diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-0.txt | 390 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-0.zip | bin | 313441 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-8.txt | 14155 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-8.zip | bin | 313249 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-h.zip | bin | 1716453 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483-h/42483-h.htm | 418 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483.txt | 14155 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 42483.zip | bin | 312981 -> 0 bytes |
8 files changed, 5 insertions, 29113 deletions
diff --git a/42483-0.txt b/42483-0.txt index 9d0e08e..53948ac 100644 --- a/42483-0.txt +++ b/42483-0.txt @@ -1,35 +1,4 @@ -Project Gutenberg's At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: At Home with the Patagonians - A Year's Wanderings over Untrodden Ground from the Straits - of Magellan to the Rio Negro - -Author: George Chaworth Musters - -Release Date: April 8, 2013 [EBook #42483] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - - - - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42483 *** [Transcriber's Note: In this text the two occurrences of the letter n with a macron above it are represented by á¹…. The one occurrence of the @@ -13789,359 +13758,4 @@ BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - -***** This file should be named 42483-0.txt or 42483-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/4/8/42483/ - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42483 *** diff --git a/42483-0.zip b/42483-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 876009b..0000000 --- a/42483-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/42483-8.txt b/42483-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index e69d672..0000000 --- a/42483-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14155 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: At Home with the Patagonians - A Year's Wanderings over Untrodden Ground from the Straits - of Magellan to the Rio Negro - -Author: George Chaworth Musters - -Release Date: April 8, 2013 [EBook #42483] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - - - - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - - - - - - +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | Transcriber's Note: In this text the following character | - | representations are: | - | [.a] = a with dot above, | - | [.o] = o with dot above, | - | [=a] = a with macron above, | - | [=o] = o with macron above, | - | [=n] = n with macron above, | - | [´=a] = a with acute accent over macron above. | - | Some illustrations have been relocated to fall between paragraphs | - | rather than within. | - +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - - - -THE PATAGONIANS - - -LONDON: PRINTED BY -SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE -AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - -[Illustration: WÁKI KILLING A PUMA.] - - - - - AT HOME - - WITH - - THE PATAGONIANS - - - A YEAR'S WANDERINGS OVER UNTRODDEN GROUND - FROM THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN - TO THE RIO NEGRO - - - By GEORGE CHAWORTH MUSTERS - - RETIRED COMMANDER R.N. - - - _WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - - - LONDON - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET - 1871 - - - _The right of translation is reserved_ - - - - - TO MY FRIEND - - F. W. EGERTON, - - ROYAL NAVY, - - THIS NARRATIVE IS DEDICATED. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -In submitting the following pages to the public, I am conscious that -some readers who desire exact and scientific descriptions of the -geography and geology of Patagonia will be disappointed; but it must be -urged as an apology that instruments could not be carried nor safely -used under the circumstances. The course travelled was as carefully laid -down, by the help of a compass, as was possible; and the map of the -country is so far accurate, and, if incomplete, at least is not -imaginative. To others who may perhaps eagerly expect tales of stirring -adventure and hair-breadth escapes, such as are usually recounted as the -every-day occurrences of uncivilised life, I can only express the hope -that this faithful record of life with the Indians all the year round, -if not very sensational, will serve at least to make them really at home -with the Tehuelches. It is a pleasanter task to record my thanks to -those by whose assistance the results of my journey have been utilised; -foremost of whom is the venerable ex-President of the Royal Geographical -Society, Sir RODERICK MURCHISON, whose kindly reception and introduction -of the returned traveller to the Society are gratefully acknowledged. -My obligations are scarcely less to CLEMENTS MARKHAM, C.B., whose -unrivalled knowledge of the early history as well as the geography of -South America has been freely placed at my disposal; and to Dr. HOOKER, -Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, for his courteous assistance in -identifying some of the plants observed: while to Mr. RUDLER, of the -Museum of Mines, I am indebted for a careful classification of the -various specimens of rocks and minerals collected in the country. -Lastly, the reader will share in my gratitude to Mr. ZWECKER, whose able -pencil has created, out of rough outlines sketched in a pocket-book, the -vivid and faithful illustrations which bring before his eyes the scenery -and incidents of life in Patagonia. - - G. C. M. - _September 1, 1871._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -CHAPTER I. - -FROM THE STRAITS TO SANTA CRUZ. - - PAGE - Journey Planned. -- Preparations. -- Passage from Stanley. -- The - Straits. -- First Footsteps in Patagonia. -- The Narrows. -- - Punta Arenas. -- Commandante Viel. -- The Colony. -- The Town. - -- Chilotes and Convicts. -- Resources. -- Visit to the Coal - Bed. -- Lieut. Gallegos. -- The Start. -- Rio Chaunco. -- The - Patagonian Pampas. -- Our Party. -- Cabecera del Mar. -- Oazy - Harbour. -- A useless Chase. -- A Fireless Night. -- Volcanic - Hills. -- Pampa Yarns. -- Rio Gallegos. -- First Indians. -- - Sam Slick. -- Rio Cuheyli. -- Meeting with Tehuelches. -- - Caravan of Women. -- 'Anglish' Politeness. -- Desert. -- Santa - Cruz at last 1 - - -CHAPTER II. - -SANTA CRUZ. - - Introduction to Chiefs. -- Orkeke. -- Chilian Deserters. -- The - Settlement. -- Island of Pabon. -- Natural Advantages. -- The - Mission Station. -- Mr. Clarke. -- Our Circle at Pabon. -- - Expedition to Lake Viedma. -- Winter Occupations. -- Work and - Play. -- Casimiro's Adventures. -- His Character. -- A Winter - Hunting Excursion. -- A Pampa Snow-storm. -- The Santa Cruz - Valley. -- Up the River. -- The Northern Hills. -- Pumas. -- - Devil's Eyes. -- Hunting on Foot. -- Intense Cold. -- Return of - the Deserters. -- Visit to the Indian Camp. -- First Night in a - Toldo. -- Towing a Horse. -- Adieu to Santa Cruz 33 - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE RIO CHICO. - - Breaking up of the Camp. -- An Idle Day. -- A Rash Start. -- A - Dilemma. -- Alone on the Pampa. -- Reunion. -- The Kau or - Toldo. -- The Domestic Interior. -- The Indian Tribes. -- Three - Races. -- Order of the March. -- The Hunt. -- Indian Game Law. - -- Tehuelche Cookery. -- Basaltic Hills. -- An Indian Festival. - -- My First Tehuelche Ball. -- Mrs. Orkeke's Spill. -- Fording - Rio Chico. -- A Battle. -- Death of Cuastro. -- Dangerous - Times. -- Chilian Conspiracy. -- Obsidian Plain and Pass. -- - First Ostrich Eggs. -- Amakaken. -- Lifting the Boulder. -- The - Devil's Country. -- God's Hill. -- Condors and Dinner. -- - Sunrise on the Cordillera. -- The Plague Herald. -- Gelgel Aik. - -- Escape from Matrimony. -- Téle. -- Eyes of the Desert. -- - Preparations for War. -- Another Fight. -- Water Tigers. -- - Indian Bravoes. -- Iron Ores. -- Ship Rock. -- Perch Fishing. - -- Appley-kaik. -- Casimiro's Escape. -- Arrival at Henno 62 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -HENNOKAIK TO TECKEL. - - Ceremonial of Welcome. -- Hinchel's Indians. -- Tehuelches - and Araucanos. -- Jackechan and the Chupat Tribe. -- My - Examination. -- Encampment at Henno. -- Peaceful Occupations. - -- The Oldest Inhabitant. -- Chiriq. -- The Hidden Cities. -- - Modern Legends. -- Mysteries of the Cordillera. -- Los Cesares. - -- La Ciudad Encantada. -- Its Whereabouts. -- The Indian - Cesares. -- The Guanaco. -- The Patagonian Ostrich. -- - Neighbourhood of Chiriq. -- Horseracing. -- Indian Horses. -- - Indian Dogs. -- Dog and Lover. -- Plaiting Sinews. -- Windy - Hill. -- Surrounded by Fire. -- Young Guanaco. -- Arrival of - Grog. -- News from Santa Cruz. -- Gisk. -- Romantic Scenery. -- - A Pleasant Neighbourhood. -- Fairy Glen. -- Breaking a Horse. - -- Female Curiosity. -- The Wild Cattle Country. -- The Forests - of the Cordillera. -- The Watershed. -- Among the Mountains. -- - Wild Flowers. -- A Bull Fight. -- The Bull Victorious. -- No - Christmas Beef. -- Teckel. -- Change of Quarters 108 - - -CHAPTER V. - -MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE TEHUELCHES. - - Patagonian Giants. -- A Long Walk. -- Strength and Good Humour. - -- Heads of Hair. -- Tehuelche Coquettes. -- Dress of Men and - Women. -- Ornaments and Cosmetics. -- Toilette and Bath. -- - Arms and Implements. -- Ancient Bolas and Arrows. -- Saddles - and Bridles. -- Silversmiths. -- Manufacture of Mantles. -- - Women's Work. -- Diet and Cookery. -- Smoking. -- Card Playing. - -- Game of Ball. -- Ceremonies at Birth. -- Childhood. -- - Marriage. -- Funeral Rites. -- Religion. -- Demons and Doctors. - -- Witchcraft and Omens. -- Medical Skill. -- Population and - Politics. -- Etiquette. -- Tehuelche Character. -- Natural - Affection. -- Advice to Travellers 157 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TECKEL TO GEYLUM. - - Casimiro's Household. -- Carge-kaik. -- Quintuhual's Son. -- - Woolkein. -- Partridges. -- Meeting with the Araucanians. -- - The Cacique Quintuhual. -- Esgel-kaik. -- Araucanian Belles. -- - Communication with Chupat Colony. -- Diplaik. -- Calficura's - Declaration of War. -- Tehuelches learn Fishing. -- My Indian - Relatives. -- Woodland Rambles. -- An Indian Paradise. -- The - Upper Chupat. -- Cushamon. -- Losing Horses. -- Official - Functions. -- Message from Las Manzanas. -- Blessing the - Liquor. -- Casimiro Intoxicated. -- Foyel's Encampment. -- - Great Parlemento. -- Foyel's Ideas. -- Gatchen-kaik. -- Arrival - at Geylum 189 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -LAS MANZANAS. - - Catching a Thief. -- Miss Foyel. -- Start for Las Manzanas. -- - First View of the Apple Groves. -- Omens of War. -- Inacayal's - Tolderia. -- Crossing the Rio Limay. -- Mr. Cox's Shipwreck. -- - Lenketrou's Raid. -- A Night of Alarm. -- Bravery of my - Cousins. -- The Great Cheoeque. -- A Mounted Parlemento. -- - Apples and Piñones. -- Graviel's Madness. -- Las Manzanas. -- - Cheoeque's Palace. -- The Revels. -- Feuds between the Chiefs. - -- The Picunches and the Passes to Valdivia. -- Trading and - Politics. -- Resolutions of Peace. -- A Grand Banquet. -- Power - of Cheoeque. -- Araucanian Customs. -- Farewell Presents. -- - Invitation to Return. -- Orkeke's Generosity. -- Return to - Geylum. -- Outbreak of an Epidemic. -- My Pretty Page. -- - Departure from Geylum 218 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -GEYLUM TO PATAGONES. - - A Sick Camp. -- Oerroè Volcanic Hill. -- Crimè's Deathbed. -- - Graviel's Promotion. -- The Burning Ground. -- Hot Springs. -- - Fighting the Gualichu. -- A Real Fight. -- A Soda Lake. -- - Encampment at Telck. -- The Doctor comes to Grief. -- An - Obliging Ostrich. -- Appointed Chasqui. -- Miseries of Pampa - Life. -- A Bad Time. -- The Plains of Margensho. -- Casimiro's - Distrust. -- Doctor and Sick Child. -- Duties of a Messenger. - -- Departure of the Chasquis. -- Travelling Express. -- The - Paved Pampas. -- An Ideal Bandit. -- Letter from the Chupat - Colony. -- Trinita. -- Teneforo's Pampas. -- Champayo's - Generosity. -- A Morning Drink. -- Departure from Trinita. -- - Valchita. -- The Pig's-Road. -- Wild Horses. -- The Travesia. - -- Limit of the Patagonian Fauna and Flora. -- First View of - the Rio Negro. -- Sauce Blanco. -- The Guardia. -- San Xaviel. - -- Approach to Patagones. -- Señor Murga. -- Welsh Hospitality. - -- Among Friends at Last 247 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE RIO NEGRO SETTLEMENTS. - - Patagones, or Carmen Old Town. -- The Fort and Buildings. -- The - Southern Town. -- The English Mission. -- Elements of the - Population. -- The Negroes. -- The Convicts. -- Lawless State - of Society. -- The Cemetery. -- Early History of the Colony. -- - A Successful Stratagem. -- Villarino's Ascent of the River. -- - Expedition of Rosas. -- The Island of Choelechel. -- La Guardia - Chica. -- Estancia of Messrs. Kincaid. -- Ancient Indian - Graves. -- Flint Weapons. -- The Shepherd and Pumas. -- - Estancia San André. -- The Indians and the Colonists. -- - Calficura's Raid. -- Indian Method of Attack. -- The Tame - Indians. -- View of the Valley. -- Trade of Patagones. -- - Fertility of the Soil. -- Rio Negro Wine. -- The Sportsman. -- - Advice to Emigrants. -- Interview with Col. Murga. -- The - Government Grants to Chiefs. -- Casimiro again. -- The - Tehuelches in Town. -- Farewell. -- The Welsh Utopia. -- Social - Life at Patagones. -- The Steamer at Last. -- Aground. -- The - Pilot. -- Pat Sweeny. -- Adieu to Patagonia 288 - - -APPENDIX. - - A.--A partial Vocabulary of the Tsoneca Language as spoken by the - Northern Tehuelches 319 - - B.--Testimony of successive Voyagers to the Stature of the - Patagonians 323 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - WÁKI KILLING A PUMA _Frontispiece_ - - MAP OF PATAGONIA _at the end_ - - STATION ON PABON ISLAND, RIO SANTA CRUZ _to face p._ 37 - - HUNTING GUANACO AND OSTRICH, VALLEY OF RIO CHICO _p._ 64 - - START FROM THE CAMP AT MÔWAISH, OR WINDOW HILL 75 - - CEREMONY OF WELCOME (TEHUELCHES AND ARAUCANIANS) 110 - - A WILD BULL IN THE CORDILLERA 151 - - SKETCH MAP FROM RIO SENGEL TO TECKEL 156 - - TEHUELCHE ARMS AND IMPLEMENTS 164 - - THE PRETTY HOUSE AND DANCE 175 - - CROSSING THE RIO LIMAY 223 - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Three hundred and fifty years ago the great navigator Magellan anchored -in a port on the eastern coast of an unknown shore, part of the seaboard -of the vast continent of South America, to which he gave the name of St. -Julian. Starting from this point, the pilot Serrano explored the coast -to the southward, and discovered a river, which he named Santa Cruz. His -ship was wrecked near the mouth, and left her timbers on the rocks, the -first of the long list of vessels lost on that ironbound coast which, -from the mouth of the Rio Negro to the Straits, offers but one or two -safe harbours, while submerged reefs, fierce gales, strong tides, -currents, and overfalls combine to render it nearly the most perilous -known to navigators. - -Magellan remained at Port St. Julian and Santa Cruz from April till -October of 1520, when he sailed southward, and discovered the Straits -which bear his name. Two months after his arrival at Port St. Julian a -man of gigantic stature appeared on the beach, 'larger and taller than -the stoutest man of Castile.' Eighteen natives afterwards arrived, -dressed in cloaks of skins and shoes of guanaco hide, which made huge -footmarks, whence they were called Patagonés, or 'large feet,' by the -Spaniards; and thus originated in a nickname the name of the country, -Patagonia. These men used bows and arrows, and had with them four young -guanacos, with which they decoyed the wild ones within shot. Two young -men were treacherously seized and carried off, howling and calling on -their god Setebos. The natives naturally resented this return for their -ready friendliness, and, attacking a party sent after them, killed one -Spaniard with their arrows. Enough, however, was seen of them to furnish -Pigafetta with some details. 'Their tents were light movable frames, -covered with skins; their faces were painted; they were very swift of -foot, had tools of sharp-edged flints, and ate their meat nearly raw.' - -That the first knowledge of Patagonia was diffused in England by -Pigafetta's narrative is suggested by Caliban's lines in the 'Tempest:' -'he could command my dam's god Setebos;' but it was not till 1578 that -the newly-discovered country was visited by Englishmen. - -Sir Francis Drake in that year anchored in Seal Bay--probably a little -to the south of Port Desire--and saw several Indians. His chaplain -narrates their method of stalking the ostriches: 'They have a plume of -ostrich feathers on a long staff, large enough to hide a man behind, and -with this they stalk the ostriches.' He further says: 'They would have -none of our company until such time as they were warranted by their God -"Settaboth." They never cut their hair, which they make a store-house -for all the things they carry about--a quiver for arrows, a sheath for -knives, a case for toothpicks, a box for fire sticks, and what not; they -are fond of dancing with rattles round their waists; they have clean, -comely, and strong bodies, are swift of foot, very active, a goodly and -lively people. Magellan was not altogether wrong in naming them giants, -yet they are not taller than some Englishmen.' Drake next visited Port -St. Julian; and, curiously enough, as Magellan had in this place put to -death two and marooned a third of his captains who mutinied, so this -harbour was the scene of the execution of Mr. Doughty, who chose rather -to be beheaded than to be put on shore. The ensuing year Sarmiento was -despatched from Callao to examine the Straits in search of the daring -Englishman. He saw natives who chased their game on horseback, and -brought it down with bolas. But fifty years had elapsed since horses had -been imported by the Spaniards of the Rio de la Plata, and already the -Indians in the far south had become horsemen, and would seem to have -exchanged their bows and arrows for the bolas. - -In 1581 Sarmiento was sent from Spain with 2,500 men in twenty-three -ships, to found new colonies in the Straits, and established a -settlement, leaving 400 men and thirty women, furnished with eight -months' provisions. On his way home his ship was captured by the -English, and the unhappy colonists were altogether forgotten and -neglected by their Government. - -Five years after, Thomas Cavendish anchored in a bay to the south of St. -Julian, called by him Port Desire, which perpetuates the name of his -little craft of 120 tons. Here the natives attacked his men with bows -and arrows. Visiting the Straits, he arrived at the settlement, and -found only twelve men and three women surviving, the rest having -perished of slow starvation and disease; and the name of the place, -Port Famine, conferred by him, still recalls the miserable fate of -these ill-fated colonists. - -On his next voyage, in 1591, Cavendish died; but John Davis twice -visited Port Desire, and explored the river for twenty miles. During his -stay some 1,000 natives visited the strangers, and Knyvet describes them -as being fifteen or sixteen span high. - -Passing over the visits of Van Noort and Schouten, in the reign of -Charles the Second Sir John Narborough took possession of the country -near Port Desire in the name of the King. But few natives were seen, and -the mate, Mr. Wood, boastingly declared that he himself was taller than -any of them. - -In the eighteenth century Byron and Wallis successively visited the -shores of Patagonia, and made friends with the natives, whose height -was found to be from 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet, while some were nearly -7 feet high. - -In 1774 the Jesuit Father Falkner published his work on Patagonia, -containing all the information procured by himself and the other Jesuit -missionaries who had attempted to obtain a footing on the western and -northern boundaries. His account of the Tehuelches, or Tsoneca Indians, -was evidently derived from personal communication with them, although -his knowledge of the topography of their country seems to have been -procured from the reports of others. By this work, which produced a -great sensation, the jealous fears of the Spanish Government were -aroused, and they hastened to despatch an expedition to form settlements -on the coast of Patagonia. - -Of the brothers Viedma, who were sent in command, Francisco founded -Carmen at the mouth of the Rio Negro, and Antonio, after first fixing -on Port Desire, determined finally on Port St. Julian as the site -of another colony. He thence undertook the first exploration of the -interior in search of timber for building, in the course of which he -reached the great lake at the foot of the Cordillera, from which flowed -the Rio Santa Cruz. Both on the coast and in the interior he received -much friendly aid from the Indians, of whom he formed a most favourable -opinion. - -Under his brother's auspices the Rio Negro was ascended as far as the -mountains by Villarino, to whose expedition reference will be made in -the proper place. - -No further knowledge was gained of the interior of Patagonia until the -survey of the Beagle, so ably performed and so admirably described by -Fitzroy and Darwin; during which the ascent of the Santa Cruz river for -200 miles enabled the latter to observe the remarkable formations which -he has so aptly described in his work on the Geology of South America. - -This brief but perhaps tedious account has been given to show that -although the coasts of Patagonia had been explored and surveyed, yet -the interior of the country, though pierced by the expeditions of Viedma -and Fitzroy, remained up to a late date still almost unknown. Its -inhabitants, the Tehuelches, had been often communicated with, their -stature noted, and their friendly disposition commended; but their -real manners of life as they wandered through the country, and their -relations with, or difference from, the Araucanian and Pampa Indians, -had remained almost as much a mystery as they were in the last century. - -During the last thirty years the Governments of Chili and of Buenos -Ayres have shown themselves inclined to claim the possession of the -coast, the former trying to advance from the Straits, and the latter -from Patagones; and the natives have acknowledged the influence of -either Government as they happened to be in the northern or southern -parts respectively. Our missionaries also have not left the Patagonians -without some efforts to instruct and evangelise them; and although these -efforts have been necessarily limited to the coast, yet the fruits of -Mr. Schmid's sojourn with the Tehuelches remain both in their friendly -feelings and in the lasting record of the vocabulary of the Tsoneca -language published by him. And the intercourse of these Indians with -Argentines and Chilians, and more especially with English officers, -sealers, and missionaries successively, all of whom have testified -favourably to their character, has tended to make them more open to -access, and to give them a knowledge of foreigners; so that in this -respect I can feel that to all those who have been mentioned as having -thus preceded me, this brief record is due from a traveller who has -experienced the friendly feelings of the natives towards strangers, and -especially Englishmen. - -While engaged in preparing the ensuing pages for the press, I have had -an opportunity of perusing the work of M. Guinnard, first published -in French, and recently given to the English public in a spirited -translation, entitled 'Three Years' Slavery among the Patagonians.' The -name necessarily attracted me, but to my great surprise careful perusal -led to the distinct conviction that the author's personal experiences -were altogether confined to the Pampas Indians north of the Rio Negro. -From his own statements and omissions it is quite evident that he was -not carried by any of his successive masters across this river, which he -clearly and accurately defines to be (p. 40) the northern boundary of -Patagonia. The name of Patagonians is, therefore, a complete misnomer; -and the curious account (pp. 72-3) of the 'Tchéouelches,' or Foot -Nomads, clothed in seal skins and accustomed to live on fish, and -literally destitute of horses, is applicable to no tribe whatever east -of the Cordillera, the Fuegians being the only race presenting any of -the characteristic habits attributed to this so-called Patagonian tribe. - -I hope I may not be supposed to be desirous of impeaching the accuracy -of M. Guinnard's account of the hardships endured in his captivity, or -of the customs of the Indians into whose hands he fell, much of which I -can corroborate; but it is to be regretted that he was induced, probably -by others, to describe under the name of Patagonians, the Pampas -Indians, who, by country, race, language, and character, are marked as -being altogether distinct from the Tehuelches of Patagonia. - - - - -AT HOME - -WITH - -THE PATAGONIANS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -FROM THE STRAITS TO SANTA CRUZ. - - Journey Planned. -- Preparations. -- Passage from Stanley. -- The - Straits. -- First Footsteps in Patagonia. -- The Narrows. -- - Punta Arenas. -- Commandante Viel. -- The Colony. -- The Town. - -- Chilotes and Convicts. -- Resources. -- Visit to the Coal - Bed. -- Lieut. Gallegos. -- The Start. -- Rio Chaunco. -- The - Patagonian Pampas. -- Our Party. -- Cabecera del Mar. -- Oazy - Harbour. -- A useless Chase. -- A Fireless Night. -- Volcanic - Hills. -- Pampa Yarns. -- Rio Gallegos. -- First Indians. -- - Sam Slick. -- Rio Cuheyli. -- Meeting with Tehuelches. -- - Caravan of Women. -- 'Anglish' Politeness. -- Desert. -- Santa - Cruz at last. - - -In April 1869 chance took me to our remote colony of the Falkland -Islands, with the purpose of taking thence a passage to Buenos Ayres to -arrange some business matters. During my stay in the settlement, the -coast of Patagonia, in the survey of which H.M.S. Nassau was then -engaged, formed a frequent topic of conversation. I had formerly, when -stationed on the south-east coast of America, read with delight Mr. -Darwin's work on South America, as well as Fitzroy's admirable Narrative -of the Voyage of the Beagle, and had ever since entertained a strong -desire to penetrate if possible the little-known interior of the -country. Now, at length, a favourable opportunity seemed to have arrived -for carrying out the cherished scheme of traversing the country from -Punta Arena to the Rio Negro, Valdivia, or even to Buenos Ayres. The -accounts given me of the Tehuelche character and of the glorious -excitement of the chase after the guanaco, graphically described by a -seaman, Sam Bonner, who had been much on the coast and had resided at -the Santa Cruz station, made me more than ever anxious to prosecute this -plan; and, having a tolerable acquaintance with Spanish, which language -many of the Indians know well, it seemed to me possible to safely -traverse the country in company with some one or other of their -wandering parties. Accordingly I bestirred myself to obtain information -as to the best way of getting such an introduction to the Indians -as would probably secure their consent; to which end most material -assistance was afforded by Mr. Dean, of Stanley, who kindly provided -me with letters of introduction to Captain Luiz Piedra Buena, an -intelligent Argentine well known in Stanley, the owner of a schooner, in -which he worked the seal fisheries on the coast, and also of a trading -station at the Middle Island, on the Santa Cruz river. Mr. Dean was of -opinion that I should be almost certain to meet with Don Luiz in the -Straits of Magellan, and that he would willingly exert his influence -with the Indians to enable me to carry out my plan of travel. I was -furthermore provided with letters of credit to the firm of Messrs. -Aguirre & Murga, at Patagones, or, as it is most commonly called at -Stanley, the Rio Negro. - -Thus armed with credentials, and equipped with a guanaco skin mantle, -lazo and bolas, I availed myself of the offer of a passage to the -Straits made by an old friend who was bound to the westward coast. - -In the first week of April we sailed from Stanley, and, after a -boisterous passage of eleven days, anchored in Possession Bay, just -within the entrance of the Straits, to wait for the turn of the tide, as -the extreme velocity with which the tides ebb and flow through these -channels renders it impossible for any vessel not possessed of great -steam power to proceed except the tide is favourable. Our first view of -the Straits did not impress me favourably. On either hand the shores -looked bleak and barren, though far away to the south and west the -mountains of Tierra del Fuego could be distinctly seen. As we anchored -early in the afternoon, a descent on the coast of Patagonia was -proposed, and a party speedily volunteered--well provided with guns -and other arms, for the purposes of sport and self-defence in case of -necessity--and were soon in the boat. As the tide was out, the shoal -water did not permit us to reach the shore, so we had to wade some two -or three hundred yards over beds of sharp-edged mussels, and, after a -climb up the steep cliff, found ourselves on the verge of a barren plain -which seemed perfectly destitute of life. - -After a tramp of some distance we came to the edge of a gully running -down to the coast, where finding the torn carcase of a guanaco, we -stopped to examine what was to most of us an unknown animal; and -our speculations as to the curious hybrid form of the odd-looking -'camel-sheep' were put an end to by the discovery close by of the fresh -footprints of a puma. These were eagerly tracked, in the hopes of a -little entertainment; but after some tedious searching we abandoned -the pursuit, and again resuming our excursion, tramped along through -high, coarse grass, and sparsely scattered thorny bushes; some of the -sportsmen varying the monotony by an occasional shot at a snipe. The -day was very genial, the warmth of the bright sunshine was tempered by -a wind just cool enough to make a walk pleasant, and the Patagonian -climate was pronounced by all hands to be agreeable. Whilst we were -beating a rough bit of ground, to our utter amazement and delight our -friend the puma jumped out of a bush; but the first surprise was so -great, that the opportunity of giving him a long shot was lost. Away -we all started in chase, hoping to be able to keep him in sight from -a small adjacent eminence; and after a good breather two of the party -succeeded in viewing him to somewhere near the edge of the cliffs, -mainly guided by a retriever dog, which seemed as anxious as anybody to -see what the catamount hide was made of. On arriving at the cliff, a -seaman observed his tracks on the soft clay of the shelving brow, and -soon proclaimed his discovery of the puma in a hole or small cave just -below, by the exclamation of 'There he is!' at the same time thrusting -the stick he had been beating with nearly into the mouth of the 'lion,' -which had set our dog, and appeared about to spring on him. Two shots -were fired in quick succession, but apparently without effect, as -he made good his retreat, affording us a fine view as he went off, -springing in great bounds, along the beach. Pursuit was of course -organised, but night being near failed to afford us an opportunity of -a closer study of this specimen of the feline race; and we accordingly -started again for the ship, after firing a shot or two into the numerous -flocks of oyster-catchers and shags which were domiciled on the rocks -and about the cliffs. The number of these and other sea-birds was -incalculable; the numerous beds of mussels furnishing them with constant -food. - -Next morning we were under weigh with the flood-tide, and rapidly ran -through the narrows at a speed of eighteen miles an hour. The scenery on -the northern side of the Straits offered little variety until we sighted -the Barrancas of San Gregorio, a range of somewhat picturesque hills, -rising near the north shore of the bay of the same name, and running -along for some miles in an easterly direction. On the southern or -Fuegian side of the Straits the land was low for some distance from the -coast, and resembled the northern shore, but high mountains were visible -in the background. After passing the second narrows, an hour or two's -run with the flood-tide and a good head of steam brought us opposite to -the 'Island of San Isabel,' or Elizabeth Island; after passing which the -snow-clad peaks of Mount Sarmiento, in the southern part of Tierra del -Fuego, came into sight, appearing to rise out of the water, ninety miles -distant, if not more. Steaming along the coast through numerous beds -of the characteristic kelp seaweed, which in the most forcible way -attracted our attention, by fouling the screw, and holding the ship -as if anchored for about an hour, we passed Cape Negro, and opened -completely different scenery. Instead of undulating plains, hills -thickly wooded were seen; at the foot of one of which, on a low piece -of flat ground, numerous horsemen, dressed in gay-coloured ponchos, were -visible, careering about. - -It was the afternoon of Sunday, which in all Spanish South American -countries is a gala day, more or less appropriated to horse-racing. -However, the sight of a steamer appeared to cause a diversion, and, in -fact, a general race to the settlement ensued, all being apparently -anxious for anything new or strange. The anchor was soon dropped, near -an American schooner lying off the Sandy Point, from which the Chilian -settlement of Punta Arenas derives its name. - -There was no sign of the Nassau, then engaged in the survey of the -Straits, which we had hoped to find in this anchorage; but from the -Chilian officer, who speedily boarded us, we learned that she had sailed -to the westward a day or two before our arrival, and was expected to -return immediately. The results of the careful observations made by Mr. -Cunningham, of the scenery and natural history of the Straits, have -appeared while these pages were in preparation for the press; and it -affords me pleasure to refer such as desire more scientific accounts of -the botany and zoology, at least of Southern Patagonia, than it was in -my power to obtain, to his work. - -My own object in visiting Punta Arenas was to proceed thence to Santa -Cruz with the Indians, or in whatever way might prove feasible; -but, in truth, it was by no means clear to my mind how it was to be -accomplished; it was, therefore, with great relief that I learned -from the Chilian lieutenant that a small expedition was about to be -despatched by the governor to Santa Cruz in pursuit of some runaways -from among the deserters who were serving their term of punishment in -the colony. He suggested that the Commandante would, doubtless, give -permission to accompany this party; and, without delay, I accompanied -him on shore, and was introduced to Commandante Señor Viel. - -Nothing could exceed the kindness and courtesy with which the -Commandante entered into my plans; he at once not only gave me -permission to accompany the party, but, unasked, offered me the use -of a horse, and told me not to trouble myself about the commissariat -for the road. It was possible, however, that the deserters might be -overtaken in the Pampas, in which case the party would return without -proceeding as far as Santa Cruz; he therefore advised me to secure -the services of some one acquainted with the route, who could act as -guide in the event of our having to proceed without the rest of our -companions. - -I was afterwards introduced to Señora Viel, a fair Limena possessing all -the proverbial charms of the ladies of Lima, and who bemoaned bitterly -the isolation and ennui of life at Punta Arenas; she had literally no -equals of her own sex, and scarcely any of the other, to speak to. Señor -Viel had formerly commanded a Chilian ironclad, instead of which he had -accepted the government of this distant colony; his zeal and energy -in discharging the duties of his office were unceasing, and his naval -habits asserted themselves in the strictness of discipline maintained, -which was absolutely necessary to keep in order the motley population. -But as a residence, viewed from a social point of view, Punta Arenas -must have been unimaginably dull. The Commandante kindly pressed me to -make his house my home, promising quarters for the night--which his own -limited accommodation could not supply--in an adjacent house. So after -two days, agreeably spent in the interchange of courtesies and visits, I -bade adieu to my shipmates, who were to sail at daylight for the Western -Straits, and removed myself and traps to a wooden house close to the -Cuartel, the quarters of Don Centeno, the engineer in charge of the -Government works. The next morning, accompanied by Captain Cushing, of -the schooner Rippling Wave, I set out to procure some few necessary -supplies, and make inquiries for a guide. We bent our steps to the -store of a man named Guillermo, and after purchasing tobacco and other -necessaries, the talk turned on gold, of which Don Guillermo showed us -some specimens, obtained from the banks of a neighbouring stream. One of -the crew of the Rippling Wave grew greatly excited and exclaimed, 'Ah, -that's the stuff we used to grub up in a creek in Californy; I guess if -the old boat lays her bones on these here shores, I'll stop and turn to -digging again.' Hanging up in the store were some Indian bolas and a -belt made of beads, studded with silver bosses, which the owner informed -me was a woman's girdle, and, with the bolas, had been left in pawn by -the Indians. They had not, however, visited the colony, at least for -trading purposes, for several months, as they had taken umbrage about a -dispute between a Chilian and an Indian, in which they considered their -comrade to have been treated with injustice. The party described by Mr. -Cunningham evidently arrived with doubtful intentions, and the tact -displayed by Señor Viel removed their resentment. This information -explained what had previously mystified me, viz., that nothing was to be -seen or heard of the Indians with whom I had hoped to make acquaintance. -My good fortune in arriving on the eve of the departure of the -expedition, and the Commandante's courtesy, were now even more keenly -appreciated by me, as otherwise I should have been simply stranded in -Punta Arenas. The guide difficulty was not long of solution, although, -from the natural dislike of most of the unofficial population to take -part in the recapture of runaways, it had seemed rather perplexing. -After we had quitted the store, we were accosted by a man named J'aria, -who came to offer his services. A short examination of his knowledge -and recommendations proving satisfactory, he was engaged on terms which -certainly were far from exorbitant, and he deserves to have it recorded -that he fully earned his pay. My equipments and preparations for the -journey were now made complete by the thoughtful good nature of Captain -Cushing, with whom I proceeded on board his vessel, where he provided -from his stores, and forced on my acceptance, several most useful -articles; and it is pleasant to be able to publish my sense of the -kindness received from one of our American cousins, who are always ready -to sympathise with and befriend a Britisher, at least according to my -experience. - -A stroll of inspection round the settlement was extended to the -saw-mill, not far distant, worked by water-power; where, under the -direction of Mr. Wells, an American, the trees when cut down are -converted into boards to build the houses that take the place of the -forest. Proceeding thence to the half-cleared outskirts, we found the -Commandante supervising numerous labourers, principally of the convict -class, who were busily engaged in felling trees, clearing stumps, -and otherwise preparing the way for the future development of the -settlement. - -To anyone unaccustomed to frontier towns, the _coup-d'oeil_ of the -town presented an irregular and random growth of wooden houses; but the -plan which was indicated in outline was laid out after the usual Spanish -American fashion, as originally prescribed by the Council of the Indies. -A main street ran near and parallel to the beach, crossing a large -vacant square--the Plaza, out of which, and at regular intervals from -the main street, ran other embryo streets intersecting at right angles, -so that the houses, whenever they should be built, would form blocks -or 'cuadros.' In the Plaza were the church and a large unfinished -school-house. Chilian ideas as to the public duty of education are -advanced, and the schoolmaster is a state functionary, combining at this -time at Punta Arenas the duties of secretary to the Governor with those -proper to his office. The excellent sketch of Staff-Commander Bedwell -(Cunningham, 'Straits of Magellan,' p. 70) shows the Governor's house -nearly at the end of the main street, and beyond it was the Cuartel, a -palisadoed inclosure, containing the barracks, the gaol or lock-up, and -the guard-house, irreverently termed by the officers of the Nassau 'The -Punch and Judy House,' and shown in the same sketch. - -From this a constant look-out is maintained, and a light displayed -at night. The transverse streets, running up almost to the uncleared -forest, were only indicated by scattered houses, and in the line of the -main street two or three detached dwellings a mile distant were only -separated from the trees by patches of potato ground. - -The first penal colony planted in the Straits by the Chilian Government -was established in 1843, at Port Famine, the ominous name of which -recalls the miserable fate of the colonists left there by Sarmiento in -1581. The superior anchorage was the inducement to select the same place -for the modern colony, but the same evil destiny seemed to cling to it. -After struggling on for some years, during which the inhabitants were -frequently reduced to great distress by the failure of supplies of food -from Chili, it was sacked and destroyed by the convicts, who mutinied -and killed the Governor and Padre. They afterwards seized a vessel in -which they attempted to escape, but were pursued by a man-of-war, and -met with deserved punishment. - -The colony was subsequently removed to its present position, and in -addition to the involuntary immigrants, chiefly deserters from the army, -settlers were tempted by liberal grants of land, and a large number of -Chilotes or natives of Chiloe were introduced. These men, who are of -mixed Spanish and Indian blood, are a hardy, sturdy race, accustomed -to the use of the axe in their own thickly-wooded country, whence they -export quantities of timber. They are very Paddies in their diet, living -almost altogether on potatoes, which grow freely in Chiloe, but in Punta -Arenas do not attain large size. Besides land, the Chilotes receive -wages from the Government for their labour, and are the most industrious -portion of the population: the men are hard working, but also hard -drinking, and the women are said to be very lax in their notions of -fidelity. Of the convicts, some were allowed, for good behaviour, to -live in their own houses, subject to certain restrictions; but many of -them were utterly reckless, and needed to be kept under the strictest -surveillance, and locked up in the Cuartel every night. Notwithstanding -all precautions, escapes are continually contrived, and the runaways -face the difficulties of the Pampas, sometimes succeeding in joining the -Patagonians, but as often losing their way, and perishing of starvation, -or becoming a prey to the pumas. Thus, ten or a dozen had succeeded -in escaping just before my visit, necessitating the despatch of the -expedition in chase of them. The garrison consisted of some fifty or -sixty regular soldiers, besides irregular employés, who hunt wild -cattle or deserters, as occasion requires. The number of troops is quite -insufficient to defend the place against an attack of the Indians, but -the southern Tehuelches are not naturally inclined to raids, and if well -and fairly treated are more willing to avail themselves of the trading -facilities afforded by the half-dozen stores, the existence of which -could only, in my mind, be accounted for by the hopes of Indian barter, -for they were far in excess of the wants of the colony. Still the -permanent population was certainly a thirsty one, and seemed to do its -best to encourage trade, at least in grog: drunkenness in the streets -is, however, an offence punishable by imprisonment, and at the time of -my visit the blacksmith was in durance vile, whence the Irish Doctor had -only just been released for this venial offence. - -There appeared to be little cultivation, with the exception of potatoes. -The climate does not permit wheat or barley to ripen, though, perhaps, -oats or rye might succeed. The tame cattle seemed to me stunted and -miserable, but in the forests there are others of a wild breed, which -are said to be large and of excellent quality; these, as well as the -red deer, afford, during some portion of the year, occupation to a few -hunters, who obtain high prices for their meat, but the supply is too -scanty and irregular to prevent fresh meat from being a rare luxury. The -resources and prospects of the colony naturally formed the subject of -conversation at Señor Viel's, and Don Centeno, who was in charge of the -survey of the newly-discovered coal bed in the vicinity, invited me to -join him the next day in a visit of inspection. - -Next morning we accordingly set out, and crossing a small stream, -shortly arrived at the commencement of the forest, through which a -straight road was in course of formation. Numerous groups of Chilotes -were employed on all sides, some levelling the way already cleared, -others at work felling trees, others applying fire instead of the axe. -The timber consists chiefly of Chilian beech (Fagus antarctica) and -Winter's bark, described by Mr. Cunningham, the former of which splits -readily and is available for most purposes. - -After Don Centeno had completed some minor details of surveying, we -struck into the dense forest, and followed a winding path until we -arrived at the bed of the stream, which debouches at the colony. This -we followed up for some time, and eventually arrived at a ravine, the -sides of which were as regular as if navvies had been employed to form a -cutting, in which, at a point sixty yards above our heads, the seam of -coal was visible. Here we dismounted and scrambled up a slippery path to -a spot where a shaft, or rather burrow, had been driven into the bed, -to the depth of perhaps fifty or sixty feet, made apparently for the -purpose of examining the quality, regularity, &c., of the seam. The coal -did not appear to me of a very good quality; but I have since heard that -it gave exceedingly favourable results. My companion also pointed out -to me a place in the opposite bank where some men had been washing for -gold, the specimens of which I had seen in the town; and their labours -were said to have been attended with good returns. As the day was -advancing and rather chilly, a fire was kindled; and after a warm -thereat, mounting our horses, we returned homewards down the ravine. On -emerging from the forest, we observed a large steamer just on the point -of anchoring; so we hurried on to obtain news and despatch our letters -if it should prove the Magalhaens--one of the line of packets from -Liverpool to Valparaiso. On the beach we found the Commandante and Mrs. -Viel, the latter having visited the vessel and obtained some English -newspapers. After dinner, accepting the Governor's offer of his boat, I -proceeded on board, and found her to be a magnificent steamer of great -power and good accommodation. The establishment of this line of steamers -will doubtless have a most beneficial effect on the prosperity of Punta -Arenas; as, though agriculture and Indian trade are not likely to reward -industrious or speculative immigrants, the discovery of the coal-bed is -of the most obvious importance as affecting the future of this colony. -It will now be possible to maintain powerful steam-tugs to tow -sailing-vessels through the Straits, and thus avoid the passage round -Cape Horn; whereas up to the present time the navigation of the Straits -has been almost closed to sailing-ships; while, owing to the great -steam-power required, even steamers, whether war or merchant ships, are -frequently obliged to buy wood at Sandy Point; and then, owing to the -vast quantity used to keep steam, not unfrequently are obliged to stop -again before entering the Pacific to renew their supply wherever they -could cut it. Now this will all be changed, and a steam-launch will -probably be kept to tow the lighters to and fro, and thus materially -facilitate coaling. As population and colonisation increase, encouraged -by the accommodation afforded by the Pacific steamers--which at this -present date run every month, bringing the Straits of Magellan almost -within hail--the interior of the country may become opened up, in which -case, probably, other sources of mineral wealth will be discovered and -made productive. - -Our departure having been definitely fixed for the morrow, I proceeded -to review and arrange my equipments for the journey, a list of which may -gratify intending explorers of Patagonia. Two saddle-bags contained my -kit and necessaries, consisting of a couple of shirts and a jersey -or two, a few silk handkerchiefs, and soap, lucifer matches, writing -materials, fishing lines and hooks, quinine and caustic, and a small -bottle of strychnine. The armoury comprised a rifle in case complete, -and two double-barrelled breech-loading pistols, hunting-knives, a small -ammunition-case of unfilled cartridges, and a supply of powder. The only -instrument ventured on was a small compass. My personal equipment was a -shooting suit of tweed and a Scotch cap, and a most excellent pair of -boots made by Thomas, to which for comfort were superadded a guanaco -skin mantle, two ponchos, and a waterproof sheet. In the evening Señor -Viel introduced me to my future travelling companion, Lieutenant -Gallegos, who was to command our party. He was a short, thick-set man, -with a dark, almost Indian complexion, and looked all over what the -Commandante declared him to be, 'a man for hard work.' In his native -province of Arauco he had been for many years employed in the frontier -wars with the Indians, and could handle the lazo or the lance with -wonderful dexterity. He spoke with great cordiality of the officers of -the Nassau, and seemed well inclined to the company of one of the same -service; indeed, I am strongly inclined to believe that he is introduced -into the foreground of Commander Bedwell's sketch--at all events, if any -reader wishes to know his appearance, the occupant of the fallen -tree presents a strong resemblance to the leader of our party. Our -arrangements and prospects were fully discussed; and after bidding -farewell to Captain Cushing, who was to sail the next day, and to my -most kind and courteous host and hostess, we parted, agreeing to meet at -daylight ready for the road. - -At an early hour of the morning of the 19th of April I was awoke by -J'aria, and with him and my small belongings proceeded to the Corral, -where the horses were being caught and loaded. Here we were joined by -Gallegos, and when everything was nearly ready for the start adjourned -to his house close by for a cup of coffee. The Señora seemed to regard -me with great commiseration, and recounted various dismal tales of the -dreadful cold winds, hardships, Indians, and other disagreeables to be -encountered; her consolations were cut short by the entrance of J'aria -with the news that all was ready. After a parting glass of something -stronger than water, we got into our saddles, and the cavalcade, -consisting of Gallegos, myself, one regular soldier, three irregulars or -employés of the Government, and J'aria, with twenty-one horses, left the -town. As we passed the cuartel, the guard turned out in the balcony and -presented arms, and the bugler executed a musical salute. It was a fine -frosty morning, and we rode on in high spirits, accompanied by two or -three horsemen, who were going to spend their Sunday festa in duck -shooting, and had made an early start to escort us a little way. -Scarcely had we crossed the stream when one of the baggage horses kicked -his load off; this was soon replaced; but when the bustle was over and -the cavalcade reformed, J'aria and one of the employés, to whom I had -confidingly entrusted a bottle of rum, were missing, and they did not -turn up again for some time, and the bottle never again. We rode along -the coast until we reached the outpost called Tres Puentes, where a -narrow pass, between the forest on one hand and the sea on the other, -is barred by a gate house tenanted by two men, posted there to prevent -desertion; they turned out, and we lingered for a farewell chat, during -which one of the sportsmen stalked and shot some ducks; at the report of -his gun the regular soldier's horse, not being used to stand fire, shied -and threw him, capsizing his saddle-bags, and strewing the beach with -tortillas (cakes) and coffee, with which his no doubt provident and -thoughtful 'she' had stored them. Gallegos sat in his saddle and laughed -at the scene; but as the others could not catch the horse, he gave us a -proof of his dexterity with the lazo. After this little diversion