第9章

ThenextdaywerodetothevillageofLasMinas。Thecountrywasrathermorehilly，butotherwisecontinuedthesame；aninhabitantofthePampasnodoubtwouldhaveconsidereditastrulyAlpine。Thecountryissothinlyinhabited，thatduringthewholedaywescarcelymetasingleperson。LasMinasismuchsmallereventhanMaldonado。Itisseatedonalittleplain，andissurroundedbylowrockymountains。Itisoftheusualsymmetricalform，andwithitswhitewashedchurchstandinginthecentre，hadratheraprettyappearance。Theoutskirtinghousesroseoutoftheplainlikeisolatedbeings，withouttheaccompanimentofgardensorcourtyards。Thisisgenerallythecaseinthecountry，andallthehouseshave，inconsequenceanuncomfortableaspect。Atnightwestoppedatapulperia，ordrinking-shop。

DuringtheeveningagreatnumberofGauchoscameintodrinkspiritsandsmokecigars：theirappearanceisverystriking；theyaregenerallytallandhandsome，butwithaproudanddissoluteexpressionofcountenance。

Theyfrequentlyweartheirmoustachesandlongblackhaircurlingdowntheirbacks。Withtheirbrightlycolouredgarments，greatspursclankingabouttheirheels，andknivesstuckasdaggers(andoftensoused)attheirwaists，theylookaverydifferentraceofmenfromwhatmightbeexpectedfromtheirnameofGauchos，orsimplecountrymen。Theirpolitenessisexcessive；

theyneverdrinktheirspiritswithoutexpectingyoutotasteit；butwhilstmakingtheirexceedinglygracefulbow，theyseemquiteasready，ifoccasionoffered，tocutyourthroat。

Onthethirddaywepursuedratheranirregularcourse，asIwasemployedinexaminingsomebedsofmarble。Onthefineplainsofturfwesawmanyostriches(Struthiorhea)。Someoftheflockscontainedasmanyastwentyorthirtybirds。These，whenstandingonanylittleeminence，andseenagainsttheclearsky，presentedaverynobleappearance。Inevermetwithsuchtameostrichesinanyotherpartofthecountry：itwaseasytogallopupwithinashortdistanceofthem；butthen，expandingtheirwings，theymadeallsailrightbeforethewind，andsoonleftthehorseastern。

AtnightwecametothehouseofDonJuanFuentes，arichlandedproprietor，butnotpersonallyknowntoeitherofmycompanions。Onapproachingthehouseofastranger，itisusualtofollowseverallittlepointsofetiquette：

ridingupslowlytothedoor，thesalutationofAveMariaisgiven，anduntilsomebodycomesoutandasksyoutoalight，itisnotcustomaryeventogetoffyourhorse：theformalansweroftheowneris，“sinpecadoconcebida“——

thatis，conceivedwithoutsin。Havingenteredthehouse，somegeneralconversationiskeptupforafewminutes，tillpermissionisaskedtopassthenightthere。Thisisgrantedasamatterofcourse。Thestrangerthentakeshismealswiththefamily，andaroomisassignedhim，wherewiththehorseclothsbelongingtohisrecado(orsaddleofthePampas)

hemakeshisbed。Itiscurioushowsimilarcircumstancesproducesuchsimilarresultsinmanners。AttheCapeofGoodHopethesamehospitality，andverynearlythesamepointsofetiquette，areuniversallyobserved。

Thedifference，however，betweenthecharacteroftheSpaniardandthatoftheDutchboerisshown，bytheformerneveraskinghisguestasinglequestionbeyondthestrictestruleofpoliteness，whilstthehonestDutchmandemandswherehehasbeen，whereheisgoing，whatishisbusiness，andevenhowmanybrotherssisters，orchildrenhemayhappentohave。

