the torch thistle (Tuna) so plant-
ed that its thorny stems almost touch
each other to the thickness of four or
five feet. It is true the stems of this
plant, being merely of the consistence
of a cabbage-stalk, might easily be
chopped down by means of an axe.
But as the Indians never, or very
rarely, dismount, when making their
attacks, and as the hedge I have de-
scribed is fire-proof, and may be de-
fended by musquetry from behind, it
becomes, in point of fact, an absolute-
ly impregnable barrier against such
assailants. At the time we visited it,
Rojas contained about 1,500 inhabi-
tants, and presented a most singular
and romantic appearance-being situ-
ated on a slight eminence, and the
enclosures of the Tuna thickly plant-
ed, chiefly with peach groves. The
entrance to each enclosure is by a
draw-bridge.
the inhabitants many Indian boys and
girls, who had been taken prisoners
from the Indians in various incursions,
and were used as slaves.

We observed among

On the 30th we fell in with a herd of about 400 wild pigs. After a contest of nearly an hour with several ferocious boars who stopped and faced us, we succeeded in killing ten of the herd. It was not long before portions of them were roasting. I found the flavor not unlike that of rancid whale oil. These herds form a great article of commerce with the shipping agents of Buenos Ayres.

We now began to enter a district well improved as estancios, or cattle farms; to each of which is attached a long grove of peach trees-this being the only tree used for firewood in these districts.

On the 1st of October we reached the Guardia del Salto, a town with a fort and two thousand inhabitants.

On the 2d of October we passed through Areco, a town similar in character to the above; and on the 4th we reached one of a very superior description-the pretty town of Luxanwhich includes several handsome buildings, and a church surmounted by a dome. The next day the dry

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