we -pursued our course along the beach as far as Cape Negro, where the -forests terminated, and our accompanying friends bade us adieu after -taking a parting glass all round; J'aria and the other absentee -overtaking us in time for this part of the performance. - -Our horses' heads were then turned from the coast in a north north-west -direction, and after half-an-hour's ride a halt was called for breakfast -under the lee of a sheltering hill. To the southward we viewed the -counter slope of the wooded hills, below which on the other side lay -Punta Arenas. A thick growth of shrubs covered the ground, but beautiful -glades of luxuriant pasture were visible; one of which opened just to -the south of our camping place, and others appeared east and west like -oases of green. Their appearance caused me to remark that as a settler I -should choose this location for my hut. Gallegos, however, replied that -the pastures could not be used for the cattle of the settlement during -the summer, as neither the Indians nor their own men could be trusted; -the latter would desert, and the former would steal the beasts. After -a pipe we remounted, and having crossed the hill we descended to the -valley of a small but deep stream, called the Rio Chaunco, having forded -which we ascended the opposite border slope, and entered on the Pampa, -which name is universally used in Patagonia to designate the high -undulating plains or plateaux, frequently intersected by valleys and -ravines, or rising into successive or isolated hills, which generally -occupy the crest of the country. The Indians, indeed, who know a little -Castilian, apply the word Pampa indiscriminately to any tract of country -hunted over by them. After a successful day's sport, and the contentment -consequent on a hearty meal, they will ask with great satisfaction, 'Muy -buena Pampa? No?' really meaning 'Is not the wild life the best?' But -English readers, who have derived their idea of a Pampa from Head's -delightful work, or from other experiences of the unlimited grassy -or thistle covered plains which roll away for miles in the Argentine -States, and offer no obstruction to the stretching gallop of the -untiring gaucho, must not transfer that pleasing picture to Patagonia. -The Pampas, properly so called, of Patagonia, occasionally indeed -present a tolerably even and uniform succession of rolling plains -covered with coarse grass, but more frequently the surface, even when -unbroken by hills and suddenly yawning ravines, is sterile, with a -sparse vegetation, consisting of stunted bushes and round thistle -clumps; and even these are often wanting, and nothing clothes the bare -patches of clay or gravel; elsewhere it is strewn with huge round -boulders, and again rugged with confused heaps or ridges of bare -sharp-edged rocks, many of them of volcanic origin: this more -particularly applying to the northern part of the country. The only -uniformity of appearance is afforded in the winter, when the white sheet -of snow covers rocks, grass, and shingle; but one accompaniment is the -same, whatever be the nature of the soil or surface; and the word Pampa -invariably recalls to one's shuddering memory the cutting blasts which -sweep almost without intermission from various points, but chiefly from -the west, over the high country, till, reaching the heated atmosphere of -Buenos Ayres, the cold Patagonian wind becomes the Pampero, the sudden -and terrific blasts of which cause so many disasters among the shipping. -The descent from these Pampas to the valleys, or more sheltered and -fertile level ground bordering the banks of the streams and rivers, is -commonly termed 'Barranca,' or bank, from the scarped slopes, varying in -depth from fifty to two or three feet, and in angle from an easy to an -almost perpendicular descent, but often fissured by ravines or gullies, -affording roads, down all of which, however, the native riders gallop -with equal recklessness. - -The Pampa we were now traversing presented an expanse of undulating -or rolling plains covered with a uniform growth of coarse grass -interspersed with barberry bushes, and occasional lagoons in the -hollows. No living creatures except ourselves appeared on the waste. -To the westward the snow-clad peaks of the mountains bordering the -Sarmiento Straits greeted us with an icy blast which made my thoughts -longingly revert to the cosy cabin and my late shipmates, who were, no -doubt, threading the intricacies of its channels. But the good guanaco -mantle kept out the wind, and our motley party pushed briskly on in -good order. Lieutenant Gallegos has been already introduced: as to -the others, J'aria was a small man, of rough exterior, of doubtful -extraction, and more than doubtful antecedents, who looked fit for -any business except good; but he served me most assiduously, and with -unlooked-for care. The soldier was a fine-looking fellow, new to the -Pampas, whose carbine, which he duly carried, proved a source of great -embarrassment to him; and his horse being by no means too manageable, he -was considerably bothered, much to the delight of the rest. Two others -were hybrids, between gauchos and sailors, having, like our marines, -been equally accustomed to service _per mare, per terram_; but, like the -jollies, they were unmistakeably useful and good men. The last of the -party was of the J'aria type. All were well mounted, and provided with a -spare horse. We carried for provisions biscuit, charqui or dried meat, -roasted wheat meal, and coffee and sugar, and were furnished with an -unusual but welcome luxury, a small tent, underneath which we cared -little for the bitter frost outside. - -After riding over the Pampas for three or four hours we encamped for the -night in a hollow by the side of a lagoon, having selected a suitable -spot for pitching the tent on the sheltered slope, well out of the sweep -of the wind. The lagoon was covered with black-necked swans and other -wild fowl; so, as soon as the horses had been unloaded and looked after, -a fire lit, and all arrangements made for camping, two or three of us -went out to try and shoot some wild fowl; but our sporting endeavours -were not crowned with much success, and a little before dark we -returned to a supper of charqui, and after a talk over the fire, turned -in, and slept sound and warm, though outside the frost was severe. My -mind was much disquieted, first by the discovery that the box of rifle -ammunition which J'aria carried had been dropped by that worthy at the -scene of the baggage horse escapade, and secondly, by the mysterious -absence from my shot-belt of all my coin, consisting of an onza and a -few sovereigns. I said nothing, however, until next morning, when I -proceeded quietly to search, remembering that I had taken off my -accoutrements before the tent was pitched, and dropped in the grass I -found the missing coins. The story afforded J'aria a great theme for -jokes, and he often adverted to the chance of inheriting my ounce, in -a way that might have made a timid traveller expect foul play, though -nothing was farther from my guide's thoughts. At seven o'clock, after -coffee and a biscuit, we were again _en route_, and about ten arrived -close to the head of Peckett's Harbour. Here one of the party discovered -a horse, which was chased into our troop, but as it appeared lame was -not pressed into our service; it had probably belonged to the Indians. -As in a long voyage, so in a journey of this description, the slightest -novelty serves to relieve what it is needless to say becomes the -slightly monotonous task of trotting along behind the troop of horses -over barren wastes, so we were always on the _qui vive_ for something -to chase. One of the men had a dog with him, and shortly after the -excitement about the horse we started some ostriches, which, however, -proved too swift for the cur, and escaped over some muddy plots close to -the 'Cabecera del Mar.' This is a large inlet or arm of the sea, running -up some miles from Peckett's Harbour, with which it communicates by a -very narrow channel, which can only be crossed at low water; it was our -good fortune to arrive at this period, thus escaping a long _détour_ -round the inlet. But our crossing was not effected without trouble; the -flood-tide rushing up like a mill-race, and proving almost too much for -the steadiness of one of the baggage-horses. After clearing the channel, -in our farther progress we passed several small streams with swampy -ground, all of which probably discharge themselves into Oazy Harbour, -and arrived towards evening at an old Indian encampment situated under -a range of hills, running more or less north and south, forming one -barrier of a broad and well-watered valley, bounded on the eastern side -by the well-known 'Barrancas' of San Gregorio. - -Our station was just within the opening of the valley, which, being -sheltered from the wind, is the favourite winter quarters of the -Southern Tehuelches, whose encampment is usually pitched near Oazy -Harbour, called by them 'Ozay Saba.' - -Westward the low flats which bordered the shores of the Cabecera del -Mar terminated in irregular hills, beyond which higher peaks rose, and -they in their turn were overlooked by distant snow-clad summits on the -horizon. Among the blue hills of the middle distance floated wreaths of -light haze so much resembling smoke that Gallegos, ever on the alert -for signs of the deserters, proposed to deviate from our route to -investigate, and only my strongly pronounced opinion in favour of haze -_versus_ smoke induced him to give up the idea. The Argentine Government -formerly planned a settlement in this valley, which was not carried out, -and the missionaries also proposed to fix a station hereabouts, with -Oazy Harbour as a depôt, but the Chilians of Punta Arena set up their -claims and compelled the missionaries to desist. - -After camp was arranged, the weather, which since our start had been -bright with cold winds and moderate frosts at night, changed to rain, -and Gallegos proposed to me that, in the event of its continuing bad, -we should remain under the shelter of the tent. However, though the -night was rough and rainy, morning broke fair and the sun rose bright -and warm, so we started, following a path along the base of the -before-mentioned range of hills until about ten o'clock, when, just -after passing a beautiful little stream where I noticed fish darting -about in the pools, a herd of guanaco, hitherto concealed by a small -eminence, came into view. Chase was immediately given, but most of our -horses were soon blown, and Gallegos, the soldier, and myself having -ascended the hills over which the herd had taken flight, as it appeared -useless to continue the chase, stopped on the crest and watched the -animals as they streamed up an opposite hill. One of the party was -missing, and suddenly an exclamation from the Lieutenant 'What is it?' -caused us to turn our eyes in the direction to which he pointed, where -some fancied they descried a man. The idea of deserters immediately -occurred to their minds, so they started off, asking me to tell J'aria -(who had remained with the horses) to travel on to a given spot at the -head of the valley. Having descended the hill, which was tunnelled with -burrows of the Ctenomys Magellanicus,[1] the crowns of which, yielding -to the horses' tread, proved a series of dangerous traps, I rejoined -J'aria and we pursued our way for a few miles until we reached a small -lagoon at the head of the valley, covered with thousands of widgeon and -duck. The sight suggested the thought that no man need starve in this -country, so abundant seemed the supplies of animal life. Here we waited, -and in the course of half-an-hour the remainder came up with their -horses blown, one of the party having a piece of guanaco meat hanging -to his saddle. This was José Marinero, one of the hybrids, who had -succeeded in lazoing a guanaco, at which he appeared intensely -delighted. The 'man,' as I had previously supposed, proved imaginary. I -regretted not being up at the death, as it turned out that José had -been close to us, but hidden from sight by a rise. After a pleasant and -refreshing rest and a draught of café Quillota (parched corn meal and -water), we resumed our route north. After leaving the lagoon, a scarcely -perceptible slope ascended from the valley, and a more undulating course -was traversed until we reached a small cañon, which, after a gradual -descent, dipped down between walls a hundred feet high, sloping up at -either hand, and finishing in a rounded summit leading to the high -plain. 'Here,' said J'aria, 'there is no firing, and those _stupid_ -Indian women actually carry loads of it from the next stage.' But the -event proved that the Indians were wiser than ourselves. Following this -we arrived at another cañon running at right angles, east and west, on -one of the grass-covered sides of which we observed a couple of horses -feeding in a hollow which looked more verdant than the rest of the -ground, but the animals being caught and examined proved unsound and -useless. In the bottom of the cañon there flowed a small but deep stream -spreading into lagoons in places. We crossed this and encamped on the -northern side, and found J'aria's words, as to no fuel to be found about -this valley, verified, much to our discomfort. Towards evening we went -out and shot some ducks, but having no fire to cook with, were content -to turn in on meal and water. During the night the tent pole, having -been first soaked with rain and then frozen, snapped in two, and down -came the spread of wet canvas; and altogether we did not spend a very -pleasant time. - - [1] Cunningham, p. 133. - -Misfortunes never come single; at daylight no horses were to be seen, -and we had to wait until near ten o'clock before they turned up. During -this interval we burnt the tent pegs and some chips from the tent pole, -and raised sufficient fire to make coffee. J'aria informed me that this -cañon extends from the Cordillera to the sea, but runs in a tortuous -manner, and we afterwards again struck either the main line or some -cañon leading from it. Having scaled the precipitous banks, we headed -towards a range of peaked hills, curiously resembling one another, and -after passing down one or two more cañons, where we refreshed ourselves -with the berries of a barberry (Berberis axifolia), called by the -Chilians califate, and also saw plenty of the red and white tea-berries, -so common in the Falklands, we entered a wide plain or valley, at the -farther end of which rose a peculiar pointed hill, one of a range that -stretched away east and west, pierced by a pass. In the midst of it a -huge square flat rock shone white in the sunlight, forming a striking -object: it looked like a megalith, deposited by giants to cover the -grave of some deceased hero. Others of less dimensions lay strewn here -and there, giving somewhat of a graveyard aspect to the scene. As we -advanced the ground was encumbered with rocks and scoriæ, lying in heaps -in all directions, making it very difficult travelling for the horses, -and on arriving at the hills themselves their appearance was decidedly -volcanic. The whole immediate vicinity of this range of hills presented -a peculiarly wild, blasted, and weird appearance; nevertheless ostriches -and guanaco were observable in great quantities. My first thought on -passing one hill, where, among the other fantastic forms into which -the rocks had been tossed, was a natural corral, or circle of huge -fragments, built with apparent regularity, but of superhuman dimensions, -was, 'What a hell this must have been when the volcanoes were in an -active state, belching out the streams of lava and showers of rock, and -that perhaps at no distant period!' While at Santa Cruz, Casimiro told -me of an active volcano situated at a distance and in a direction which -would fix it as belonging to this range. Formerly its neighbourhood had -been frequented by the Indians, as the guanaco resorted thither in great -numbers during the winter; but the Indians' horses had most of them been -poisoned by drinking the water of a stream close to the range, and soon -after all the toldos were shaken down by an earthquake or the vibration -of an explosion, and since then they had not ventured to go near the -place. Casimiro and Gonzalez had, however, subsequently ascended the -volcano, and had killed numbers of guanaco in the neighbourhood. It was -also mentioned that when they were encamped on the Cuheyli, or Coy Inlet -River, tremendous volumes of thick black smoke, rolling from the west, -enveloped the Indians and terrified them exceedingly. No signs were -afterwards found of burned pasture, and it was conjectured that the -Canoe Indians of the Chonos Archipelago had fired the western forests, -but it was much more likely to have been due to volcanic eruption. While -trotting along the defile through these hills formed by a chasm, with -perpendicular walls of rock rising on each hand, as evenly scarped as -the sides of a railway cutting, I observed several caves, which J'aria -had a tradition the Indians formerly used as dwelling places. This pass -led into another valley still more rugged and strewn with sharp angular -fragments of rock, amongst which stunted shrubs began to appear; and -lagoons, some of which were encrusted round the edges with saltpetre, -and contained brackish water, might be seen at intervals. Towards -evening we encamped by the side of a small lagoon of circular form, -with wall-like cliffs rising some 200 feet from its banks, and nearly -surrounding it. I took a stroll, rifle in hand, whilst the men were -getting firewood; and plenty of guanaco were visible, but I only -succeeded in wounding one, which escaped on three legs. Traces of a -puma, in the shape of carrion, were also there, but Leon himself was -hidden. So I returned empty-handed to the fire, where I found a cheerful -supper of wild duck and guanaco meat just ready. The moon was beautiful, -and the air just frosty enough to be bracing and exhilarating, so some -of us staid smoking and spinning yarns until the small hours. The -stories were chiefly of adventures on the Pampas. José narrated how, -when in pursuit of a party of runaways in the depth of winter, when the -snow lay thick on the ground, he and his comrade rode into a valley -where countless guanaco had taken refuge from the storm in the upper -heights, and stood huddled together, too benumbed by the cold to attempt -to escape, and were slaughtered like oxen in the shambles. In another -hunt the party overtook the deserters, housed in the toldo of an Indian, -and a fight ensued, ending in the death of one of the pursuers; the -deserter who shot him was pistolled, and J'aria and José carried the -dead body of their comrade on horseback to the settlement, sixty -miles distant, proceeding without a halt all through the night, and -accomplishing their ghastly journey by the next morning. J'aria related -how he had been drifted in a launch among the ice in the Straits, and -carried over to Tierra del Fuego, where they found rocks so magnetic -that iron nails adhered to them. He further amused us by a short -dissertation on his domestic arrangements; how, when his last wife -died, he married a Chilote to be mother for his children and wife for -him, and he always called her in conversation the 'Madre Muger'--wife -mother. - -Next morning we started early, and varying our march with one or two -races after foxes, which generally met their death in a very short time, -and an engagement with a female puma, which one of the men despatched by -a splendid revolver shot through the head, traversed some uneven Pampas, -with occasional hills, and arrived at the descent of the valley of the -Rio Gallegos, where the very remarkable bench formation, afterwards -observed on a smaller or larger scale in other Patagonian rivers, first -arrested my attention. To the west, some miles away, a high hill, -apparently of basalt, the square summit of which with seemingly regular -walls and towers mimicked the distant view of an extensive fortress, -served as a landmark for the break in the barranca, which formed a -natural road, by which we reached the first or upper bench, a mile and a -half in width; from this a drop or scarped slope of 50 feet and upwards -descended to another terrace or plain of equal extent, and terminating -in another fall, at the bottom of which lay the bed of the river; it is -fordable in the summer months, I believe, in many places, but when we -crossed the water about reached where one's saddle flaps would be if -riding on an English saddle. After crossing the ford a halt took place -to smoke a pipe, whilst doing which we watched the gyrations of a huge -vulture of the condor species; he hovered for some time, and at length -boldly settled on a point of rock about a hundred yards distant; so the -soldier, whose carbine was always ready, took a shot, but missed, much -to the grief of Gallegos, who asserted that the heart of the vulture is -a good remedy for certain diseases. We then mounted, and riding about a -mile halted for the night by a spring gushing out of a ravine in the -slope between the upper and lower benches, where the pasture was good, -as J'aria declared that water was scarce for some leagues farther on. -The bivouac arranged, José and myself proceeded to try and shoot a -guanaco, but the plain was too open, so, after lighting up a bed of dry -grass to attract any neighbouring Indians, we very foolishly indulged in -a bathe in the river. The water was intensely cold, and the ill effects -of this ill-timed indulgence were felt for a long time after. The -soldier meanwhile was away on horseback chasing a large herd, but he -returned about dusk empty handed. Next morning we started about 9 -o'clock, having been, as usual, delayed by the horses having strayed -some distance. Ascending the slope we crossed the higher bench, a -barren, dreary waste, for about a league, until we came to a lagoon -covered with upland geese, and lying just below what may be termed the -barranca of the Upper Pampa. Halting here for a smoke and warm to dispel -the effects of the intensely cold wind, we were about resuming our route -to ascend the steep slope of the upper plains, when large columns of -smoke, in answer to the signal fire we had left behind us, rose up to -the sky in a N.E. direction. We moved on, and arriving at the summit of -the ascent, looked eagerly round for signs of the fire, but nothing -was visible. The plains lay before us apparently destitute of life, -excepting a stray guanaco here and there. J'aria then set light to a -neighbouring bush, which gave out dense clouds of black smoke, and in a -few minutes this was answered in the same direction as that previously -observed. A horseman was at length espied galloping towards us, who -proved to be an Indian named Sam, son of the chief Casimiro, who has -been mentioned in the missionary reports. After conversing for a short -time with J'aria and Gallegos, he turned to me and said, in English, -'How do you do? I speak little Anglishe,' which he had learned during -a visit to the Falklands, where also he had acquired his sobriquet of -Sam Slick. He then galloped away at full speed, and brought up his -companions, who had been concealed from view in a neighbouring hollow; -the party consisted of two men and a boy, and two women, all mounted, -and apparently having just finished hunting, as they had plenty of fresh -guanaco meat with them. We halted by a bush, and in a few minutes had a -fire kindled, and the pipe being handed round, I had an opportunity of -observing them closely. The men were fine muscular specimens. One, whom -they called Henrique, was a Fuegian, formerly, I believe, a captive, but -now doctor, or wizard. He travelled with this party separate from the -remainder of the tribe on account of some suspicion of his having caused -the death of a chief. One of the men, taller than the others, was a -Tehuelche. The boy was bright looking and intelligent, and it afterwards -appeared that Don Luiz Buena had kept him for some time, vainly -endeavouring to teach him Spanish. They were very cordial, and -especially forced on me more meat than I could carry; but there was -a certain constraint visible in their manners, probably owing to their -being conscious of some dealings with the deserters, whom J'aria -counselled them to despatch whenever they might meet with them. The -women carried bottles of water, which they readily gave us, to our -great refreshment and relief, for we were all parched with thirst. - -Gallegos asked Sam whether he was willing to guide us to Santa Cruz, -J'aria not being over certain of the route. The tracks made by the -guanacos are easily mistaken by almost anyone but an Indian for the -trail of 'chinas,' or caravans of women and laden horses; and this, -combined with the want of landmarks on the Pampas and the confusing -succession of hills closely resembling each other, renders it only -too easy to lose the right direction. As examples of this, out of ten -deserters of whom the party was in search, six were never more heard of. -Our guide J'aria himself, when travelling from Santa Cruz to the colony, -lost his way, and would inevitably have starved had he not fortunately -been fallen in with by a party of Indians. Sam having agreed to come -with our party, we bid adieu to the Indians, who, in return for their -presents of meat, were gratified with a little tobacco, and rode off. -Suddenly a fox started up from a neighbouring bush. The soldier giving -chase, Sam shouted, 'Stop, I'll show you:' at the same time putting -spurs to his horse, and cutting Reynard off, he put his hand to his -waist-belt, drew out his bolas, gave them two turns round his head, -and in another minute the fox was lying dead, with his ribs crushed -completely in where the metal hall had struck him. Under the directions -of our new guide, who rode ahead with me, we traversed a succession of -high barren plains, sinking into frequent irregular hollows, without -streams, but usually containing lagoons of salt or brackish water, -until, about 4 P.M., we descended into the valley of Rio Cuheyli, or -the river, which debouches at Coy Inlet. The bench formation, though -noticeable, is not here so decidedly marked. For some time we pursued -the trail in an orderly march; but an ostrich springing nearly under our -horses' feet, and escaping over some marshy swamp, where horses could -not follow, roused Sam's hunting propensities, and he proposed to -myself, the soldier, and José to leave the path--which he said, with -emphatic disdain, was good for women, not for men--and ride up the -barranca to see him ball an ostrich; so having regained the Pampa, we -formed into line, about two hundred yards apart, to drive a certain area -of ground down to a point where there was a gentle slope to the valley, -so as to meet the advancing cavalcade of the rest of our party. We saw -nothing except one ostrich vanishing at great speed towards the valley -at another point, and a pair of doves, which I remarked with interest; -so we returned to the track, and as night was closing in, pushed on, -wishing to cross the ford of the river and encamp on the other side. At -seven o'clock, having reached a nice spring flowing from the barranca, -where there was firewood in profusion, Gallegos ordered a halt, although -Sam wished to proceed, observing that the moon was so bright it was 'all -the same as day.' We accordingly encamped for the night, after making -a good supper off guanaco meat, which was a pleasant change after our -previous charqui. The valley of the Cuheyli slightly indicates the bench -formation, though it does not present so distinctly marked terraces as -those which border the Gallegos River; but the lowest or river plain, -which is nearly two leagues wide in the neighbourhood of the ford, is of -a more fertile character, the pasture being luxuriant and good. One or -two of the springs--notably the one the water of which, contrary to our -guide's advice and example, we drank--had a strong taste of iron, which -caused all the party to suffer from internal derangement; and Sam stated -that near our encampment there was a deposit of the black earth with -which the Indians paint their bodies. Starting early, after a night of -severe frost, we soon struck the ford. Our guide had vanished; but while -rearranging the packs, we saw a volume of black smoke rising to the -east, caused by Sam, who, having thus signalled his countrymen, rejoined -us on the march across the slightly ascending plain. We then observed -numerous Indians galloping in our direction, and crossing the stream at -various parts, as J'aria remarked, quite regardless of fords. We halted, -and were soon surrounded by about forty or more, most of them riding -useful-looking horses barebacked. As they appeared very friendly, -Gallegos gave them some biscuit and charqui; their chiefs--the head -cacique being a nephew of Casimiro--forming them into a semi-circle, in -tolerably good order, to receive the present. There were undoubtedly -some very tall men amongst them, but what struck me particularly was -their splendid development of chest and arms. Although the wind was very -sharp, many of them had their mantles thrown back in a careless way, -leaving their naked chests exposed to the air, and appeared not the -least incommoded. They readily recognised me for an Englishman, coming -and examining me closely, and asking for tobacco with a broad grin on -their faces, exposing a wonderfully clean and regular set of teeth. My -gratifying their importunate requests for tobacco made Sam very jealous, -and for some time he bothered me with remarks such as 'Me very cold, -no got poncho,' 'Me no got knife, me no got "pellon"' (saddle-cloth), -until, finding it useless to beg, he relapsed into sullen silence. A -smoke of the pipe, however, brought him back to his usual cheerful -temper, and as we galloped along he chanted an Indian song, which -consisted of the words 'Ah ge lay loo, Ah ge lay loo,' expressed in -various keys. - -After a ride of some leagues in a rather more open but still undulating -country, a break in the Pampas was reached. Hills of irregular and -picturesque outlines, with labyrinthine valleys or ravines, not running -in parallel order, but communicating with each other, occupied an -extensive district, and though travelling was considerably more -difficult, yet the change in the aspect of nature was grateful after -the barren monotony of the plains. - -We halted in an Indian encampment, situated in a valley underneath a -peaked hill called 'Otiti,' where there were pools of fresh and salt -water in close proximity. Amongst the incense and thorn bushes, which -grow at intervals in these regions, we passed to-day another description -of shrub with a thick rough bark, which is readily detached and leaves -a long rattail-like sort of twig. From the Rio Gallegos the soil had -become generally of a yellower colour than on the south side of that -river, although in the valleys and hollows dark peaty earth was -generally to be found, and the surface of the Pampas had assumed a more -desolate appearance, being strewn with small pebbles, and studded with -bushes--generally of a thorny species. Round clumps of prickly thistles, -which burn like tinder on applying a lighted match--and a few stray -tufts of withered grass, only made more desolate the hungry barrenness -of the deserts, over which the wind blew with cutting violence, yet they -are the home of large herds of guanaco, ostriches, puma, and armadillo, -though the latter were at this period comfortably hybernating. - -Next morning no horses were visible, and as time went on till ten -o'clock without any appearance we all began to suspect Indian treachery. -Sam volunteered the remark that if they (the Indians) had played us -such a trick, he would go and clear all their animals out the following -evening. This threat there was fortunately no occasion for him to put -into execution, as the troop proved only to have strayed into another -valley. As we were now nearing Santa Cruz, which the last of the Indians -were just leaving, having completed their trade and finished all the -grog, we saw numerous columns of smoke, caused by their hunting parties. -After passing the broken ground and reaching the high Pampa, Sam and -myself rode on ahead, amusing ourselves by fruitlessly chasing guanaco -or ostrich, but Sam's dexterity with the bolas was frustrated by his -being mounted on a horse belonging to the expedition and unused to this -work. Towards evening, after again passing numerous salt lagoons, we -came to a descent of 300 or 400 feet leading to a valley containing a -large salina, and halting, made our fire by the side of a spring, -near which, Sam informed me, were the graves of two Indians, which he -mentioned with the deepest respect and in an awe-stricken undertone. - -Our signal smoke, which was as much to attract Indians as to give the -direction of our route to Gallegos and J'aria, was soon responded to -from the opposite hills on the northern side of the valley, and shortly -a line of mounted women and children descended the slope in front, -making for our fire, which Sam informed me was their intended camping -place. We advanced to meet them, and Sam conversed in their tongue, -interpreting to me that they had left Santa Cruz two days previously, -and that Don Luiz P. B. had quitted his settlement on the island to sail -in his schooner to Buenos Ayres; while the Northern Indians, encamped to -the north of Santa Cruz, with whom I hoped to proceed to the Rio Negro, -had no intention of marching until the ensuing spring. On leaving those -ladies, amongst whom was a young and rather pretty girl, I lifted my cap -in salute, which called forth a burst of laughter from the whole group -and cries of 'Anglish, Anglish!' amidst which we rode off to join the -remainder of our party, who were crossing the valley to the eastward, -having intentionally deviated from the straight route; and although Sam -used every effort to induce Gallegos to stop at the Indian encampment, -the latter wisely determined to proceed about a league farther, knowing -that a halt here would cause a considerable inroad to be made in the -stock of provisions, which, in view of the return journey, with perhaps -an increased party, it was desirable to avoid. We accordingly left the -sheltered valley and encamped on the plateau in an exposed situation -near a lagoon, the ice of which had to be broken to secure a supply -of water. The frost was keen, and the tent afforded but a partial -protection from the biting wind; so that the economical foresight of -our leader resulted in all the party spending the coldest night hitherto -experienced by us. - -During the evening we were visited by several Indians, bringing presents -of ostrich and guanaco meat. I was presented by the soldier with a piece -of the gizzard (the tid bit), which he had cooked on the end of his -ramrod; but I must confess I did not appreciate it at the time, though -later on in my journey I learnt to relish this and other strange -delicacies. Amongst the Indians who gave us the benefit of their company -this evening was 'Pedro el Platero,' mentioned in Mr. Gardener's mission -book; also an old squaw rejoicing in the name of 'La Reina Victoria' -(Queen Victoria), who was the occasion of much chaff, my Chilian friends -declaring I ought to salute the sovereign of the Pampas in due form; but -having obtained a charge and a light for her pipe, all she required, she -was soon lost sight of in the dark. We gladly left the camp early the -ensuing morning, the cold continuing unabated; the wind blew strong -in our faces, and though from the northward, was so keen that Sam and -myself kept galloping on and kindling fires at intervals. - -Thus we rode on over a tract of country surpassing in desolation all the -districts hitherto traversed. As far as the eye could reach stretched a -level waste unrelieved by even an eminence or hollow; the aspect of the -low withered shrubs, coarse parched grass, and occasional patches of -pebble-strewn ground which for thirty miles wearied the eye with dreary -sameness, produced an extraordinary feeling of depression, which was -afterwards recalled when journeying through the Travisia, bordering the -Rio Negro, which this district resembles, though on a smaller scale. -Occasional frozen lagoons, doubtless supplied by rainfall, only added to -the desert aspect of this trackless wilderness. The situation was not -improved by Sam pulling up and remarking that he was by no means sure -that he had not lost himself. The only variety was afforded by an -unlucky fox which we chased till he escaped, as he thought, on to the -ice of a lagoon, but the treacherous surface gave way, and poor Reynard, -after a vigorous struggle, sank out of reach of a lazo. At last, about -two o'clock, the desert terminated in a cliff rising from the valley at -our feet, and we looked down upon the winding river of the Santa Cruz. - -Having waited till the rest came up, we descended by a gorge to the -valley, when, after refreshing ourselves by a drink of water, we struck -into a trail which followed the river downwards. We were all in high -spirits at the prospect of a speedy and felicitous conclusion to our -journey; and J'aria was continually questioned as to the distance of -the settlement. His answer was invariably 'a league;' and we rode along -vainly expecting every moment to see the place, rounding innumerable -promontories or points where the barranca advanced into the valley. -Each of these projecting cliffs, which stood like outposts of the -Pampas, J'aria declared in succession to be the last, Sam all the while -maintaining a dignified silence, until at length, at 7.30, when we had -almost despaired of ever arriving, we came to the ford opposite the -island of the settlement, and a barking of dogs saluted our ears. After -Sam had hailed, an answer came back, that if we were going across that -night we must look sharp, as the tide was flowing. We accordingly -proceeded to cross at once, narrowly escaping having to swim our horses, -which on a cold frosty night would have been anything but a pleasant -business. - -My ideas as to the size and extent of the settlement--and it must be -confessed my visions of a 'cheerer,' and even of wine, to put some -warmth into my chilled frame--were sadly dispelled by the reality; the -thriving, though small, town of my imagination being represented by one -house, and all wine and liquor proving to have been exhausted. But this -was fully made up for by discovering in Mr. Clarke--or, as the Indians -called him, 'Clakalaka'--an old acquaintance, whom I had known some -years previously in the Falklands. His utter surprise at the sudden -appearance of one whom he thought far away may be imagined. But, to my -great delight, he thoroughly approved of the proposed excursion. His -cordial welcome and hot coffee soon cheered up our spirits, and when -warmed and rested we discussed my plans. It appeared that the Indians -had not reported wrong as to Don Luiz Buena's movements and the -intentions of the Northern party; but Mr. Clarke believed that the -schooner was still detained in the river mouth waiting for a fair wind, -and undertook to send off a messenger to communicate with him: my object -being to obtain permission to reside in the settlement until the return -of the schooner, so as to equip myself with stores as presents for the -Tehuelches. After an agreeable 'confab,' I turned in on a shakedown on -the floor, well satisfied with having accomplished the first stage, -and deriving a good omen for the remainder of the journey from this -successful trip to Santa Cruz. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -SANTA CRUZ. - - Introduction to Chiefs. -- Orkeke. -- Chilian Deserters. -- The - Settlement. -- Island of Pabon. -- Natural Advantages. -- The - Mission Station. -- Mr. Clarke. -- Our Circle at Pabon. -- - Expedition to Lake Viedma. -- Winter Occupations. -- Work and - Play. -- Casimiro's Adventures. -- His Character. -- A Winter - Hunting Excursion. -- A Pampa Snow-storm. -- The Santa Cruz - Valley. -- Up the River. -- The Northern Hills. -- Pumas. -- - Devil's Eyes. -- Hunting on Foot. -- Intense Cold. -- Return of - the Deserters. -- Visit to the Indian Camp. -- First Night in a - Toldo. -- Towing a Horse. -- Adieu to Santa Cruz. - - -Our first business next day was to despatch a messenger to board the -schooner, if she should prove to be still in the mouth of the river. My -Chilian friends had found some of the deserters, who had been taken into -employment, and subsequently detained as close prisoners by the Mayor -Domo, at the instance of a serjeant sent round from Punta Arena in the -schooner, to solicit Don Luiz's assistance in their capture. About noon -Casimiro, soi-disant chief of the Tehuelches, and father of Sam Slick, -rode in from a hunting excursion, mounted on a tall, shapely horse, and -carrying a guanaco on his saddle. I was formally introduced, and my -plans and purpose fully explained to him; and soon after Orkeke, the -cacique of the party of Northern Tehuelches, encamped on the Rio Chico, -arrived. His consent was necessary to enable me to accompany them in -their journey, and by means of Casimiro as an interpreter, as the chief -spoke but little Spanish, my request was preferred. He confirmed the -statement of Mr. Clarke, that his people intended to winter in their -present encampment, and then proceed northwards; but did not seem at all -disposed to welcome the addition of an Englishman to his party, urging -the difficult nature of the road, length of time, chances of fights, -&c., &c. However, I hoped that during the enforced delay opportunities -would arise of improving our acquaintance, and obtaining his consent. I -was much struck with the grave and dignified bearing of the old chief. -Standing fully six feet, and with a well-proportioned muscular frame, -no one would have guessed him to have passed his 60th year; and whether -vaulting on a bare-backed steed, or leading the chase, he displayed an -agility and endurance equal to that of any of the younger men: his thick -black hair was slightly streaked with grey; and the bright intelligent -eyes, aquiline nose, and thin firm lips were very unlike the popular -idea of Patagonian features; a retreating forehead rather marred the -expression of his face, which was, however, grave and thoughtful, and -at times strikingly intellectual. Months passed in his company gave me -afterwards ample opportunity of studying his powers of reflection, which -were great, and often found expression in pithy and amusing sayings. -Although particularly neat in his dress, and cleanly in his habits, he -was troubled, like all the Indians, with vermin; and one night he roused -me up to have a smoke, and after sitting for some time, apparently lost -in deep thought, he remarked, 'Musters, lice never sleep!' He would -sometimes, but rarely, indulge in intoxication, but never quarrelled, -and it was an understood thing that either he or his brother Tankelow -should on occasions of a general drinking bout remain sober to protect -their families. He was himself childless, and had adopted a little -terrier named Ako, which enjoyed the place and honours of an only child; -but he displayed great affection towards his nephews and nieces, some -one or other of whom might often be seen in his arms on a march, or -after the return from the chase. During our first acquaintance I was -most pleased when, as often happened, he joined our little circle, and -in the company of his old friend, Mr. Clarke, unbent from his gravity -and laughed and talked in a way that seemed quite foreign to the usually -serious chief. It must be confessed that he was jealous and suspicious, -and a little stingy, preferring to increase rather than lessen his -large stock of horses, gear, and arms; but from the time I became his -guest his conduct to myself was irreproachable. - -In the evening the messenger returned; he had of course completely -mistaken his instructions, and informed Don Luiz that the Englishman -desired to proceed in the schooner to Buenos Ayres, and accordingly a -boat arrived with the morning flood-tide to take me off. Mr. Clarke good -naturedly undertook to go himself and explain matters; and returned with -a kind message, offering me quarters and every hospitality if I chose -to remain in the settlement for the next two months, at the end of -which period the schooner might be expected to return. Lieut. Gallegos -strongly urged me to accompany him back to Punta Arena, painting in -strong colours the tedium and discomfort of a winter at Santa Cruz. But -it was plain that the opportunity of cultivating the acquaintance and -securing the confidence of Orkeke would thus be thrown away, and with it -the prospect of traversing the country. Gallegos believed that this plan -was fraught with danger, and indeed almost certain destruction; but as -I was immovable, we took an affectionate farewell of each other. He -and all his party had treated me, an utter stranger, with the greatest -kindness, and I bade adieu to them as true comrades. They departed on -their return journey, taking with them the four prisoners, who, however, -are destined to appear again in these pages. These men had undergone -much hardship to obtain the liberty of which they seemed again deprived; -three of them had managed to secure a horse, and walking and riding in -turns had found their way to the Indians. Two of them, Olate and Rosa, -the latter, though a mere boy, with a thoroughly evil and murderous -countenance, were incurably bad; but Meña, a youth of nineteen, -attracted one's sympathy by his handsome frank face and cleanly smart -appearance; the fourth, Arica, had made his way on foot from Punta Arena -to Santa Cruz, without any knowledge of the country, and only guided by -a vague notion of the existence of the settlement to the north. He had -for twenty-seven days followed the line of the sea-coast, subsisting on -shell fish and sea-birds' eggs; the toil and hardships thus undergone -must have been indescribable, and his eventual safe arrival was a -miracle of patient endurance. He brought in news of the loss of a tender -to the schooner, a decked launch, in which Captain Warren and three men -had sailed from Staten Land and been no more heard of; of their fate -there was now little doubt, as he had found her dingy cast up on the -beach, and a piece of the mainsail out of which he had supplied himself -with clothes. - -The promising _élève_ of the mission, Sam Slick, also accompanied -the party. Before his departure he offered to give a specimen of his -education by singing a hymn, with a broad hint that grog was a fitting -accompaniment; but as none was forthcoming, we lost the chance of being -edified by his performance. - -We watched the cavalcade till it disappeared in the distance on the -upper plains, and then returned to the station, where I settled -myself to pass the ensuing three months of the Patagonian winter. The -settlement or trading station of Santa Cruz consists of only three -houses, built on an island called 'Pabon,' marked as Middle Island, in -Islet Reach, in Fitzroy's chart. It is owned by Don Luiz P. Buena, who -holds by virtue of a grant from the Argentine Government, which has also -conferred on him the commission of captain in the navy, with power -to prevent all foreign sealers from trespassing on the valuable seal -fisheries on the coast. The island is about a mile and a half long, and -has an average breadth of some 350 yards. Access is obtained from the -south shore by a ford, about fifty yards across, only passable at low -water. The northern channel is wider and deeper, and the swiftness of -the current renders it impassable save by a boat, which is moored ready -to ferry over Indians desirous of trading, and is also useful for -bringing wood for fuel, which is not obtainable on the island. About a -hundred yards from the ford stands the principal house, substantially -built of bricks, with tiled roof, containing three rooms, and a sort of -porch to shelter a nine-pounder, commanding the entrance. It is further -defended by a stockade, over which floats the Argentine flag, and -beyond it a fosse, which is filled with water by the spring tides. The -object of these fortifications is to afford protection in case of the -Indians proving troublesome when under the influence of rum. Though -Mr. Clarke narrated some queer scenes he had witnessed, his excellent -management had hitherto obviated any danger, and the fairness of his -dealings with them had secured their friendship, a regular tariff with -equitable prices having been fixed, and scrupulously adhered to, by -which their barter of ostrich feathers and peltries was regulated; and -although they are keen bargainers, often spending two or three hours in -debating the price to be given, they appreciated the fairness with which -they were treated. A second house was situated about fifty yards off, -and being generally used as a store, bore the name of the Almacen: at -this time being empty, one room served as a sleeping-place for some -of the men, and the other had been given up for the accommodation of -Casimiro and his family. A third house, which stood at the eastern end -of the island, was unoccupied. Near it a small plot had been tilled, and -potatoes, turnips, and other vegetables had been successfully raised. -At the time of my visit no corn had been tried, but a subsequent -experimental sowing of one and a half fanegas[2] gave a field, though -little pains were bestowed on the crop, of twenty fanegas. As the lower -part of the island is liable to be overflowed at high springs, a ditch -had been cut across to drain off the water, and there was consequently -no lack of irrigation. The ground was covered with stunted bushes, and -the small spike-thorn round thistle, and coarse grass. The few sheep -appeared to thrive well, but decreased very sensibly in number during -the winter, as on days when game was scarce one fell a victim to the -ravenous appetite engendered by the keen air of Patagonia. A numerous -troop of horses grazed on the mainland, in a tract below the Southern -Barranca, called the 'Potrero,' where the grass, though coarse, grew in -rank luxuriance. When wanted for hunting, the entire stud was brought -across the river in the morning and driven into the corral; but -ordinarily one alone was kept on the island ready for emergencies. - - [2] A fanega contains 100 lbs. - -[Illustration: STATION ON PABON ISLAND, RIO SANTA CRUZ.] - -It should be mentioned that a small stock of cattle, and also some pigs, -had been imported; these, however, being necessarily left to graze on -the mainland, had wandered, and become wild; the cattle probably falling -victims to the Indian hunters; but the pigs will no doubt multiply, -and become the founders of a race of hogs, destined hereafter to -add pig-sticking to the amusements of the future settlers or of the -wandering Tehuelches. - -Above the island of Pabon there are several smaller islets, but as they -are liable to be overflowed by the highest tides, they cannot, without -artificial drainage, be made available for tillage. From one which had -been occupied and tilled with root-crops, we obtained a quantity of -well-grown turnips. It was a singular mistake of the Spaniards to form a -settlement at Port St. Julian and overlook the far superior advantages -presented by Santa Cruz. The plains and islands of the latter present -good grazing grounds and tillage lands, as well as a site for a town -secure from sudden Indian surprises; and as regards fitness for a -shipping station, there is no comparison between the two localities, -as ships can be beached at Santa Cruz in a sheltered place with the -flood-tide; while the timber, in search of which Viedma made his -expedition, was to be had in abundance by ascending the river. At the -present time the knowledge of the navigation of the Straits would make -it much easier and cheaper to import timber from Punta Arena than to -send lumberers into the Cordillera and raft the timber down to Santa -Cruz. - -Near the potrero, on the southern shore, there is a natural salt lake or -salina, which must have been overlooked by the Beagle expedition, as Mr. -Darwin fixes the southern limits of salinas at Port St. Julian. In the -summer, and until the winter rains and snow set in, an inexhaustible -supply of excellent salt can be obtained. It is at present worked only -to furnish, besides the salt for home use, what is required for the -annual sealing fishery; but if labour were more abundant, the salt -would be found to be a valuable article of export to the Falkland -Islands; the salina being situated less than half a mile from the beach, -where there is good anchorage. - -The river also yields abundant supplies of fish--a species of bass and -others--which when cured keep well: some which had been cured over -a year proved excellent. These might be profitably exported to Rio -Janeiro, &c., where cured fish are always in demand. - -Notwithstanding these natural advantages, Santa Cruz could hardly at -this period be considered a settlement. Subsequently to my visit, two -Frenchmen from Buenos Ayres proposed to try sheep farming in the valley, -but with what result I have not heard. As already mentioned, the station -existed as a depôt for sealing, and as a trading post, to which the -Tehuelches resorted to exchange their ostrich feathers, and puma, -guanaco, and ostrich skins, for tobacco, sugar, ammunition, and above -all, rum. There was little or no trade going on