ShortlyafterourarrivalatDonJuan’s，oneofthelargestherdsofcattlewasdrivenintowardsthehouse，andthreebeastswerepickedouttobeslaughteredforthesupplyoftheestablishment。Thesehalf-wildcattleareveryactive；andknowingfullwellthefatallazo，theyledthehorsesalongandlaboriouschase。Afterwitnessingtherudewealthdisplayedinthenumberofcattle，men，andhorses，DonJuan’smiserablehousewasquitecurious。Thefloorconsistedofhardenedmud，andthewindowswerewithoutglass；thesitting-roomboastedonlyofafewoftheroughestchairsandstools，withacoupleoftables。Thesupper，althoughseveralstrangerswerepresent，consistedoftwohugepiles，oneofroastbeef，theotherofboiled，withsomepiecesofpumpkin：besidesthislattertherewasnoothervegetable，andnotevenamorselofbread。Fordrinking，alargeearthenwarejugofwaterservedthewholeparty。Yetthismanwastheownerofseveralsquaremilesofland，ofwhichnearlyeveryacrewouldproducecorn，and，withalittletrouble，allthecommonvegetables。Theeveningwasspentinsmoking，withalittleimpromptusinging，accompaniedbytheguitar。Thesignoritasallsattogetherinonecorneroftheroom，anddidnotsupwiththemen。

Somanyworkshavebeenwrittenaboutthesecountries，thatitisalmostsuperfluoustodescribeeitherthelazoorthebolas。Thelazoconsistsofaverystrong，butthin，well-plaitedrope，madeofrawhide。Oneendisattachedtothebroadsurcingle，whichfastenstogetherthecomplicatedgearoftherecado，orsaddleusedinthePampas；theotheristerminatedbyasmallringofironorbrass，bywhichanoosecanbeformed。TheGaucho，whenheisgoingtousethelazo，keepsasmallcoilinhisbridle-hand，andintheotherholdstherunningnoosewhichismadeverylarge，generallyhavingadiameterofabouteightfeet。Thishewhirlsroundhishead，andbythedexterousmovementofhiswristkeepsthenooseopen；then，throwingit，hecausesittofallonanyparticularspothechooses。Thelazo，whennotused，istiedupinasmallcoiltotheafterpartoftherecado。Thebolas，orballs，areoftwokinds：thesimplest，whichischieflyusedforcatchingostriches，consistsoftworoundstones，coveredwithleather，andunitedbyathinplaitedthong，abouteightfeetlong。Theotherkinddiffersonlyinhavingthreeballsunitedbythethongstoacommoncentre。

TheGauchoholdsthesmallestofthethreeinhishand，andwhirlstheothertworoundandroundhishead；then，takingaim，sendsthemlikechainshotrevolvingthroughtheair。Theballsnosoonerstrikeanyobject，than，windingroundit，theycrosseachother，andbecomefirmlyhitched。

Thesizeandweightoftheballsvary，accordingtothepurposeforwhichtheyaremade：whenofstone，althoughnotlargerthananapple，theyaresentwithsuchforceassometimestobreakthelegevenofahorse。Ihaveseentheballsmadeofwood，andaslargeasaturnip，forthesakeofcatchingtheseanimalswithoutinjuringthem。Theballsaresometimesmadeofiron，andthesecanbehurledtothegreatestdistance。Themaindifficultyinusingeitherlazoorbolasistoridesowellastobeableatfullspeed，andwhilesuddenlyturningabout，towhirlthemsosteadilyroundthehead，astotakeaim：onfootanypersonwouldsoonlearntheart。

Oneday，asIwasamusingmyselfbygallopingandwhirlingtheballsroundmyhead，byaccidentthefreeonestruckabush，anditsrevolvingmotionbeingthusdestroyed，itimmediatelyfelltotheground，and，likemagic，caughtonehindlegofmyhorse；theotherballwasthenjerkedoutofmyhand，andthehorsefairlysecured。Luckilyhewasanoldpractisedanimal，andknewwhatitmeant；otherwisehewouldprobablyhavekickedtillhehadthrownhimselfdown。TheGauchosroaredwithlaughter；theycriedoutthattheyhadseeneverysortofanimalcaught，buthadneverbeforeseenamancaughtbyhimself。

Duringthetwosucceedingdays，IreachedthefurthestpointwhichI

wasanxioustoexamine。Thecountryworethesameaspect，tillatlastthefinegreenturfbecamemorewearisomethanadustyturnpikeroad。Weeverywheresawgreatnumbersofpartridges(Nothuramajor)。Thesebirdsdonotgoincoveys，nordotheyconcealthemselvesliketheEnglishkind。