during the absence of -the schooner, as all the stores had been exhausted; but after the summer -campaign some of the Tehuelches invariably resort thither, and the -vicinity has always been a favourite winter quarters. The missionaries, -Messrs. Schmid and Hart, endeavoured to avail themselves of this -opportunity for essaying the conversion and civilisation of the Indians. -They resided for some time in 1863 at a spot near Weddell Bluff, -about ten miles from the mouth of the river. To quote Mr. Sterling's -description, the station was at the mouth of a valley which 'retreats -towards the south-west for a considerable distance inland; a stream of -pure water flows perennially through it, and a broad belt of grass, -offering fine pasture for cattle, gives a cheerful, fertile aspect to -the low land; the hills on either side are intersected with ravines, or -lift up their bronzed faces out of some intervening dale, and refresh -the air with the aroma of shrubs and plants growing everywhere about -them.' - -This was written after a visit in the summer month of January, and -the picture drawn presents the landscape in its fairest colours; very -different from its bleak aspect as viewed by myself in the winter. This -valley still bears the name of Los Misionarios, but this is the only -existing trace of their settlement. Mr. Schmid, however, during his -sojourn and journeys with a party of the Indians, compiled a vocabulary -of the Tsoneca language, as spoken by the southern Tehuelches. Their -plan for establishing trade at Santa Cruz, in order to secure the -regular visits of the Indians, was not approved of by the managers -of the mission, and they were obliged to abandon the scene of their -praiseworthy but unsuccessful efforts--to instruct at least 'the little -bright-faced Patagonian children,' of whom they speak in their journals -with warm affection. - -The counter attractions of rum supplied by a trader who visited the -river were felt by Mr. Schmid to be very destructive of his influence, -but it cannot be doubted that their store, if established, would have -had no chance against any rival that supplied rum to his customers; for -though there are many exceptions, the Indians too eagerly expend the -spoils of their hunting and industry in liquor. Their wives, however, -when they accompany them, take care to manage their business with -discretion, and reserve sufficient stock to barter for more useful and -innocent luxuries as well as necessaries. There is no doubt that in -the event of the future development of this settlement, it might serve -as a _point d'appui_ to raise the Tehuelches to the level of a more -cultivated and settled mode of existence; but speculations on this point -are not within my province, and it is time to introduce the members -of the party with whom my winter was agreeably spent on the island of -Pabon. With Don Luiz P. Buena and his amiable and accomplished señora -I subsequently made acquaintance, which ripened into friendship; but -though his guest, I was at present personally unknown to him. In his -absence, his representative, Mr. Clarke, who, as already mentioned, was -an old acquaintance, did all he could to make me feel at home. He was a -handsome young fellow of twenty-five, and an excellent specimen of -the versatile and cosmopolitan New Englander, 'raised' in Salem, -Massachusetts, where he had been brought up as a builder, though he -afterwards 'shipped himself on board of a ship.' In his nautical life he -had been mate of the Snow Squall, in a homeward voyage from Shanghai, -when she was chased off the Cape of Good Hope by the Alabama, and but -for the pluck of the captain and crew, and the wonderful sailing powers -of the craft, another item would have been added to Mr. Adams's 'little -bill.' As it was, the beautiful vessel fairly outsailed the swift -steamer. The steadiness of the crew, and their well-deserved attachment -to the captain, were most strongly proved on this occasion. As there was -no alternative between putting in for water at St. Helena--where it was -too probable the Alabama would pounce upon the prize--and running home -upon half a pint per diem each man, the captain left it to the crew to -decide, and they chose the latter course. - -Mr. Clarke had spent three months travelling and hunting in company -with the Tehuelches, which had made him a most expert hand with lazo -or bolas, and well acquainted with the Indian character; and it was -pleasant to hear that he entertained a very high opinion of their -intelligence and generous dispositions. He treated them with fairness -and considerate kindness, and they repaid him by confidence and -friendship. - -Five other _employés_ made up the rest of our party. No social -distinctions, however, prevailed, and the inhabitants of Pabon lived -in pleasant equality. The charge of the dogs and horses, and the duty -of supplying meat, devolved on two: Gonzalez, a gaucho, a native -of Patagones, who was as much at home in the schooner on a sealing -excursion, as in the saddle balling an ostrich; and Juan Isidoro, a -swarthy little man whose sparkling black eyes told of his Indian blood, -a native of Santiago del Estero; he had been sent as a soldier to -Rio Negro, whence he had managed to desert, and make his way with -Orkeke's Indians to the settlement. Next comes Juan Chileno, a bright, -fresh-complexioned youth of nineteen years, to look at whom was -refreshing, after the swarthy and weather-beaten physiognomies of the -others. Then Antonio, a Portuguese, by turns gaucho, whaler, or sealer, -always ready with a song or a merry jest, and on occasion equally quick -with his knife. Holstein furnished the last, but by no means least -important; a strong-built, good-natured, rather stupid fellow, generally -selected as the butt of the rest, who always styled him 'El Cookè,' a -sobriquet earned by his many voyages in that capacity on board various -ships. Curiously enough he proved to possess information on a topic to -me of great interest, as he had been one of a party which, about a year -previous to my visit, had ascended the river Santa Cruz to its source. -The expedition was organised by an American well acquainted with the -Californian mining, who proposed to explore the mineral resources of the -valley. Unfortunately, during the ascent of the river, a quarrel broke -out, and the American left the others, and found his way alone to the -Indians, thence returning to Santa Cruz. The loss of the only man -capable of scientific observation rendered their journey almost useless; -still the party proceeded, and about midsummer reached the lake, near -which they remained some days, but were unable to penetrate the thick -forests beyond its shores. In the valley they found meat tins and other -traces of Fitzroy's expedition. El Cookè described the river as running -from the lake in many small streams, and flowing over a rocky bed. -The lake, which was covered with wild fowl, had floating ice upon it, -and large glaciers were visible in the neighbouring mountains, while -the weather experienced was cold, with continuous drizzling rain. -His account confirmed my own conjectures as to the cause of the great -difference between the periods of the highest floods in the Rio -Gallegos, which is at its height in December and January, and the Santa -Cruz, which is then at its lowest. This is owing to the lateness of the -period at which the ice breaks up in the lake Viedma, situated, as it -probably is, on a high plateau. About the lake the explorers found -traces of herds of large deer, and always in close proximity those of a -large fox or wolf, but they did not succeed in killing any. A specimen -of the only mineral brought back appeared to be iron pyrites embedded in -quartz. The journey from the lake to the settlement would require eleven -days for baggage horses, but could be performed by horsemen within four. -Of course the information was not too clear or reliable, but El Cookè, -though not brilliant, seemed to possess the Northern quality of telling -the truth, by the absence of which the Southern and Indian natures are, -to say the least of it, often characterised. El Cookè was fond of hard -work, and his greatest enjoyment was to set out in search of fuel, and -lay on with his axe in a way that would have done honour to a Canadian -lumberer, but was sadly thrown away on the incense bushes of Santa Cruz. - -All these men, who had drifted together from various quarters, and, if -truth be told, had all 'run,' for obvious reasons, from their own homes, -worked by turns at hunting, trading, sealing, and raising salt from -the Salina. They received a fixed salary, which, however, generally -proved to be balanced by an account with the store for clothes, &c. In -sealing expeditions all went shares, like our own mackerel and herring -fishermen; while for working at the Salina, extra pay was given and well -earned, especially at this time, since it involved sleeping out in the -open for several successive nights, and that in a Patagonian May. Such -were the companions of my residence at Pabon, besides whom more than -a score of dogs of all sorts slept anyhow and anywhere, and followed -anybody, giving their masters the preference. - -A short time after our arrival, Mr. Clarke took stock of the stores -of provision, which could not be replenished until the return of the -schooner. The result was that the amount of biscuits and sugar was -found to be about equal to a month's consumption. These articles were -accordingly divided into equal portions, and each man received his -share, to husband or improvidently use, according to his bent. There was -abundance of coffee, black beans, tobacco, and maize, which accordingly -were used at discretion. The next thing was to accumulate a good stock -of fuel before the snow should render it difficult, if not impossible, -to transport it. - -Every Sunday all hands except one--the cook of the week--left on guard, -went hunting, and, as occasion required, during the week, the gauchos -would proceed to supply the larder with guanaco or ostrich, the -latter being, however, rare. Idleness was unknown; when not hunting, -wood-cutting, or salt-raising, manufactures were the order of the day. -We picked stones and worked them round for bolas, and covered them -with the hide stripped from the hock of the guanaco, the soga or thong -connecting the balls being made from the skin of the neck, the method -of obtaining it being as follows:--The head having been cut off, and an -incision made just above the shoulder, the skin is dragged off in one -piece; and after the wool has been picked off, is softened by hand and -carefully cut into strips, which are closely plaited. Of this leather we -also made serviceable bridles, lazos, stirrup-leathers, and, in fact, -horse-gear generally. Sometimes we would have a fit of making pipes, -and all hands would be busy sawing out wood or hard at work boring the -bowls; at others, spurs were the rage, made by the simple Indian method -of sticking sharpened nails into two pieces of wood, secured together -by thongs fastened under the foot and round the leg; or again, we would -work silver, and come out with our knife-sheaths glittering with studs. -On non-hunting days, I invariably practised the use of the bolas, and -caught almost every shrub on the island. - -The evenings were passed in playing the American game of brag. Cash -being unknown, and no one being disposed to risk the loss of his gear, -the stakes were simply so many black beans to a box of matches; and -as much excitement prevailed as if each bean or perota had been a -five-dollar piece. - -Both in our hunting parties and in the house which he had been -allowed to occupy, though he occasionally visited the camp on the -Chico, I sedulously cultivated the acquaintance of Casimiro. Both the -missionaries and Her Majesty's surveyors have made frequent, and often -by no means honourable, mention of this Indian, who has always evinced a -wish to conciliate the friendship of the English visitors to Patagonia. -His history, as I learned it from himself, was a very curious one, and -aptly illustrates the conflicting claims of Chilians and Argentines, and -the confused politics of the Indians themselves, his father having been -killed in an engagement with the Araucanian or Manzaneros Indians. His -mother was a Tehuelche: being an inveterate drunkard, whilst visiting -the settlements of Rio Negro she bartered the child for a cask of rum to -the governor of the fort, a Frenchman named Viba, who was connected -with the slave-trade, for at that period Indians seem to have been made -slaves of as well as blacks. Viba had Casimiro christened--whence his -name Casimiro Viba--and brought up at the Estancia, or sheep-farm, where -he learnt to speak Spanish fluently. When thirteen years old he ran away -and rejoined the Tehuelches Indians, with whom he remained in obscurity -for some years, until being in the Southern district, near the Chilian -colony of Port Famine, he gained the friendship of one Santorin, a -native of Patagones, who had been taken captive by the Indians, but -having adopted their manners and customs, and marrying one of the tribe, -had risen to the position of a chief. Together these two performed -a voyage to Chili, to negotiate with the Government in some matters -regarding the protection of Port Famine from Indian raids. Santorin died -during the voyage, but Casimiro was well received at Santiago by the -then President, Señor Bulnés,[3] loaded with honours, and given the -rank, pay, and rations of captain in the army. He then returned to Port -Famine, where he resided, off and on, for some time. By his own account, -he was absent on a hunting excursion when the _émeute_ took place which -resulted in the destruction of the colony. The old wandering habits -appeared to have taken possession of him, for he subsequently returned -to the Rio Negro, and having entered the service of the Buenos Ayrean -Government, again proceeded to the South. During this time he resided -occasionally with the missionaries, during their journey in the South, -and at their station at Santa Cruz, and entrusted to them his two sons -for the purpose of education. The missionaries soon discovered that his -objects were purely selfish, and that he had no idea of allowing others -to participate in the advantages they could offer; and I am afraid that -the labour and cost bestowed on the boys were thrown away, as neither -of them appeared to have profited much by their chances. Sam, indeed, -could still sing a hymn if there were grog to the fore, and had a lively -recollection of material advantages, often saying, 'He was good man, -give me gun,' &c. But the youngest, 'Graviel,' who also understood -a little English, was one of the laziest of the lazy, and had very -undefined notions as to _meum_ and _tuum_, as personal experience -taught me. - - [3] Casimiro gave the name as 'Bourne.' - -In 1865 Casimiro made a voyage to Buenos Ayres, where the Government -on this occasion recognised him as head chief of the Tehuelches, and -assigned him the rank and pay of Lieut.-Colonel in the Argentine Army. -He was then despatched, in company with an Argentine named Mendoza, to -form a settlement at Gregorio Bay. They travelled by land as far as -Santa Cruz, at which place Mendoza disappeared, being supposed to have -lost himself, but in reality having been killed by an Indian, jealousy -being, I believe, the cause of the murder. With his right-hand man gone, -Casimiro abandoned himself to drinking, a habit which, as Mr. Cunningham -mentions, he had before acquired--perhaps by hereditary development--and -ultimately became reduced to the state of poverty in which I found him, -owning but two horses for himself, his wife, daughter, and son, with -hardly any gear. Indeed, he would have been reduced to great straits but -for the kindness of Don Luiz and Mr. Clarke, who, for old acquaintance -sake, helped him as much as possible; though his habitual drunkenness -made it useless to give him anything valuable whilst there was liquor to -be had, as he would exchange anything for drink. As it was my object to -have a friend in camp, I made friends with him, and tried to induce him -to go north to the Rio Negro, which he at length agreed to do, although -he was in great fear of getting into trouble about the loss or death of -Mendoza. This man when sober was quick and intelligent, and a shrewd -politician. His extensive connections by marriage with all the chiefs, -including Rouke and Calficura, gave him considerable influence. He was -also an expert worker in various Indian arts, such as making saddles, -pipes, spurs, lazos, and other gear. He was a powerfully built man, -standing fully six feet in his potro boots, with a not unpleasing -expression of face, although he had a scar or two which did not add -to his beauty. Of his personal bravery ample proof will afterwards be -given; but, like all drunkards, he was uncertain and not to be depended -on. This veritable old Blue Beard informed me that he had been married -six times; certainly, if all his wives were of the appearance and -disposition of his last venture, it is not to be wondered at if he -disposed of the former ones; for an uglier, dirtier, more contumacious -old hag never burdened the earth with her weight, owing probably to -which latter quality, or quantity, she never, if she could possibly help -it, quitted her room. Early in June an Indian, known in Santa Cruz as El -Sourdo, or the left-handed man, came across the river and pitched his -toldo on the island. He was the husband of two wives, who lived together -in perfect felicity and took care of one another's children. This Indian -was, as most of them are, very ingenious in working wood and silver, and -was a good addition to our hunting parties; he also quickly learned to -play at brag. Casimiro would never descend from his lofty pinnacle of -self-importance so far as to enter the kitchen when the general revels -were held, but occasionally joined Mr. Clarke and myself at supper and -sat telling stories for an hour or two. - - * * * * * - -The sketch of our life at Pabon would be very incomplete without asking -the reader to accompany us on a hunting excursion; so I will describe -one which took place after El Sourdo had arrived on the island. Game had -become very scarce in our immediate vicinity, and our only farinaceous -food was black beans varied by maize, which was too troublesome in the -preparation to be much used. The meat went wonderfully quickly, so we -determined to extend the sphere of the hunting a little more a-field. -Accordingly, one fine frosty morning at daylight, the horses were -brought up, caught, and saddled; mantles and spurs donned, and eight of -us, including the two Indians, Casimiro and El Sourdo, set off to make a -circle, i.e. enclose and drive an area of land on the southern shore of -the river, finishing at the Missionaries' Valley. Casimiro and Gonzalez -accordingly started, and the remainder followed in turn. During our -drive down, one guanaco was captured by El Sourdo and Isidoro, and on -our arrival near the valley of Los Misionarios I chased a guanaco, but, -being without dogs and a tyro with the bolas, failed to capture him. -However, on rejoining my companions, who had now finished the circle, -I found that they had only killed one ostrich, which, through the -carelessness of some of the party, the dogs had mauled to such an extent -as to render the greater part of the meat unserviceable. The day had -been unusually warm, without any wind. Though a bank of white clouds on -the horizon seemed to threaten snow, it was agreed to camp out and try -our chance of getting a good supply of meat on the following day; so we -proceeded to a sheltered place in the valley, and bivouacked under the -lee of a big incense bush, while the horses were turned loose, and a -fire was made, on which the remains of the ostrich were soon cooking -under the master hand of Casimiro. After supper, which was rather -stinted in quantity, we smoked a pipe and lay down to sleep. About three -I woke up, feeling, as I thought, a heavy weight pressing on my mantle, -and found that above two inches of snow had fallen and that it was still -snowing. At daylight it came on to rain, but quickly changed to snow -again; so we made a fire and waited for an hour to see if the weather -would clear. At last, on a gleam of sickly sunshine appearing, we -proceeded to arrange the circle, Casimiro starting first. Emerging from -the valley and ascending to the high pampa, we met a terrific gale of -wind from the south, driving before it small snow in freezing blasts; -but two ostriches jumped up from behind a bush, and Mr. Clarke balled -one of them with great dexterity. This was very cheering, as we were all -very hungry. But, as it was impossible to face the driving sleet and -wind, which prevented us from seeing ten yards before us, we adjourned -to the valley, leaving Casimiro, who was not visible, to his own -pursuits. Suddenly El Sourdo discovered smoke behind a clump of trees, -and, to our great delight, there was our friend before a good fire, -nicely sheltered from snow and wind, within an arbour neatly cut out -of a bush. We adjourned to the fire and had breakfast; invigorated by -which, and encouraged by a lull in the storm, we started off to renew -the chase, but soon got separated by the thick snow-storm. Mr. Clarke, -El Sourdo, Gonzalez, and myself, who were together, came close upon a -herd of guanaco, making for the coast to escape the gale. The dogs gave -chase and killed some, others were balled; in fact a regular slaughter -took place, and eight or ten carcases were soon lying on the plain. Now -came the tedious job of cutting up. I found myself standing alone by a -dead guanaco, none of the others being visible, though not fifty yards -distant. I proceeded as best I could to arrange the meat, and was about -half through the task, with fingers nearly frozen, when I discovered Mr. -Clarke and El Sourdo, and shortly after it cleared up, and the remainder -of our party, all loaded with meat, arrived. Thus supplied, we turned -our faces homewards, and arrived at Santa Cruz a little before sundown, -where a steaming kettle of coffee soon dispelled our cold and put us -into good spirits. - -Mr. Darwin and Admiral Fitzroy have thoroughly described the -configuration of the Valley of Santa Cruz and its surroundings, so -that a lengthened attempt to portray it is not necessary. I would -particularly refer the reader to the accurate and picturesque -description by the former of the bench formation which causes the -western part of the environs of the river to present the appearance of -the shores of former successive estuaries--of a vast river or fiord. - -Near the settlement the ascent of the Southern Barranca immediately -leads to a level plain extending for the space of a couple of miles; -then there is another rise of perhaps fifty feet, and another plain, -which extends for about the space of a league to a range of successive -ridges, which we called the Blue Hills from their peculiar appearance on -clear days. These, eastwards, lose their elevations, and merge into the -undulations of the high Pampa and a rolling cheerless waste of stones, -coarse grass, and incense bushes; its uneven surface often traversed by -ravines running in various directions. Amongst these hills there is a -large lagoon which Casimiro informed me he used to visit whilst residing -with the missionaries for the purpose of procuring wild fowl, of which -there were then great numbers, but they had latterly given up this -resort. There are other lagoons scattered at intervals in the -before-mentioned plains, which, during the winter, were frozen, and -the beautifully smooth ice often caused Mr. Clarke and myself to long -for a pair of skates; indeed, we tried to manufacture a pair, but -without success. - -Towards the sea coast from the Blue Hills the slope appears gradual, -until nearing the coast, when the plain is intersected by gullies and -deep fertile valleys, which render hunting very tedious work, as it is -necessary to trust almost entirely to the dogs. Game abounds in this -direction, especially during the winter. We made numerous excursions up -river, generally staying away from the settlement three or four days, -our favourite rendezvous being a place about sixty miles distant, called -'Chickrookaik,' marked by Fitzroy as an Indian Ford or Pass of the river -Santa Cruz, which statement both El Sourdo and Casimiro confirmed. At -this point the river narrows considerably, and on the south side there -are steep cliffs almost overhanging the water, a cave in which cliffs -was always a sure find for a puma. Both above and below this point are -large wide plains extending from the 'banks' or cliffs to the river, -which may easily be encircled; and the game being hemmed in between the -horsemen and the river are readily captured. Sometimes the ostriches -take to the water, but in the winter this saves trouble, as their legs -get frozen, and on landing they are unable to move. We made an excursion -on one occasion some miles higher up the river, and found abundance of -game. We had previously on our road had good luck, but, as is often the -custom, left the slain animals concealed in bushes, with a poncho or -something over them. During the interval of our absence severe weather -set in, and on returning to examine our _caches_ the foxes and birds -of prey had accounted for the meat. The foxes are a great trouble to -the hunters, as, frequently, whilst they are encircling the herds of -guanaco, and taking the greatest care to keep out of sight, one of these -brutes will jump up, the dogs give chase, and then good-bye to all -chance of sport. Fitzroy remarked the number of guanaco bones found in -his ascent of the river Santa Cruz, which appear to have puzzled him, -but the cause is not far to seek. During the very severe winters which -occur I believe about once in three years, these animals, finding no -pasture on the high lands, which are covered with snow, are necessarily -driven down to the plains fringing the river, where they die from -starvation. There is also a disease prevalent amongst them something -similar to scab in sheep. On one occasion a hunting party killed ten -guanacos, all of which were scabby, or, as we called it, 'sanoso;' and, -consequently, unfit for food. Mr. Clarke told me that after one severe -winter he found ostriches lying in heaps, dead under the bushes, and -also guanacos. The difficulty of getting the horses across the swift and -deep stream, with its banks encumbered by ice, prevented us from making -frequent excursions to the northern side of the river. A level plain -extends from the banks for about a mile, bounded by a chain of irregular -hills; near the foot of these I picked up many specimens of a spiral -shell, apparently a Turritella, which appeared to have been vitrified; -and some were as translucent as glass, and of different colours. Beyond -these hills rolled a succession of uneven plains diversified by ridges -and hills; the general slope of the ground being apparently from west to -east, and the hills towards the west often assumed the form of abrupt -lofty cliffs. Near a laguna at the foot of a cliff a hundred feet high -I found boulders incrusted with sulphate of iron, such as had been -pointed out to me in the Falklands, and numerous oyster shells and other -marine shells occurred in various localities. There are no streams, but -frequent lagoons in the hollows, and surrounded by a luxuriant growth of -incense bushes. The unbroken plains abound in round thistle, califate, -and the curious shrub called 'ratstail,' from the appearance of its -twigs when the thick bark is pulled off. When burned it emits a dense -black resinous smoke. To the north the horizon is bounded by a lofty -range of hills which form the barrier of the valley of the Rio Chico, -about sixty miles distant. These northern hills abounded with puma, some -of which, killed in our hunts, were of unusual size, measuring fully six -feet exclusive of the tail, which is generally half the length of the -body. They are, of course, most numerous where the herds of guanaco and -the ostriches abound; in the southern part of Patagonia their colour is -more of a greyish-brown than that of the species found in the Argentine -Provinces. These 'Leones,' as they are universally called in South -America, always appeared to me to be the most cat-like of all the -felidæ. They are very timid, always running from a man on horseback, -and, by day at least, from a pedestrian; they run for a short distance -in a series of long bounds, at great speed, but soon tire and stand at -bay behind or in the midst of a bush, and sitting upon their haunches, -spit and swear just like a monstrous tabby; sometimes endeavouring -to scratch with their formidable claws, but rarely springing at the -pursuer. Mr. Clarke on one occasion had his mantle torn off in this -manner. At another time, when hunting in the vicinity of Santa Cruz, -I observed from a distance Gonzalez hacking with his knife at a big -incense bush, and, on reaching the spot, found him occupied in clearing -away branches to allow him to knock a huge puma on the head with his -bolas. He was dismounted and attended by his dogs, which bayed the -animal. Still, had the puma not been a cur, he could doubtless have -sprung out and killed or severely wounded the gaucho. The Indians affirm -that the puma will attack a single man alone and on foot, and, indeed, -subsequently, an example of this came under my notice; however, if a -person should be benighted or lost, he has only to take the precaution -of lighting a fire, which these animals will never approach. They are -most savage in the early part of the spring or breeding season, when, -according to my experience, they are found roaming over the country in -an unsettled manner; they are then also thinner than at other times, -but, like the wild horse, they are generally pretty fat at all times of -the year. The females I saw were sometimes accompanied by two cubs, but -never more. The meat of the puma resembles pork, and is good eating, -though better boiled than roasted, but one or two Indians of my -acquaintance would not touch the meat. The hide is useful either for -saddle-cloths or to make mantles of; and owing to its greasy nature it -can be softened with less trouble than that of the guanaco. In Santa -Cruz one of the men had a pair of trousers made of lion's skin, which -worn with the hair side out was impervious to wet. From the hock and -lower part of the hind legs boots may be constructed similar to those -made from horse hide, and in common use amongst the Indians and also -the gauchos of Plata. These, however, are only made from pumas of large -size, and they wear out very quickly. To kill a puma with a gun is -rather a difficult matter, as, unless the ball enters his skull, or -strikes near the region of the heart, he has as many lives as his -relation the cat. I once put three revolver bullets into one, and -ultimately had recourse to the bolas as a more effective weapon. When -wounded they become very savage, but they are at all times bad customers -for dogs, which they maul in a shocking manner. The Indian dogs are -trained to stand off and bay them, keeping out of range of the claws; -nevertheless they not unfrequently get killed. Perhaps the simplest way -of taking the pumas is to throw a lazo over them, as directly they feel -the noose they lie down as if dead, and are easily despatched. I was -particularly struck, as are all hunters, with their eyes, large, brown, -and beautifully bright, but with a fierce glare that does not appeal to -any feelings of compassion. I shall never forget the expression in -the eyes of one puma, best described by the remark made by one of the -Indians as he reined back his horse, expecting a spring: 'Mira los ojos -del diablo!' ('Look, what devil's eyes!') - -One expedition on the northern shore was long remembered and talked of -over the fire; and, indeed, might easily have had a very disastrous -conclusion. - -Towards the latter end of July I proposed to Mr. Clarke that we should -proceed on foot, and investigate more closely the bed of fossil shells -mentioned as situated on the hills about a mile from the north bank of -the river. Accordingly, one morning we prepared to cross the river, -and the remainder of the men, hearing of our intentions, volunteered, -together with El Sourdo, to accompany us, and, after having visited the -hills, to organise a hunting circle on foot: we started about sunrise -and crossed the river to the north side, where we secured the boat above -high-water mark; we then all proceeded to the hills, investigated the -beds of fossil shells, and gathered many beautiful specimens. The hunt -was then formed, so many dogs being apportioned to each person, and -the circle being directed to close on a point on the bank of the river -about three or four miles west of the settlement. The ground was very -favourable for our operations, as the dips, or slightly-depressed -valleys, hid us from the view of the game. On emerging on the plain at -different points we saw several guanacos and some ostriches; and those -nearest them slipped their hounds, following on foot at their topmost -speed. Mr. Clarke, Isidoro, El Sourdo, and myself were in the centre, -and killed amongst us two guanacos and an ostrich. Antonio, who was -pointsman, disappeared to the westward with El Cookè, following their -dogs in full chase of a herd of guanacos. Our party lit a fire, ate the -ostrich, and conveyed what meat we thought advisable to take back with -us towards the boat, following the river bank, which was strewn in -many places with cornelians and flint-agates, and occasionally with -fossilised shells. On our arrival at the boat we launched her down the -beach, and, as the wind had by this time risen to a severe gale and the -tide was rapidly ebbing, watched anxiously for the return of the two -defaulters; for the navigation of the river is at no time very easy, -and when the tide is low, even in daylight, nearly impracticable. At -length, after dark, when the squalls of bitterly-cold wind had become -very violent, we saw fires in the distance, and, almost half an hour -afterwards, our missing men appeared, each with a load of meat on his -shoulders. They arrived considerably exhausted, so we gave them a rest, -and then dogs and all got into the boat and we shoved off, Mr. Clarke -steering. We proceeded all right for a few yards, and then stuck on a -bank; after several ineffectual efforts to shove the boat off, we all -jumped into the water and fairly hove her over the bank until the water -was up nearly to our shoulders, and then got in and pulled across. Owing -to the violence of the wind and the strength of the current, we only -succeeded in landing fully three-quarters of a mile from the house; -here we secured the boat, and ran up as fast as we could to get our -now frozen clothes off and a drink of hot coffee. We all agreed that -on another expedition it would be advisable either to encamp on the -northern shore until daylight, or come back early enough to be able -to get across while it was possible to see the banks. But the general -conclusion was, not to go again at all. - -The weather in July was intensely cold, the lowest reading of the -thermometer, which was duly examined every morning, being 8°. Washing -our clothes became impossible, as during the process the water froze -and the garments became stiff as boards. When crossing the ford, if the -potro boots of the rider happened, as was not unfrequently the case, to -get filled with water, in a few minutes not only were the boots coated -with ice, but the inside resembled an ice-pail. The effect of the river -ice piled up on the shore by the tides was very striking. Huge floes -had accumulated to the height of fifteen feet and upwards, and, besides -rendering the passage difficult, had buried the carefully-stacked -wood-pile under a small mountain of ice. This was in the comparatively -sheltered valley. On the Pampas, when the fierce south wind blew, as -it almost invariably did, it seemed impossible to face it and live. -One attempt made nearly resulted in Gonzalez being overcome by the -sleep which is a forerunner of death, and the horses of all the party -absolutely could not advance. The snow lay eighteen inches deep, and we -had flattered ourselves that the guanaco and ostrich would prove an easy -prey. _They_ could not run--but _we_ could not chase, and were thankful -to make our way, slowly and laboriously, down from the desolate and -storm-swept Pampas. - -The Indians from the Rio Chico occasionally visited us, and Orkeke's -objections to my company were gradually giving way. He had probably -feared that an English Señor would require a considerable amount of -attention, and give constant trouble; but during our intercourse he -found that the stranger could (and did) groom his own horse, and wait -on himself generally, as well as take his part in whatever was being -done, even to sleeping out with no shelter but the ample guanaco mantle. -Casimiro also, according to promise, visited the camp, and argued in my -favour, finally obtaining from the chief a somewhat reluctant permission -for me to join his party. Towards the end of July some of his Indians -had come to the settlement to inform us that the scarcity of game in -their vicinity had compelled them to shift their quarters to a place -higher up the Rio Chico. They anxiously enquired if the schooner had -arrived; we were as eagerly looking for her, but day after day passed, -and the looked-for boat did not appear. - -On the 24th of July everybody had gone hunting, except Juan Chileno (who -was cook for the week), and myself, whom a hurt received in my foot -had compelled to remain quiet. I was employed reading a book, 'Charles -Dashwood,' for perhaps the twentieth time, when Juan came in to say that -the hunting party had returned. As it was only ten o'clock, my first -idea was that the schooner had arrived with Don Luiz. However, this was -dispelled by Juan, who had gone out to reconnoitre, rushing in with the -news that ten Chilians had arrived on the south side with twenty-one -horses. Shortly afterwards Mr. Clarke himself came in and corroborated -the intelligence. These men proved to be deserters, who had escaped by -night from Punta Arena, taking with them nearly all the horses in the -corral. They had left on the 2nd of July at 2 A.M. Four of the number -were those previously recaptured in Santa Cruz, who had been kept in -irons and closely confined at night; but by a supreme effort they had -broken their chains, and, together with the others who had everything -arranged outside the cuartel, had effected their escape. The sufferings -these men must have undergone during the twenty-two days' journey over -the Pampas, exposed without shelter to the fierce winds, and sometimes -with the snow up to their horses' girths, must have been something -frightful, and many of them were frost bitten. It was out of the -question for us to receive them, as our own supplies were failing, and -in truth we congratulated ourselves on the horses being secured in the -corral, and anxiously watched the movements of the new comers. The party -during the afternoon succeeded in crossing the river to the north side, -swimming their horses; and disappeared in the direction of the Rio -Chico. - -By this time even the kind companionship of Mr. Clarke failed to -reconcile me to the tedious monotony of our life. The game also became -scarcer and scarcer, and the chance of the schooner's coming appeared so -indefinite, that at the beginning of August I began to think it would -be better and more amusing to migrate to the Indian camp, where, at any -rate, plenty of meat was procurable. Accordingly, when the Indians came -over again on a visit on the 7th of August, I bought a horse, or rather -changed away a revolver for one (a three year old, newly broken), and -started in company with Orkeke, Campan, Cayuke, and Tankelow, four -Indians, all of whom were previous acquaintances. Casimiro followed with -his family, taking one of the horses from Santa Cruz to assist in the -transport of his household. This horse was one I had been accustomed to -ride in Santa Cruz, and on arriving at the Indian camp was lent me as -a second horse. Shortly after passing the first hills on the northern -side, our party not being burdened with women and children, started off -at a hand canter, which was kept up until a puma suddenly sprang out of -a bush, when chase was immediately given; he, however, got into a thick -tangle of incense bushes, from which we tried in vain to dislodge him, -and although pelted with stones he lay there spitting like a great cat. -Cayuke wished to fire the bush, but Orkeke would not waste time, so we -mounted and proceeded on our journey. We continued riding over plains -and ridges until about 4 P.M., when we reached a large laguna, close to -which grew some high coarse grass and shrubs; here several ostriches -were started, and one killed by Orkeke. On reaching the range of hills -before described as the southern barrier of the valley of the Rio Chico, -we halted, and shortly had the ostrich cooking on a good fire. We looked -back for Casimiro, but could not see him, so after supper and a smoke -pursued our journey by the soft light of a young moon. As I pointed -it out to my companions they all saluted it by putting their hands to -their heads, at the same time muttering some unintelligible words. This -reminded me of the English custom of turning money at first seeing the -new moon. We rode on until about 9 P.M., when we reached the Indian -encampment. We had been previously puzzled by seeing fires burning a -considerable distance up the valley, and found that our chief, Camillo, -had already marched in that direction. One of the first persons who -accosted me was Arica, and I shortly discovered that all the Chilians -were installed with the Indians in different toldos, which was rather -an unpleasant surprise. I was ushered into Orkeke's toldo with due -ceremony, and we took our seats by the fire. I had brought a bag of -coffee with me, so we set to work and roasted some, after which one of -the Chilians was given the task of pounding it between stones, and we -all drank what the Indians not inappropriately term 'potwater.' Many -Indians crowded in to have a look at us, and amongst others that I -noticed was a remarkably pretty little girl of about thirteen years of -age, a niece of Orkeke's, who took some coffee when offered in a shy -and bashful manner which was delightful to contemplate. In due time we -all retired to rest, and a little before daylight I was woke up by the -melodious singing of an Indian in the next toldo. Shortly afterwards -Orkeke went out and harangued the inmates of the remaining toldos, and -presently the horses were brought up, and most of the men started for -the chase. Snow had fallen during the night, a biting cold wind was -blowing, and Orkeke told me there were very few animals about. I -took this as a hint not to ask for a horse, so contented myself with -sauntering round and examining the encampment. Some of the men were -playing cards, one or two sleeping, whilst the women were almost -universally employed in sewing guanaco mantles. About 3 P.M. Casimiro -arrived with his family, and proceeded to the tent of a southern Indian, -named Crimè, and shortly afterwards the hunting party returned by twos -and threes, but the chase had not been attended with much success. We -passed the evening pleasantly enough, making acquaintance with each -other, and Keoken, the little girl, instructed me in the Indian names of -the various objects about the place. Next morning the order was suddenly -given to march. As this was totally unexpected, and I was not prepared -for departure, I made up my mind to return at once to Santa Cruz, and -fetch my clothes and other small articles; also to take back a colt, -promised by an Indian called 'Tchang' to Mr. Clarke. After some little -difficulty, as the Indians did not wish me to go alone for fear of -getting lost, or any other mischance befalling me, Graviel, the youngest -son of Casimiro, started with me. We had to take the colt, what a sailor -would term, in tow, that is, drag it for some distance with a lazo. As -Graviel's horse was shy, this work fell to my share. Shortly after the -start, rain, or rather sleet, came on, and the contrariness of the brute -at the end of the lazo claiming all my attention, I could not manage to -keep my mantle tight round my shoulders, and getting thoroughly wet, and -losing one of my knives, cursed Tchang, colt and all, freely. After a -short time, however, when well out of sight of the Indians, I cast off -the towing line, and we drove our 'bête noire' before us. We returned by -a different route to the one travelled on the outward journey, guided -a good deal by my pocket compass. Towards nightfall, deceived by the -appearance of a hill, I flattered myself that we were near Santa Cruz. -But, alas! it was still miles away, and we got into fresh difficulties -with our charge, which, being tired, absolutely refused to go down the -hill, and had to be taken 'in tow' again and dragged along, and it must -have been nine or ten before we reached the banks of the river. Here, -after unsaddling our horses, we vainly attempted to kindle a fire, but -everything, like ourselves, was so saturated with snow and wet that -all attempts were fruitless; so, fairly tired out, and without fire or -supper, we laid down under a bush, and, ensconced under our mantles, -were soon in the land of dreams. - -Next morning Graviel acted like a dutiful boy for once in his life, and -left in search of the horses. Meanwhile the boat came over, and I was -anxious to expedite matters; so, after splashing barefooted through -several yards of sharp-edged ice on my way to the boat, which had -grounded some distance from the shore, I got over to the island, where -I was not sorry to get something to eat and a fire to warm my frozen -limbs. I packed up my few things, ready for a start later on; but when -the flood-tide made, a heavy gale of wind sprang up, and it was with -great difficulty that the boat could bring over Graviel and the colt. -The cheerful news also awaited me that my horse was missing, and that -Graviel and El Cookè had seen a large puma on the river bank, which had -probably watched in close proximity to us whilst sleeping the night -before. Owing to the gale, it was impossible to cross that evening, so -we made up our minds to stop and sleep on the island. - -Next day, my horse not appearing, Mr. Clarke lent me one, sending -Isidoro to bring the horse back, in the event of our not meeting with -the missing steed. About 4 P.M. I bid adieu to my friend, whose kindness -during my stay had proved him a friend indeed. Having shaken hands with -the remainder of the boys, who one and all heartily wished me luck, we -started; and after vainly searching for the missing horse, rode on till -about 10 P.M., when we halted and bivouacked by the side of a laguna. -Next morning early we arrived at the Rio Chico, which we crossed on the -ice, and about 2 P.M. reached the toldos. The men were away hunting, the -smoke of their fires being visible, rising from the higher plains to the -northward. As we had eaten nothing since our supper the night before, -which was furnished by a small skunk (which, though very palatable, was -unfortunately very thin), we were in urgent need of something to eat, -and Arica hastened to cook some guanaco meat on the asador or iron spit. - -When the hunters arrived, Orkeke gruffly asked Isidoro what he had -come for, and seemed, naturally enough, the reverse of pleased at the -information of the loss of his horse; and, altogether, the old chief's -behaviour did not seem auspicious; but, without appearing to notice it, -I made myself at home in the toldo, and took up my quarters as one of -the family. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE RIO CHICO. - - Breaking up of the Camp. -- An Idle Day. -- A Rash Start. -- A - Dilemma. -- Alone on the Pampa. -- Reunion. -- The Kau or - Toldo. -- The Domestic Interior. -- The Indian Tribes. -- Three - Races. -- Order of the March. -- The Hunt. -- Indian Game Law. - -- Tehuelche Cookery. -- Basaltic Hills. -- An Indian Festival. - -- My First Tehuelche Ball. -- Mrs. Orkeke's Spill. -- Fording - Rio Chico. -- A Battle. -- Death of Cuastro. -- Dangerous - Times. -- Chilian Conspiracy. -- Obsidian Plain and Pass. -- - First Ostrich Eggs. -- Amakaken. -- Lifting the Boulder. -- The - Devil's Country. -- God's Hill. -- Condors and Dinner. -- - Sunrise on the Cordillera. -- The Plague Herald. -- Gelgel Aik. - -- Escape from Matrimony. -- Téle. -- Eyes of the Desert. -- - Preparations for War. -- Another Fight. -- Water Tigers. -- - Indian Bravoes. -- Iron Ores. -- Ship Rock. -- Perch Fishing. - -- Appley-kaik. -- Casimiro's Escape. -- Arrival at Henno. - - -The morning after we had rejoined the Indian camp was marked by a -general breaking up of the party. Camillo and some others had already -left, and by this time were several marches in advance; Orkeke and -Isidoro started off to Santa Cruz, in search of the lost horse, and -charged with some little commissions for me. Finally, Casimiro and all -the rest broke up their encampment and started, intending to overtake -Camillo. Before leaving, Casimiro came to me, and affecting great -interest in my welfare, confidentially urged me to accompany himself and -live as an inmate of his (or rather Crimè's) toldo, adding that he had -been informed that Orkeke had no real intention of marching northward, -but designed to keep me in his toldo until, by some means or other, he -could possess himself of my arms and ammunition. As I saw no reason to -believe this story, I declined to comply with the proposal of Casimiro, -who, having consoled himself by begging a little coffee, took his -departure, and the encampment was reduced to the toldo, of which I was -to consider myself an inmate, and another, belonging to the only Indians -who remained--Tankelow, Orkeke's brother, and his son, a youth of about -eighteen. Besides these, there were three of the Chilian deserters -who as narrated had escaped from Punta Arena; one was attached to the -household of Tankelow, and the other two to that of Orkeke. One of these -was Arica, already mentioned, who being a very clever worker in hide, -had employed himself in adorning saddles and bridles for the Indians, by -which he had acquired a pretty good stock of gear. The condition of all -three was, however, not enviable. They had lowered themselves at first -by volunteering to discharge the drudgery of fetching wood and water, -and by this time were little better than slaves, obliged to perform -the menial offices, which before had been the task of the women. -These fair creatures, headed by Mrs. Orkeke--a young woman almost six -feet in height, and displaying a corresponding breadth across the -shoulders--employed themselves in cutting out and sewing guanaco -mantles, weaving fillets for the head, and chattering. Tankelow and his -son presently started for a hunt; but as I was not offered a mount, and -deemed it more reasonable to give my only charger a good rest and feed, -I could only accompany them to the river, the frozen surface of which -they crossed, and disappeared up a cañon that led up the Barranca, on -the northern limit of the valley, to the Upper Pampa. Having wistfully -watched them, I reconnoitred the valley of the Rio Chico. Behind me, to -the south-east, the river wound through plains covered with withered -coarse grass, some eighteen inches high, extending on either bank for -several miles till terminated by the rising barranca. Snow lay here -and there in patches on some of the higher ground, and increased the -dreariness of the prospect. About two leagues below the river divided -into two branches, which reunited beyond an island of some extent. -Looking up river in a north-westerly direction, the valley soon narrowed -in, the southern barranca sloping down to within a couple of miles of -our camp; and the view was closed by two remarkable hills resembling -fortresses, which seemed to stand on guard on either side. I made a -slight sketch of the outlines of the view, which forms the background of -the hunting scene.[4] Having strolled back to the toldo, I was greeted -by the women with the usual demand, 'Mon aniwee'--Anglicè, 'Lend us the -pipe,' which was duly charged and handed round. We then sat and watched -the proceedings of Keoken, Tankelow's pretty little daughter, just -budding into womanhood, and a small boy to whom I gave the name of -Captain John, who were amusing themselves by catching and riding some of -the horses which were tamer than the others. The urchins soon grew tired -of their equestrian feats; and, prompted by the spirit of mischief, -which seems ever to haunt children, and especially Indian boys, came -and begged a match of me. Not suspecting their purpose, I gave them the -coveted prize, with which they hurried off in high delight, and in -a very few minutes had set fire to the rank, withered herbage, some -distance off the toldo, but to the windward. The conflagration was at -first unnoticed by us; but at dusk, when Tankelow returned from hunting, -with a supply of meat, it was palpably dangerous. So all hands had to -set to work, and by dint of tearing up the grass, with great trouble we -stopped its progress, which if aided by a breeze in the night would very -probably otherwise have consumed the toldo and endangered the inmates. -Of the culprits no notice was taken, the occurrence being apparently -regarded as all in the day's work. After our supper off guanaco meat, -and a smoke, I turned in, and slept soundly on my Tehuelche bed of hides -and bolsters which had been carefully arranged by the tall hostess. - - [4] Frontispiece. - -The next day was got through by having a thorough 'wash' of my clothes, -and cultivating a closer acquaintance with the Chilian Arica, from whom -I obtained a dog in exchange for an old guanaco mantle. But as on the -third day no signs of the return of Orkeke appeared, the inaction became -insupportable, so after the departure on a hunting excursion of Tankelow -and his son, Arica and myself determined to start in pursuit of Casimiro -and his party. As Arica had no horse, it would be necessary for us to -ride and tie; but even thus we could make quick travelling. Accordingly -at 2 P.M. we started, much to the astonishment of the ladies, who -protested that we were certain to lose our way or be killed by the -pumas. One old lady, Orkeke's sister, after trying in vain to dissuade -us, presented me with a slice of charqui, which with a few handfuls of -coffee formed our stock of provisions. That day we did not get very far; -but in the next march, as the track of the Indians was plain, we had -made thirty miles by the time we halted, at nightfall, at a place where -another valley from the northward joined that of the Rio Chico. Our -charqui had barely sufficed for an evening meal, so this day we -satisfied our appetites with a supply of the tuberous roots of a -plant which grows in great quantities in most parts of Patagonia. - -[Illustration: HUNTING GUANACO AND OSTRICH, VALLEY OF RIO CHICO.] - -The plant, which in its growth resembles very closely the balsam bog -of the Falkland Islands, and might be easily taken for it but for the -absence of the gum, which perhaps was attributable to the quality of the -soil or the season of the year, is easily recognisable by its mass of -tiny green leaflets, and presents the appearance of a small hillock of -earth crowned with delicate moss. By digging down into the heap, one -large and several small tuberous roots are found, which when roasted in -the ashes prove sufficiently palatable to hungry men. - -We went to sleep in the open air, rolled up in our guanaco mantles, but -awoke to find that a heavy fall of snow had covered everything a foot -deep, and totally hidden all trail of the Indians. In this dilemma, -quite uncertain which of the two valleys to ascend, and feeling -extremely cold, we first looked out for a place of shelter. This was -afforded us by a little dell or recess in the side of the barranca, -which was thickly overgrown with incense bushes. Betaking ourselves -thither, we speedily had a blazing fire kindled, and while warming our -chilled limbs held a council. It was decided that I should mount, and -proceed to hunt for some food; and then, if the weather moderated, we -could proceed. Arica was left in charge of the fire, with a strong -caution from me to keep it up, and to make as much smoke as possible, -by way of signal to the Indians. After a good deal of difficulty my -horse, which was only half broken, and had a playful way of rearing up -and striking with his forefeet, was curbed with the leathern thong which -forms the Indian bit. I then proceeded to scale the barranca bordering -the river valley, and soon reached the desolate undulations of the -higher Pampa. As a necessary precaution against losing my way, I was -careful to take two or three bearings of conspicuous hills, visible in -the northern limits of the valley; for the monotonous and dreary waste -of the Pampa, strewn with boulders and shingle, alternated with tufts of -grass, presents no track or landmark to guide the wanderer. It was not -long before two or three herds of guanaco were sighted; but the dog, -which had probably during the night foraged for himself, and found some -half-eaten carcase, would not run, and a gallop of some twelve miles -proved fruitless. Just as I was about giving up in despair, I observed a -herd in a hollow, which I was able to approach unobserved. Knowing that -our chance of food for the day depended on success, I warily approached, -and then charged, and to my delight succeeded in entangling one with -the bolas. He was soon despatched; and while I was busily cutting off a -supply of meat, to my sudden surprise an Indian came galloping up. The -newcomer proved to be Tankelow, who was in search of me. He brought word -that Orkeke had found the strayed horse, and had returned; and that the -party were marching as fast as they could to overtake Casimiro. He had -been detached, partly to hunt and partly to find us. In reply to my -inquiries about Arica, he assured me that he was all right, and as there -seemed no reason for disbelieving the statement, we speedily rode back -to the party, and rejoined them on the march; being received with shouts -of laughter by the ladies; but as Arica was nowhere to be seen, I -expressed my determination to ride back in search of him. This, however, -they would not allow, but despatched a mounted Indian and spare horse -to bring him in, and a good piece of meat for his refreshment. We then -proceeded at a brisk rate, and by nightfall reached the camp. Orkeke -at first seemed rather to resent my having started off alone, as if it -argued a want of confidence in him; but his delight at having recovered -his horse assisted him to recover his good humour. Mr. Clarke had sent -me by him some powder, which he _said_ he had lost, and some articles, -such as linen and tobacco, and my presenting them all to him quite did -away with any traces of ill feeling. - -The several detachments were all now reunited, and the party mustered -altogether, besides the Chilians and myself, eighteen able-bodied -Tehuelche or Patagonian men, with a proportionate number of women and -children. The most important among the Indians were Orkeke, the actual -cacique, and his brother Tankelow, who possessed the greater number of -horses; Casimiro, whose leadership was still rather _in posse_; Camillo, -Crimè, Cuastro, Cayuke, &c. One more must be mentioned by name, Wáki; a -perfect Hercules in bodily frame, and a thoroughly good-natured fellow, -with whom I became great friends. Of all these men, who were in the camp -by the Rio Chico on August 15, but eight survived to reach the Rio Negro -in the following May; the rest had, at one time or another, been killed -or had died. The secret feuds, which were before long to endanger the -safety of us all, were as yet concealed, and all appeared to be good -friends. The whole were housed in five toldos--by which Spanish name the -Indian kau, or tents, strongly resembling those of our own gipsies, are -known. They were pitched in a sheltered hollow, with their fronts facing -the east, to avoid the bitter violence of the prevalent westerly winds. - -Fitzroy has given an excellent description of the toldo; but to -those readers who are unacquainted with it a brief sketch will not be -unacceptable. A row of forked posts about three feet high is driven into -the ground in a slightly slanting position, and a ridge pole laid across -them; in front of these, at a distance of about seven feet, a second -row, six feet high, with a ridge pole; and at the same distance from -them a third row, eight feet high, each slanting a little, but not -at the same angle. A covering made of from forty to fifty full grown -guanaco skins, smeared with a mixture of grease and red ochre, is drawn -over from the rear, and the great drag of the heavy covering straightens -the poles; it is then secured by thongs to the front poles, while hide -curtains fastened between the inner poles partition off the sleeping -places, and the baggage piled round the sides of the tent excludes the -cold blast which penetrates under the edge of the covering. The fire is -kindled in the fore part, or 'mouth of the tent.' In very bad weather, -or when encamped for the winter, an additional covering is secured -to the front poles and brought down over an extra row of short posts, -making all snug. It is a common arrangement for relatives or friends to -combine their toldos, when, instead of bringing down the coverings to -the ground at the side, they are made to overlap, and thus one tent roof -will cover two or three distinct domestic interiors. - -The furniture of the toldos consists of one or two bolsters and a horse -hide or two to each sleeping compartment, one to act as a curtain and -the other for bedding. The bolsters are made of old ponchos, or lechus, -otherwise called mandils, woven blankets obtained from the Araucanos, -who are famous for their manufacture, stuffed with guanaco wool and sewn -up with ostrich or guanaco sinews. The bolsters do duty as pillows or as -seats, and help to form the women's saddles on the march. Besides these, -the women all own mandils for their beds. The men occasionally use the -cloths worn under the saddles for seats when the ground is damp, but as -a rule all the inmates of the toldo squat upon Nature's carpet, which -has the advantage of being easily cleaned, for the Tehuelches are very -particular about the cleanliness of the interior of their dwellings, -and a patch of sod accidentally befouled is at once cut out and thrown -outside by the women. - -The cooking utensils are simple, consisting of an asador, or iron spit, -for roasting meat, and an occasional iron pot, which serves for boiling -and also for trying out ostrich grease and marrow, which is employed -both for cooking and for mixing with the paint with which the faces of -both sexes are adorned. To these, wooden platters and armadillo shells, -to serve broth in, are sometimes added. The duty of pitching and -arranging the toldos on the halt and striking them for the march, -as well as loading the poles, covering, and furniture on the horses, -devolves entirely upon the women, who display great strength and -dexterity in the work. - -About the toldos were innumerable dogs of all sizes and breeds, and -Mrs. Orkeke rejoiced in the possession of two fowls brought from the -settlement, and the all important possession of the Indians, horses, -completed the bustling liveliness of the scene. There were not less than -150 belonging to the various members of the party, Orkeke and Tankelow -owning about forty, besides mares and skittish colts of all ages, which -ran about so that they could not be counted. The reader can imagine what -a scene the march and encampment of such a party presents, and the care -with which the Indians must select their route so as to be sure of game -for themselves and pasture for their animals. Of the dogs and horses in -use by the Tehuelches a fuller description will be given hereafter. - -But, to convey a clear understanding of the relations between the tribes -which will be mentioned in the ensuing pages, it is as well here briefly -to distinguish them. In the various maps and accounts of Patagonia -extant, numerous tribes, with different names, are marked and recorded. -These accounts, so far as my observations enabled me to judge, have -arisen from the custom of parties of the tribe combining to travel or -fight under the leadership of a particular chief, and being described by -themselves, when met with, by his name. I have been enabled to recognise -thus the Moluches, who were so called from Malechou, a hereditary chief -of that name; and the celebrated chief Lenketrou united under his -leadership men of several tribes, and is said to have commanded 1,500 -men in his great raid on the Rio Negro settlements. There are now -between the Rio Negro and the Straits about 500 fighting men, giving -at a rough estimate a population of about 3,000. The Tehuelches, -or Patagonians proper, exclusive of the Foot Indians of Tierra del -Fuego--who are distinct, though they may be of the same original -stock--are divided into two great tribes, the Northern and Southern. -They speak the same language, but are distinguishable by difference of -accent, and the Southern men appear to be, on an average, taller and -finer men, and are more expert hunters with the bolas. The Northern -range chiefly over the district between the Cordillera and the sea; from -the Rio Negro on the north to the Chupat, occasionally descending as -far as the Santa Cruz River. The Southern occupy the country south of -the Santa Cruz, and migrate as far as Punta Arena. The two divisions, -however, are much intermixed and frequently intermarry; always, -notwithstanding, preserving their clannish division, and taking opposite -sides in the frequent quarrels. Our party was composed in almost equal -parts of both Northern and Southern, and one inmate of our toldo was a -Southern named Hummums, a brother of Mrs. Orkeke. From the Rio Negro as -far as the Chupat, another tribe, speaking a different language, is met -with, having their head-quarters at the Salinas, north of the Rio Negro. -These are the Pampas, called by the Tehuelches 'Penck,' whence I believe -the name Pehuelche has been corrupted. Several clans of this nation -extend over the plains north of Rio Negro, and make frequent inroads -into the Argentine settlements as far as the province of Santa Fé, and -even, I believe, to Cordova and Mendoza. The Pampas of the north of -Patagonia sometimes keep cattle and sheep, but generally subsist by the -chase. A third tribe appear, by their language and physique, to be a -branch of the Araucanos of Chili. These are the people called by the -Tehuelches Chenna, and also the Warriors; they are otherwise known as -Manzaneros, from their head-quarters Las Manzanas, so named from the -groves of apple trees; once a station of the early Jesuit missionaries, -who vainly endeavoured to convert and civilise these tribes. They are -less migratory and more civilised in their habits than the Tehuelches, -and are said to keep herds of cattle and sheep in the sheltered valleys -of the Cordillera, and sometimes till a little maize. I do not know -whether the Jesuit Fathers taught their disciples the art or no, but -from the apples of Las Manzanas these Indians brew a very tolerable -cider, besides making an intoxicating liquor from the beans of the -algarroba. The Tehuelches altogether depend for their stimulants on -the chance supplies of rum procured in trade at the settlements, and -this and disease, small-pox especially, are rapidly diminishing their -numbers. - -We remained in our encampment by the Rio Chico for one day, during which -the missing Arica arrived. He was received with very black looks by -Orkeke, who from this time, although still allowing him a place in his -toldo, and a horse to ride, seemed to have conceived a violent aversion -to him, which argued badly for the Chilian's future safety. It appeared -that during my absence he had given way to the desire of providing -something to eat, and had left the fire to burn out, while he foraged -for roots. On returning he saw a huge puma couched by the extinct ashes -of the fire. Just, however, as Arica was about to fire the revolver -which I had lent him, the beast bounded away into the bushes. But as he -was convinced that the puma was close at hand waiting for an opportunity -to attack, he spent several hours on the watch with his revolver ready. -His delight may be imagined when, worn out with want of food and rest, -he was relieved by the arrival of the Indian with the meat and a horse -for him to ride. - -The next day we made a short march up the river valley, the caravan of -women and horses, as usual, proceeding along the track, while the men -hunted in the adjacent plains. I was fortunate enough in the hunt to -kill a guanaco and an ostrich, and duly shared them with Casimiro. The -order of march and method of hunting which constitute the daily routine -are as follows: the Cacique, who has the ordering of the marching and -hunting, comes out of his toldo at daylight, sometimes indeed before, -and delivers a loud oration, describing the order of march, the -appointed place of hunting, and the general programme; he then exhorts -the young men to catch and bring up the horses, and be alert and active -in the hunt, enforcing his admonition, by way of a wind up, with a -boastful relation of his own deeds of prowess when he was young. -Sometimes the women, while the chief is haranguing, rekindle or blow -up the embers of the fire and prepare a slight breakfast, but not -invariably. Some cold meat is also occasionally reserved from the -evening meal, and placed in a hide bag to be carried with them on the -march, to be given to the children when they are hungry. But the general -custom for the men is to wait until the day's hunt has supplied fresh -meat. When the Cacique's 'oration'--which is very little attended to--is -over, the young men and boys lazo and bring up the horses, and the women -place on their backs the bolsters of reeds, tied with hide thongs, -mantles, and coloured blankets, which form their saddles; others are -strapping their belts on, or putting their babies into wicker-work -cradles, or rolling up the skins that form the coverings of the toldos, -and placing them and the poles on the baggage-horses; last of all the -small breakers, which are carried on the march, are filled with water. -The women mount by means of a sling round the horses' necks, and sit -astride of their bolster-saddles; their babies--if they possess any--and -their pet dogs are hoisted up, the babies being stowed in the cradles -behind them; then they take their baggage-horses in tow and start off in -single file. The men, who generally wait until all are ready, then drive -the spare horses for a short distance, and having handed them over to -the charge of their wives or daughters, retire to a neighbouring bush, -where a fire is kindled, pipes are lighted, and the hunt commenced in -the following manner:--Two men start off and ride at a gallop round a -certain area of country, varying according to the number of the party, -lighting fires at intervals to mark their track. After the lapse of a -few minutes two others are despatched, and so on until only a few are -left with the cacique. These spread themselves out in a crescent, -closing in and narrowing the circle on a point where those first started -have by this time arrived. The crescent rests on a baseline formed by -the slowly-proceeding line of women, children, and baggage-horses. The -ostriches and herds of guanaco run from the advancing party, but are -checked by the pointsmen, and when the circle is well closed in are -attacked with the bolas, two men frequently chasing the same animal from -different sides. The dogs also assist in the chase, but the Indians are -so quick and expert with the bolas that unless their horses are tired, -or they happen to have gambled away their bolas, the dogs are not much -called into use. Puma are very frequently found in the circles, and -quickly despatched by a blow on the head from a ball. On one occasion I -saw Wáki completely crush, by a single blow, the skull of an unusually -large one. The Indian law of division of the game prevents all disputes, -and is as follows: The man who balls the ostrich leaves it for the -other, who has been chasing with him, to carry or take charge of, and at -the end of the hunt it is divided; the feathers and body from the head -to the breast-bone and one leg belonging to the captor, the remainder to -the assistant. In the case of guanaco, the first takes the best half -in the same manner; the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and the fat and -marrow bones are sometimes eaten raw. The Tehuelches also cut out the -fat over the eyes, and the gristly fat between the thigh joints, which -they eat with great gusto, as also the heart and blood of the ostrich. -Owing to the entire absence of farinaceous food, fat becomes a necessary -article of diet, and can be consumed in much larger quantities than -in more civilised countries. That this is not merely owing to the -inclemency of the climate is proved by the appetite for fat which the -gauchos in the Argentine provinces acquire. When the hunt is finished, -and the birds cut up and divided, fires are kindled, and whilst stones -are heating the ostrich is plucked, the wing feathers being carefully -tied together with a piece of sinew. The bird is then laid on its back -and drawn; the legs are carefully skinned down, and the bone taken out, -leaving the skin; the carcase is then separated into two halves, and the -backbone having been extracted from the lower half, and the meat sliced -so as to admit the heated stones laid in between the sections, it is -tied up like a bag, secured by the skin of the legs, with a small bone -thrust through to keep all taut; this is placed on the live embers -of the fire, a light blaze being kindled when it is nearly done to -perfectly roast the outside meat. During the process of cooking it has -to be turned frequently to ensure all parts being thoroughly cooked. -When ready it is taken off the fire, and the top part being cut off and -the stones extracted, the broth and meat are found deliciously cooked. -The party, generally consisting of twos or fours, sit round the dish and -eat the meat, sopping it in the broth. The back part, which consists -nearly altogether of fat (when the ostrich is in good condition), is -then divided, pieces being given to each, and reserved as tid bits for -the women and children. When the head and breast half are to be cooked, -the bone is not extracted, but the wings turned inside and the breast -cavity filled with heated stones, and tied up with half of the skin of -the legs, which have been divided, additional pieces of meat from the -legs having been placed in the breast cavity. The fat of the breast -is divided amongst the party at the fireside, the owner in all cases -reserving none or a very small piece for himself, as the others who -are cooking at the same fire are sure to give him plenty. The cacique -generally receives the largest share, or if he is not present, the -greatest friends of the owner. The wing feathers are carefully taken to -the toldos and stored with others for future trade. The ostrich is most -thoroughly eaten; the gizzard, which is large enough to fill both hands, -being carefully cooked by the insertion of a hot stone and roasted; the -eyes, too, are sucked, and the tripe devoured; but when the birds are -thin they are simply skinned, and the carcase left to the pumas. After -the meal, concluding the hunt, is finished, a pipe is handed round, -saddles are re-adjusted, and the game placed on them, and the party -adjourn to the toldos, which by this time have been pitched and arranged -by the women. - -Guanaco are not much killed, unless a long stay in a place is intended, -or an Indian feels inclined for blood, or ostriches, which are always -eaten in preference, are scarce. The meat of the guanaco is, however, -excellent; the haunches are generally what is termed in Spanish -'charqueared,' which means that the meat is cut off in thin slices, -and, after a little salt has been sprinkled over it, is dried in the -sun. When thoroughly dried it is roasted in the ashes, pounded between -two stones, and mixed with ostrich or other grease; this preparation, -like pemmican, is very useful for a man going a long journey, as it -can be carried in a small compass, and a mere handful satisfies the -appetite. - -[Illustration: START FROM THE CAMP AT MÔWAISH OR WINDOW HILL.] - -It would be tedious to describe every day's march, and the routine of -hunting, as we made our way slowly up the valley of the Rio Chico, which -was still frozen over. The weather was cold, and occasional showers of -snow accompanied the strong piercing westerly winds which blew every -day. The valley sometimes opened out into wide grass-covered plains, -dotted with incense-bushes, then rose again in huge bare ridge and -furrow-like undulations. Occasionally there occurred patches of swampy -ground with frozen lagoons, and here and there open springs, the resort -of numerous waterfowl. The hills on the northern side appeared bare -and rugged, rising abruptly out of irregular forms, while the southern -heights were lower, and presented more of the steep declivities known -as barrancas, interrupted at intervals by high rugged hills of basalt, -often assuming the appearance of ruined castles, closing in at the bends -of the winding river. To one of these--a remarkable hill under which we -were encamped on August 23, about 120 miles from Santa Cruz--I gave the -name of Sierra Ventana, from a window-like opening through its peak; the -Indians called it Môwaish. (See Illustration.) In many places the bases -of these hills were formed entirely of a description of lava, and one -of the Chilians informed me that whilst passing over a ridge, he had -observed several large masses of pure iron: this, however, I was -inclined to disbelieve, as although farther up the country iron ore -exists in large quantities, I only observed in this part a species of -ore similar to that common at Drobak, in Norway. - -On one occasion, while marching, we observed smoke in our rear, -which was thought to be caused either by a messenger in search of us -announcing the arrival of the schooner, or else by a party of the -Southern Indians who had some idea of marching north. However, no scout -was sent back to discover the truth, so we remained in ignorance. On the -26th we halted, and encamped by the side of the river in a broad opening -of the valley; here there was a lagoon, not completely frozen, in which -grew a description of flag, of which the root, or rather lower stem, is -eaten by the Indians, and is succulent and juicy, with a pleasant taste. -The boys and girls soon brought a large supply into the toldos. The day -after our arrival in this place, the attainment of the age of puberty -of one of the girls was celebrated according to custom. Early in the -morning the father of the child informed the cacique of the event, the -cacique thereupon officially communicated the intelligence to the acting -doctor or medicine-man, and a considerable shouting was set up, while -the doctor adorned himself with white paint and was bled in the forehead -and arms with a sharp bodkin. The women immediately set to work to sew -a number of 'mandils' together. When the patchwork was finished, it was -taken with pomp and ceremony by a band of young men, who marched round -the poles--already fixed to form a temporary toldo--singing, whilst the -women joined in with the most dismal incantations and howlings. After -marching round several times, the covering was drawn over the poles, and -lances were stuck in front, adorned with bells, streamers, and brass -plates that shook and rattled in the breeze, the whole thing when -erected presenting a very gay appearance (its Indian name literally -meaning 'The pretty house'). The girl was then placed in an inner part -of the tent, where nobody was admitted. After this everybody mounted, -and some were selected to bring up the horses, out of which certain -mares and fillies were chosen, and brought up in front of the showy -toldo, where they were knocked on the head by a ball--thus saving the -blood (which was secured in pots) to be cooked, being considered a great -delicacy. It is a rule amongst the Indians that anyone assisting to take -off the hide of a slaughtered mare is entitled to a piece of meat, but -the flesh was on this occasion distributed pretty equally all round. -Whilst the meat was cooking, Casimiro, who was ruler of the feast, -sent a message for me to come to Crimè's toldo, where I found him busy -working at a saddle, in the construction of which he was, by the way, an -adept. His wife had a large iron pot bubbling on the fire, containing -some of the blood mixed with grease. When the mess was nearly cooked, -we added a little pepper and salt, and commenced the feast. Previous to -this I had felt a sort of repugnance to eating horse, as perhaps most -Englishmen--except, indeed, the professed hippophagists--have; but -hunger overcame all scruples, and I soon acquired quite a taste for this -meat. On this occasion everybody ate where they liked, in their own -toldos. Casimiro informed me, after the meal was concluded, that -there would be a dance in the evening. I looked forward with great -anticipation to this 'small and early,' and shortly saw some of the -women proceed to collect a considerable quantity of firewood, which was -placed outside the tent. Presently, towards dusk, a fire was made, first -outside the sacred precincts. The women all sat down on the grass round -about, but at some distance from the men, who were all seated on the -grass, except four and the musicians. The orchestra consisted of a drum -made by stretching a piece of hide over a bowl, also a sort of wind -instrument formed of the thigh-bone of a guanaco, with holes bored in -it, which is placed to the mouth and played, or with a short bow having -a horsehair string. When all was ready, some of the old hags all the -time singing in their melodious way, the band struck up, and four -Indians, muffled up in blankets, so that their eyes only were visible, -and their heads adorned with ostrich plumes, marched into the ring, and -commenced pacing slowly round the fire, keeping time to the music. After -two or three promenades, the time gradually quickened, until they went -at a sort of trot; and about the fifth round, dancing fast to the music, -they threw away their mantles, and exhibited themselves adorned with -white paint daubed all over their bodies, and each having a girdle of -bells extending from the shoulder to the hip, which jingled in tune to -their steps. The first four consisted of the chiefs Casimiro, Orkeke, -Crimè, and Camillo, who, after dancing with great action (just avoiding -stepping into the fire), and bowing their plumed heads grotesquely on -either side to the beats of the drum, retired for a short time to rest -themselves, after which they appeared again and danced a different -step. When that was over four more appeared, and so on, until everyone, -including the boys, had had a fling. Sometimes, to give greater effect, -the performers carried a bunch of rushes in one hand. About 9 P.M., -everybody having had enough, Casimiro gave the sign. The band stopped -playing, and all retired to bed. The dancing was not ungraceful, but was -rendered grotesque by the absurd motions of the head. It was strictly -confined to the men, the women being only allowed to look on. - -On the second day's march from the scene of my first Indian ball we -crossed a rocky ridge abounding with a description of vesicular lava; -the ridge ran out from the southern limits of the valley and terminated -in precipitous cliffs, round the base of which wound the river. The -surface of the ridge was fissured in many places with deep chasms like -Alpine crevasses, on the brink of one of which my horse stopped just in -time to escape a fall. The caravan had gone a more circuitous route to -take advantage of the lowest and easiest crest. On the other side of the -ridge the valley suddenly spread out to the extent of several miles, and -on the western horizon a line of snowy peaks was visible, their summits -capped with clouds: this was our first view of the Cordillera. The low -ground was cut up by streams and small lakelets of water, formed by the -overflow of a small fork of the river, which glistening in the afternoon -sunshine presented a beautiful silvery appearance, very refreshing -to the eye wearied with alternate gazing on withered grass and black -volcanic rocks. However beautiful to look at, this scene would clearly -prove difficult travelling, so a halt was called, and our course debated -on; ultimately it was resolved to cross the river and encamp on the -northern bank, where the ground was higher and free from floods, so -loads were carefully adjusted, and children transferred to the arms -of the men, to give the women more freedom of action; baggage-horses -were also taken in tow by the young men, and Casimiro and another -volunteering to lead the van and act as pilots, we proceeded to make our -way to the river-bank, which rose by a gradual elevation from the lower -inundated plain. After much floundering about in water-holes, and -various spills, which caused great merriment, especially when Mrs. -Orkeke and all her gear came down by the run, an iron kettle of which -she was very proud clattering down so as to frighten several of the -horses into what threatened to become a general stampede, the bank -was safely reached; the river was swollen high, and its rapid current -running six or seven miles an hour, was bringing down huge sharp-edged -masses of ice. It seemed almost impossible for the women and baggage -animals to cross. However, Orkeke, taking a long pole to sound with, led -the way, and by watching their opportunity to dodge the floating ice, -which cut the horses' and riders' legs cruelly, all got safely over. A -wilder scene could hardly be imagined--dogs howling on the bank fearing -to pass, women singing out to their various friends and relations, and -here and there an adventurous Indian, who scorned to go by the ford -with the rest, disappearing for a second in the river, horse and all, -but ultimately emerging some distance down the stream. The water was -bitterly cold, as may be imagined, and the piercing wind benumbed our -dripping bodies; so on arriving at the north bank, where there were some -small sandy hillocks, we kindled a large fire, and had a warm and a -smoke whilst the women were employed pitching the toldos. It had been -decided to remain here some days and then proceed to the vicinity of the -Cordillera for the purpose of catching wild horses. But, as will be -seen shortly, 'l'homme propose et Dieu dispose.' Looking up towards the -Cordillera from our encampment, the valley appeared to expand a few -miles up into one immense plain, and the Indians informed me that before -reaching the mountains there is a great drop or basin where the wild -horses are found. This was probably, at the period of our visit, a vast -sheet of water from the melting snows. Lake Viedma lies some miles to -the southward from the head of the valley, and I should be inclined to -think that the course of the Rio Chico, which undoubtedly flows from it, -would be found to come from the south to north, and bend easterly at the -head of the valley, where it unites the numerous streams as described by -Viedma in his journey in 1580. I am also inclined to think that Viedma -being taken twice across the Rio Chico mistook the river at the second -crossing for another, which he has marked as the Chalia, a name, by the -way, unknown to the Indians, save as applied to an unsavoury parasite -only too common among them. The following morning, September 2, we were -sitting quietly round the fire discussing a breakfast of boiled ostrich -prepared by the lady of the house, when suddenly the clash of knives was -heard, and we saw two Indians, destitute of mantles, with naked swords -in their hands, run across from Camillo's to Crimè's toldo. In a minute -everything was in an uproar; arms were produced, guns and revolvers -loaded, and some of the Indians equipped themselves in coats of mail, -and others, with the assistance of the women, padded themselves about -the chest and upper part of the body with thick blankets and corconillas -or saddle-cloths. Knowing what was about to happen, the women, and with -them all the Chilian deserters except one, beat a retreat to a safe -distance from the toldos. Having assumed my arms, and feeling thoroughly -mystified as to the real cause of this excitement, I went to Camillo's -toldo, where the scene explained itself. He was lying on his bed dead, -with a frightful gash in his side, having been murdered by Cuastro, one -of the Indians whom we had seen running to Crimè's tents. On issuing -from the toldo Casimiro met me, and asked for a revolver, as he had no -firearms, and I lent him one accordingly. The Indians showed by their -changed countenances all the fury of fight; their very complexions -seemed ghastly, and their eyes glared and rolled, seeming to see blood. -The two opposing parties, the Southern Indians--friends of Crimè, who -was a cousin of Cuastro--and Orkeke's and Casimiro's people or the -Northern party, were soon ranged in open line at some twenty yards -distance from each other. Cuastro was conspicuous by his tunic or 'buff -coat' of hide studded with silver, while his only weapon was a single -sword or rapier. The fight commenced with an irregular discharge of guns -and revolvers, which lasted a few minutes, till some of the Northern or -Orkeke's Indians, led by Casimiro, closed up, and a hand to hand contest -with swords and lances took place, resulting in the death of Cuastro and -the severe wounding of two or three Southern Indians. The Northerns then -drew off to reload, and were about to renew the action, when Tankelow -proposed a truce, which was accepted on the understanding that both -parties were to march at once in the same direction. The women and -children were then recalled from the bushes whither they had retired, -the horses brought up, and the dead buried. The Tehuelches' lance is -entirely different to that of the Araucanos or Pampas, and is only used -when fighting on foot; it consists of a heavy shaft eighteen feet in -length, at the extremity of which a blade is fixed about eighteen inches -long, constituting a most formidable weapon in the hands of an expert -Indian. Cayuke, whom I have before mentioned, in this fight was armed -with the lance, and ran Cuastro through the body, although protected by -his mail and endeavouring to parry the point with a sword. This Cuastro -was a brave man; when dying, with several bullets in his body, and -several lance thrusts, he sprang up to his full height and called out, -'I die as I have lived--no cacique orders me;' his wife then rushed up -to him crying and sobbing, but he fell down dead at the same moment. -Casimiro had a narrow escape; he parried a blow of a sword with what may -be termed the slack part of his mantle, but if the blow had caught him -on the head, as intended, it would have ended his career then and there. -The casualties were a wound in Crimè's leg, and a lance thrust clean -through the thigh of Hummums, a young Indian, who seemed to care very -little about it. The fight originated out of a vendetta between Cuastro -and Camillo, the latter having some years before caused the death of -a member of the family of the former, who had on a previous occasion -endeavoured to avenge it on Camillo, and he had only attached himself -to our party, in company with Crimè, in order to obtain an opportunity -of assassinating Camillo. This Cuastro had been suspected on good -grounds of making away with Mendoza, the Argentine sent from Buenos -Ayres in company with Casimiro, and who mysteriously disappeared; and he -had certainly, when under the influence of rum, at Santa Cruz, murdered -his own wife Juana, a daughter of Casimiro, so that brave as he was he -had richly deserved the fate he met with. - -After the obsequies of the dead had been hurriedly performed--a -description of which is reserved for another place--the tents were -struck, and all marched off, the men remaining armed, and each party -travelling separately. Cayuke was sent back some miles to ascertain -if there were any signs of the other Southern Indians, who were half -expected to overtake us; but he returned some hours later with no -intelligence. We marched a few miles up the valley, rather coasting the -northern hills, and encamped by a most beautiful circular spring, the -water bubbling up through pure white sand and forming a tiny brook, -while little fishes darted across in the basin. The Indians still -remained with arms ready to hand--were very silent and ate nothing. -Several of the Northerns came into our toldo towards evening, and -remained a long time conversing by the embers of the fire, and ever -and anon one of the widows of the deceased would break out into a wail -of lamentation, sobbing in the most dismal and melancholy manner, the -lament at times being taken up by some of the older hags. - -On the following day Crimè sent for me to dress his leg, imagining, of -course, that I understood surgery; so I washed the wound and bandaged it -with cold water bandages, which appeared to be successful, as in a few -days it inconvenienced him but little. Thence proceeding to Casimiro's -toldo--the smallest I ever saw--I got him to cover my saddle with a -guanaco skin I had obtained on the road. The children appeared to be the -only members of the party unaffected by the prevailing gloom. They had -found a snow-bank in a nook, and amused themselves sliding down it on a -bit of wood _à la Russe_. This evening things looked very black again. -A consultation was held in Orkeke's toldo, and although it was carried -on in a low tone, and I was little conversant with the Tehuelche tongue, -I heard my name frequently mentioned in connection with a revolver, and -also the Chilians. I was much puzzled at what was going on, but as Mrs. -Orkeke brought me some supper in the most gracious and smiling manner, -did not trouble myself more than to overhaul my arms quietly, and see -they were ready for use. I subsequently found out that a plot had been -set on foot amongst the Chilians to rise, rob, and murder the Indians, -and escape with the horses. Some, however, my informant among the -number, refused to join. The Indians, who are naturally quick-sighted, -had conceived a suspicion that all was not right, and were debating -whether it would not be better to kill the Chilians at once, before they -became more troublesome; but Casimiro prevailed on them to let them -remain until they did something to necessitate their destruction; and -so they escaped for the present. - -September 5th, at an early hour, we were awoke by Orkeke's marching -harangue; and after coasting the hills bordering the valley for a few -miles, bade adieu to the valley of the Rio Chico, and struck into a -gorge of the northern hills, leading into an uneven valley lying between -low irregular hills of decomposed lava, which we followed, passing -several small lagoons in the lower hollows, around which there was -invariably a yellow description of clay. The hills were everywhere -covered with scrub, and presented a wild, bleak appearance, the grey -rocks only appearing now and then. After some hours' travelling through -this dismal district in a north-west course, we emerged on a large -plain at the western side, bounded by a range of hills 1,000 feet -high, forming a spur of the Cordillera. The weather was stormy, and we -could only catch occasional glimpses, through the driving clouds and -snow-storms, of the loftier peaks of the more distant mountains. Our -expedition in search of wild horses was, of course, after the recent -troubles, abandoned; and forced marches, to escape the Southern Indians, -in the event of their following from Santa Cruz, were the order of -the day. Hunting, however, was resumed by the unwounded, and several -ostriches were caught during the day. Towards evening the encampment was -fixed near a lagoon, the environs of which were barren, and destitute of -anything except a small low shrub which served for firewood. Although -the wind was northerly, it was bitterly cold; and as I had for some days -past adopted the native costume--keeping my 'store clothes' stowed away -under charge of Mrs. Orkeke--I felt it exceedingly. The 6th, 7th, and -8th of September were occupied in making forced marches northward, -accompanied by the usual hunting; and although both parties continued -armed, and appeared to be rather suspicious of each other, things went -on pretty smoothly. The country traversed on the 6th and 7th was a -large arid plain, dotted with a few stunted shrubs, enclosed by the -before-mentioned spur of the Cordillera on the western side, and on the -east by a low range of sandy-looking hills. The whole of this plain was -strewn with small pebbles of porphyry, quartz, silica, and obsidian; -also with small pieces of silicified wood. On the 8th we crossed the -spur by a pass walled on either hand with rocks of vesicular lava. Here -we halted for a quarter of an hour, and everyone broke off pieces of -stone suitable for making hand-balls for bolas. The descent on the -western side was no easy matter, the declivity being strewn with large -masses of rock and loose boulders, and the wind blowing bitterly cold, -and with such force that some of the women's horses could hardly face -it. Ultimately all managed to reach a spacious elevated pampa, on the -western side of which, some fifteen leagues off, rose the Cordillera of -the Andes. In the pass I observed several large pieces of obsidian, -so clear and peculiarly round-shaped that I at first imagined that a -demijohn had been carried thither by some previous party and broken. Of -this the women gathered some pieces, to serve as scrapers for cleaning -guanaco skins. We traversed the usual barren high pampa--interspersed -with low shrubs, coarse grass, and here and there an incense bush of -considerable size, which afforded a moment's shelter from the cutting -wind--for some distance, till we at length reached a cliff, below which -lay a grassy plain, watered by a small, rapid stream. About thirty miles -in the background were visible the lofty mountains of the Cordillera. -The inviting appearance of the pasture determined us to remain for a -couple of days to rest the horses, after the unusually long marches of -the preceding days. The following day was occupied chiefly in making -hand-balls for bolas from the soft porous stone obtained in the rocky -pass. Towards noon a frightful gale of wind sprang up, which blew down -most of the toldos; but ours, thanks to the strength of arm of Mrs. -Orkeke, who had securely fixed the poles, remained firm, only one or -two of the poles being broken. The river, here flowing in an eastward -direction, was the first stream met with since leaving the valley of -the Rio Chico. In the descent to it, the bench formation, although -recognisable, was not so much marked as in many of the other rivers. -After two days' rest, we resumed our journey; and having traversed the -grassy valley for, perhaps, a mile, ascended a slight ridge to a higher -plain of the usual sterile nature, in which the first ostrich eggs met -with were found. Our course was directed nearly north-west, to a range -of hills 800 feet in height; on their summit was a plateau strewn with -large stones and rocks. - -We formed another hunt, in which numerous ostriches and several pumas -were killed. From the western side of the plateau we overlooked a large -plain, extending to the immediate vicinity of the mountains, but near -the side of which there appeared to be a cutting or steep descent, just -like a railway embankment. As it had been announced in the cacique's -address that we were to encamp near a spring on the eastern side, and I -had killed an ostrich, which, after giving a sharp run of half a mile, -had been turned by the cavalcade of women, I proceeded in company with -Casimiro and another to have some dinner. We accordingly selected a -bush, cooked, and ate our bird, and at the conclusion of our meal -mounted and proceeded to where we expected to find the encampment. -But, arriving at the spot, we found nobody, and looking over the plain -caught a glimpse of a belated woman just vanishing down the cutting -above mentioned. We accordingly followed, and an hour's gallop brought -us up with the remainder. The sun had set, but the light of a young moon -enabled us to make our way to the second bench. I may say the formation -altogether much resembled that of the river Cuheyli; but the river which -flowed in this valley was of small size, although, as we found, the -banks were boggy and almost impracticable. The moon had by this time -set, and after a considerable deal of confusion in the dark, all got -across, and night being far advanced encamped about a mile to the -northward. When daylight enabled us to examine the locality, we found -ourselves in a valley, walled in by lofty abrupt cliffs on both sides, -while a stream--bordered by marshes, containing numerous snipe and -teal--flowed swiftly down the centre of the glen. To the north the -valley appeared to bend westwards, so having nothing to do, I strolled -up to the turn and found that the high cliffs ceased, and were replaced -by the ordinary steep barrancas, covered from the top to the bottom with -incense bushes. The valley nowhere exceeded a mile in width, and the -gloom and oppressive effect of the prison-like walls of cliff rendered -it by no means a desirable place of abode, but the pasture skirting the -marsh was green and luxuriantly tender. While I was endeavouring to -secure some ducks and teal with the bolas, two of the Chilians came up -searching for firewood. They bitterly bewailed their lot in having -to work and slave for a parcel of savages, but finally forgot their -grievances in a slumber under a bush. Not caring to be supposed to have -been in their company, I returned to the camp, and examined the rocks, -which were different to those previously observed, showing in many -places granite, with schistose veins, and what appeared to be a species -of grey marble. A stay was made in this place of some four days, and -would have been longer, but that on the third day some of the party, -chiefly boys, who had strolled away a short distance, balling small -birds, came in with the news that Indians were coming from the south. A -scout was immediately sent out, horses brought up, and arms got ready. -Casimiro came to me for a supply of cartridges for the revolver, saying, -'Now we shall have to fight; for if those Southern Indians beat us, -they will spare neither man, woman, nor child.' This was cheering news, -seeing that the odds were likely to be about ten to one against our -side. However, just as we were mounting, the scout returned with the -news that he had found no traces of Indians; the supposed enemy being -only a troop of guanaco coming down to water. Cayuke, on its being -ascertained that there was really no danger, had one of his horses -killed as a thank offering; the meat of course being distributed for -food amongst his friends. There is in this place, which is called by the -Indians 'Amakaken,' a large spherical boulder of marble, which it is -the custom of the Indians to try their strength by lifting. Casimiro -informed me that this stone had been there for many years, and the -custom was very old. It was so large and heavy that I was just able to -grasp it with both arms, and raise it to the level of my knees, but -some of the Indians managed to lift it to their shoulders. The night -subsequent to the false alarm, snow fell heavily, notwithstanding which -on the following day the Indians, who did not appear to feel secure, -marched again in a northerly direction. Before quitting this valley, I -was fortunate enough to find an ostrich nest with four eggs in it, -which we devoured later on, cooked in the ashes by the simple method -of placing the egg upright, with a hole broken in the upper surface, -through which a piece of stick is inserted to stir round the yolk and -white, a little salt being thrown in, and the egg turned to ensure all -sides being equally done; the result being an omelette in the shell of -most appetising flavour, but a novice in this cookery is apt to burn his -fingers in turning the egg. Towards night we entered a dark and gloomy -gorge, winding amongst fantastic and confused cliffs and peaked hills, -thrown together in utterly chaotic confusion, which appeared to form a -barrier east and west. But it was impossible accurately to distinguish -the line, so inextricably were the heights jumbled together. My powers -of description are utterly inadequate to convey the idea of the -formless irregularity of this region of rocky hills. - -At a late hour we encamped in a glen, or corrie, apparently without -a second outlet, and walled in by frowning cliffs, down the midst of -which a torrent foamed in a rocky channel. All the next day our march -continued through a barren desert of rocks, frequently intersected by -deep ravines with precipitous cliffs, the faces of which in many places -displayed beds of red and yellow ochre, visible at a great distance. -From some of these the women, after a scramble, replenished their -supplies of paint. The whole face of this district was torn and tossed, -as if by tremendous explosive force; and, except in some deep-lying clay -bottoms, where an occasional shallow lagoon was to be met with, the -track was waterless; snow lay on the heights and in some places on the -ground traversed by our march, in the course of which a number of the -large ibises, called in Chili bandurria (Theristicus melanopis), were -seen. The nature of the country rendered hunting laborious and useless. -Tankelow, however, found an ostrich and nest, the eggs from which, about -thirty in number, he, according to Indian custom, divided among those -who came up before they were removed from the nest; among these lucky -individuals was myself; for, seeing him make to the spot, and the male -bird get up, and being, moreover, well mounted and exceedingly hungry, -I was among the first arrivals. Far away to the right of our track, -extending thirty or forty miles eastwards, lies a district called by the -Indians 'The Devil's Country,' which, they assured me, is never entered, -probably from the barren and impracticable nature of the surface, which -seems, from description, to be even worse than the wilderness traversed -by us. Beyond this district there is a practicable track, sometimes -followed by the Indians, leading northward, probably used as a route to -the Chupat; but from that line to the sea the country is so impassable -that the Indians say it would require two years to proceed by the -sea-coast from Santa Cruz to the Rio Negro. The existence of such tracks -as these, and the desolate Travisias encountered near the coast, have -probably caused Patagonia to be described as an arid, almost waterless -country; but, in reality, after passing the coast barrier most of the -interior abounds in lagoons, springs, and frequent streams; and, even -in the Travisias, the numerous wild animals met with show that water -exists. - -Towards evening we left the snow behind us; and descending a lofty hill, -which had bounded our view all day, came to a large swelling down, from -which the prospect was far more encouraging. Rolling plains extended to -the north and north-east, whilst the Cordillera rose like a wall on the -western side. This hill is called by the Indians 'God's Hill;' and the -tradition, as communicated by Casimiro, relates that from this spot the -Great Spirit dispersed the animals which he had made in the caverns. -But some of the animals must have remained behind, as, out on the lower -slope of the downs, two pumas were chased and killed. An hour's ride -over a sandy plain brought us to a valley with a stream flowing through -beautifully green pasture. This was the spot chosen for our encamping, -and some of the women were already busy planting the poles that form the -skeleton of the toldos; so, turning my horse adrift, I started down to -the stream, and, after the luxury of a bath, lay down and smoked until -the toldos were thoroughly arranged. The following day a short march was -made, in a north-west direction, to a valley containing better pasture; -here it was intended to give the horses much-needed repose. Meanwhile, -however, meat fell short, so a circle was organised; my horse was too -tired; but Orkeke, seeing me standing unprepared, said, 'Ask Ako (his -pet dog, and adopted child, and in virtue of his office the owner of -several horses) to lend you a horse.' As Ako had no objection I was soon -mounted, and started for the chase in high spirits. On our previous -journey we had remarked numerous tracks of what appeared to be ostrich -near the ground where our present circle was to be formed (viz., in -the direction of the Cordillera), and all expected to find plenty of -game. The circle was formed, myself going as one pointsman; and, after -arriving at the point, I watched anxiously for some time, but the only -animal that appeared was a male guanaco, which, as he did not see -me crouched behind an incense-bush, until he came within shot, I -successfully balled and killed. After waiting a little longer, and the -Indians being moderately near at hand, I changed my position a few -hundred yards, to a more likely spot; but no animals appeared, so I -proceeded in search of Orkeke, whom I shortly discovered smoking on the -top of a small eminence. After the pipe had been passed in silence, I -asked him what he had killed. 