Itappearsaverysillybird。Amanonhorsebackbyridingroundandroundinacircle，orratherinaspire，soastoapproachclosereachtime，mayknockontheheadasmanyashepleases。Themorecommonmethodistocatchthemwitharunningnoose，orlittlelazo，madeofthestemofanostrich’sfeather，fastenedtotheendofalongstick。Aboyonaquietoldhorsewillfrequentlythuscatchthirtyorfortyinaday。InArcticNorthAmerica[1]theIndianscatchtheVaryingHarebywalkingspirallyroundandroundit，whenonitsform：themiddleofthedayisreckonedthebesttime，whenthesunishigh，andtheshadowofthehunternotverylong。

OnourreturntoMaldonado，wefollowedratheradifferentlineofroad。

NearPandeAzucar，alandmarkwellknowntoallthosewhohavesailedupthePlata，IstayedadayatthehouseofamosthospitableoldSpaniard。

EarlyinthemorningweascendedtheSierradelasAnimas。Bytheaidoftherisingsunthescenerywasalmostpicturesque。TothewestwardtheviewextendedoveranimmenselevelplainasfarastheMount，atMonteVideo，andtotheeastward，overthemammillatedcountryofMaldonado。

Onthesummitofthemountaintherewereseveralsmallheapsofstones，whichevidentlyhadlainthereformanyyears。MycompanionassuredmethattheyweretheworkoftheIndiansintheoldtime。Theheapsweresimilar，butonamuchsmallerscale，tothosesocommonlyfoundonthemountainsofWales。Thedesiretosignalizeanyevent，onthehighestpointoftheneighbouringland，seemsanuniversalpassionwithmankind。Atthepresentday，notasingleIndian，eithercivilizedorwild，existsinthispartoftheprovince；noramIawarethattheformerinhabitantshaveleftbehindthemanymorepermanentrecordsthantheseinsignificantpilesonthesummitoftheSierradelasAnimas。

Thegeneral，andalmostentireabsenceoftreesinBandaOrientalisremarkable。Someoftherockyhillsarepartlycoveredbythickets，andonthebanksofthelargerstreams，especiallytothenorthofLasMinas，willow-treesarenotuncommon。NeartheArroyoTapesIheardofawoodofpalms；andoneofthesetrees，ofconsiderablesize，IsawnearthePandeAzucar，inlat。35degs。These，andthetreesplantedbytheSpaniards，offertheonlyexceptionstothegeneralscarcityofwood。Amongtheintroducedkindsmaybeenumeratedpoplars，olives，peach，andotherfruittrees：

thepeachessucceedsowell，thattheyaffordthemainsupplyoffirewoodtothecityofBuenosAyres。Extremelylevelcountries，suchasthePampas，seldomappearfavourabletothegrowthoftrees。Thismaypossiblybeattributedeithertotheforceofthewinds，orthekindofdrainage。Inthenatureoftheland，however，aroundMaldonado，nosuchreasonisapparent；therockymountainsaffordprotectedsituations；enjoyingvariouskindsofsoil；streamletsofwaterarecommonatthebottomsofnearlyeveryvalley；

andtheclayeynatureoftheearthseemsadaptedtoretainmoisture。Ithasbeeninferredwithmuchprobability，thatthepresenceofwoodlandisgenerallydetermined[2]bytheannualamountofmoisture；yetinthisprovinceabundantandheavyrainfallsduringthewinter；andthesummer，thoughdry，isnotsoinanyexcessivedegree。[3]WeseenearlythewholeofAustraliacoveredbyloftytrees，yetthatcountrypossessesafarmorearidclimate。Hencewemustlooktosomeotherandunknowncause。

ConfiningourviewtoSouthAmerica，weshouldcertainlybetemptedtobelievethattreesflourishedonlyunderaveryhumidclimate；forthelimitoftheforest-landfollows，inamostremarkablemanner，thatofthedampwinds。Inthesouthernpartofthecontinent，wherethewesterngales，chargedwithmoisturefromthePacific，prevail，everyislandonthebrokenwestcoast，fromlat。38degs。totheextremepointofTierradelFuego，isdenselycoveredbyimpenetrableforests。OntheeasternsideoftheCordillera，overthesameextentoflatitude，whereablueskyandafineclimateprovethattheatmospherehasbeendeprivedofitsmoisturebypassingoverthemountains，thearidplainsofPatagoniasupportamostscantyvegetation。Inthemorenorthernpartsofthecontinent，withinthelimitsoftheconstantsouth-easterntrade-wind，theeasternsideisornamentedbymagnificentforests；whilstthewesterncoast，fromlat。