'Nothing,' was the answer; 'let's wait -and see; perhaps some other Indian has an ostrich.' A careful survey, -however, failed to discover anyone so lucky, although several had killed -guanaco. So we retired to where my dead guanaco lay uncovered: at our -approach two or three condors rose heavily up; and shortly about twenty -or thirty more spread their huge wings, sailed away, and perched on a -neighbouring rock. As for the guanaco, in the short half hour of my -absence it had been literally torn to pieces; so, after extracting and -eating the marrow-bones, we returned to camp, on our way capturing two -armadillos. During the past day or two the temperature had considerably -risen, the wind, though westerly, was mild and genial, and the Indians -affirmed that farther north it would be so warm that I should require -some covering for the head. We found on our return that Arica during our -absence had gone off somewhere on foot. As he had that morning asked and -obtained some tobacco from me, it seemed probable that he had determined -to attempt to make his way alone to reach civilisation at some point or -other. During our stay in this valley Casimiro requested me to write a -letter for him to the commandante at the Rio Negro, inquiring whether -the Argentine Government still allowed him his ration and pay as -lieut.-colonel in their service. I also wrote some letters to my -friends, but without much hope of their being 'mailed;' though Casimiro -assured me that when we joined the Northern Indians they would forward -them to the Araucanos, whence they _might_ go on by the people who went -to Rio Negro to fetch the chief's allowance of cattle; remote, however, -as were all these contingencies, still it was a pleasure to write. We -quitted the valley after three days' rest, during which Arica had not -appeared, and he was concluded either to have fallen a prey to a puma, -or to have gone off on his own account. We journeyed all day over -a rough hilly country, encumbered with large stones and occasional -patches of scrub of considerable height; ostriches abounded, and large -quantities of eggs were found. During a long march of about thirty miles -no water was seen until we reached the camp at sunset, situated in a -cañon; but along the route an occasional patch of snow sufficed to -quench our thirst. As I rode along in company with an Indian, named -'Tchang,' he began asking me questions: first, 'Who is cacique of the -English?' I explained to him that it was Her Gracious Majesty. 'Is she -married?' 'She is a widow.' 'Has she any children, and how many? Has she -lots of horses and mares and silver ornaments?' And so on, until I had -satisfied him; after which he rode along, repeating, 'A woman cacique! -A woman cacique! Four sons and five daughters! Lots of horses, mares, -sheep, and cattle! 'On the 22nd of September we left the encampment in -the cañon about sunrise, and, mounting the ridge on the north side, -halted close to the grave of an Indian; the broad and high cairn -of stones erected over it denoting him to have been a cacique of -importance, which fact was communicated to me in a low whisper by Wáki. -Here a fire was made, and a few stones added to the pile. Whilst the -Indians were warming themselves the sun rose, and the view of the -Cordillera, seen through the clear atmosphere, with the sun's first -rays illuminating the snowy mountain summits with a roseate flush, -was magnificent. We pursued our route over sandy plains, crossed at -intervals by shallow streams of water, and halted near some lagoons in -a place called by the Indians 'Kinck.' - -The following day we marched again, hunting as usual on the way. A fat -ostrich at this time of the year was a rarity, but eggs abounded, and -formed the main staple of food; and the armadillos were also getting -into condition, and assisted to furnish a repast at the camp fire. On -the 27th we arrived at a place named 'Gelgel,' situated on the banks of -a rapid river, probably that debouching at Port Desire. This was the -point of divergence from the northern route to Patagones for any party -proceeding to hunt in the western plains. During our stay in Gelgel we -hunted in the surrounding country, and on several occasions observed -columns of smoke to the south, as if made by a party approaching. These -at last appeared nearer, and as no distinct answer was made to our -signal fires, scouts were sent out, but returned with no information, -one, however, asserting that he had found the tracks of many horses, -but his known character as an incorrigible liar made his statement -valueless. Still everybody became at last convinced that the Northern -Indians were at war with the Araucanos, and consequently preparations to -fight were commenced. After a watchful night, all fires out, and silence -strictly observed, all armed, and mounting their best horses, sallied -out. After a while the cause of the whole disturbance turned out to be -Arica, who had wandered for eleven days on foot, following our track, -subsisting on birds' eggs, and narrowly escaping the pumas, though he -had been more than once attacked by them in broad daylight, and had -killed one with his knife, his story being vouched for by the boots he -had contrived to manufacture out of his deceased enemy's skin. He looked -worn and haggard, his feet were sore, and he told me that another night -would have finished him. The Indians, who--owing to his desertion and -subsequent pursuit of us--had been kept on the alert all night, without -fire, and prohibited from conversing, were naturally indignant, and -wanted to kill him. But Casimiro and Orkeke interceded for him, and -he was brought back to the toldos behind another horseman. Casimiro, -_apropos_ of these signal fires, related to me a curious story, as -follows:--'Many years ago, when I was quite young, I was travelling -a few leagues to the northward, under my mother's charge. The party -encamped near a large lagoon not far from the Sengel river, and were -occupied in hunting in the neighbourhood. On several days in succession -smoke was observed in different directions, which approached nearer and -nearer each time. Being naturally supposed to be caused by the Indians, -it was answered, and scouts were at last sent to ascertain the cause, as -no messengers appeared. They returned, however, stating that they could -discover nothing. At the end of four days an Indian, tall, gaunt, and -emaciated, mounted on a very thin _mule_, arrived in the camp, and -asked for a chief whose name was unknown. The stranger was taken, as is -customary, to the chief's toldo, and his mule turned loose; but, strange -to say, it never moved from the spot where it was unsaddled, and the -Indian during the time he remained in the toldo neither ate nor drank. -At the end of three days he mounted his mule, which appeared as fresh as -when he arrived, and rode away to the northward. On the following day, -whilst hunting, a sickness struck the Indians--some falling dead from -their horses, while others, though able to return home, only survived a -short time. As is usual when disease breaks out, the toldos were removed -to some distance from each other, to escape infection, but many men, -women, and children died.' Of the fact that a plague or sickness did -cause the deaths of many Indians within a few days at some encampment -in these plains, I received further and reliable confirmation, my -informant, who was in the party, stating that the Pampa tribe was -decimated. - -In the cliffs above the river on the eastern side of our encampment I -observed many balls of sandstone of various sizes. On breaking one in -two, a piece of what seemed to be ironstone formed a nucleus, around -which layers of sand appeared to have been aggregated. By what process -these balls could have been formed was to me a mystery; but they proved -very handy for bolas, only requiring to be slightly reduced in size. -Hunting to the westward from the encampment, we came across several -muddy, or rather clayey bogs, into one of which, when in full pursuit -of an ostrich, I rode, and my horse sank deep, throwing his rider a -complete summersault; and with much ado I first picked up myself, and -then with greater difficulty extricated my horse from the tenacious -morass. - -After Arica's return, the Chilians manifested a restless spirit, and -frequently asked me the direction of the Chupat settlement. I replied -that it lay about 150 leagues to the E.N.E. from this point, as far as -I could judge; but that it would be better for them to remain with the -Indians, and do the women's work of providing wood and water, &c., than -to start off into a wild and dreary pampa, where they would inevitably -starve without a knowledge of the route or guides. - -During our stay here I nearly fell a victim to a matrimonial -entanglement. A fair young Indian, whose hair cut across the forehead -denoted widowhood, moreover having several mares and considerable -possessions, to whom I had perhaps paid some slight attention, proposed -that I should set up toldo with her. This was quite out of my programme -of the journey, but inasmuch as the alliance might prove useful, as -well as agreeable, and feeling lonely in the absence of any particular -friend, I half agreed; so a go-between was despatched to arrange the -dowry, and it was settled that I should give a revolver in exchange -for two horses to be provided by the fair one's friends. However, the -evening before the happy day on which we were to have been united, the -alarm came, and as she belonged to the Southern Indians, I thought -better of giving up my arms; so I assigned as a reason for withdrawing -from the bargain, that I did not wish to leave my friend Orkeke's toldo. -I have no doubt that her people, desiring the help of my firearms, had -suggested the match to secure me to support their side. The lady at -first was rather disgusted, but soon got over it, and we remained on -our former friendly terms. - -In this encampment two disagreements occurred between Indians and their -wives, which were the only matrimonial squabbles that came under my -notice during my wanderings in their company. One occurred between -Tankelow and his spouse in our toldo. It began by Tankelow's striking -his daughter, which his wife angrily resented; from words they came to -blows, and the squaw was getting rather the best of it, when Mrs. -Orkeke interposed with a strong arm, and forcibly put a stop to the -disturbance. - -The following day Tankelow drove his horses off separately, but towards -evening a reconciliation was effected. On the 3rd of October we left -Gelgel-aik and marched west in the face of a bitterly cold wind. In the -hunt not less than seven pumas were killed, which were, as usual at this -time, very fat, and were duly boiled in the iron pots, furnishing an -excellent supper, the meat closely resembling boiled pork. During the -day seven of the Chilians were missed, and on our arrival at the toldos, -it transpired that they had determined to try and find their own way -to the Chupat settlement; and as they had left in an underhand manner, -which the Indians look upon as tantamount to a declaration of war, some -of the people wished to pursue and kill them, but this proposition was -overruled by Orkeke and Casimiro. The encampment was sheltered by a hill -named 'Téle,' close to a large lagoon, covered with waterfowl, into -which flowed a beautiful spring issuing from the hill; along the margin -of the clear pure water grew a profusion of a sort of green cress, -and at sunset flights of flamingoes (Phoenicopterus tgnipallo) and -rose-coloured spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) came to the lagoon to feed. -One day's hunting was done in the surrounding plain, which to the west -presents several of the remarkable drops or basin-like formations -described by Darwin as existing on the eastern side of the Cordillera. -On October 5th we broke up the camp and marched in a northerly -direction, until a stream of considerable size was arrived at; this -some of us crossed at once, although it was deep and the banks rotten -and unsound. The women and remainder of the party diverged to a ford, -old Orkeke sending one of the Chilians to take care that his little dog -(on whom he lavished his paternal affections) did not get wet. In half -an hour's time the whole party--Ako included--had crossed in safety, and -the camp was pitched on a peninsula between this river and another which -joined it lower down. The united streams may or may not form a tributary -of the Chupat, as the Indians disagreed on this point, some averring it -to be so, others stating that the river flowed into a large lagoon. The -weather had changed to drizzling rain, and the wet and sloppy state of -the toldos was very disagreeable. It did not, however, much affect our -clothing, as it is easy to dry a guanaco mantle by the fire, but care -must be taken only to expose the furred side to the heat, otherwise the -hide will become dried and apt to tear easily. Whilst in this encampment -lookouts were posted, and one came in stating that he had seen smoke in -a northerly direction. Consequently, on October 9, having rested our -jaded horses, which were rapidly improving in condition, from grazing on -the young green grass now springing abundantly in all the valleys, we -crossed a barren, clayey pampa, interspersed with bogs and marshes at -intervals, and on the 10th arrived at a small range of hills, running -east and west, under one of which the toldos were pitched, near to -another of those beautiful circular springs which frequently occur in -Patagonia; from the centre of the smooth white sand which formed the -bottom, the water bubbled up like liquid crystal, and silvery fishes -could be seen darting about in the circular basin. The Indians delight -in laving their hands and feet in the springs, and will sit there for -a long time admiring the beauty of these 'eyes of the desert.' As, on -our arrival, the women had not yet completed the domestic arrangements, -after throwing the spoils of the chase off our saddles, a party of us -ascended an adjacent hill to have a look round. The day was magnificent, -and the sun, just setting, bathed the whole country in a flood of red -tints. To the N.E. we observed three distinct columns of smoke which -the Indians averred to be caused by the five Chilian deserters, and -were very bitter against them, as they were supposed to have lost their -way, and to be desirous of returning again to the toldos. In this place -I found my compass would not act, owing, as I supposed, to having -been disabled; but as it subsequently behaved properly, its temporary -derangement must have been due to some local attraction. To the -northward, as well as I could guess the bearings, ran a long range of -hills, terminating in a peculiarly-peaked mountain, below which the -Indians pointed out the trees which fringed a river--according to their -statements, a tributary of the Chupat. To the west extended rolling -plains, which appeared to stretch away into the distance, interrupting -the chain of the Cordillera, as though there were a depression or break -in the mountains, no hills of large size being visible on the horizon. -Whilst lying down smoking on this hill, I picked up several pieces -of opal and cacholong combined, and as I was idly forming them into -different patterns on the ground, and had arranged a circle resembling -a miniature Indian grave, one of my companions observing what I was -doing, grew very angry and said, 'That will bring ill luck,' evidently -believing that I was mentally compassing the death of some one by -witchcraft. As I had no wish to be killed by way of prevention of any -imaginary spells, I quickly gathered up the specimens, many of which -were afterwards lost in the ensuing journey. The Indian name for this -place is Yaiken-Kaimak, signifying that it is the hill whence they espy -the signal smoke denoting the approach of the Indians from the north. - -We remained five days in this encampment, a general uneasiness -prevailing, and arms being kept ready to hand. In addition to the -usual hunting, under the orders of the cacique, we were engaged in -performing exercises on horseback; this mounted drill being intended as -a preparation in case we should find the northern Tehuelches at war with -the Araucanos or Manzaneros Indians. The plains to the westward abounded -with guanaco, some thousands being enclosed in the circle at one time. -One day that I had not accompanied the hunting party, I was strolling -across the camp, having volunteered to occupy the post of the vidette -on an adjacent hill, when I observed a guanaco, very tired, coming -towards me; so, hiding behind a bush, I waited till he unsuspiciously -approached, and then rushing out, balled him with a pair of ostrich -bolas. As he was so close to me, his forelegs were perfectly tied up, -and I had not much difficulty in despatching him with a blow on the -head from another set of bolas. By this time I had attained tolerable -dexterity in the use of the bolas, and it was my invariable custom when -not otherwise employed to stroll about and practise. Besides their -use, my practical training had enabled me soon to acquire the art of -manufacturing them, and our many idle hours were employed in plaiting -ostrich sinews, so that I contrived to fit up an extensive assortment, -some of which I used to barter for tobacco. The weather during our stay -here became worse, rain, sleet, and gales of wind prevailing; and the -toldos, from the continuous rain and the marshy nature of the ground, -became so wet and wretched as to be almost uninhabitable, so that we -marched on the 16th over a level pampa--smoke to the eastward being -observed and duly answered during the journey. We encamped at night on -the north side of a small rapid stream, in a place called 'Pelwecken,' -situated a league from the wooded river, the trees of which were visible -from the encampment. I here saw a new game played by the Indians which -resembled that known amongst schoolboys as 'knucklebones,' being played -with small stones in lieu of the bones, and heavy stakes were lost and -won on the chances. On Sunday, the 17th, the Indians started to hunt in -the vicinity of the wooded river, and Casimiro proposed that I should -accompany him to the woods to cut poles for the toldos, and timber -for working saddles. Orkeke, however, for some reason or another, -recommended me to stay quietly in the toldos; and, as advice is -sometimes almost the same as a command, I acquiesced, although longing -to enjoy a close view of a tree again after so much wandering over the -treeless pampas. As the day was warm and fine, I strolled down the river -in search of the eggs of the upland goose (Chloephaga magellanica), -yellow-billed goose (Cygnus coscoroba), and other water fowl, -and returned about 2 P.M. with plenty of spoil. The women were -superintending the cooking of some of these, when one of them rushed -into the toldo and cried out that the Indians were returning and a fight -had taken place. A glance at the coming horsemen was at once sufficient -to convince us that she was right. They came galloping back by twos and -threes, swords drawn, mantles hanging off their shoulders, and their -faces glowing with fury. They at once proceeded to get their guns and -revolvers to renew the fight. Orkeke, however, arrived and made a -long speech, and ultimately quiet was restored. One man--a brother -of Camillo--had been killed and left on the pampa. The sister of the -deceased was frantic at his death, and, arming herself with a knife, -attempted to avenge him; but she was soon stopped, disarmed and quieted. -The deceased was armed with a six-shooter, and his assailant had only a -sword; one shot missed him and the next barrel missed fire, whereupon he -closed and ran his adversary through the body. Casimiro returned shortly -after the remainder, and when he heard of the fight and the result, was -for some time eager to renew it and avenge the slain man, who was a -relation of his own, but at last yielded to Orkeke's arguments. The -following day the smoke to the east appeared pretty close, and, when we -had marched on a little, two young men were despatched in its direction -with private instructions from Orkeke, and we proceeded to the wooded -river, where we luxuriated for a short time under the shade of a -description of birch tree and then forded the stream, which is of -considerable width and very rapid. The Indians declared that it was -impossible for any man to swim across the river in the deeper portion -below the ford, on account of some ferocious beasts which they termed -water tigers--'Tigres de l'agua'--which would certainly attack and -devour anyone in the water. They described them as yellow quadrupeds, -larger than puma. It is certain that two ostriches which, being too poor -for use, had been left on the bank, were found by us next day in the -shallow water, torn and half devoured, and the tracks of an animal -resembling those of a large puma were plainly visible leading down to -the water; but a puma invariably drags its prey to a bush; and, though -jaguar will take the water readily, I have never known one devour its -prey except on land, nor, as far as I know, are they found so far -south. The animal may be a species of the large brown otter with -orange-coloured fur on the breast, found in the Parana; but the Indians' -account is curious as bearing on the name of the lake--'Nahuel Huapi,' -or Tigers' Island. It is possible that the aguarra found in the valley -of the Rio Negro may also haunt these districts. They further told me -that stags had been seen on the banks of the river, but none were heard -of during our stay in the neighbourhood. A few miles below the ford the -belt of trees ceases, and on the southern side there is a peculiar group -of what seem to be square-shaped rocks, which at a distance have very -much the appearance of a small town regularly built and walled. This -is called by the Indians 'Sengel,' and was the scene of a great fight -between the Tehuelches and Araucanos many years ago, relics of which in -the shape of bones and skulls still whiten the plain. After crossing the -river, the young men who had been sent back returned, bringing with them -three horses belonging to the Chilians and one man of their party, who, -incredible as it seems, had assisted the Indians to dismount and disable -his companions. The particulars of the fate of the others were not -divulged, though a story was current that some of them had managed to -reach the Chupat. I asked no questions, but the blood-stained knife of -one of the young men told its own story. This day all the Indians rode -on in silence, the last two days' events having roused all their bad -passions. I rode alone, feeling that there was danger in the air, and -near our halting place joined Orkeke and two others at a fireside -for the purpose of cooking some ostrich eggs, which we were busily -discussing when a messenger came to say that Casimiro was waiting to see -me at a spot which he indicated. I mounted and rode off accordingly, but -had not gone far before the two bravos who had been commissioned to do -for the Chilians galloped up, one from either side, one brandishing his -sword and the other swinging his bolas. I at once put spurs to my horse, -and my mantle flying back discovered two revolvers belted round my waist -underneath it. They checked their career and sang out, 'Stop! Where are -you going?' But, without making any reply, I galloped on, being not -further interfered with, and soon joined my old friend. He then informed -me that, being utterly disgusted with the late proceedings and general -anarchy, he had determined to push forward by himself to meet the -Northern Indians, leaving his wife and children under the charge of -Cayuke. He therefore wanted the letters which I had written for him, -and my own, which he undertook to forward at the same time. So I rode -back to the toldos for the letters, which I carried to Casimiro without -anyone attempting to stop my way. - -Having returned to the fire under the bush, I dismounted, and whilst -cooking another egg, gave Orkeke a piece of my mind; quietly hinting -that I carried ten lives about me. He assured me it was all a mistake, -and had happened without any orders from him, the young fellows only -wishing to try my mettle by way of joke. I replied that jokes of that -sort were sometimes dangerous, and the subject was mutually dropped. - -We encamped by the side of a stream, into which many of us soon plunged -to take a refreshing bath, always a favourite enjoyment with the -Tehuelches, who are powerful swimmers, and dive well. While resting -here and sporting in the water a better state of feeling arose, and the -mutual suspicion and discord which had so long prevailed was gradually -forgotten. Casimiro had left, taking one of the Chilians; and his spouse -told me, amid a torrent of abuse of her better half, that he had gone -through fear, the other Indians having determined to kill him; and she -added that he had the heart of a skunk, a vulture, and an armadillo. -These combined would make a very nice mixture. That he was right in -making his escape at this particular juncture was very evident, for -the next day two young men were sent out, ostensibly as chasquis or -messengers, to look for the Northern Indians, but in reality to try and -overtake Casimiro and dispose of him; however, they returned without any -tidings of the wily old chief. - -In the range of hills described as visible from Kaimak, there is a mine -or vein of iron ore, about a mile due west from the brook, and marked -by a large mass of white quartz. This is used by the Indians in the -manufacture of bolas, and an excursion was made to it. We brought -back numerous pieces, some of which, now in my possession, have been -examined, and pronounced to be brown and magnetic iron ore. The Indians -also told me that some leagues to the east of this spot a mass of iron, -having, as well as could be gathered from their account, the shape of a -bar-shot, lies in the middle of a barren plain, and is regarded by -them with superstitious awe. Whether this be an aërolite, or has any -connection with the ore on the hill side, it was not in my power to -determine, for in the critical state of feeling then prevalent a visit -of inspection was impracticable. - -On the 22nd of October we marched a few miles, always following the -line of hills, and in a northerly course. Ostrich eggs still formed the -main staple of food, and furnished a diet sufficiently nutritious, but -producing all the effects of a course of 'Banting.' Fortunately this -day two of us killed fat pumas, some steaks off which broiled, by way -of variety, were an acceptable addition to the evening meal; but from -experience I should advise all travellers to boil their puma. We -encamped in a small gorge in the hills, directly under a peculiarly -pointed rock, which is called Yowlel, or Ship Rock, from its resemblance -to a ship under sail, and is regarded with superstition by the Indians, -who believe that all who endeavour to ascend it in the calmest weather -will, on arriving at the summit, have their mantles blown to pieces by -furious gusts of wind. - -The next day--a glorious morning, after a night's rain--we proceeded -in the same direction; and while waiting for the heavy baggage, in the -shape of the women and children, several of us repaired to a regular -racecourse--a beaten track six feet wide, extending for almost three -miles, level and free from stones, though rather sandy. Here we had -trials of the speed of our horses to while away the interval; and when -the women appeared, proceeded to the chase, over a pampa formed by a -bend in the range of hills. During the hunt we found the carcase of a -guanaco, which had been killed by a puma, carefully covered up in grass -and scrub. It was a fat animal, such as the puma always singles out, -although I have read in some accounts that he follows the herds and -picks up the weakly ones. That this is not the case was proved on -various occasions, by finding the carcases left by these cats, which -were always those of animals in good condition. Early in the afternoon -we arrived at the encampment, by the side of a small river, flowing in -an easterly direction from the hills. The women, with the exception of -one or two, were not present, and might be seen about two miles off, -grubbing up a description of potato which grew in the neighbouring hill -side. The day was warm, and Orkeke invited me to go to the top of one -of the hills to see if any smoke or signs of Indians were visible. We -accordingly crossed the stream, and while riding along the northern bank -I observed fish swimming lazily on the top of the water. After crossing -a marshy patch of ground, we ascended the hills, and dismounting near a -bank of blue earth, climbed on foot to the summit, which was composed -of a description of quartz, with crystalline veins running through it. -Scrambling up this formation, we arrived at the top, whence we had a -beautiful view of the encampment and the green pasture bordering the -stream. To the northward the view was rather shut in by hills rising to -a considerable elevation. Just below us lay a valley, in which several -guanaco and ostriches were taking their evening meal. We remained here -for some time smoking and enjoying the face of nature generally, but -could discern no smoke or signs of Indians. Orkeke remarked that the -pasture had a fresher appearance lower down the course of the stream, -and proposed that we should inspect it. We accordingly descended from -our elevated position, mounted, and proceeded to the valley below; in -our descent being lucky enough to kill a fat male ostrich, which was -sitting on a nest of twenty-four eggs. We investigated the grass, which -was of good quality; and after an _al fresco_ meal, in which we were -joined by Tchang, returned to the toldos, where the women had just -arrived with a considerable supply of potatoes. I again, on our way -back, observed fish in the stream, so, turning my horse adrift, -proceeded to extract my hooks and line from the baggage under the -charge of Mrs. Orkeke. After a little delay all was ready; a piece of -meat supplied the place of fly as bait; and dropping it gently into the -pool, I soon had a bite, and pulled out a fish about two pounds weight, -of the perch class, similar to that called dorado in the River Plate. -After half-an-hour's fishing I landed several others as large, and as -it was nearly dark, returned to supper off fried fish and boiled -potatoes. - -I had no opportunity of seeing the plants which produced these tubers, -but they exactly resembled those I afterwards obtained in the northern -country from a plant, the feathery fern-like leaf of which springs from -a long slender stem. The following day we shifted camp down river, to -the neighbourhood of the green pasture, and found large quantities of -the eggs of the upland geese, ducks, &c. In the neighbourhood one lonely -tree grew by the side of the stream, although the banks were lined -with driftwood, probably carried down from the wooded slopes of the -Cordillera, ten miles farther west, during floods. This day, smoke -having been distinctly seen to the northward, Hummums was despatched to -ascertain whether it were a signal from the much-looked-for Northern -Indians. Three days subsequently, about nine in the evening, whilst I -was lying dreaming of home, and had just--in dreamland--taken a glass -of sherry, Orkeke woke me up with the intelligence that fires were to -be seen to the north, which were no doubt caused by the 'chasqui' or -messenger previously despatched. In about three hours' time--somewhere -about midnight--Casimiro, Hummums, and another Indian rode into the -camp, and our toldo was soon crowded to hear the news from our chasqui, -who stated that the Northern Indians were in the wild cattle district, -where they had killed several animals; they were also well provided -with tobacco and other necessaries from the Rio Negro, where they had -been for trading purposes in August, and they would welcome our party, -provided that they came in a friendly spirit. The following morning we -had a great consultation in Crimè's toldo, at which it was determined -that all quarrels should be forgotten, and that we should march at once -to effect a junction with the other Indians. This having been resolved -on, all marched in an easterly direction to an encampment situated -on the borders of the same stream, and under a range of hills called -'Appleykaik.' Here we remained three days; and smoke not previously -accounted for having been observed to the east, two scouts were sent -out to ascertain the cause, but returned without intelligence. We spent -our time, as usual, in hunting, or bathing in the river; and on October -31 marched again, and had not gone very far, in a north-east direction, -before Tankelow--who had started earlier than the rest, and constituted -himself a _corps d'observation_--appeared, with a strange Indian of the -Pampa tribe, who stated that his companions were on their way to join -the Northern Indians. They had come from the neighbourhood of the -Chupat colony, and were, as far as I could make out, mixed Pampas and -Tehuelches. It was agreed that they should join us and the others at a -place called 'Henno,' to which we were at present marching. We continued -our route after this slight interruption, and encamped for the night -near the banks of a small stream. The weather had entirely changed, the -wind blowing bitterly from the south-west, with squalls of sleet, hail, -and snow; and but few of the party found it agreeable to take the -evening bath. Casimiro was in high spirits, as many of the Northern -Indians were relations of his, and he was to be invested with the -supreme command--in prospect of which he had already received presents -of horses, and was looking forward to the consultation of the chief, -which, he assured me, would have to be conducted with great pomp. During -our talk, Casimiro narrated all his adventures after quitting the -toldos. He had travelled so fast, knowing that he would probably be -pursued, that on the fifth day his horse broke down, as for two days -previous he had seen smoke from some encampment to which he was by this -time close, though he was uncertain whether it was that of his friends -or not. He left his Chilian companion, and proceeded to an eminence -to reconnoitre. During his absence the Chilian fell asleep; the grass -caught fire and surrounded the sleeping man. The Indians--Hinchel's -people--attracted by the smoke, came down and rescued him, all his -clothes having been burned off and his body severely scorched. Having -heard his story, Hinchel at once sent a party to search for Casimiro. -When the latter saw the five mounted Indians approaching, wrapped in -their ponchos, he was uncertain if they were Araucanos or Tehuelches, -and drew his revolver, prepared to pick them off in detail; but soon, to -his great relief, he recognised in the leader a relation of his own. He -also told me that when Hummums, our chasqui, arrived, he was entertained -by some friend of his own, to whom, in the evening, he boasted that he -and his friends had killed all the Christians in their camp. This story -was at once carried to Hinchel and Casimiro, who inquired if 'Muster' -had also been killed; to which the tale-bearer unhesitatingly replied -that he had. Hinchel, who had previously heard all about the English -visitor from Casimiro, was furious at what he considered a grave breach -of hospitality, and issued orders forthwith to apprehend the chasqui, -and to mount and make ready to avenge my supposed death by killing -Orkeke and all his party. Hummums, however, when interrogated as a -prisoner, in great terror declared that 'Muster' was safe, and that no -one had any idea of killing him, and then the storm blew over. But this -account, which was confirmed by the report of the chasqui, accidentally -overheard by myself, prepared me to meet Hinchel with feelings of -friendliness towards a chief who had evinced so keen a sense of the -care to be taken of a stranger who had confided himself to Indian -hospitality; and the impression of this chief's character then formed, -was fully confirmed on further acquaintance with him. - -The two following days our route lay through a succession of rather -barren valleys, bordered by ranges of high hills, everywhere strewn -with rocks and boulders, and having a very gaunt and weird appearance. -The valleys generally contained good pasture on either the northern or -southern side of the streams which flowed down every one; but away from -the vicinity of the water the soil was sandy, with low bushes scattered -here and there. - -On November 2nd, about 2 P.M., we arrived at a pass or gorge above the -rendezvous at Henno. The view of the valley below was very refreshing; -green grassy plains stretched for some miles, with a beautiful silvery -stream running down the centre. But, much to our disappointment, no -signs of Indians were visible; so we descended, and after bathing in a -pool, and waiting until the toldos were pitched, lighted a big signal -fire, which was shortly answered to the westward, and a messenger -was immediately despatched who returned towards nightfall with the -intelligence that the expected people would arrive next day; and we -had to reconcile ourselves to another night of anxiety, being not at -all certain as to the reception to be expected from the newcomers. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -HENNOKAIK TO TECKEL. - - Ceremonial of Welcome. -- Hinchel's Indians. -- Tehuelches - and Araucanos. -- Jackechan and the Chupat Tribe. -- My - Examination. -- Encampment at Henno. -- Peaceful Occupations. - -- The Oldest Inhabitant. -- Chiriq. -- The Hidden Cities. -- - Modern Legends. -- Mysteries of the Cordillera. -- Los Cesares. - -- La Ciudad Encantada. -- Its Whereabouts. -- The Indian - Cesares. -- The Guanaco. -- The Patagonian Ostrich. -- - Neighbourhood of Chiriq. -- Horseracing. -- Indian Horses. -- - Indian Dogs. -- Dog and Lover. -- Plaiting Sinews. -- Windy - Hill. -- Surrounded by Fire. -- Young Guanaco. -- Arrival of - Grog. -- News from Santa Cruz. -- Gisk. -- Romantic Scenery. -- - A Pleasant Neighbourhood. -- Fairy Glen. -- Breaking a Horse. - -- Female Curiosity. -- The Wild Cattle Country. -- The Forests - of the Cordillera. -- The Watershed. -- Among the Mountains. -- - Wild Flowers. -- A Bull Fight. -- The Bull Victorious. -- No - Christmas Beef. -- Teckel. -- Change of Quarters. - - -As we were whiling away the next forenoon in fishing and disporting -ourselves generally in the water, smoke was descried at various points -to the westward, and about 2 P.M. the head of the heavy column of women, -children, and innumerable horses came into view on the northern side of -the valley. All instantly repaired to the toldos, accoutred ourselves, -and got up the horses in preparation for the arrival of the visitors; -the meeting of any number of Indians after a separation being recognised -as an affair of considerable importance. Shortly after our horses were -caught and saddled, and, indeed, before some of our party were ready, -the men who had been hunting _en route_ appeared, and the ceremonial of -welcome was duly observed. - -Both parties, fully armed, dressed in their best, and mounted on their -best horses, formed into opposite lines. - -The Northern Indians presented the gayest appearance, displaying flannel -shirts, ponchos, and a great show of silver spurs and ornamental -bridles. The chiefs then rode up and down, dressing the ranks and -haranguing their men, who kept up a continual shouting of 'Wap, Wap, -Wap.' I fell in as a private, though Casimiro had vainly endeavoured -to induce me to act as 'Capitanejo' or officer of a party. The Buenos -Ayrean colours were proudly displayed on our side, while the Northerns -carried a white weft, their ranks presenting a much better drilled -aspect than our ill-disciplined forces. Messengers or hostages were then -exchanged, each side deputing a son or brother of the chief for that -purpose; and the new comers advanced, formed into columns of threes, -and rode round our ranks, firing their guns and revolvers, shouting and -brandishing their swords and bolas. After galloping round at full speed -two or three times, they opened ranks, and charged out as if attacking -an enemy, shouting 'Koue' at every blow or thrust. The object of attack -was supposed to be the 'Gualichu' or demon, and certainly the demon -of discord had need to be exorcised. Hinchel's party then halted -and reformed their line, while we, in our turn, executed the same -manoeuvres. Afterwards the Caciques advanced and formally shook hands, -making, each in turn, long and complimentary speeches. This was repeated -several times, the etiquette being to answer only 'Ahon' or Yes, until -the third repetition, when all begin to talk, and formality is gradually -laid aside. It was rather a surprise to find etiquette so rigorously -insisted on, but these so-called savages are as punctilious in observing -the proper forms as if they were Spanish courtiers. - -These Northern Tehuelches, under the command of Hinchel, usually -frequent the country lying between the Rio Negro and the River Sengel, -and once a year, about July, visit the settlement of Patagones, where -their stay is generally short, only sufficient for them to barter their -furs and feathers, and for the chiefs at the same time to receive their -rations of mares, cattle, ponchos, yerba, tobacco, &c., allowed by the -Government of Buenos Ayres. By the time we met them in November they had -little to show of the gains of their August visit to Rio Negro except -a few mares and gay-coloured ponchos. Hinchel, however, owned two or -three head of cattle which were said to have been caught at the head of -the Chupat valley, being supposed to be stray cattle belonging to the -Welsh settlers. Some of the Indians had still also a little yerba left, -and tobacco in plenty; and on the occasion of the welcome many were -dressed in coloured ponchos, chiripas, and some in leathern boots. With -arms they were passably well provided, guns and revolvers being in -proportion of about one to four men. During the time that we were -occupied in the ceremony the women of the newly-arrived party busied -themselves in pitching their toldos; and shortly after we had returned -to our camp, which was a little apart from that of the new comers, and -appeared very small and insignificant when contrasted with theirs, the -Cacique came over, and presented mares, horses, and other gifts to the -chiefs of our party; and a grand feast was celebrated in our toldos. -Many of the new comers rode over, two or sometimes three mounted on one -horse, and would, if not acquainted with the inmates, stop in front -of a toldo and look in for a few minutes, then ride on to another, -and so on. As these were mostly young men, their real object was -probably to reconnoitre the young ladies. One, however, who, though -undistinguishable from the Indians in appearance, and who looked like -an Araucano, but was really by birth a Spaniard, having been carried off -in his childhood from a settlement, brought over a pack of cards, and -some of our party were soon deep in a game of siete, at which the -stranger being a proficient, soon cleared them out completely. - -[Illustration: CEREMONY OF WELCOME (TEHUELCHES AND ARAUCANIANS).] - -Next day I paid a visit to Hinchel. He spoke no Spanish, but he managed -to converse, and he asked me if the Southern Tehuelches were not a queer -lot, for he had heard that they killed men as readily as they would -guanaco. From what Casimiro had reported, I was already inclined to -respect this Cacique, who had expressed such readiness to protect or -avenge a guest of the Indians, and closer acquaintance only strengthened -my regard for him. He was a fine-looking man, with a pleasant, -intelligent countenance, which was not belied by his disposition. -He never, to my knowledge, exceeded sobriety, and was good-humoured -and self-possessed; though if once roused to fight, his resolute and -determined courage was well known. He was skilled at all sorts of -handicraft, and was always busily employed. He was generous to a -fault--ready to give away everything if asked for it, and often without -the asking. His great weakness was an inveterate fondness for gambling, -which, together with his lavish good nature, eventually impoverished him -greatly. At his request, I informed Casimiro and Orkeke that he desired -to hold a parlemento. Accordingly, the chiefs all proceeded to a place -agreed upon between the two camps, where they took their seats in a -circle on the grass. After various harangues from Hinchel and others, -it was resolved that Casimiro should be elected chief in command of the -Tehuelches; and that after the expiration of the young guanaco season, -all present, together with those expected from the neighbourhood of the -Chupat, should proceed to a place called Teckel, and thence march to Las -Manzanas, to unite there with the Araucanian Indians, some of whom had -already communicated with us, and had promised to forward my letters, -_viâ_ Las Manzanas, to Rio Negro. - -The relations between the Tehuelches or Tsonecas of Patagonia and the -Araucanian Indians of Las Manzanas had been previously by no means of -a pacific nature. It has been already mentioned that near the Sengel we -passed the scene of a fierce battle between them. Tankelow bore still -the scars of seven lance wounds received in a battle when he was left -for dead on the field. On the same occasion Orkeke was taken prisoner, -but, although mutilated, succeeded eventually in effecting his escape. -Casimiro's father also became a prisoner in an unsuccessful assault -on an Araucanian stronghold. After two or three years' captivity he -succeeded, with two of his comrades, in escaping, and while hurrying to -rejoin the Tehuelches in the vicinity of Geylum, met with a solitary -Araucanian. He seeing a fire, approached unsuspicious of danger, and was -welcomed and invited to smoke; they then seized him, stripped and bound -him hand and foot, and left him lying on the pampa, a helpless prey to -the condors and pumas. The two fugitives, having thus gratified their -desire for vengeance, succeeded in rejoining their own people, and -organised an attack on the Araucanos, in which Casimiro's father was -killed. Some wonderful feats of valour were described to me as having -been achieved by the Tehuelches; but in fact the Manzaneros proved -themselves the superior warriors, and even at the time of our visit to -them had Tehuelche slaves. The powerful cacique Lenquetrou succeeded in -healing the old feuds, and united all the Indians under his leadership. -He was treacherously killed by an Argentine officer at Bahia Blanca -during the peace between the Indians and the Christians, and after his -death the old quarrels broke out afresh. Casimiro's diplomacy, however, -succeeded during the time of my visit in conciliating all parties, -and the result appeared in the amicable arrangements concluded at the -Parlemento, and afterwards successfully carried out. Had it not been for -this, my journey to Las Manzanas, and thence to the Rio Negro, would -have been dangerous, if not altogether impossible. - -Two days after the arrival of the Northern party the Indians from -the Chupat came in, and were duly welcomed by our united forces, the -ceremonial on this occasion presenting a very animated scene. They -numbered between seventy and eighty men, with women and children, -occupying about twenty toldos. Most of them were young men of Pampa, or -mixed Pampa and Tehuelche blood, but there were a few pure Tehuelches in -their ranks, their chief being a Pampa named 'Jackechan,' or Juan. As I -watched them drawn up, or careering round us during the welcome, they -appeared to present a different type from that of my first friends, -being generally shorter, though as muscular, and even apparently more -broadly built, with complexions lighter, and their dress and persons -smarter and cleaner. They were all well armed with lances and firearms, -and were evidently kept well in hand by the chief. Their range of -country lay between the same limits as that of Hinchel's people, but -they habitually seemed to have kept more to the sea-coast, where many -of them had been accustomed to visit the Welsh colony at the Chupat for -trade, and in their opinion, as afterwards expressed to me, the honest -Welsh colonists were much pleasanter and safer to deal with than 'the -Christians' of the Rio Negro. They seemed to have been especially -impressed with the size and excellence of the home-made loaves, one of -which would be given in return for half a guanaco, and Jackechan often -expatiated on the liberality of the colonists and the goodness of their -bread. These men also felt strongly the kindness with which an Indian, -if overtaken with rum, would be covered up or carried into an outhouse -by the Chupat people; whereas at the Rio Negro the only attention -paid to him would be to strip and plunder him completely. During the -afternoon the chief, Jackechan, sent a request to the 'Englishman' -to pay him a visit, so I repaired to his toldo, and was courteously -received by him. He wore a beautifully-wrought silver chain, with a -medallion of the Madonna suspended to it, of which he seemed pardonably -proud. Having been invited to take a seat, and the pipe having been duly -passed round, it became evident that I was to be tested as to my real -claims to the character of an Englishman. Jackechan, during his visits -to the Chupat, had become acquainted with Mr. Lewis Jones, the Director -of the colony, and so had learned the name of the Queen of England, &c., -and he proceeded to interrogate me accordingly. I found him to be a most -intelligent Indian, speaking Spanish, Pampa, and Tehuelche fluently; and -our acquaintance thus commenced ripened into a strong mutual friendship. -My answers proving quite satisfactory, he was evidently much pleased, -and ordered his wife to produce coffee, a little of which he had still -remaining from his store procured at Chupat. Whilst discussing this -luxury, we had a long conversation on various topics, and he produced -a photograph of Mr. Jones and some letters, one being an order for a -ration of animals, mares and cattle, from the Argentine Government. He -stated that he had not visited Patagones for some years, on account of a -fight that had taken place, but would perhaps now accompany our party. -Whilst conversing, his son, a boy of some twelve years of age, came in -and startled me by his unlikeness to the other Indian boys, for his -brown hair and eyes and fair complexion might easily have caused one -to take him for an English boy. His mother was not present, as, for -domestic reasons, Jackechan had parted with her; but I subsequently saw -her, and she, although a handsome woman, had no European traits about -her except that of having quarrelled with her husband. The following day -was spent in a second parlemento--or, as the Indians call it, 'aix'--and -all agreed to place themselves under the orders of Casimiro, for the -purpose of protecting Patagones in the possible event of an invasion -by the Indians of Rouke, or 'Calficura,' from the country north of Rio -Negro. All present saw the importance of protecting Patagones, as, if -that town should be destroyed, there would be no market for their furs, -&c. - -Our encampment was situated in a large grassy valley watered by a stream -flowing to the eastward, which was finally lost in a large marsh. The -valley, which may have been about twelve miles in length and perhaps -four in width at its broadest part, was confined by hills which, -closing, narrowed it in at the eastern and western extremities. To the -N.W. and N. the hills--which almost merited the name of mountains--were -peculiarly rugged, more especially towards their summits. About N.N.E. -by compass from our camp, there was a pass formed by a dip or break in -the range leading north, and through the mouth of the pass we could see -the smoke of the hunting parties of the Araucanian Indians, who were, -however, many leagues distant. Throughout Patagonia smoke is always -visible at a great distance, and the practised eyes of the Indians can -distinguish it from the clouds, when ordinary persons would be unable to -discern it unless pointed out to them. On the southern and eastern sides -of the valley lay a range of hills, the rugged summits of which rose -from lower slopes of more regular swell, and presenting more even -and down-like surfaces than those on the western and northern sides. -Immediately above our encampment the hill of Henno, from which the -valley is named, rose from the plain. Near the summit of this hill -Orkeke and myself, who for amusement had ridden up to it, one day -came across the bleached skeleton of a man, perhaps one of two young -Argentines who, as I was subsequently informed, had travelled thus far -in company with the Indians, and had been for some--or no--reason killed -by them near this spot. In the surrounding hills red porphyry frequently -cropped out, and also veins of a red agate, unlike the flint agate so -common in all the plains of Patagonia. The rocks near the summits of the -hills were generally of igneous formation, and on the slopes of these -hills frequent springs gushed out, easily discoverable from a distance -by the vivid green of the grass growing round them. As we gazed down -from the height of Henno, the valley lay before us like a picture; our -few toldos were situated in a group to the east, on the south side of -the stream; about a quarter of a mile to the north the thirty or forty -toldos of the Northern Indians were pitched, and opposite to them, on -the north side of the stream, those of the party commanded by Jackechan -or Juan. The scene was animated but peaceful: here might be seen a party -of young men playing at ball, in another a man breaking a colt, and down -by the side of the stream groups of girls bathing, or wandering in the -swamps picking the wild spinach which grew all along the margin of the -water in great quantities. One day I went on an excursion with the -children to pluck spinach and plunder the nests of wild ducks and upland -geese, from which we returned laden with spoil, and in the evening a -stew, _à la_ Tehuelche, was made with ostrich grease, spinach, and eggs, -which combination was universally approved of. Another day we went -fishing, and after catching several with a hook and line, voted it slow -work, so contrived a net by sewing two ponchos together, and wading -into the stream dragged the shallow parts, and, notwithstanding the -duck weed, which rather impeded us, made several good hauls, the take -consisting of the perch-like fish and a black species of cat-fish: the -Indians, however, except Casimiro, would not eat the fish, and evidently -regarded my enjoyment of them much as an Englishman would at first view -their appreciation of blood. Another day we went on an expedition to -dig up a species of root somewhat resembling a parsnip, but although we -grubbed about for an hour our efforts were only scantily rewarded by -a few small roots, which were given to the children. One roasted in -the ashes, at Mrs. Orkeke's invitation I tasted, and found it rather -tasteless and insipid. - -During our stay in this pleasant resting-place the weather was bright -and sunny, and on calm days warm, and the absence of rain almost made it -appear like summer; but whenever the west wind blew, the piercing cold -dispelled the passing illusion. The long delay which was necessary to -recruit our horses, in anticipation of a campaign against the young -guanaco and the wild cattle, was most acceptable to all the members of -our party; and after the two preceding months of quarrels, real and -suspected dangers, and forced marches, our present peaceable existence, -though devoid of adventure, was thoroughly enjoyable. An occasional -hunting party, interchange of visits and card parties with the recent -arrivals, fishing, foraging for birds' eggs, spinach, &c., with some -flirting, and, by way of business, a parlemento or two, made our time -pass merrily enough at Henno. - -Our hunting parties were under the direction of 'the oldest inhabitant,' -an aged cacique called Guenalto, with venerable white hair, and who had -been crippled by a lance-thrust, received, to his honour be it said, -while endeavouring to mediate between two of his friends. His great age -and amiable character commanded universal respect; and on a hunting -morning he would sit under a bush and speechify for half an hour, -recounting old deeds of prowess, and exhorting us to do our best. The -old man was a frequent and welcome visitor at our toldo, where he was -encouraged to indulge to his heart's content in long-winded stories. My -compass greatly excited his curiosity, and he took it into his head that -it possessed a magical power which could effect the restoration of the -use of his arm. He accordingly begged to be allowed to hold it in his -hand; and sat patiently, with an air of awe and faith combined, for an -hour, afterwards declaring that the operation had done him much good. -We greatly pleased him by repairing his coat of mail, a complete tunic -of heavy iron chains, of unknown antiquity, bound together by strips of -hide, and weighing over a hundredweight. This he informed me he only put -on to defend himself from 'foolish Indians.' - -His use of my compass was rivalled by the custom of other friends, who -were wont to borrow it when engaged in a game of cards; their belief -being that the magic instrument gave luck to the happy possessor for -the time being; and I often thought that it was fortunate I had brought -no other instrument, as 'shooting the sun' would have been certainly -regarded as a piece of sorcery, and any death or accident happening -afterwards would have been visited on the head of the magician. As it -was, my taking notes was often regarded with suspicious curiosity, and -inquiries made as to what there could possibly be in that place to write -about, as although the Tehuelche mind can comprehend writing letters to -friends or officials, it by no means understands keeping a journal; and -'some untutored Indian' might probably, if suspicious that 'i'faith -he'll prent it,' instead of waiting to cut up the book, anticipate all -reviewers by cutting up the intended author himself. - -On the 18th of November the camp at Henno was broken up, and all marched -a few leagues to the west, crossing successive rocky ridges running -parallel to the Cordillera, and divided by well-watered valleys, and -encamped near a valley watered by the same river, which between this -place and Henno makes a considerable bend. This station was named -'Chiriq,' from a description of bush, with a leaf somewhat resembling -that of the sloe, which grows abundantly on the banks of the stream. The -wood of this shrub is soft and of little value, but burns well when dry. -At this time neither flower nor fruit was visible, but it was described -to me as bearing a berry resembling the currant. Since our departure -from the wooded river Sengel, a description of cactus, or, as the -Spaniards call it, tuna, bearing a tasteless fruit something like the -ordinary prickly pear, had been met with occasionally, and found very -troublesome, for as it grows close to the ground its spines are very apt -to lame the horses if not carefully avoided in the chase. From Chiriq a -large plain appeared to extend for some leagues to the westward, bounded -north and south by a wooded range of hills, and extending apparently -to the bases of the lofty snow-covered peaks of the Cordillera, which -appeared to form a complete barrier. - -During our stay here an incident occurred which led to the collection -and comparison of the traditions concerning the hidden or enchanted city -which still are current and believed among the Indians and Chilotes. - -One day while hunting we were startled by a loud report, as of the -discharge of a cannon, and looking to the west saw a black cloud of -smoke hanging above the peaks of the Cordillera. My companion Jackechan -told me that on several previous visits to this station the Indians had -observed similar columns of smoke in the same direction. On one occasion -so convinced were they that it was caused by human agency, that a party -set out to endeavour to penetrate the forests and reach the dwellings of -the unknown residents, which the smoke was believed to point out. They -proceeded some distance into the recesses of the mountain forests, but -the extreme difficulties of travelling compelled them at last to abandon -their purpose and retrace their steps. It is of course most probable -that both the explosion and the smoke proceeded from some unknown active -volcano in the range; but the Indians firmly believe in the existence -either of an unknown tribe, or of an enchanted or hidden city. The -Araucanians when met with farther north had a story current amongst them -of having discovered a settlement of white people, who spoke an unknown -tongue, in the recesses of the mountains in the same vicinity. The -Chilotes and Chilians from the western side fondly cherish the belief -in the existence of La Ciudad Encantada, and the mythical people Los -Cesares, to the discovery of which, according to De Angelis--to whose -research is due the collection of all the records on the subject--the -attention of Buenos Ayres, Lima, and Chili was so long directed. A -Chilote or Valdivian, named Juan Antonio, narrated to me that he knew a -man who was acquainted with another who had heard from a third that the -last-named deponent was one of a party who visited the coast opposite to -Chiloe for the purpose of wood cutting. They ascended in their boat a -river, which as described was probably that the upper course of which -we afterwards struck in the Cordillera. Having reached the woods, they -separated to cut timber. One of their number was missing at the evening -camp-fire; his comrades, however, waited for him, but gave him up at -last, and were already preparing to return, when he rejoined them, and -recounted a strange adventure. Deep in the forest he had come upon a -path, which he followed for some distance, till he heard the sound of a -bell, and saw clearings, by which he knew himself to be near a town or -settlement. He soon met some white men, who made him prisoner, and after -questioning him as to the cause of his being there, blindfolded him, and -led him away to an exceedingly rich city, where he was detained prisoner -for several days. At last he was brought back, still blindfolded, -and when the bandage was removed found himself near the place of his -capture, whence he made his way back to his comrades. Juan Antonio, the -narrator, and Meña, one of the Chilian deserters who was present, fully -believed this story, which, however, bears a suspicious resemblance -to one told a hundred years before; and both declared that it was all -caused by witchcraft or enchantment. - -Another curious story was related to me, the hero of which was a -mischievous imp of twelve years old, who was afterwards attached to my -service as page, and for impudence and uselessness might have been a -page of the court of Louis Quatorze. He had been in company with Foyel's -tribe of Indians and Valdivians in the neighbourhood of the Cordillera. -One day the hopeful boy was missed, and although careful search was -made, no traces of him were discoverable. Three months afterwards he -turned up again, dressed in the same clothes and in remarkably good -condition, his spirits and impudence undiminished. My friend Ventura -Delgado, a white Valdivian, who was in the camp at the time of his -absence and return, vouched from personal observation for so much of the -story. When questioned as to his whereabouts and with whom he had been, -he answered with confidence, 'With the man on the island in the lake.' -There was no known lake nearer than Nahuel-huapi, thirty miles distant, -though a chain of lakes must from old accounts exist within the -Cordillera; and it certainly was strange how, if he had wandered in -the forests for so long a period, subsisting on roots, strawberries, -and the plant named talka, he should have preserved his well-fed -condition; it was equally puzzling to imagine why if made a captive -by strangers he should have been allowed to return. - -Another curious fable was told by my guide J'aria, when we were -travelling from Punta Arena, _apropos_ of the wild animals in Patagonia, -on which Lieut. Gallegos was enlarging. J'aria asked if I had ever head -of the Tranco, or Trauco, which the Chilotes aver inhabits the western -forests of the Cordillera. Gallegos declared that there was no doubt of -its existence, and described it as possessing the form of a wild man, -covered with a fell of coarse shaggy hair. This nondescript--a specimen -of which would no doubt be invaluable to, though not met with on those -coasts by Mr. Darwin--is said to descend from the impenetrable forests -and attack the cattle, on which it preys. This is possibly a pure -invention, emanating from the aguardiente muddled brain of a Chilian, -but it seems to have a certain relation to the vague stories of unknown -wild tribes dwelling in the unexplored and wooded mountain regions. -It is hard to convey the sense of mysterious space and undiscoverable -dwelling-places impressed on the spectator by the vast solitudes of the -mountains and forests of the Cordillera. The inexplicable sounds of -crashing rocks, or explosions from unknown volcanoes, and the still -stranger tones which resemble bells and voices, all suggest to the -ignorant and superstitious natives confirmation of the strange -circumstantial stories handed down for several generations; and it is -hard for anyone, even with the assistance of educated reason, to resist -the powerful spell of the legends told in sight of these mysterious -mountains. My readers will perhaps laugh at the narration of these -vagaries of imagination, or will inquire what is the legend of the -Cesares, and of the enchanted city. If they have read the delightful -pages of 'Westward Ho,' they will not be unacquainted with the shifting -mirage of that rich city; which, from Mexico to the Magdalena, mocked -the search of so many eager adventurers. The Gran Quivira of New Mexico, -the fabled Iximaya, the El Dorado of Guyana, and El Gran Paytiti of -Brazil, the baseless fabrics of many a golden vision, are found repeated -with change of place and circumstances in this city of Los Cesares. -There is a curious combination of three distinct strands of legends in -the chain which connects the marvellous stories of the Northern Indians -and Chilotes with the accounts so circumstantially deposed to, and -firmly believed by, the Spaniards of the last century. The first is the -conquest of Los Cesares in 1539. Sebastian Cabot, from his settlement -of Carcarañal on the Parana, sent his pilot Cesar with 120 soldiers -to explore the river, 60 being left to garrison the fort;[5] this -expedition proceeded as far as the junction of the Parana and Paraguay, -which latter river they ascended to the Laguna Sta. Anna, on the way -defeating the hostile Indians. They reached the boundaries of the -Guaranis, with whom they made friendship and returned. They next set out -to proceed overland to Peru, and crossed the Cordillera. After making -their way against incredible difficulties, they reached a province, the -inhabitants of which were rich in cattle, vicuñas, and gold and silver. -The ruler of the province, 'a great lord,' at whose capital they at last -arrived, received his Spanish visitors kindly, and entertained them -with all honour, until at their own choice they were allowed to return -enriched with presents of gold and precious stuffs. The Spaniards -regained their fort on the Parana only to find it a deserted ruin; the -Indians having surprised and massacred the garrison. Cesar thereupon led -his party to the settlements, and thence started on another expedition, -in which he again crossed the Cordillera, and from a height beheld, as -he imagined, the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic on either hand, -probably mistaking some large lagoon for the distant Atlantic. He then -made his way up the coast to Atacama, and thence to Cuzco, at which -city he joined the conquerors just at the period of the capture of the -ill-fated Inca Atahuallpa. - - [5] Fte. S. Espiritu. - -This marvellous traverse of all the country was spoken of ever after as -the conquest of Los Cesares, and the whole account was set forth by Ruy -Diaz Guzman in 1612, whose authority was one of the Conquistadores of -Peru, named Arzon, who had learned all the particulars from Don Cesar -himself in Cuzco. It does not seem, however, that more than this name, -and perhaps the tradition of the rich Indian city, were preserved in -the romantic rumours that began to obtain currency in the seventeenth -century, and continued to gain credit till 1781, when the Fiscal of -Chili, having been charged to make inquiry, summed up in an elaborate -state paper all the evidence in favour of the existence of a rich and -strong city, situated somewhere between 45° and 56° south, and urged -the Spanish Government to authorise an expedition to discover and take -possession of it. The city was described by various veracious (?) -authorities as 'defended by walls, ditches, and ravelins, the only -entrance being protected by a draw-bridge, besides which cautious -sentries were always stationed on an adjoining hill to detect intrusive -strangers. The buildings were sumptuously constructed, the houses being -of wrought stone with azotea roofs; and the churches were covered with -glittering roofs of silver, and gorgeously furnished within. Of silver, -too, were all utensils, knives, and even ploughshares made; and the -inhabitants used golden stools and seats. They were light complexioned, -with blue eyes and thick beards, and spoke a language unintelligible -to both Spaniards and Indians. They wore jackets of blue cloth, yellow -capes, and blue wadmal drawers and loose silk trousers, with large boots -and small three-cornered hats! They possessed numerous cattle, marked -with brands similar to those of the Spanish colonists; but their -principal article of cultivation was pepper, in which they traded with -their neighbours, maintaining withal a complete system of exclusive -isolation.' By one account the population was composed of the -descendants of the crews of several ships which had been wrecked in -the Straits of Magellan from 1523 to 1539, the survivors of which had -made their way overland and founded a settlement. A wandering padre -was said to have received the news of its existence from some Indians, -accompanied by a knife as a token, which was recognised as having -belonged to the captain of a stranded vessel. The padre set out to -discover his countrymen, but lost his life on the road. Another more -precise tradition declared that the surviving inhabitants of Osorno, -after having maintained a heroic defence against the Araucanians, under -the victorious chief Caupolican, in 1539, made good their escape with -their families and cattle to a peninsula in a great lagoon thirty miles -long and seven or eight wide, situate near Reloncavi, or the volcano -called Osorno, where they built a city strongly defended on the landward -side by a fosse and drawbridge raised every night. This lagoon was by -others said to be that of Payeque, near a rapid stream named Llanqueco. -An explorer named Roxas, in 1714, who started from Buenos Ayres, and -whose route lay south-west from Tandil and the Volcan, gives most -precise distances and landmarks to define the position of the Cesares. -He mentions especially a river with a ford only passable during one -period of the year, and a hill on which is found much magnetic iron ore. -These landmarks, and the rest of his description, point to the locale of -that remarkable rock formation mentioned in p. 100, which, seen from a -distance, might well cheat a traveller into the belief that he beheld a -fortified town. Wáki pointed it out to me, and said, jokingly, 'Perhaps -Christians live there.' The 'Indians of veracity,' so frequently quoted -in these accounts, who were, however, all bound to keep secret the -access to the city, doubtless confused their recollections of different -settlements visited in their migrations, and the Spaniards, prepared to -receive any new wonder, wove into the marvellous tale all the stories -told them, and regarded the joint fiction as undoubted fact. But two -more remarkable phases of this legend, and then we return to practical -Indian life. A military party, who set out in 1777 from Rio Bueno, and -marched to Lake Llanquechue, crossed the passes of the Cordillera under -Osorno, and passed the night near the snow line. They heard distant -artillery, and beheld the head of a great Laguna on the eastern side; -they brought back the astounding intelligence that two distinct towns -existed, one peopled by a race of Spanish origin, the Auca-Huincas, at -war with the Pehuelches; and the other by Englishmen, or Moro-Huincas, -who lived in amity with the Indians. And the Fiscal of Chili, in -his report, insisted strongly on the necessity of rooting out these -audacious islanders who had dared to plant themselves in the dominions -of 'our Lord the King.' Just as the jealous fear of the encroaching -English was thus mixed up in the Spanish version of the mysterious -Cesares, so the Indians connected them with the traditionary glories of -the great Inca race, and spoke of the Indian Cesares; and the potency -of the fable was shown by a proclamation put forth by the heroic and -ill-starred Tupac Amaru, who headed the unsuccessful rebellion against -the tyrant Christians in 1781, styling himself 'Inca, Señor de los -Cesares y Amazonas, con dominio en el Gran Paytiti.' But success mocked -his grasp, and he perished by the hand of the executioner, just as the -rich and coveted city whose lordship he claimed has eluded many an -explorer who has sacrificed his life in the hopeless search. But the -patient reader is probably weary of enchanted cities, and glad to return -to the daily routine of our Indian life, though it was at this time -butcherly enough. It was the all-important season of young guanaco -hunting; and though the chase afforded plenty of riding, it could hardly -be said to offer sport; but to the Indians it was a matter of business, -as their clothing and stock of skins to trade with depended on the -number of young guanaco killed at this time. Some notes of the habits of -the guanaco and rhea, or ostrich, which furnish the Patagonian Indians -with food and clothing, may not be out of place, though all critics -are warned that they are not those of a naturalist, but simply the -observations of a lover of birds and beasts. - -The guanaco, known to the Indians as 'Nou,' is from three to four feet -in height, and from four to five in length, measured from the point of -the nostrils to the tail. The coat is woolly, but decreases in thickness -of wool, or rather becomes hairy, about the head and legs. Its colour is -of a yellowish red, intermixed with white in various parts of the body; -more especially under the abdomen, down the inside of the legs, and -round the lips and cheeks: the white also extends up the inside of the -neck and throat. The shoulder is slightly arched; the tail short, and -when the animal is in motion slightly elevated. The guanaco abounds over -a vast range of country, extending from Peru all down the regions east -of the range of the Cordillera of the Andes, over the vast plains from -Mendoza to the Straits of Magellan, and even to Tierra del Fuego. As a -rule, one male guanaco herds with a troop of about a hundred females, -and in the event of their being disturbed he will take up his position -on some neighbouring pinnacle of rock, and commence neighing something -after the fashion of a horse, keeping himself between the danger and -his wives. At the breeding season, however, the males go in flocks by -themselves, as do the females. Although it is stated in Monsieur Gay's -admirable book on the Zoology of Chili, that the females sometimes bear -three fawns, yet this must be a rare case: while we were hunting and -killing the young guanaco, the mothers invariably became separated, the -young ones lagging behind so as to prevent any appropriation of them to -their dams. However, during the time employed in killing the mothers -for the purpose of extracting the unborn young from the womb, I never -saw or heard of more than one foetus being found. The guanacos are -excessively swift of foot, indeed almost unapproachable by horse or dog, -as a few buck leaps take them away far beyond the speed of a horse. They -frequently wait to allow a pursuer to approach close, and then bound -off, and speedily distance him. Their means of defence consist chiefly -in the savate, or use of the feet, more especially the fore ones, -although they also bite at times, and with their two peculiar canine -teeth could inflict a severe wound.[6] I have seen places where a puma -and a guanaco have evidently had a severe struggle, always, however, -resulting in the victory of the puma, as, on seeing these marks, we -invariably searched for and found the body near, carefully covered -over by the 'leon.' The flesh of the guanaco is excellent, something -resembling mutton; the young guanaco being more like very tender veal. -That their wool might be turned to account for mercantile purposes is -undoubted, as it is of very fine texture, and is at the present time of -value in Chili, where it is woven into ponchos, which are highly prized. -Up to the present time few have been domesticated, but they become very -tame, and might at a future date be found useful as beasts of burden, -as they are similar in most respects to the lama. There is one very -remarkable point about the guanaco: at certain times of the year a sort -of secretion, condensed into a hard substance like stone, is found in -round pieces, varying from ¼ to ½ inch in diameter, in the stomach. -To these stones some of the Indians attribute medicinal virtues. The -guanaco is of use to the Indians in every way. The skin of the adult -is used to make the coverings of the toldos, and that of the unborn or -young ones to make mantles for clothes; the sinews of the back furnish -them with thread; the skin of the neck, which is particularly tough and -durable, with lazos or thongs for bolas, bridles, &c., &c. The skin of -the hock supplies them with shoes or coverings for the bolas; from the -thigh bone they also cut out dice, or make a musical instrument. On -attaining the age of about two months, the coat of the young guanaco -begins to become woolly, and the skin is then useless for mantles, but -makes sufficiently good saddle cloths. The animal at this early age is -very swift of foot, and will give a good chase. They attain their full -size the second or third year after birth, and the adult male cannot be -better described than as apostrophised by Lieut. Gallegos. As we watched -a solitary guanaco standing on a hill above us, and every now and then -uttering its shrill warning neigh, 'Ah,' said Gallegos, 'you are a queer -animal; you have the neigh of a horse, the wool of a sheep, the neck of -a camel, the feet of a deer, and the swiftness of the devil.' The Rhea -Darwinii, called by the Indians 'Mekyush,' and by the Spaniards Avestrus -or Ostrich, which name is universally applied to it, is peculiar to -Patagonia, few being met with north of Rio Negro, and none being found -that I am aware of in any other part of the globe; with the exception, -perhaps, of the more northern and plain-like parts of Tierra del Fuego, -opposite the country extending from Cape Virgin to Oazy Harbour. It is -a variety of the Rhea Americana, common in the Argentine provinces of -Entre Rios and Santa Fé, also scattered over the Republic of the Banda -Oriental, and extending, I believe, as far north as Rio Grande do Sul -and the southern Brazilian province. They exist also in Chili, on the -plains at the foot of the Cordillera of the Andes. The chief difference -between these two species is that the Patagonian Rhea Darwinii is -smaller and of lighter colour than the American Rhea. The Patagonian -ostriches are very swift of foot, and run with their wings closed, while -the other species invariably spread theirs. The former birds also always -run in a straight line, except when leaving the nest, when probably, to -avoid being tracked, they run in a circuitous manner. Their plumage, -that is to say the wing feathers, are an object of commerce, and fetch -at present about a dollar a pound in Buenos Ayres. The marrow from -the leg bones is also, I believe, of use for making pomade, and was -formerly, if not at present, highly prized in Buenos Ayres. To the -Indian this bird is invaluable in many ways. Besides furnishing their -most favourite food, from the sinews of the leg thongs for bolas are -constructed; the neck is used as a pouch for salt or tobacco; the -feathers are exchanged for tobacco and other necessaries; the grease -from the breast and back is tried out and secured in bags formed of the -skin (taken off during the spring season, when the females, like all -the Patagonian animals except the puma, are thin); the meat is more -nourishing and more relished by the Indians than that of any other -animal in the country, and the eggs form a staple commodity of food -during the months of September, October, and November. The male bird -stands about 2½ feet high, and is to be distinguished from the female by -its being of a slightly darker colour, and of greater size and strength; -nevertheless, it requires a practised eye to detect the difference at -any distance. The male bird is also swifter. Their usual food consists -of short grass and the seeds of various shrubs, but more especially of -tender grass, which I have on several occasions watched them plucking, -from a convenient rock which hid me from their sight. On being alarmed -they immediately set off at a great speed; they possess great powers -of eyesight. If met or obstructed by horsemen in their line of flight, -they not unfrequently squat so closely that they can scarcely be -distinguished from the surrounding rocks, as the greyish colour of their -plumage so closely resembles the almost universal aspect of the Pampas -of Patagonia. These birds, though not web-footed, can swim sufficiently -well to pass a river. In the winter season it is not unfrequent for the -Indians to drive them into the water, where, their legs getting numbed -with cold, they are drifted to the shore by the current, and easily -captured, being unable to move. In snowy weather they are also easily -taken, as their eyes appear to be affected by the glare of the white -snow, and their saturated plumage doubtless becomes heavier. They are -polygamous, one male bird consorting with five or six hens, which -lay their eggs in the same nest--a hole about two feet six inches in -diameter, scooped out of the earth. They begin to lay in the early part -of September, the number of eggs in each nest varying from twenty to -as many as forty, or more. In the early part of the laying season -extraneous eggs were found scattered in different parts of the plain, -some of which were of diminutive size. Contrary to the usual rule -amongst birds, the male sits on the eggs, and when the chickens are -hatched assumes the charge of the brood. The young run immediately, or -shortly after emerging from the shell, and are covered with a down of -greyish black colour on the back, and whitish on the breast and neck. -Their cry resembles the syllables pi, pi, pi, uttered in a sharp, quick -manner. The old male, when any dangers appear, feigns to be hurt, like -other birds endeavouring to distract the attention of the hunter, in -order that his brood may escape by hiding in the grass. After the -male has sat for some time on the nest (I should place the period of -incubation at about three weeks), he gets thin, and the grass closely -surrounding the nest is found eaten quite bare. The females by this time -are beginning to pick up flesh, which is a fortunate provision of nature -for the Indians, who cannot subsist on lean meat. Whilst the females are -thin they are killed and skinned, the meat being left, and the skins -sewn into mantles for sale at the settlements. These birds at that -period are much afflicted with vermin, which invade the toldos and -guanaco mantles of the Indians, and cause them infinite annoyance. -(A useful hint occurs to me for future travellers amongst the -Patagonians--never allow the squaw of the establishment to place -ostrich mantles under your sleeping hides.) The young Rhea does not -attain its full plumage or size until the second year after its birth, -and is never pursued by the Indians unless food is really scarce. The -eggs are eaten in all stages, fresh or stale; the Indian not recognising -much difference between the unhatched chicken and the unborn guanaco. -The inveterate destroyers of these birds are, besides their human -enemies, the puma and foxes, the former of which will surprise and kill -the sitting bird, which he carefully hides, and then proceeds to eat the -eggs with great gusto. We not unfrequently found the eggs broken and -scattered by these animals, whilst the bird was generally discovered -hard by. The foxes, I think, content themselves with sucking the eggs; -but I was assured that near Geylum, where wild cats are common, these -latter will kill the bird on the nest, like their relatives the puma. -Besides these there are the condors, eagles, and hawks, which no -doubt commit extensive ravages on the young broods. With all these -difficulties to contend with, the Rhea Darwinii exists in great numbers, -and if not kept down to a certain extent by the Indians and other -enemies would overrun the whole country. We were, while at Chiriq, -busily engaged in the destruction of both guanaco and ostrich, the high -rugged range of hills that bounded Chiriq on the eastern side literally -swarming with guanaco; and as the females, heavy with young, could -not keep up their speed for a long distance, one man not unfrequently -captured and killed five and six, or even eight; extracting the young -and taking its skin for mantles and the carcase for food, while the hide -of the mother served, if needed, to repair the toldo. The marrow bones -also were taken as a dainty, but the meat was left for the condors, -puma, and foxes. We hunted almost every day, and traversed nearly all -the surrounding country. The plains lying to the west afforded beautiful -ground to ride over, covered with soft grass, but a few leagues from the -Cordillera a sudden dip occurs, which forms a huge basin, lying about 50 -feet below the level of the plain, like the bed of a lake, and extending -to the mountains; the surface of this was chiefly covered with grass, -but in some parts the yellow clay and beds of stones were visible. -On the higher ground, before reaching this basin, numerous lagoons -occurred, round one of which there was a large gull-rookery, and the -inhabitants made themselves audible at a long distance. Here also I -noticed many of the teru-tero, a spur-winged lapwing, common near Buenos -Ayres. I had encountered them even as low as Santa Cruz, but never in -such large numbers. Our hunts on the plain were not so successful as -those on the hilly range, although in the previous year the Indians -asserted that the reverse had been the case. Perhaps the guanaco had -gained in experience, and felt themselves safer in the rocky heights -where riders were likely to get bad falls. The Northern Indians rode -most recklessly, going at full speed down the most precipitous places, -and, strange to say, although one or two accidents did occur resulting -in broken limbs, they were not numerous. This speaks volumes for the -sure footedness of their horses. It is their custom, when hunting -in rocky places, to place hide shoes on the horse's fore feet as a -safeguard against sharp stones. After hunting, it was the rule every -evening for those owning spare horses (and indeed for those who did not) -to repair to the race-course a little before sunset, and train or run -their horses, or look on at the others, and if there was a race, make -bets. The manner of racing is something similar to that in vogue amongst -the Gauchos in the provinces of Rio de la Plata, except that it is -generally conducted on principles of fair play. The stakes are always -deposited before the race comes off: if horses, they are tied out handy; -if ornaments, bolas, &c., &c., they are placed in a heap, the winners -removing them directly the race is decided. The horses are run -bare-backed, the two riders starting themselves after cantering side -by side for a few yards. Owing to the great care taken in training the -horses, very few false starts ever occur. The races are very often for -long distances, four miles or a league being the average, although, of -course, with young horses the distance is shorter. The Indian manner of -breaking colts is similar to that of the Gauchos; they are, however, -more gentle with their horses, and consequently break them better. One -rarely sees a horse amongst the Indians that is not perfectly quiet; -indeed, the smallest children are nearly always mounted on the racers -and best horses, although if a white man approaches or attempts to catch -them they show signs of fear and temper. Indeed, there appears to be a -sort of instinctive mutual bond between the Indians and their horses. -For lameness the cure most prevalent is bleeding in the fetlock with -an awl; sometimes the incision is made higher up the leg, and the awl -forced nearly through the horse's leg; he is then tied up for a short -time, and then let go, and the cure is generally certain. Of course -before the bleeding he is tied up several hours without water. The cure -for sore backs, which, though rare, sometimes occur owing to an ill-made -saddle, is a species of aluminous earth, applied to the wound after it -has been cleansed with a knife. This earth is only found in the southern -parts of the country, and it is very difficult to obtain any of this -much-prized medicine from the Indians. One deposit of it is found in a -cliff near Lake Viedma, so high that it can only be got at by throwing -stones at the face of the cliff, and so dislodging the earth. - - [6] The skull of a guanaco is well figured in Mr. Cunningham's work. - -A few lines will suffice to gratify any 'horsey-doggy' friends who may -be curious as to the horse flesh and dog shows of the Indians. The -horses in use amongst the Southern Indians are, as a rule, of a hardier -race than those found amongst the Northern, Araucanian, and Pampas -Indians. Their general size is about fifteen hands, or indeed perhaps -less, but nevertheless they are of great speed and endurance; when one -takes into consideration that the weight of their riders is frequently -over fourteen stone, it appears extraordinary that they should be -enabled to carry them in the way they do. The horses are, of course, all -of Spanish origin, but time, climate, and the different nature of the -country have altered them to a considerable degree from the original -race. The horses found amongst the Northern Tehuelches are, as a rule, -larger than those previously mentioned, with finer heads and smaller -legs; they are also extremely swift, and being bred frequently from -captured wild mares, are admirably adapted for hunting purposes. The -horse, however, most valued is the wild horse captured and tamed; these -differ from the others in being, as a rule, of larger size and superior -speed. This, I think, only applies to Northern Patagonia, as I have -in other parts seen wild horses which in no way equalled those in -captivity. The horses vary in colour, those captured from the wild herds -generally being a dark bay, black, or brown. Near Port San Julian, I am -informed that there are numbers of wild ponies, about the size and make -of a shelty, which the children play with. The horses are entirely grass -fed, and in consequence of the dry nature of the pasture in the winter -season, and the subsequent hard treatment, they generally get very thin -in the spring time of the year, but soon pick up condition when given -a few days' rest, and allowed to feed on the fresh pasture. The dogs -generally in use amongst the Patagonian Indians vary considerably both -in size and species. First of all comes a sort of lurcher (smooth -haired), bred by the Indians from some obtained in the Rio Negro, the -mothers being a description of mastiff, with the muzzle, however, much -sharper than that of a mastiff proper; they are also very swift, and -have longer and lower bodies. Our chief, Orkeke, kept his breed of -this dog, which probably had been derived from the earlier Spanish -settlements, pure; and they were, for hunting purposes, the best I -saw, running both by scent and view. - -Another description of dog observed had long woolly hair, and indeed -much resembled an ordinary sheep dog. These were passably common amongst -the Indians, but most of the dogs used in the chase--which are nearly -all castrated--are so mixed in race as to defy specification. I heard of -a dog captured from some Fuegians, which was very swift, and answered -perfectly to our description of harrier. These Fuegians are probably -those known as the 'Foot' Indians, who, by those who have descended on -their coasts, have been observed to use dogs for hunting purposes. - -Casimiro informed me that Quintuhual's people formerly hunted on foot, -with a large sort of dog, which, from his description, must have -resembled a deer hound. The dogs are rarely fed, being allowed generally -to satiate themselves in the chase. The hounds belonging to Orkeke, and -one or two others, were exceptions to this rule, being fed with cooked -meat when it was plentiful. The women keep pet lap dogs of various -descriptions, generally a sort of terrier, some of them much resembling -the Scotch terrier. 'Ako,' for instance, was to all appearance a -thoroughbred dog of that breed. These little lap dogs are the torment -of one's life in camp: at the least sound they rush out yelping, and set -all the big dogs off; and in an Indian encampment at night, when there -is anything stirring, a continual concert of bow-wows is kept up. The -dogs are fierce towards strangers, but generally content themselves with -surrounding them, showing their teeth and barking, unless set on. That -they are ugly customers at night an amusing instance will prove. One -morning a dog was found dead near its owner's toldo, which had evidently -been knocked on the head with a bola, and finished with a knife; -the owner made a great outcry, but no explanation could be had. It -subsequently became known to me that a young gallant had sought -admission to the toldo of his innamorata by the accustomed method of -cautiously lifting the back tent cover from the ground, and dexterously -crawling underneath; when half through, he felt his leg seized in a pair -of powerful jaws. The lady was highly amused at the predicament of her -lover, who, however, extricated himself by a mighty and well-directed -kick with his foot in the muzzle of his assailant. When returning from -his 'rendezvous' he met his active enemy, and vindictively knocked him -on the head, and, to make sure work, cut his throat; but his leg carried -after all a deeper scar than his heart as a token of the love-adventure, -and when the story was told, and, as may be supposed, excited roars of -laughter, it recalled forcibly to my mind, - - 'He jests at scars who never felt a wound.' - -Our camp at Chiriq presented quite the appearance of a town of toldos, -and fresh arrivals were still expected from the S.W.; but the Indians -of the latter party, with whom we had not yet made acquaintance, sent a -chasqui with an invitation to Crimè to join their party, and a message -that they would ultimately meet us at Teckel. Accordingly, Crimè, who -was now rich in horses and gear, having received many presents, bid -us adieu, and set off with an imposing cavalcade. Poor fellow! he had -better have remained with us, as the sequel will show. - -The weather during the first weeks of our stay in Chiriq was warm and -fine, but latterly the wind veered round to the west, and it changed to -sleet and cold rain, and the normal Patagonian climate. The humour of -the Indians seemed as variable, for old Orkeke grew exceedingly jealous. -Jackechan often used to lend me a horse on the hunting excursions, and -Orkeke one day asked me in a sullen manner whether I wished to change my -toldo, and go with my friend. My reply that I had no wish to do so at -present quieted him for the time, and he immediately offered me one of -his best horses for the next day, which was a real treat. I am afraid I -rather abused his generosity, as we had a great day chasing large herds -of guanaco, and with a racer for a mount, one was induced to ride -furiously. On the 20th of November it was decided to break up the camp -and divide into two parties to hunt, it being considered that our united -numbers were too great for successful hunting in one place. When all -were packing up and preparing to start, a row nearly broke out between -two of our old party: indeed it was with the greatest difficulty, and -only through the intervention of Casimiro, Hinchel, and two or three -more, that blood was not spilt. Of course, if the fight had commenced -between these two, such is the excitability of the Indians that it would -soon have become a general battle. This, and a heavy shower of rain -coming, prevented our march, so the women unpacked, and horses were let -go again. Some few Indians started to hunt, but came back shortly almost -empty handed, fairly beaten by the driving sleet and snow. During our -stay most of us had refitted all our gear, and were well provided with -bolas; many were the necks of guanaco stripped to obtain the hide for -them, and for making 'manêos' (straps for securing horses' legs), whips, -cinctas (girths), lazos, &c., &c. The work that I preferred was plaiting -ostrich sinews for thongs for the ostrich bolas. The ostrich sinews are -abstracted by dislocating the lower joint of the leg, the first sinew is -then pulled out by hand, and the others drawn out by main force, using -the leg bone as a handle. This bone is then separated from the foot, and -the sinews left adhering to the foot; they are slightly dried in the -sun, after which the extracted bone is used to separate the fibres by -drawing it sharply up the sinews. When sufficiently separated they are -cut off from the foot, split into equal sizes and lengths, and laid in a -moist place to soften; when sufficiently soft they are made into thongs, -cooked brains being used to make them more pliable, and lie better in -the plaits. These thongs are plaited in four plaits (round sinnet) well -known to every sailor, but the ends are doubled in a peculiar manner, -which requires practice to manage well. Before leaving Chiriq another -disturbance was nearly taking place, caused by one of the Chilians -quitting Tchang's toldo, and joining that of a man commonly called -Santa Cruz, an Indian well known at Patagones, and allowed a ration -of mares from the Government. Tchang, immediately on hearing of his -departure, put on his revolver and collared the Chilian's horse. To this -Santa Cruz objected, but Tchang kept the horse, and, revolver in hand, -defied anybody's claim to it. After this little incident the camp was -broken up, and the two parties divided--Hinchel marching S.W. and our -party to the N.W. - -After a very cold and hungry march in the face of a bitterly piercing -wind, we encamped on the shores of a lagoon of some extent, called -'Hoshelkaik,' which signifies 'Windy-hill,' and certainly is worthy of -its name; for during our stay a succession of S.W. winds blew with great -violence. After our arrival a small boy cut his finger, and, according -to custom, a mare was killed. Some of the meat sent to our toldo was -thankfully received, as we were all half starved. Having strolled -through the camp and visited Cayuke's toldo, I found that Casimiro -had not arrived, having started, to my great disgust, with the party -travelling to the S.W., and taken with him a specially good horse, which -he had given me in exchange for a revolver. I was, however, glad to find -that Jackechan, the Pampa chief, was there, and we had a confabulation -and smoke together. On the 23rd, the previous day having been too rough, -the Indians started to hunt the enclosing grassy basin before mentioned -as existing at the foot of the mountains. Immense herds of guanaco -were driven down, and being encircled by men and fires the sport soon -commenced. The Tehuelches had for some reason set light to the grass in -every available part, and the wind rising to a furious gale, the fires -soon spread and joined in an advancing line. Jackechan, myself, and -several other Indians were in the centre of the circle, each employed in -skinning the guanaco we had already killed, when suddenly we found that -we were encircled in flame and smoke, and that if we did not want to -be well scorched we had better look out for means of exit. Leaving our -game, we galloped at the spot where the smoke appeared thinnest, but -after riding three or four minutes with our faces covered up, found an -impassable barrier of flame; so, half-maddened with the hot sand dashed -in our eyes by the gale, and nearly suffocated with smoke, we galloped -down the line of flame to a spot where, the grass being stunted, we -managed to get through without injury, although our horses' legs were -singed a little. We were very thankful to breathe pure air, though -the atmosphere was still thick with smoke, and nothing could be -distinguished of valley or anything else. Jackechan, with unerring -Indian instinct, led the way to a stream of water, where we were able to -drink and wash some of the hot sand out of our eyes. After a quarter of -an hour's rest and a smoke, as the flames had passed on, we determined -to ride back over the still smoking ground, and endeavour to discover -the bodies of our guanaco. We accordingly emerged from the hollow, where -we had sheltered ourselves, and once more plunged into the thick of the -driving smoke and heated sand: holding our mantles over our eyes, we -penetrated the murky atmosphere till Jackechan discovered two of his -animals; but as they were both roasted, or rather burned, and ourselves -and horses were nearly suffocated, we beat a hasty retreat. I was very -thankful when at length, ascending a steep declivity, we emerged at the -top into the pure air. 'Ah!' said Jackechan, looking down on the plains -still full of smoke, 'it has been a rough time, but "we are men, not -women," though we were fools to remain to the last.' I fully agreed with -him in this, as my eyes still smarted very painfully. How he found his -way through the smoke was perfectly inexplicable to me: if I had been -alone, my travels would have been concluded then and there. Towards the -evening of this eventful day the wind abated in violence, and during the -night snow fell, and all the ensuing day there were passing squalls of -white water or snow, and furious blasts of wind. About this time I came -to the conclusion that summer was unknown in these regions, and that -the Patagonian year consisted of two seasons--a hard winter and a bad -spring. The Indians, however, declared that the climate had grown -colder during the last two years. On the 28th of November we broke up -camp and marched to a valley situated under one spur of the wooded -hills, previously mentioned as bounding the northern side of the -valley--killing some young guanaco by the way. I was astonished on -galloping up to two to find they did not run away at first, although -their mothers had already gone, and taken up a position on a rocky -eminence some distance off. Whilst watching them, however, and -meditating on the necessity and cruelty of killing them, the two little -things started off; so, as my mantle was fast losing its beautiful -appearance, I put compunction on one side, and shortly killed them with -a blow on the head. On arriving at the fire where some of the Indians -were collected eating ostriches, I was proceeding to take the skins off, -when Tankelow, who presided, stopped me, saying that we would skin -them in the toldos, where the blood would be a treat to the women and -children. We accordingly reserved the luxury, and after a feed crossed a -small stream and piece of marsh, beyond which lay the encampment, where -the women soon verified Tankelow's words. Though the flesh of the young -guanaco is rather tasteless and soft, the blood has a sweeter taste than -that of the adult. The rennet, or milk, which is found curdled into a -sort of cheese in the intestines, is also eaten with gusto. The most -laborious part of young guanaco hunting consists in taking off the skin, -which, after the necessary incisions have been made with a knife, has to -be taken off by hand, the thumb being used to separate the hide from -the body. The calves, when three days old, run at about the speed of a -horse's hand gallop, but sometimes give longer chases. The Indian plan -is to kill them with a blow on the head from a ball, and then pass on to -another, and so on, afterwards returning to collect them in a heap and -skin them. After the hide is taken off it is necessary to expose it to -the air for a few minutes before folding it up, otherwise it is liable -to get heated, and will tear easily in the subsequent processes. We -hunted in the neighbourhood of Jeroshaik, or 'Bad Hill,' several times, -with varying success, sometimes proceeding up into the wooded hills, -where the timber in some places grew in clumps, as if planted by the -hand of man; in others filled up the rocky dells, until the main -forests were reached, which appeared to extend far into the Cordillera. -Most of the trees were of a species of beech, on which were many small -edible fungi, some of which we gathered for use; and traces of red deer -were frequently seen, and a few were chased by the Indians, but owing -to the thickness of the wood they escaped. Some of the Indians took the -opportunity to cut fresh poles for the toldos. The sight of woods and -trees was so refreshing that I spent several days consecutively amongst -them, very often alone, or with one companion. Nobody, except a sailor -after months on the sea, can imagine the pleasure of wandering under -trees to one who had passed so long a time in the barren and monotonous -plains. The weather, however, still continued wet and inclement. On -the 5th of December, some of us wandering on the heights above, made -out smoke to the N.E., and Campan went off at speed on horseback to -reconnoitre. He returned towards nightfall very drunk, and riding -straight to our toldo, proclaimed that El Sourdo, the Indian left -behind in Santa Cruz, had arrived at a place close to us, bringing -grog in two small barrels, and letters for me: when he had delivered -his news, he, with some difficulty, dismounted without coming on his -head; then produced a bottle half full of rum from under his mantle, -which he dispensed to the attendant company. - -Our toldo was soon crowded, and it was proposed that on the following -day we should march and meet the visitor, all being eager for a drink. -Accordingly, on the morrow we started, in a storm of sleet and rain, and -prepared to hunt _en route_. While hunting, just after Jackechan and -myself had killed an ostrich, the former perceived a single toldo, which -he knew must be El Sourdo's, so we galloped towards it, accompanied by -two other Indians, and were received with open arms by El Sourdo and his -two wives, Jackechan being a very old friend. We were made to sit down, -and the olla, or boiling-pot, was brought out by the two wives, who -acted as Hebes by producing the rum, with which our host filled the pot, -and dispensed the liquor in a pannikin. One of the wives then produced -my letters, which proved to be from Mr. Clarke and Don Luiz P. B., the -schooner having arrived on October 5, all safe. El Sourdo then gave me -all the news verbatim--how a fight had taken place at the settlement -between Gonzalez and Antonio, in which the latter had been killed or -mortally wounded, and the former had escaped to the Pampas, but had -subsequently been captured and taken as a prisoner in the schooner to -Buenos Ayres; and other news of trivial importance. Meanwhile the grog -was fast disappearing, and the pot had to be replenished. This in turn -was about half-emptied by the time the other Indians and women arrived, -and Jackechan, very inebriated, was vowing eternal friendship to me, -while Tchang was howling in my other ear a lovely Tehuelche ditty. As I -had drunk in moderation, I thought it about time to clear, so, on the -plea of looking after my horse, retired and re-read my letters, which -anyone may imagine, although not coming from my relations, were of great -interest. After my departure no more liquor was given away, El Sourdo -selling two bottles for a young horse or a silver-sheathed knife, so -that he soon found himself a rich man. By midnight all the liquor -was exhausted and many drunk, but no disturbances occurred worthy of -mention, all arms having previously been stowed away safely. I was -roused from my first sleep by a lady from a neighbouring toldo, who -wished to embrace me, and, with feminine curiosity, wanted to know the -contents of my letters. She was, I am sorry to say, in an advanced stage -of intoxication, so after giving her a smoke, Orkeke, who had roused -up and was dying of laughter, politely showed her the door. Most of -the party went out hunting in the morning, the ride no doubt proving -beneficial to those suffering from headache, though little game was -killed; but the Sourdo, whom I had joined in a morning bowl of coffee, -remained at home, as his horses were very much used up, one of his boys -going on a friend's mount to procure meat. For four days after this -drinking bout we did nothing but slaughter and eat mares, somebody's -child having been slightly hurt in some manner. Although I have read in -various books that the Indians have a religious festival at which mares -are slaughtered as a sacrifice to the Deity at a certain time of the -year, I never saw anything of it. Whenever this sort of sacrificial -feast took place, there was always a special occasion for it--either a -death, or a child hurt, or some escape from a danger, when the animals -are killed as a thank-offering. Rather tired of remaining so long in one -place, on the 12th we marched due north across the plain, which was -called 'Gisk,' and encamped under a hill covered with trees, and the -sides furrowed with small gullies, densely filled with vegetation -and shrubs of two or three species. Here there were plants of the -description of potatoes before mentioned, but growing very deep in such -unfavourable ground that few were extracted. On the hill sides a plant -bearing a yellow flower grew in abundance, the leaf of which, the -Chilians informed me, was an excellent remedy for wounds and bruises, -and much used in Chili. Four days' hunting took place here, at the end -of which Orkeke, who had some story that the Pampas had been stealing -a march by hunting at night, and was rather disgusted at his continual -ill-success, proposed that we should separate, and in company with the -toldos of Tchang, go westward to a plain below the higher mountains, -which he stated to be abounding in guanaco. He also proposed a trip into -the Cordillera in search of wild cattle. This plan was eagerly approved, -as I anticipated persuading him, if possible, to penetrate to the -Chilian shores of the Pacific. We accordingly set out on our travels, -but had not gone far before a frightful storm of wind, sleet, and rain -set in, which wetted us all completely. We huddled for shelter under a -bush for some time, but as it continued there was nothing for it but to -push on, and about 3 P.M. the weather cleared up; we then entered a glen -with a wooded stream running down it, expanding higher up into an open -plain. A short distance up the valley the intended camping-ground lay, -so a small circle was made, in which some ostriches and guanaco were -killed. We then adjourned across the river under the trees, and soon -had a roaring fire blazing, by the side of which we dried ourselves and -cooked our dinner. A more romantic-looking spot than this I was never -in. On the other side of the stream was a mass of grey rocks, half hid -by shrubs, from amongst which here and there a dead tree stood up. On -one side the grass was beautifully green, and the trees were growing in -scattered round clumps a few yards apart; doves were cooing in their -branches, and young ostriches were running about. These, I am sorry to -say, were caught by the horsemen, who jumped down and secured them: -hunger had no scruples, and two furnished a good meal for each wet -and starving traveller. Despite our ducking, we were soon all in high -spirits, and some of us, before going back to the toldos, proceeded to -search for wild potatoes, a few of which we brought back. The following -morning the sun rose bright, with a clear sky, so we continued our march -in a westerly direction, arriving about mid-day at a gorge amongst the -wooded hills, where I hoped that we were going to encamp; the women, -however, diverged to the northward, and proceeding up a ravine or cañon -in the barranca of the high pampa, pitched the toldos in a gloomy, -prison-like spot. Melancholy as it seemed to me, it afforded abundant -pasture for the horses, which between the hills was scarce, so that they -were inclined to wander into the woods and be hard to find when wanted, -which undoubtedly was the reason of our taking the cañon in preference -to the wooded valley. This cañon, a little beyond our camp, divided into -two, in one of which was a laguna frequented by avocets. The stream, -which in spring poured down the glen, presented only an occasional pool -and a dry bed, in which were numbers of rounded white stones of chalky -substance, supplying capital materials for bolas, easily reduced to the -suitable form: it also occurred to me that the chips pounded to powder -might have the curative effects of chalk mixture, as diarrhoea had -affected some of the party, and the result of the medicinal experiment -was satisfactory, though it was impossible to prevail on the Indians to -try the remedy. Whilst the women were pitching toldos, the men, eight -in number, started to hunt again. Riding to the west, where the plain -was still open, we came upon another of the huge basins previously -described, on the western side of which, beyond a lagoon stocked with -waterfowl, flowed a broad winding stream fringed with trees. At a short -distance from the other side of the stream open glades extended for the -space of perhaps a mile to the verge of the interminable forests, rising -high up on the lofty sides of mountains, some of whose summits were -still partially snow-clad. To the south were two or three round detached -hummocks, hardly deserving the name of hills, crowned with trees. In -the foreground were immense herds of guanaco, and on the northern side -frowned a high range of arid-looking hills, forming a great contrast to -the deliciously-refreshing green aspect of the other points of view. -Whilst waiting concealed behind a bush for the coming herd, which had -been cunningly encircled by Tchang and another Indian, and were to be -driven in our direction, we gazed long at the beautiful view before us, -and Orkeke pointed out a mountain some distance to the north, underneath -which, he said, was the entrance to the scene of our future campaign -against the wild cattle. Towards evening we returned to the toldos, -pretty well loaded with skins. On another occasion, when hunting, we -made a circle, finishing off in the wooded district near the banks -of the river. On our return we hunted over a park-like country, with -alternate open glades and woods. Here we killed a doe red deer and a -large description of fox, apparently identical with the Falkland Island -species (Lupus antarcticus). In the vicinity of the woods, the velvety -sward was carpeted with the wild strawberry plants, which, however, were -only in bloom. On this occasion our enjoyment was marred by one of the -party getting a severe fall, which laid him up for a day or two. Before -we reached the toldos rain set in heavily, which during the night turned -to snow, and the morning sun shone on a white landscape. During our stay -the women went to the woods to cut fresh poles for the toldos, and the -men brought back from the wooded country a description of fungus, which, -when dried, forms an excellent tinder, of considerable value amongst -the Indians, as there are only a few spots where it is to be obtained. -After some days spent in this pleasant neighbourhood, as the supply of -guanaco was failing, we marched over the barren range of hills, and -passing a lagoon of considerable extent below the hills, encamped on -the other side of them, by the side of a smaller one, in a place called -'Gogomenykaik.' - -During the hunt I had singled out a guanaco, and was in full chase -across the upper pampa, which was covered with stunted bushes and tufts -of grass, when the quarry suddenly disappeared, as if the earth had -swallowed him. The next moment my horse halted in mid-gallop, with -its fore feet on the edge of a precipitous descent which shelved away -without any warning. Below was a long beautiful glen, with a pool of -water glistening among the trees which filled it, but did not rear their -topmost boughs above the level of the pampa. Here the guanaco had taken -refuge, and as the descent was impracticable for a horse, I could only -gaze longingly down into the fairy-like scene, and turn away to join the -circle, remembering that it was only too easy to lose oneself by delay. -Of this an instance occurred the same day, for one of the Chilians did -not appear at the fireside when the hunting was completed. At first -no heed was bestowed on him, as it was natural to suppose that he had -chased a herd of guanaco to some distance, and was detained taking off -the skins; but when at sunset he was still missing, some dry grass was -fired, for the purpose of directing him to our camp. The following -morning he had not appeared when we started to hunt, myself going as -pointsman with Orkeke. We galloped for some distance over the plain, -and halted in a hollow, where we came on six young skunks outside their -parental burrow, into which they quickly vanished on our dismounting; -but as their burrows do not penetrate far, Orkeke soon grubbed out a -couple. As they were too small to kill for the value of their skins, and -too much trouble to carry home as pets for the children, we set them -free again, and I proceeded, leaving Orkeke to pursue his way slowly. A -slight rise brought me in front of a rocky hill, on the other side of -which was a river with wooded banks, across the valley of which river -lay my route. I at first considered it to be the same as that seen in -the previous encampment, but on reflection it was plainly another, this -flowing north-east, whilst the other took a south-west course. Our hunt -progressed very fairly. On closing the circle, one of the Chilians, who -was running a guanaco with me, and not expert in the use of the bolas, -entangled his horse and himself instead of the chase, which lost him his -spoils, and caused much merriment amongst the remainder of the party; -although I may as well state here that when a horse gets a ball round -his legs or under his tail, it is not much of a joking matter for the -rider. On our way back to camp, halting by a spring, we found large -quantities of wild celery; nettles were also common--the real old -English white-flowering one being prevalent. Although my bare legs got -considerably stung, I forgot to swear in Tehuelche, and forgave the -plant for old acquaintance sake. At the toldos we found the Chilian, who -had arrived recently, having run a herd some distance and lost his way, -but had been safely directed by our signal fires. In the afternoon some -of the party were occupied in breaking their horses, while others were -sitting at home lazily watching the performance. Conde's step-father, -generally known as 'Paliki,' had a three-year-old iron grey, with a -white star, and a very fine animal, tied up ready to be mounted for the -first time. Paliki entered our toldo to borrow my cincta, or girth, and -chaffed me, asking if I would venture to 'domar' him. Orkeke seconded -the proposal, and accordingly, having stripped off mantle and boots, I -proceeded to take the lazo and reins and mount. The instant he felt the -unwonted incumbrance he buck-jumped for several yards, finally jumping -into the middle of the brook and nearly losing his footing. I spurred -him out, and once on the bank he commenced to whirl round and round -like a teetotum. At last I got his head straight, and after a few more -buck-jumps he went off at racing speed, urged by whip and spur. After a -stretching gallop of three miles, I rode him quietly back, now and again -turning him to accustom him to the bridle-thong, but not venturing to -feel his mouth, and then brought him up to the toldo amidst the shouts -of the spectators. Orkeke expressed great surprise, and wanted to know -where I had learned to 'domar'; and the gratified owner insisted on -presenting me with a piece of tobacco. This was most welcome, as my -store was almost exhausted, though it had been replenished occasionally -by the possessors of guns and revolvers in return for my services in -putting the locks to rights; and the fear of being left tobaccoless--the -agony of which all smokers will appreciate--was becoming unpleasantly -strong. The following day we bade adieu to the lagoon, which, as usual, -was covered with swans and other wild fowl, which we never molested, -husbanding our powder in the event of future disturbances with other -Indians. We marched a few miles, and encamped near the river--indeed, on -its very banks, under the shadows of the trees. Here we passed our time -away hunting, bathing in the stream, smoking, and lying in the shade for -three days. One of my horses being lame, I could not hunt every day, so -frequently passed hours under the trees by the river, scrubbing my one -remaining shirt for future use, and working hide, &c. As writing in -the toldo was made almost impossible by the curiosity of the children, -crowding round me and asking questions, I generally used to take my -note-book to my retreat; here, however, I was often interrupted by the -girls, who came on the pretence of bathing, and evinced great playful -curiosity as to the contents of my book--for here, too, I used to peruse -and re-peruse my library, namely, half of the delightful 'Elsie Venner,' -which Crimè had picked up on board some ship to serve as wadding for his -guns, and sold to me for a little powder. To enable the reader to follow -our somewhat devious course and the intricacies of these hills and -frequent rivers, the sketch map at page 156 will be found useful; it -does not pretend to be exact, but gives a very fair idea of the line of -country traversed and of our migrations between Henno and Teckel. - -On the 23rd, Indians having been seen to the north and guanaco hunting -proving a failure, Orkeke, to my great delight, proposed a visit to the -wild cattle country. The camp was accordingly struck, and following more -or less the valley of the river, which flowed after one turn nearly due -east, we shortly came out into an open plain running up between the -mountains, at the head of which we encamped by some tall beeches on the -banks of the stream. The whole of the latter part of the plain traversed -was literally carpeted with strawberry plants all in blossom, the soil -being of a dark peaty nature. Young ostriches were now numerous, and -every hunt some were captured and formed a welcome addition to our -dinner. The children had several alive as pets, which they used to -let loose and then catch with miniature bolas, generally ending in -killing them. Our programme was to leave all the women, toldos, and -other encumbrances in this spot, named 'Weekel,' or Chaykash--a -regular station, and which Hinchel's party had occupied a few weeks -previously--and proceed ourselves into the interior in search of cattle. -The following morning at daylight horses were caught and saddled, and, -after receiving the good wishes of the women, who adjured us to bring -back plenty of fat beef, we started off just as the sun was rising -behind the hills to the eastward. The air was most invigorating, and we -trotted along for some distance up a slightly irregular and sandy slope, -halting after an hour or two by the side of a deliciously clear brook, -flowing east, where we smoked. We had previously passed guanaco and -ostrich, but no notice was taken of them, the Indians having larger game -in view. After passing this brook, the head water of the river near -which we had left the toldos, we skirted a large basin-like plain of -beautiful green pasture, and after galloping for some time entered the -forest, travelling along a path which only permitted us to proceed in -Indian file. The trees were in many places dead, not blackened by fire, -but standing up like ghostly bleached and bare skeletons. It is a -remarkable fact that all the forests on the eastern side are skirted by -a belt of dead trees. At length, however, just as we came in sight of -a curiously pointed rock which in the distance resembled the spire of -a church, we entered the forest of live trees; the undergrowth was -composed of currant, bay, and other bushes, whilst here and there were -beds of yellow violets, and the inevitable strawberry plants everywhere. -After crossing a stream which, flowing from the north, afterwards -took a westerly course, thus proving that we had passed the watershed, -we proceeded, under cover of a huge rock, to reconnoitre the hunting -ground. The scenery was beautiful: a valley, about a mile wide, -stretched directly under us; on the southern verge a silver line marked -the easterly river, and another on the northern the one debouching in -the Pacific; whilst above, on both sides, rose high mountains covered -with vegetation and almost impenetrable forests. On the western side of -the valley a solitary bull was leisurely taking his breakfast, and above -our look-out rock a huge condor lazily flapped his wings. These were -the only specimens of animal life in view. Pursuing our way in perfect -silence, as from the first entrance into the forests speaking had been -prohibited, we followed the leader along the narrow cattle path, passing -here and there the remains of a dead bull or cow that had met their fate -by the Indians' lazo, and at length descended to the plain. It was about -mid-day, and the day was warm, so we halted, changed horses, looked to -our girths, got lazos ready for use, and then started on. As we were -proceeding we observed two or three animals amongst the woods on the -opposite side, but knowing that it would be useless to follow, pursued -our course up the valley. Having crossed the western stream, we at once -entered a thicket where the path was scarcely distinguishable from the -cover, but our leader never faltered, and led the way through open -glades alternating with thick woods, on every side of which were cattle -marks, many being holes stamped out by the bulls, or wallowing places. -The glades soon terminated in forests, which seemed to stretch unbroken -on either side. We had expected before reaching this point to have found -cattle in considerable numbers, but the warmth of the day had probably -driven them into the thickets to seek shelter. We now commenced to -ascend over a dangerous path, encumbered here and there with loose -boulders and entangled in dense thickets, whilst we could hear and catch -occasional glimpses of the river foaming down a ravine on our left, and -presently arrived at the top of a ridge where the forests became more -uniformly dense, and we could with great difficulty pursue our way. It -was a mystery to me how Orkeke, who acted as guide, knew where we were, -as on one occasion the slightly-marked paths diverged in different -directions, and on another we literally found ourselves amongst fallen -trees in a forest so dense that the light of day scarcely penetrated its -shades. Our leader, however, never hesitated, but led us onwards in all -confidence. Whilst brushing along, if I may be allowed the term, trying -to keep the leader in sight, I heard something tapping on a tree, and -looking up, saw close above me a most beautifully marked red crested -woodpecker. We at length commenced to descend, and, after passing many -channels of rivulets issuing from springs, where a slip of the horse's -foot on the wet and mossy stones would have occasioned something worse -than broken bones, as they were situated on the edge of a deep ravine, -finally emerged from the woods and found ourselves on a hill of some -three hundred feet in height, whence we looked down on a broad plain in -the form of a triangle, bounded by the river flowing through the ravine -on the north side, and on the southern by another coming from the south, -which two streams united in one large river at the western apex, at -a distance of about perhaps a league. Above and around, on all sides -excepting to the west and the ravines through which the rivers flowed, -rose the unbroken wall of the lofty mountains of the Cordillera, many of -their peaks snow-clad. No sound was to be heard except the rushing of -the river in the ravine, and no animal life to be seen except a condor -or two floating high above us in the clear sky. The scene was sublime, -and I viewed it in silence for some minutes, till the pipe, being handed -to me, dispelled all nascent poetic tendencies. The Indians remained -silent and looked disgusted, as a herd of cattle had been expected to be -viewed on the plain below. We descended to the flats, and crossed the -river, on the banks of which 'Paja' or Pampa grass grew in abundance, -as well as the bamboo-like canes from which Araucanian Indians make -their lance shafts, and a plant called by the Chilians 'Talka,' the -stalk of which, resembling rhubarb, is refreshing and juicy. On the -northern edges and slope of the ravine behind us towered graceful pines -60 feet high, which, though an impassable barrier of rock prevented -close inspection, appeared to be a species of Araucaria: the bark was -imbricated, and the stems rose bare of branches for two-thirds of their -height, like those figured by M. Gay. Many had been carried down by -landslips, and lay tossed and entangled on the sides of the ravine. -The increase of temperature after passing the watershed was sensibly -great, amounting to from 7 to 10 degrees, and the vegetation far more -luxuriant, the plants presenting many new forms unknown at the eastern -side. After leaving the plain and crossing the shallow stream, we left -our mantles, and girthed up near a tree in a thicket festooned with a -beautiful creeper, having a bell-shaped flower of violet radiated with -brown. The variety of flowers made an Eden of this lovely spot: climbing -clusters of sweet peas, vetches, and rich golden flowers resembling -gorgeous marigolds, and many another blossom, filled the air with -perfume and delighted the eye with their beauty. Proceeding still -westward we entered a valley with alternate clumps of trees and green -pastures, and after riding about a mile I espied from a ridge on one -side of the valley two bulls on the other side, just clear of the thick -woods bordering the ascent of the mountains. The word was passed in -whispers to the cacique, and a halt being called under cover of some -bushes, a plan of attack was arranged in the following manner. Two men -were sent round to endeavour to drive the animals to a clearing, where -it would be possible to use the lazo, the remainder of the party -proceeding down towards the open ground with lazos, ready to chase -if the bulls should come that way. For a few minutes we remained -stationary, picking the strawberries, which in this spot were ripe, -although the plants previously met with were only in flower. At the end -of five minutes spent in anxiously hoping that our plan would prove -successful, a yell from the other side put us on the alert, and we had -the gratification to see one of the animals coming straight towards our -cover. Alas! just as we were preparing to dash out, he turned on the -edge of the plain, and after charging furiously at his pursuer dashed -into a thicket, where he stood at bay. We immediately closed round him, -and dismounting, I advanced on foot to try and bring him down with the -revolver; just as I had got within half-a-dozen paces of him, and behind -a bush was quietly taking aim at his shoulder, the Indians, eager for -beef, and safe on their horses at a considerable distance off, shouted, -'Nearer! Nearer!' I accordingly stepped from my cover, but had hardly -moved a pace forward when my spur caught in a root: at the same moment -'El Toro' charged. Entangled with the root, I could not jump on one side -as he came on; so when within a yard I fired a shot in his face, hoping -to turn him, and wheeled my body at the same instant to prevent his -horns from catching me, as the sailors say, 'broadside on.' The shot did -not stop him, so I was knocked down, and, galloping over me, he passed -on with my handkerchief, which fell from my head, triumphantly borne on -his horns, and stopped a few yards off under another bush. Having picked -myself up and found my arms and legs all right, I gave him another shot, -which, as my hand was rather unsteady, only took effect in the flank. -My cartridges being exhausted, I returned to my horse and found that, -besides being considerably shaken, two of my ribs had been broken by the -encounter. - -[Illustration: A WILD BULL IN THE CORDILLERA.] - -The Indians closed round me, and evinced great anxiety to know whether I -was much hurt. One more courageous than the rest, despite the warnings -of the cacique, swore that he would try and lazo the brute, and -accordingly approached the infuriated animal, who for a moment or two -showed no signs of stirring: just, however, as the Indian was about to -throw his lazo it caught in a branch, and before he could extricate it -the bull was on him. We saw the horse give two or three vicious kicks -as the bull gored him: at length he was lifted clean up, the fore legs -alone remaining on the ground, and overthrown, the rider alighting on -his head in a bush. We closed up and attracted the bull in another -direction, then went to look for the corpse of our comrade, who, -however, to our surprise, issued safe from the bush, where he had lain -quiet and unhurt, though the horse was killed. This little incident cast -a gloom over our day's pleasure, and lost us our Christmas dinner, as -Orkeke ordered a retreat to the spot where we had left our mantles, -although we tried to persuade him to attack the beast again, or, at any -rate, remain and eat some of the dead horse, and try our luck next day, -but he was inflexible. So having regained our spare horses we prepared -to return home, hoping to be able to pass through the forests before -nightfall. On our way across the plain previously described, wild cattle -were seen and one chased; but he, although balled by Orkeke, contrived -to slip the bolas, and escaping to cover stood to bay, where he was -left master of the field. This bull would have been taken had the other -Indians showed any degree of alacrity when Orkeke balled him; but they -were dispirited by the previous failure. As evening was coming on I -noticed a cormorant on the river: this and the increase of temperature -led me to believe that had we penetrated a few miles farther west we -should have reached the shores of the Pacific. Pursuing our track -homewards, after the second unsuccessful engagement, we managed to pass -the thick forest before dark, and descending to the eastern valley -saw numerous cows and bulls at intervals. A short time after dark -we encamped for the night under the shelter of some trees near to -the head waters of the western river, and after a pipe--by way of -supper--wrapping ourselves in our mantles were soon fast asleep. At -daylight we mounted and continued our journey, arriving about 2 P.M. -pretty considerably hungry, having eaten nothing barring strawberries -and talka, and a few unripe currants, since our last evening in the -toldos. The women were naturally disappointed at our ill-luck, but -uttered no complaints or reproaches, and hastened to pound some charqui -for our refreshment. Next day, all except myself and my companion in -the overthrow, who complained of headache, went out hunting and returned -at night with young guanaco, and an ostrich or two. Some of the women -had seen cattle near the encampment, and Orkeke informed me that in -former years they used to occupy the plains below us in large herds, but -that the Indians had driven them into the interior by excessive hunting: -he also stated that on one occasion he spent some months in this spot, -and caught and tamed a considerable number. His accurate knowledge of -the country made his statement credible, and he also showed me a sort -of corral that had been made to enclose the wild animals. For my own -part the name of the Cordillera recalls the most hungry Christmas time -of my life: to parody the 'Ancient Mariner,' it was 'Cattle, cattle -everywhere, and never a bit of beef.' The following day was spent in the -toldos, and some of the Indians were desirous, or pretended to be, of -going once more in search of cattle. Orkeke would not hear of it, so on -the 28th we marched, following the course of the river in a more or less -north-east direction. The weather was beautiful, and after leaving the -plain we rode along the winding valley, now and then starting a herd -of guanaco or a solitary ostrich. Towards evening we encamped on the -banks of the river, and the women, after pitching the toldos, employed -themselves in grubbing up potatoes. This day we saw smoke to the north, -caused by the hunting parties of the other Indians, and also some at a -greater distance, which Orkeke said was that of the Araucanian Indians, -whom it was expected that we should shortly meet with. - -On the 29th we were preparing to march, and while the women were -engaged in lading the horses some of us were picking the berries of -the 'Califata,' or barberry (Berberis buccifolia), or looking for -strawberries, when a boy, from a party of other Indians occupying the -toldos near at hand, rode up as if despatched as a chasqui, and stated -that his party had communicated with the Araucanians, amongst whom -there had been a row in a drinking bout, resulting in the death of -the cacique. This story was fully believed, and Orkeke was rather -perplexed, as perhaps the new cacique might not be friendly disposed -towards the Tehuelches. Without hunting, we rode quietly down to the -next encampment, where the two strange toldos had already arrived. -On our near approach one of the Indians came to meet us, and whilst -discussing a pipe, after the observance of the usual ceremonial -prescribed by etiquette (as we had not seen the man before), we asked -him about the row amongst the Araucanos, which turned out to be all a -hoax on the part of the promising youth who had visited us. After a -while we adjourned to the toldos, situated on a bend of the river near -a ford or pass. We had now arrived at the camp agreed on as a general -rendezvous at Henno, previous to the dispersion of the Indians. This -valley is called Teckel, and is a favourite resting place after the -young guanaco season, both for the purpose of refreshing the horses -and manufacturing the young guanaco skins into mantles, previous to -proceeding to trade either at the Rio Negro or with the Indians of Las -Manzanas. The encampment is usually situated on the ground occupied at -this time, viz., on the west side of the river, about a mile from a -large barren hill which shuts out the view of the Cordillera. On the -east side the valley extends some three miles, and continues open to the -north for perhaps six miles. It is all fertile, but the best grazing -ground is at the north-east end. The banks of the river, which are -destitute of trees, are in many places high, and formed under the -surface earth of various stratified clays--blue, white, and red. In the -bottom of the stream, which is singularly free from stones, thick beds -of clay are of frequent occurrence, almost approaching to the tufa found -in the Parana and other confluents of La Plata, and in some spots there -are beds of black sand, probably auriferous; fish are procurable in any -eddy or pool, and crayfish abound and form the most tempting bait for -the others. Out of some of the finest clay I was enabled to manufacture -a pipe by the simple process of shaping it in the hand and then baking -it in the ashes, but it did not last long. Shortly after our arrival one -of the small children, whilst playing with bolas formed out of the foot -and sinews of an ostrich, hurt himself, and in consequence a slaughter -of mares took place, which opportunely enabled us to dispense with -hunting and rest our horses, which by this time stood in sore need of -some bye days; though, as there was a good race-course, we frequently -indulged in a race just to keep the horses in exercise. After we had -been about a week settled here, the women being all hard at work making -up mantles--which will be described in the next chapter--the Indians -began to arrive, and the hunting was resumed; only, however, when -absolutely necessary. Some of the new arrivals proceeded to the wild -cattle district, and managed to kill a bull, although--as before--an -accident occurred. As my lazo was used to capture the bull, I came in -for a share of the meat, which was divided amongst the people in our -toldo; but it proved very tough, and rather nasty. Perhaps the palate, -having been so long accustomed to guanaco, ostrich, or horse, could not -relish meat of a coarser description; but the hide was invaluable for -making maneos and other horse-gear. On January 7 a messenger arrived -from Casimiro requesting me to send him some information, and stating -that he was distant some three marches, and wished to wait some time to -refresh his horses, &c. After consulting with Orkeke and Jackechan, -we sent back a messenger to say that, 'As game was scarce now in the -vicinity of Teckel, and all were more or less desirous of pushing -forward, he had better make haste and join us, otherwise we should -continue our march towards Las Manzanas.' This message had the desired -effect, as on the 11th he made his appearance, with several other -toldos, a few only remaining in the rear with Crimè, who was reported -to be unwell. - -On Casimiro's arrival, as he now possessed a good toldo, I changed my -quarters to his residence, as agreed on at the outset of the journey. -I was sorry to leave Orkeke, and the old man was very much grieved, a -present of a revolver only troubling him the more, as he informed me -that he had nothing to offer in exchange; however, my assurance that I -did not give him a present expecting an exchange, as is customary with -Indians, appeared to console him. The usual consultation of the chiefs -took place, in which all the preceding arrangements were agreed to, and -we remained stationary in Teckel until January 20. As I had by this -time become well acquainted with the mode of life and usages of the -Tehuelches, and was looked upon as one of themselves--and in fact had -acquired a position and influence among them--it may be as well to call -a halt, and devote a chapter to a description of the manners and customs -of the Tsonecas, as Tehuelches or Patagonians call themselves. - -[Illustration: SKETCH MAP FROM RIO SENGEL TO TECKEL.] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE TEHUELCHES. - - Patagonian Giants. -- A Long Walk. -- Strength and Good Humour. - -- Heads of Hair. -- Tehuelche Coquettes. -- Dress of Men and - Women. -- Ornaments and Cosmetics. -- Toilette and Bath. -- - Arms and Implements. -- Ancient Bolas and Arrows. -- Saddles - and Bridles. -- Silversmiths. -- Manufacture of Mantles. -- - Women's Work. -- Diet and Cookery. -- Smoking. -- Card Playing. - -- Game of Ball. -- Ceremonies at Birth. -- Childhood. -- - Marriage. -- Funeral Rites. -- Religion. -- Demons and Doctors. - -- Witchcraft and Omens. -- Medical Skill. -- Population and - Politics. -- Etiquette. -- Tehuelche Character. -- Natural - Affection. -- Advice to Travellers. - - -The first question asked about the Patagonians by curious English -friends has invariably had reference to their traditionary stature. Are -they giants or not? Whether the ancestors of the Tehuelches--to whom -alone, by the way, the name Patagonians properly applies--were taller -than the present race is uncertain; though tales of gigantic skeletons -found in Tehuelche graves are current in Punta Arenas and Santa Cruz. -The average height of the Tehuelche male members of the party with which -I travelled was rather over than under 5 feet 10 inches.[7] Of course -no other means of measurement besides comparing my own height were -available; but this result, noted at the time, coincides with that -independently arrived at by Mr. Cunningham. Two others, who were -measured carefully by Mr. Clarke, stood 6 feet 4 inches each. After -joining the Northern Tehuelches, although the Southerners proved -generally to be the tallest, I found no reason to alter this average, -as any smaller men that were met with in their company were not pure -Tehuelches, but half-bred Pampas. The extraordinary muscular development -of the arms and chest is in all particularly striking, and as a rule -they are well-proportioned throughout. This fact calls for especial -mention, as others have stated that the development and strength of the -legs is inferior to that of the arms. Even Mr. Cunningham alleges this -to be the case, but I cannot at all agree with him. Besides the frequent -opportunities afforded me of scrutinising the young men engaged in the -game of ball, in which great strength and activity are displayed, or -when enjoying the almost daily bath and swimming or diving, I judged -of the muscular size of their legs by trying on their boots, which, in -nearly all cases, were far too large for me, although the feet, on the -other hand, were frequently smaller than mine. The height of their -insteps is also worthy of remark, one example of which may suffice. -Having negotiated an exchange of an excellent pair of high boots, -manufactured by Messrs. Thomas, for some necessary article, with a -Tehuelche, the bargain fell through because he was unable to get his -foot into the boot, the high arched instep proving an insuperable -obstacle to further progress. - - [7] _Vide_ Appendix B. - -An instance of the walking powers of the Tehuelches came under my -particular notice. On my first arrival at Santa Cruz, it will be -remembered that the schooner was lying in the mouth of the river waiting -for a fair wind. Two Tehuelches, named Tchang and Getchkook, had -embarked in order to proceed to the Rio Negro, but their patience -becoming exhausted by the delay, they asked to be put ashore, and walked -back to the settlement--a distance of over forty miles--in about twelve -hours, without food. I saw them on their arrival, and they did not -appear in any way distressed, merely remarking that it had been 'a long -walk.' - -Their powers of abstaining from food are also very remarkable. When the -disturbances and fighting were going on they rarely ate anything: also -when travelling as 'chasquis,' or messengers, they will not unfrequently -go for two, and even three, days without tasting food. In our expedition -into the Cordillera we remained over forty-eight hours without food, -except wild fruit, and, although I at first suffered from hunger, my -companions did not appear to be in any way inconvenienced. As a Chilian -deserter remarked on one occasion, it was all very well for them to go -on without eating; 'but we can't--we've not so much fat.' Their strength -of arm is very great, and the distance to which they can throw the -ostrich bola is truly astonishing: thus I have seen Crimè and some -others ball an ostrich over seventy yards distant. When cutting wood -in the Cordillera with Hinchel, a Chilian deserter and myself had cut -a tree through, and, having fastened a lazo to the top branch, were -endeavouring to drag it down, but its branches became entangled in -another tree and we could not stir it. Hinchel, seeing our difficulty, -came up, and with one well-directed, vigorous tug cleared it from the -branches and brought it to the ground. - -Mr. Clarke also informed me that when he was ill with fever, and had to -be removed from the Almacen to the lower house on the island, on account -of the noise made by the drunken Indians, Wáki mounted, and, taking -him in his arms, rode down seemingly unencumbered by the burden. Their -faces, of course, vary in expression, but are ordinarily bright and -good-humoured, though when in the settlements they assume a sober, -and even sullen, demeanour. Wáki and Cayuke, two friends of mine, are -particularly present to my recollection as having always had a smile on -their faces. Their ever ready laughter displays universally good teeth, -which they keep white and clean by chewing 'maki,' a gum which exudes -from the incense bush, and is carefully gathered by the women and -children. It has a rather pleasant taste and is a most excellent -dentifrice, worthy to rival Odonto or Floriline, and it is used simply -as such, and not, as Monsr. Guinnard[8] says, because their greediness -is so great that they must chew something. Their eyes are bright and -intelligent, and their noses--though, of course, presenting different -types--are as a rule aquiline and well-formed, and devoid of the breadth -of nostril proper to the ordinary ideal of savage tribes. The peculiar -prominence over the eyebrows has been noticed by all observers, and -retreating foreheads, though observable, are exceptional. The thick -masses of hair, and the obvious risk, which would deter the most zealous -craniologist from endeavouring to measure their heads, must be deemed -sufficient excuse for my not being able to state whether they are -dolichokephalic or brachykephalic; a point, however, which I confess did -not particularly attract my observation; but, for the partial comfort of -anthropologists, be it noted that both Chilians and myself interchanged -hats with some Tehuelches, especially Orkeke and Hinchel, without -finding misfits. The complexion of the men is reddish brown, that is -to say when cleansed from paint, and, like an old picture, restored to -their pristine tint, which is not quite so deep as to warrant Fitzroy's -comparison of it to the colour of a Devon cow. - - [8] Three Years' Slavery, p. 233. - -The scanty natural growth of beard, moustaches, and even eyebrows, is -carefully eradicated by means of a pair of silver tweezers, and I was -often urged to part with my beard, and undergo this painful operation, -but I naturally objected to comply with the request. The men's heads -are covered with thick, flowing masses of long hair, of which they take -great care, making their wives, or other female relatives, brush it out -carefully at least once a day. Very few appeared to have grey hair; -though there were a few exceptions, one very old man's hair being of a -snowy whiteness, which contrasted strangely with his tawny face. The -women have, as far as I could judge, an average height of about 5 feet -6: they are very strong in the arms, but seldom walk beyond fetching -the supplies of wood and water, all their journeys being performed on -horseback. Their hair, which is of no great length, scarcely indeed -equalling that of the men, and very coarse, is worn in two plaited -tails, which on gala days are artificially lengthened, probably with -horse-hair interwoven with blue beads, the ends being garnished with -silver pendants. This practice, however, is confined, I think, to the -unmarried ladies. - -Being an admirer of long hair, on my first joining the Indians I greatly -admired Tchang's daughter for her 'head of hair,' two immensely long -tails beautifully embellished, which I naturally thought was all her -own. But, meeting her by chance on the following morning returning -to the toldo with water, to my great disappointment I found that she -had taken her spare hair off, and her natural locks were the reverse -of long. The young women are frequently good-looking, displaying -healthy, ruddy cheeks when not disguised with paint. They are modest in -behaviour, though very coquettish, and as skilled in flirtation as if -they had been taught in more civilised society. The fair widow who so -nearly _hooked_ the Englishman could on occasions appeal as prettily for -help as a young lady in imaginary difficulties over a country stile. -Thus, when at Orkeke's request I led the way through a river--half way -across the channel suddenly deepened, with muddy bottom, and an abrupt -bank to land on--I heard a plaintive appeal, 'Muster, help me! my horse -is too small.' Exposure and work do not age them as soon as might be -expected, but when old they become most hideous beldames, and the most -weird-like witches imagined by Doré would be surpassed by a trio of -Tehuelche grandames. The dress of the men consists of a chiripa, or -under garment round the loins, made of a poncho, a piece of cloth, or -even of a guanaco mantle: but, whatever the material, this article of -dress is indispensable and scrupulously worn, their sense of decency -being very strong. All other garments are supplied by the capacious and -warm skin mantle, which, worn with the fur inside and the painted side -out, will keep the wearer dry for a considerable time in the wettest -weather. This is often dispensed with in the chase, but, if worn when -riding, is secured at the waist by a belt of hide or leather if it can -be obtained. When in camp the belt is not used, and the garment is worn -loose, something after the fashion of the 'melodramatic assassin's' -cloak. When sitting by the fireside, or even when walking about, the -furred part of the mantle is generally kept up over the mouth--as -the Tehuelches aver that the cold wind causes sore gums--a habit -which assists in rendering their guttural, and at all times rather -unintelligible, language more difficult of comprehension to the novice. - -Their potro boots (fig. 5) or buskins are made from the skin of horse's -hock, and occasionally from the leg of a large puma, drawn on up to the -knee and fastened round the foot. It is thus worn for a day or two until -the boot has taken the shape of the foot, when the leather is cut at the -toes and sewn up to fit. When the sole is worn, or in very wet or snowy -weather, hide overshoes are worn besides, and the footprints thus made -are really large enough to convey the idea of giants' feet, and partly -explain the term 'Patagon,' or large feet, applied to these Indians -by the Spanish discoverers. The boots are rarely put on in camp for -economical reasons, though turning out barefoot in the frozen grass at -daylight is unpleasant even to a Tehuelche. But the material of the boot -would soon wear out if used for walking. In riding they are secured by -garters, either gay coloured woven bands, or, which is _de rigueur_ -for chiefs, of hide, with massive silver buckles. Although the usual -head-dress of the men is simply a coloured fillet to confine the hair, -yet sometimes, and especially on state occasions, hats, if procurable, -are indulged in. Old Orkeke frequently wore a felt wideawake, which was, -on returning from hunting, carefully put up by his thoughtful spouse. - -The women's dress consists of a mantle similar to that worn by the men, -but secured at the throat by a large silver pin with a broad disc, or -a nail, or thorn, according to the wealth or poverty of the wearer; -and under this is a loose calico or stuff sacque, extending from the -shoulders to the ankle. When travelling the mantle is secured at the -waist by a broad belt ornamented with blue beads, and silver or brass -studs. The boots worn by the women are similar to those described, with -the exception that in their preparation the hair is left on the hide, -while it is carefully removed from those of the men. The children are -dressed in small mantles, but are more frequently allowed to run about -naked up to the age of six or eight; their little boots are made from -the skin taken from the fore-legs of the guanaco, softened in the hand. -The small children generally remonstrated strongly and effectually -against wearing this article of clothing; and whatever the severity -of the weather, preferred running about barefoot. The cradles for the -babies are formed of strips of wicker-work interlaced with hide thongs, -fitted with a cover to keep sun and rain off, and made of a convenient -shape to rest on the saddle gear of the mother when on the march. They -are ornamented, if the parents are wealthy, with little bells, brass -or even silver plates. The women are fond of ornaments, wearing huge -earrings of square shape, suspended to small rings passing through the -lobe of the ear; also silver or blue bead necklaces. The men also wear -these necklaces, and adorn their belts, pipes, knives, sheaths, and -horse-gear with silver. Those who can afford it also indulge in silver -spurs and stirrups; most of their ornaments, except the beads, are -home-made, being beaten out of dollars obtained by commerce in the -settlements. Both sexes smear their faces, and occasionally their -bodies, with paint, the Indians alleging as the reason for using this -cosmetic, that it is a protection against the effect of the winds; and I -found from personal experience that it proved a complete preservative -from excoriation or chapped skin. It proved equally effective against -the sun, which in Henno peeled my face completely until I resumed the -paint--which I had left off--not wishing to appear as a noble savage to -the newcomers. The paint for the face is composed of either red ochre or -black earth mixed with grease obtained from the marrow bones of the game -killed in the chase, all of which are carefully husbanded by the women, -and when opportunity offers pounded and boiled in the large pots; the -grease and gelatine being carefully skimmed off and secured. On state -occasions, such as a birth feast, and for a dance, the men further adorn -themselves with white paint, or powdered gypsum, which they moisten and -rub on their hands, and make five white finger-marks over their chests, -arms, and legs. The usual morning toilette is simple; after the plunge -in the river, which is almost always the first thing, except of course -when circumstances prevent it, indulged in by both sexes, who bathe -scrupulously apart, and generally before daylight. The men's hair is -dressed by their wives, daughters, or sweethearts, who take the greatest -care to burn any hairs that may be brushed out, as they fully believe -that spells may be wrought by evil-intentioned persons who can obtain a -piece of their hair. From the same idea, after cutting their nails, the -parings are carefully committed to the flames. After the hairbrushing, -which is performed by means of a rude hand brush, the women adorn the -men's faces with paint; if in mourning they put on black paint, and if -going to fight, sometimes put a little white paint under the eyes, which -assists in contrast to the other in giving a savage expression. The -women paint each other's faces, or if possessed, as sometimes occurs, of -a fragment of looking-glass, paint their own. Both sexes tattoo on the -forearm, by the simple process of puncturing the skin with a bodkin, and -inserting a mixture of blue earth with a piece of dry glass: the usual -patterns consist of a series of parallel lines, and sometimes a single -triangle, or a double triangle, the upper one resting on the apex of the -lower. I myself had one line tattooed by a fair enslaver, and confess -that the process was rather painful. - -Indians have a good deal of regard for personal cleanliness, and besides -the morning ablutions enjoy bathing when encamped near a river, swimming -and diving for hours together. They also are scrupulously careful as -to the cleanliness of their toldos and utensils, and will, if they -can obtain soap, wash up every thing they may be possessed of. -Notwithstanding these precautions they are very much afflicted by -vermin, which effect a firm lodgment in the wool of their mantles. This -may be attributed to their mode of life, and their food, as well as to -the materials of their clothing; and any traveller who wishes to sojourn -with the Indians must make up his mind to subject himself to these -inflictions, to which, however (_experto crede_), he will soon become -inured. Their method of hunting and of cooking the meat obtained by the -chase has been fully described in a previous chapter. Among the arms -and implements figured in the illustration will be found (figs. 9 and -10) the weapons chiefly employed in the pursuit of game, namely, the -bolas fitted with two balls called 'Chumè,' for capturing the ostrich, -and those with three called 'yachiko,' for guanaco hunting, which are -similar to those used by the Gauchos in the Argentine Provinces. The -balls are generally of stone, but sometimes white metal or copper balls -are employed, procured in the settlements, which require no covering, -and are more and more coming into fashion of late years; iron balls -also, or iron ore, obtained and hammered into the requisite shape by the -Tehuelches themselves, are common; these are for the round striking ball -or balls: but the oval shaped hand ball, which is grasped in the hand, -and is necessarily lighter by at least one-third than the other, is -generally made of the soft vesicular lava which abounds in so many -districts. The tough light thong for swinging balls round the head is -generally made, as previously described, of ostrich or guanaco sinews -plaited in four plaits, the length of which should be between seven and -eight feet. It is always best to ball a quarry when galloping in an -exact line, as the necks of guanaco and ostrich are always aimed at; -entangling the hind legs of the quadruped being useless, though cattle -and horses are always balled round the hind legs. A shot at a bird or -beast bounding or running across is almost sure to miss; of course -misses are frequent, as fifty to seventy yards is often the distance of -a shot delivered from a horse's back at full gallop; and the balls whirr -through the air with their peculiar sound, only perhaps to fall into -a tangled bush. Then it is that the advantage of the bright material -becomes evident, for the horseman does not stop, but gallops on and -throws another pair, returning afterwards to pick up the dropped -weapons, frequently very hard to find on the pebble-strewn, grass-grown, -or shrub-covered surface. I generally threw down a handkerchief or some -such thing, easily seen, to mark the spot; but the metal bolas are so -much preferred on account of being easily seen, that a pair are worth a -horse. In addition to the bolas, a lazo is used when hunting cattle or -horses, and sometimes for the pumas, although the ordinary method is to -kill them by first stunning them with a blow on the head. The arms of -the Tehuelches consist of gun or revolver, sword or dagger, a long heavy -lance, used only by dismounted Indians, and altogether different to the -light lance of Araucanian and Pampa horsemen, and the bola perdida or -single ball, so called because once thrown it is not picked up again: -this weapon is quickly constructed; a sharp-pointed stone is taken, -covered with hide except the point, which is left out, and a thong of -raw hide about a yard long is attached, with a knot made in the end to -prevent it slipping from the hand whilst whirling it round previous to -throwing it at an enemy. Before the introduction of firearms the bola -perdida was the original weapon of the Tehuelches, and is even at the -present day a most deadly missile in their hands. (See fig. 11.) - -I am aware that Pigafetta, the historian of Magellan's voyage, describes -the ancestors of these Indians as using bows and arrows, but I am -inclined to think that this must have applied either to a tribe of -Fuegians or a party of Pampas living in the valley of the Rio Negro. It -is certain that no ancient flint arrowheads are met with south of the -Rio Negro, where they abound; also that there is but little, if any, -wood nearer than the Cordillera suitable for bows, and it is reasonable -to suppose that previous to the introduction of horses the Indian -migrations were confined to a smaller area; besides, although no -arrowheads are found in the interior of Patagonia proper, ancient bolas -are not unfrequently met with. These are highly valued by the Indians, -and differ from those in present use by having grooves cut round them, -and by their larger size and greater weight. The introduction and -diffusion of firearms has almost superseded the use of defensive armour; -but chain suits, and hide surcoats studded thickly with silver, are -still--as instances before given show--possessed and employed: and -before going into battle the warriors are often padded like cricketers, -corconillas or saddle-cloths, and ponchos being employed to form a -covering, the folds of which will turn a sword cut or lance thrust. - -[Illustration: TEHUELCHE ARMS AND IMPLEMENTS - -1. Saddle. 2. Bridle. 3. Girth. 4. Spurs. 5. Boot. 6. Adze. 7. Scraper. -8. Musical instrument. 9. Ostrich bola. 10. Guanaco bola. 11. Bola -perdida. 12. Pipe.] - -During our long sojourn at Teckel, as hunting was avoided as much as -possible, in order to rest the horses, the men occupied themselves in -Indian arts and manufactures, some account of which may be deemed -interesting. - -As the horse is the mainstay of the Indian, let the saddle-gear take -precedence. (See figs. 1, 2, 3, 4.) - -The saddles are constructed in the following manner. A piece of timber -is split in two, and reduced, by means of a small hand-adze, to the -requisite size and thickness to form the side boards or flaps, skilfully -adapted to the shape of the horse's back; in these boards holes are -bored at each end, and the saddle-trees, which are chosen from angular -limbs of trees, like knees for boat building, and reduced to the -requisite size, are lashed on by hide. Over this fresh guanaco hide, -divested of its woolly coat and carefully cut to the proper shape, -is sewn with sinew, serving, as it dries, to bind the whole securely -together. Casimiro was the most skilful workman of the party, and made a -saddle for me which, although through having to start in a hurry it was -not smoothed down or covered with hide, I used for about five weeks -without any chafing of the horse's back. Underneath the saddle a thick -mandil, or poncho, is placed; and over the saddle a corconilla, or -housing, of puma or yearling guanaco skin, or, which is always preferred -if obtainable, a black sheepskin. The Araucanians weave corconillas of -most beautiful texture and brilliant blue colour, which are sold for as -much as 5_l._ in the settlements. The girths are made of thirteen or -fourteen ties of twisted hide from the neck of the guanaco, and fitted -with two rings connected by a leather thong. The stirrups are suspended -by strips of hide from the holes bored in the foremost saddle-trees. -They are generally made of a piece of hard wood fixed into a raw hide -thong, or sometimes of wood bent into a triangular shape. The swells, of -course, sport silver stirrups, but they are frequently not used at all. -The saddle is also taken off when the hunting circle is being closed -and the horses ridden bare-backed, but it is replaced to carry the meat -back to the toldos. Sometimes it occurs that an Indian loses his saddle -at play, when he is perforce obliged to ride bare-backed, and it never -appears to inconvenience them. The bridles are made of either plaited or -twisted hide. The bits used vary, but the more general is a simple bar -of either wood or iron, covered at either end with two flaps of stout -hide, from which two thongs extend under the horse's jaw, forming an -effectual curb, the reins being also secured to the hide-flaps. The bar -is frequently omitted, and a simple thong is placed in the horse's mouth -and rove through the piece of hide, which is secured to the bridle and -tied under the jaw. I used this simple bit the whole of the journey, and -never had reason to find fault with it. The spurs are made of two pieces -of hard wood, with nails filed to a sharp point fixed in the ends, for -which I once tried to substitute bone spikes, but they required constant -sharpening and broke quickly. The spurs are secured to the feet by -thongs. Head-stalls for breaking horses are made either of plain or -plaited hide, with a ring underneath for the Maneador. - -Lazos are made either of twisted or plaited hide, similar to those in -use among the Gauchos. The only other articles of horse-gear worthy of -mention are the 'manèos,' called by the Indians 'caligi,' or straps for -securing the horse's legs, in order to teach him to stand when the rider -has dismounted; but the horses soon learn to await the return of the -rider. Since my return a hunting friend, hearing the chase described, -eagerly inquired, 'But who held your horse?' The well-trained Tehuelche -hunters hold themselves, and no boy or man is available to render this -service to anyone unlucky enough to be mounted on an uneducated steed. -Our breakers might take a useful lesson from the 'savages.' - -Another branch of general industry is the manufacture of pipe-bowls, -which are peculiar in shape, as may be seen in the plate (fig. 12). They -are made of either wood or stone, fitted with a silver or metal tube, -and frequently ornamented with silver. The greatest pains is taken to -keep them free from tobacco juice by constant cleaning with an ostrich -feather. - -Wooden platters are sometimes made, for containing meat or grease; and -I have seen wooden or horn spoons constructed, but these articles are -rare. Casimiro's toldo rejoiced in one of the latter, and it rather -resembled a shoe-horn. The men are many of them skilful workers in -silver, made from dollars obtained in the settlements, and tempered -until they become sufficiently malleable to be beaten out into the -requisite shapes, either for buckles, garters, plates, beads, or -studs for embossing belts or armour with. These 'cups,' or studs, are -generally hollowed out in a suitable cavity, worked in a stone; they are -then pierced at the edges with a bodkin, and sewn on to the hide with -sinew. The anvils and hammers for working silver are generally stone -implements; flints, however, are only used by the men for procuring -fire. The Tehuelches are also very handy workers in iron, and will -fashion a knife, or even an adze, out of any piece of metal procured by -theft, commerce in the colonies, or from wrecks on the coast. One of the -knives frequently used in the latter part of my journey was formed out -of one blade of an old pair of scissors forged for me by Hinchel. - -Their tools for working silver, iron, wood, &c., consist of files, -known by the expressive name of 'Khikerikikh,' or perhaps a rasp, an -occasional saw, an axe, the inevitable small adze (fig. 6), a pair -of scissors, or an old chisel. Many of these have been obtained from -shipwrecks on the coast, others by barter in the settlements. - -The women's most important occupation in camp was the making up of skin -mantles, which merits a full description. - -The skins are first dried in the sun, being pegged down with thorns of -the algarroba tree. When dry they are taken up, and scraped with pieces -of flint, agate, obsidian, or sometimes glass, fixed into a branch -naturally bent so as to form a handle (fig. 7). They are then smeared -over with grease and liver kneaded into pulp, after which they are -softened in the hand until quite pliable, when they are placed on the -ground and cut with a small, very sharp knife into pieces, dovetailed -so as to fit one into the other, in order to secure strength of -seam, and parcelled out amongst a party of four or six women, with a -corresponding quantity of needles and thread, consisting of bodkins -formed out of sharpened nails, and dried sinews from the back of the -adult guanaco. A whole mantle is never sewn together at once, but when -one half is finished it is pegged out and the paint applied to it thus. -The surface is slightly damped, and each woman takes a cake or piece of -red ochre, if the ground is to be red, and, keeping it damp, lays the -paint on with great care. When the ground is finished, the pattern of -small black spots and blue and yellow lines is painted with the greatest -exactness, the women working all day with the most assiduous industry. -When completed it is left for a night to dry, and the other half -and wings, which serve in lieu of sleeves, are duly completed, and -subsequently all are joined together, presenting, when finished, an -unbroken surface of fur. The most favourite pattern (except when the -wearer is in mourning) is a red ground with small black crosses and blue -and yellow longitudinal lines for borders, or with a zigzag of white, -blue, and red. The untiring energy with which the women work, and the -rapidity with which they sew, are astonishing. When a man is married, -his wife, or wives, of course manufacture his mantles, assisted by their -friends, whom they help in their turn; but should he be a bachelor, as -in my unfortunate case, he gives out his skins to a fair lady, who works -like other people I have heard of--on half-profits, and the hunter -generally loses by the bargain; at least such was my experience, some -thirty or forty skins only producing a mantle containing about one-third -their number. Besides the guanaco mantles which are most generally worn, -others are made from the skins of the fox, puma, wild cat, cavy, and -skunk; the fur of the latter and of the wild cat are the most valuable, -but, like the others, are generally intended only for barter. The women, -besides making mantles, weave the fillets for the head previously -mentioned, from threads of unravelled stuff obtained in barter at the -settlements, or from their Araucanian neighbours. They work on the -same principle as that on which a sailor constructs a sword mat. -Besides these fillets, they occasionally weave scarves for the waist, -and garters. Many of them also work in the minor details of silver -ornaments, such as hollowing out or bending the studs, boring the holes, -and stitching them on to the belts or armour, as the case may be. They -also sew the skins together for the coverings of the toldos, which is -very laborious work. They scrape and dress horse-hides for the furniture -of the bed places, painting them in various patterns; make the bolsters -of reeds (often also ornamented with silver) to place as a protection -for their high saddles, cook the food, smash the marrow-bones and -extract the grease; take care of the children, and fetch wood, water, -and do all the 'chores,' as the Americans say. As may be seen, they are -pretty nearly always occupied; nevertheless, they occasionally find time -to play cards, and sometimes to squabble and talk scandal. - -The children generally employ themselves in imitating their elders. The -boys play with miniature bolas, and catch the dogs with small lazos, and -the girls construct miniature toldos and sit in them; for this purpose -they carry off unchecked anything that may seem suitable. Frequently -when about to join the chase I had to interfere with these latter -games, and recover my saddle gear, which had been appropriated by the -juveniles. - -The musical instruments of the Tehuelches have been previously -described. In Teckel, besides the native orchestra (fig. 8) and -harmonies, to which one had become accustomed, we furthermore rejoiced -in a cornet, with music from which Jackechan's brother frequently -enlivened our evenings. Many amongst the Tehuelches could blow the -ordinary bugle calls which they had been accustomed to hear when in the -Rio Negro or at Punta Arenas; and most of them appeared to possess a -good ear for music. Their songs, however, are not melodious, and are -mere repetitions of words devoid of all sense or meaning. Casimiro -informed me that formerly the old men were in the habit of singing the -traditions of the tribe and also some sort of prayer. It is much to be -regretted that these customs have fallen into disuse. I tried on various -occasions to obtain information about their ancestors, but all my -efforts were fruitless. When I asked them how their people travelled -before horses came into the country, they could not realise the fact -that such was ever the case. - -There is little to add to the details already given of the cookery and -diet of the Tehuelches, which is necessarily almost confined to meat, -which, however, they _do not_ devour raw, as so constantly asserted. Fat -is largely consumed, both fresh and preserved; the need of this being, -as before said, attributable to the want of farinaceous food. Still -they are very fond of all sorts of wild fruits and vegetables, when -procurable; and besides the indigenous tuberous roots, and the -ever-present dandelion plants, which the girls gather for their friends -and relations, and which are eaten in a crude state, they will when in -the settlements barter their wares for potatoes, turnips, and other -vegetables. They are also extremely fond of biscuit and flour, which -they mix with water into dampers, and bake them in the ashes. Previous -to my sojourn amongst them, pepper was, I believe, unknown, but having a -small store in my possession, I induced old Orkeke and his dame to try -it, and they and others soon acquired a taste for it. Sugar, or anything -sweet, they are especially fond of. Salt is a very necessary commodity -with them, and when passing one of the numerous salinas that occur in -the country the stores are replenished. It sometimes happens, however, -if making a long stay in one place, or travelling in parts where salinas -are scarce, they have to go without it; and this is probably the cause -of a skin disease that at times occurs amongst them. Salt is carried as -a rule by the men when hunting, both to mix with the blood, which is -seldom eaten without it, and to season the guanaco or ostrich meat. - -I think that as a rule the Indians, far from being gluttonous -gormandisers, eat less than civilised people. They never eat at stated -times, but when their appetite warns them; and on this point an Indian -once made the remark to me: 'The Chilians eat at regular hours, which -is foolish; we don't eat unless we are hungry.' I believe that I, as a -single individual, generally consumed more victuals than any Indian, -with the exception of my friend Cayuke, who was certainly a great -gourmand. He was also a great smoker; and whenever I met him invariably -said the few English words I had taught him, 'Load and light the -pipe--smoke.' The general manner of smoking is as follows. The smoker -lights his pipe, and then lies prone on the ground, and after puffing -a portion of smoke to each cardinal point and muttering a prayer, he -swallows several mouthfuls of tobacco smoke, which produces intoxication -and partial insensibility, lasting perhaps for the space of two minutes. -During this time his companions carefully avoid disturbing him in any -way. When it has passed off, he gets up, takes a drink of water, and -resumes his conversation or occupation. I have sometimes observed this -intoxication accompanied by convulsions, but only in rare cases. The -tobacco used for smoking (for they never chew) is generally obtained -from the settlements, but failing this a herb substitute is procured -from the Araucanians. This is never smoked pure, being invariably mixed -with either wood chopped up small or 'yerba' (Paraguay tea) stalks, if -obtainable. The mixture with dung mentioned by M. Guinnard is unknown -among the Tehuelches. - -The women sometimes are smokers, but the custom is not universal, -being generally confined to the old ladies. Most of the men smoke, but -there are exceptions. I was very much astonished, however, by seeing -El Sourdo on more than one occasion give his pipe to his boy--a -precocious three-year-old--who whiffed his 'bacca' with apparently -great satisfaction to himself and his fond father. - -[Illustration: THE "PRETTY HOUSE" AND DANCE.] - -The chief amusements amongst the Indians (for hunting is a matter of -business and not pleasure) consist in horse-racing, card-playing, -gambling with dice made by themselves with mathematical exactness from -bones, and thrown from the hand, or with small stones, and playing a -game of ball. The horse-racing has been already described. The cards -used are sometimes the Spanish pack, obtained in the settlements, but -very frequently constructed by the Indians themselves of hide. These, -like the ordinary Spanish cards, are marked with the Spanish numerals up -to seven; but the court cards are entirely different, having, instead -of figures or pictures, monograms of native origin, the original -significance of which, if any, was undiscoverable. The ace, however, -is marked somewhat similarly to our own. The usual games played are -'Panturga,' 'Primero,' 'Siete,' and 'Yaik,' or fire, a sort of 'beggar -my neighbour.' The players sit down in a circle, with a poncho or -saddle-cloth to represent the board of green cloth; their markers -consist of pieces of sticks or grass, and their system of marking -is complicated. I generally--if I did indulge in the luxury of a -gamble--played in partnership with another who took charge of the -marking, but my invariable good luck rendered me unwilling to respond to -the invitation to take a hand. When stakes are lost, whether a horse, -troop of mares, saddle, lazo, or what not, the winner simply sends a -friend for them, or goes himself and takes them; all debts of honour -being scrupulously paid at once. Frequently large stakes are lost and -won. On one occasion I had negotiated the purchase of a horse from -an Indian possessed of a goodly troop, and having given earnest, had -started hunting on the animal to test his staying powers. My friend -the owner, who remained in camp playing, came to me on my return, and -implored me to consider the bargain as nil, as during my absence he -had lost nearly all his horses, and some of the articles of his wife's -dowry. I of course gave up the bargain, duly receiving back the earnest, -and he subsequently won back his horses and riches. The game played with -small stones is similar to that in vogue among schoolboys, and known -by the name of 'knucklebones.' It is generally played by the boys, but -their elders will not unfrequently join. The women play at cards, and -also at this game amongst themselves, staking their mandils, hides, -and saddle-gear on the results. Mrs. Orkeke was very fond of play, and -on one occasion I have reason to believe that she lost some of her -husband's tobacco, and laid the blame on one of the Chilians, who she -averred had stolen it. The man nearly lost his life in consequence, and -his tears and abject supplications showed the terror he was in, but -happily he on this occasion escaped. Strange to say, I was in no way -suspected, although I knew where the tobacco was kept, which I doubt if -the deserter did. - -The game of ball is confined to the young men, and is played as follows: -A lazo is laid on the ground so as to form a ring about four yards in -diameter; the players, generally eight in number, step into the circle -naked, with the exception of the waistcloth. A ball composed of hide -stuffed with feathers, about the size of or larger than a tennis-ball, -is used by each party, who throw it up from under the thigh, and strike -it with the hand at the adversaries', each hit counting a point. Great -dexterity and activity are shown by the young men, and although I never -joined in any of their regular matches I frequently watched the parties -occupied in the game, in which their splendid muscular development was -brought out conspicuously. Besides these amusements, the Indians, when -ammunition is plentiful, occasionally fire at a mark; but as their -bullets are frequently hammered round with stones, the practice is at -times erratic, and the guns are also sometimes more dangerous to the -marksman than the mark. - -The daily routine of occupations and amusements is varied sometimes by a -fight, and more pleasantly by some one or other of the ceremonials which -mark--as in all nations--the principal epochs of Tsoneca life, from the -cradle to the grave. On the birth of a child, if the parents are rich, -i.e. own plenty of mares and horses, and silver ornaments, notice is -immediately given to the doctor or wizard of the tribe, and to the -cacique and relations. The doctor, after bleeding himself with bodkins -in the temple, fore-arm, or leg, gives the order for the erection of -a mandil tent, or pretty house as the Indians call it, and mares are -slaughtered, and a feast and dance follow, such as described in Chapter -III., p. 76 as having taken place in the valley of the Rio Chico. The -child, shortly after birth, is smeared over with damp gypsum. The -mothers are able to travel on horseback the same, or, certainly, the -subsequent day, with the infant carried in a wicker cradle, and most -tenderly cared for by both parents. - -To every child in its infancy horses and gear are allotted, which are -considered thenceforth as the personal property of the boy or girl, and -cannot be resumed or disposed of by the parents. No ceremonial attends -the naming a child, nor, as far as I could see, is there any fixed time -for doing so. The names most commonly used are taken, I think, from -places--from the place of birth. Patronymics or hereditary names--except -in rare instances, which appeared to be imitations of Spanish usage--are -unknown, but nicknames are universal, and parents are frequently known -by the name of a child, which usurps the place of their own. - -The boys soon learn the use of the weapons, and both boys and girls ride -almost before they can walk: the sons rarely accompany the father to the -chase before ten or twelve years of age, and do not join in fights till -they are about sixteen years old, but there is no fixed period and -no ceremonial to mark their admission to the state of manhood. The -attainment of puberty by the girls is celebrated as described in p. 76. -From the age of nine or ten they are accustomed to help in household -duties and manufactures, and about sixteen are eligible for the married -life, though they often remain for several years spinsters. Marriages -are always those of inclination, and if the damsel does not like the -suitor for her hand, her parents never force her to comply with their -wishes, although the match may be an advantageous one. - -The usual custom is for the bridegroom, after he has secured the consent -of his damsel, to send either a brother or an intimate friend to the -parents, offering so many mares, horses, or silver ornaments for the -bride. If the parents consider the match desirable, as soon after as -circumstances will permit, the bridegroom, dressed in his best, and -mounted on his best horse, decorated with silver ornaments--if he -possesses any--proceeds to the toldo of his intended, and hands over the -gifts. The parents of the bride then return gifts of an equal value, -which, however, in the event of a separation (a rare event), become -the property of the bride. After this the bride is escorted by the -bridegroom to his toldo, amidst the cheers of his friends and the -singing of the women. Mares are usually then slaughtered and eaten on -the spot; great care being taken that the dogs do not touch any of the -meat or offal, as it is considered unlucky. The head, backbone, tail, -together with the heart and liver, are taken up to the top of a -neighbouring hill, as an offering to the Gualichu, or evil spirit. An -Indian is allowed to have as many wives as he can support, but it is -rare to find a man with more than two, and they generally only have one. - -On the death of a Tehuelche all his horses, dogs, and other animals are -killed, his ponchos, ornaments, bolas, and all other personal belongings -are placed in a heap and burned, the widow and other womankind keeping -up a dismal wailing, and crying out loud in the most melancholy manner. -The meat of the horses is distributed amongst the relations on both -sides; and the widow, who cuts her hair short in front and assumes black -paint, repairs, bag and baggage, to the toldo of her relations, or if -she has none in the party, to the toldo of the chief. - -The body is sewn up in a mantle, poncho, or coat of mail, if the -deceased possessed one, and is taken away by some of the relations and -buried in a sitting posture, its face to the east, a cairn of stones -being erected over the place, varying in size according to the wealth -and influence of the deceased. I have never seen any of the graves -described in Mr. Wood's work, but as my travels as a rule were confined -to the interior, they may exist in some part of the sea-coast; nor did -the exhumation and removal of the body ever come under my notice, and I -should be inclined to doubt its being ever practised by the Tehuelches, -inasmuch as it is a rule amongst them never to mention the name of, and -to avoid all allusion to, the deceased, their idea being that the dead -should be utterly forgotten, though they will add a stone in passing -to the cairn of a distinguished chief or hero. The death of a child is -marked by a display of sincere grief on the part of the parents. The -horse it has been accustomed to travel on during the march is brought -up, the gear placed on it, even to the cradle, and the horse, thus -fully caparisoned, is strangled by means of lazos, whereas in all other -ceremonies where horses are killed they are knocked on the head with -bolas. The saddle gear, cradle, and all belonging to the child are -burned, the women crying and singing. The parents moreover throw their -own valuables into the fire to express their grief. These things some of -the women who cry are allowed to snatch out, as a recompense for their -services, but they seldom benefit much. On the occasion of the death -of an only child of rich parents, fourteen horses and mares were -slaughtered in addition to the one it had been accustomed to travel on. -Towards evening of the day of the event, previous to the burial of the -corpse, a select party of old women marched in procession round and -round the camp, crying and wailing. Gifts were also sent to the bereaved -parents by the chiefs and relations, as a well-meant effort to divert -their minds from dwelling on their loss. - -The religion of the Tehuelches is distinguished from that of the Pampas -and Araucanians by an absence of any trace of sun-worship, although the -new moon is saluted, the respectful gesture being accompanied by some -low muttered words which I never could manage to hear. They believe -in a great and good Spirit, who according to the tradition related by -Casimiro at the place, created the Indians and animals, and dispersed -them from 'God's-hill,' as he explained the Indian name of the down (p. -89). I am not at all certain that this was not a confused combination -of the story of the Creation, as told by the missionaries, with his own -ideas. There is a great tendency in the Indian mind thus to combine the -marvels told them, or even to cap what they consider one legend with -another; but there is no doubt that they do believe in a good Spirit, -though they think he lives 'careless of mankind.' They have no idols -or objects of worship, nor--if a year's experience can enable one to -judge--do they observe any periodical religious festival, on which -either the good or evil Spirit is adored. The mention of this by other -travellers can only be explained by confused accounts which have -attributed Araucanian customs to the totally distinct Patagonians. The -belief which prompts all their religious acts is that in the existence -of many active and malicious evil spirits or demons, of whom the -principal one is always on the watch to cause mischief. To propitiate -or drive away this spirit is the function of the wizard, or doctor, or -medicine man, who combines the medical and magical arts, though not -possessed of an exclusive faculty for either. All sacrifices of mares -and horses, not at stated times, but as occasion requires, such as a -birth, death, &c., are intended to propitiate the Gualichu. When a -child hurts itself, the slaughter of mares seems to partake at once -of the nature of a thank-offering that the hurt was no worse, and a -propitiation to avert further harm. - -In camp the Gualichu takes up his position outside the back of the -toldo, watching for an opportunity to molest the inmates, and is -supposed to be kept quiet by the spells of the doctor, who is not only -gifted with the power of laying the devil, but can even detect him by -sight. I inquired of one of the doctors what he was like, but received -an evasive answer; on which I informed him that my devil took all sorts -of shapes--sometimes appearing as a guanaco, ostrich, puma, skunk, or -vulture, at which the medical man was intensely amused. This household -devil is, as far as I could ascertain, supposed to enter into the -different parts of the bodies of people, and cause sickness which the -doctor is appealed to to cure. The treatment in the case of headache, -for instance, is very simple: the doctor takes the patient's head -between his knees, and performing a short ceremony of incantation, -shouts in his ear, exhorting the devil to come out. Mr. Clarke, when -travelling with the Indians south of Santa Cruz, was treated in this -fashion when suffering from feverish headache, and said that at the time -it relieved him. - -Besides this Gualichu there are many others which are supposed to -inhabit subterranean dwellings, underneath certain woods and rivers and -peculiarly-shaped rocks. I was very much surprised at seeing the Indians -salute these objects by placing the hand to the head and muttering an -incantation; and for a long time held to the belief that they were only -expressing admiration for the Creator's handiwork; but subsequently I -learned that they sought thus to conciliate the spirits of these places, -reputed to be the spirits of deceased members of the faculty. These -devils' powers, however, are confined to the districts contiguous to -their habitations. - -On one occasion, a horse about to run a match was taken up to a -neighbouring hill before daylight by the owner, and some secret ceremony -was performed by the wizard. Previous to the race the owner (Wáki) came -to me and advised me to put my stakes on his horse, as he had been made -safe to win by mysterious incantations which had secured the favour -of the local Gualichu; and, strange to say, the horse, which by his -appearance was much inferior to the other, did win, thereby establishing -a reputation for the wizard and the Gualichu. - -I remember on one occasion when riding with Hinchel we came in sight of -a peculiarly-pointed rock, which he saluted. I did the same, at which -he appeared much pleased; and on our subsequently arriving at a salina, -where we found good salt, much needed at the time, he explained to -me that the spirit of the place had led us in that direction. In the -meeting of Indians the devils are supposed to be driven away by the -horsemen chasing at full speed round and round, and firing off their -guns. - -The office of wizard is not hereditary; indeed those I met with were -unmarried. A boy or a girl, if what we should call odd, as in the case -of Cayuke's daughter, an old-fashioned and eccentric girl of thirteen, -is considered to be marked out as a wizard; but the functions, so far as -directing ceremonies, are sometimes performed by an ordinary member of -the party. The stock in trade of the regular wizard consists of a few -fetishes, or charms, carried in a bag, carefully concealed from public -gaze, and exhibited to his colleagues alone. In addition to these they -seem to possess a real knowledge of simples, although this is not -confined to them. Their professional operations are never accompanied -by epileptic seizures and real or simulated convulsions. They, of -course, are expected to prognosticate the success or failure of -undertakings, and the issue of sickness, and foretell the future -generally; and their position in this respect is a dangerous one, as a -failure of their predictions is frequently punished with death; but, to -make up for this risk, they are universally received with honour and -hospitably entertained, and are usually enriched by the accumulation of -presents. The power of witchcraft is by no means believed to be confined -to them; any person may be suspected of this crime, and it is not an -uncommon occurrence for people when dying to lay their death to the -charge of some person by name. All the missionaries' instructions did -not prevent Casimiro, after the death of either his mother or one of -his wives, from sending an agent to kill a woman who, as the deceased -averred, had bewitched her. Certain signs and omens are superstitiously -regarded; one particularly dreaded is the cry of the nightjar, common on -the slopes of the Cordillera, which, if uttered over a camp or toldo, -betokens sickness or death to some of the inmates. They hold this bird -in great veneration, and object to its being injured in any manner. -Another animal supposed to be possessed of magical powers is a flat -toad-like lizard, which is believed to lame horses by mysterious -agency, and is killed whenever met with. Another superstition is that -a two-headed guanaco exists in the south, the appearance of which is -a forerunner of sickness. According to my informant, after its last -appearance measles, or a similar disease, decimated the Southern tribe, -the disease having been propagated by communication with Punta Arenas, -where it was at that time rife. Any unfamiliar object that they do not -comprehend, as for instance, a compass or a watch, is regarded with -suspicion as being tenanted by an evil spirit. Sometimes these objects -are supposed to bring luck at play, and are eagerly sought for. One of -my companions was possessed of a watch, obtained in Punta Arenas, and, -before playing cards, he would often ask me to set it going, the ticking -being regarded as the voice of the hidden Gualichu. My compass was -also in constant demand, but the privilege of temporary possession was -necessarily restricted to a few favoured friends. I explained, to the -best of my power, the use of this instrument, which was comprehended by -many of them; and they became very fond of asking me to point out the -precise direction of various points known to them, and were greatly -delighted at the correctness with which their inquiries were generally -satisfied. A locket, worn by me round my neck, was also regarded as a -talisman, securing the wearer from death. - -With all this superstition, regard for omens, and belief in demons, they -by no means accord implicit faith and respect to the wizards. Nor do -they trust to their spells alone in case of disease; many possess an -acquaintance with medicinal herbs, and apply them with good effect. -Besides being good farriers, they practise blood-letting, not only on -the sick, but, like our grandfathers, at regular seasons have themselves -blooded, believing it to be beneficial. Casimiro declared that the -superior health of the Tehuelches, compared with that of the colonists -or Christians, was attributable to this practice. They also understand -and sometimes employ poisons, not to envenom their weapons, but for -secretly taking off an enemy. Such cases are rare, but in one, which -came under my own observation, beyond all doubt, death was caused by -poisoning the inside of a potro boot, the wearer of which had a slight -wound on the leg. - -Inquirers into the Tsoneca language are referred to the vocabulary in -the Appendix; but it is needful to state most distinctly that it is -altogether different from either Pampa or Araucanian. Though able to -converse in Tehuelche, I could not at all understand the Pampas; and -this is noted with reference to statements made in M. Guinnard's -work, which, coupled with other internal evidences already alluded to, -compel me to doubt that the author was ever in the hands of the real -Patagonians, his captors and masters being Pampas or Araucanos, whose -customs are well described by him. - -As distinguished from these Indians, the number of the pure Tehuelches, -both northern and southern, in Patagonia does not exceed 1,500 men, -women, and children, according to the returns of effective warriors -given at the time when the union of all the various parties, combined -during my journey for political purposes, enabled me to compute -them with exactness. Beyond the two great divisions into northern -and southern, the subdivisions of tribes, so frequently given, are -imaginary, or arise out of names of temporary leaders. Nor is the term -clan very appropriate to the nomad parties, combined by custom or often -by chance. The population is steadily and rapidly decreasing, and the -inroads of disease and ill effects of liquor are, as usual, doing the -work of extirpation of this race. - -As to their organisation, it must be distinctly understood that these -Indians owe no manner of allegiance to any head cacique, such as -Calficura, or any other, though they may agree to obey one chief, -as, for instance, Casimiro; nor are they, except by intermarriage -or voluntary association, politically united with either Pampas -or Araucanians. Their natural bias is to independence, and rather -insubordinate ideas of 'one man being as good as another.' Cuastro's -dying words, 'I die as I have lived--no cacique orders me,' aptly -express the prevalent feeling on this subject. Nevertheless, all -'parties,' however small, are, when travelling, under the command of -a cacique or 'gownok,' who is sometimes also designated by the more -endearing epithet of 'yank,' or father; but his influence is very -frequently confined to ordering the march and chase. Some of the chiefs -are hereditary, but it is not invariably the rule; and amongst the -northern Indians there are many petty chiefs, who are men that, having -become possessed of a few mares and horses, assume the title of cacique. -Great etiquette is observed between them; one chief being prohibited -by custom from entering the toldo of another unless presents have -previously been interchanged. Another curious point of etiquette is, -that a man is not allowed to look towards his father-in-law when -in conversation with him; this is, however, not confined to the -aristocracy, but also applies to the common herd. When two parties -of Indians are approaching one another, and sufficiently near to -distinguish the smoke of the hunting-fires, a signal-fire is lighted, -and a chasqui--called by the Tehuelches coêto--generally some relative -of the chiefs, is despatched from either side. On meeting they repair -to the camp of the most powerful, and, on arriving near, more horsemen -sally out and escort them to the toldo of the chief. On arrival the new -comer dismounts, his horses and gear are taken charge of, and he is -shown, with great formality, to a seat, where he patiently remains, -sometimes for an hour, answering, with grave face, all questions; and -then delivers any message he may be entrusted with. Although he may be -wearied, tired, and hungry, he never moves until the formalities are -concluded; he is then provided with the best food and accommodation his -host is possessed of. - -It is to be hoped that the narrated actual life in the toldos will have -enabled the reader to form an idea of the character of the Tehuelches -more favourable than that which--except by the missionaries, Messrs. -Hunziker and Schmid--has usually been assigned to them. They certainly -do not deserve the epithets of ferocious savages, brigands of the -desert, &c. They are kindly, good tempered, impulsive children of -nature, taking great likes or dislikes, becoming firm friends or equally -confirmed enemies. They are very naturally suspicious of strangers, but -especially those of Spanish origin, or, as they term them, Cristianos. -Nor, considering the treatment, treacherous cruelty and knavish -robbery, experienced by them at the hands of the invaders and colonists -alternately, is this to be wondered at. - -In the southern part of the country, their frequent intercourse with -sealers on the coast has rendered them favourably disposed towards -Englishmen. This remark, of course, does not extend to the northern -Tehuelches, who have not the same opportunities. - -In my dealings with them I was always treated with fairness and -consideration, and my few belongings--although borrowed at times, -according to their mutual way of acting towards one another--were taken -the greatest care of; thus an Indian would frequently ask to look at -my arms, and, after examining them, would carefully return them to me. -During my whole stay amongst them I only lost two articles: the first, -a flint and steel, was, I have reason to believe, stolen by one of the -Chilians; the second was a pair of ostrich balls, which were abstracted -from the toldo. The Indians, although honest enough as regards each -other, will, nevertheless, not scruple to steal from any one not -belonging to their party. Thus, when they enter the colonies for trade, -they will pick up a stray horse in the most natural manner; and in -Santa Cruz, Graviel and others constantly pilfered iron nails and small -articles. With regard to their truthfulness, my experience was as -follows. In minor affairs they nearly always lie, and will invent -stories for sheer amusement; thus, Mrs. Orkeke came to me whilst in -Teckel with the news that Casimiro's wife was dead. My remark was, 'And -a good riddance too!' which was received with a burst of laughter, and -the information that she was as alive as ever, only her eyes were bad. I -could cite many other similar instances of romancing on the part of the -Indians. Old Orkeke I never caught out in a direct lie, and he always, -when informing me about any subject, added, 'I do not lie.' In anything -of importance, however, such as guaranteeing the safety of a person, -they were very truthful, as long as faith was kept with them. After a -time, when they ascertained that I invariably avoided deviating in any -way from the truth, they left off lying to me even in minor matters. -This will serve to show that they are not of the treacherous nature -assigned to them by some ignorant writers. Nor are they habitually -cruel, even to slaves or captives. The Chilian deserters were always -well housed and fed, and lent horses to ride; and nothing but their -incurably bad dispositions and constant plots brought on them a fate -which, in truth, could hardly be thought ill-deserved, whereas the few -good ones of the party rose into high favour. - -For my own part, I felt far safer amongst the Tehuelches, as long as -they had no drink or no fights, than I subsequently did in the Rio -Negro. Of course when they are drunk their passions become unbridled; -they remember old feuds, and at times will fight for mere fighting's -sake. It is not necessary, however, to go so far as Patagonia to observe -this. The finest trait, perhaps, in their character is their love -for their wives and children; matrimonial disputes are rare, and -wife-beating unknown; and the intense grief with which the loss of a -wife is mourned is certainly not 'civilised,' for the widower will -destroy all his stock and burn all his possessions: thus Paliki, before -the death of his wife, was a wealthy Indian; but when I knew him he -was poor and reckless, having destroyed all his property, and taken to -gambling and drinking in despair at his loss. Casimiro even declared -that his son Sam--whom I certainly should not have suspected of -disinterested affection for any human being--had ruined himself, and -become careless of his life, after his wife's death. - -The children are indulged in every way, ride the best horses, and are -not corrected for any misbehaviour. I was always astonished that the -youths and young men did not grow up more headstrong and wilful, as a -result of want of training. People who have no children of their own -sometimes adopt a little dog, on which they lavish their affections, and -bestow horses and other valuables, which are destroyed in case of the -owner's death. - -It has always been a matter of surprise to me that the missionaries -should have been so unsuccessful in their efforts to teach these -children of nature to read and write, for they are naturally very -intelligent (though of course there are exceptions). As a proof of their -quickness in imitations, with very little trouble I taught Hinchel's -son to write his father's name and those of two other Indians in a -very short time. I also used to draw ships on a board with a piece of -charcoal for the children's amusement, and they readily copied them. -Hinchel himself, wishing to explain a part of the course of the Rio -Negro, drew out a rough chart on the board, showing the bends of the -river, which I afterwards found to be perfectly correct. - -Whilst in their native wilds, I observed little immorality amongst the -Indians; in the settlements, however, when debased by intoxication, -they are, no doubt, depraved and loose in their ideas. But it must be -recorded that, on the entry of the Indians into the settlements of the -Rio Negro, at a subsequent period, most of the young women and girls -were left with the toldos in Valchita, outside the Travesia, to be out -of the way of temptations. There are many Tehuelche youths now growing -up who have the greatest abhorrence of liquor; and I hope that in time -this abstinence will spread further among them, for they possess no -intoxicants of their own, and the rum is an import from the Christians, -the ill effects of which they are well able to discern. - -One word of advice to the future traveller may conclude this imperfect -sketch. Never show distrust of the Indians; be as free with your goods -and chattels as they are to each other. Don't ever want anything done -for you; always catch and saddle your own horse. Don't give yourself -airs of superiority, as they do not understand it--unless you can prove -yourself better in some distinct way. Always be first, as you are not -likely to be encumbered by a wife or gear, in crossing rivers, or any -other difficulties; they will learn by degrees to respect you; in a -word, as you treat them so they will treat you. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TECKEL TO GEYLUM. - - Casimiro's Household. -- Carge-kaik. -- Quintuhual's Son. -- - Woolkein. -- Partridges. -- Meeting with the Araucanians. -- - The Cacique Quintuhual. -- Esgel-kaik. -- Araucanian Belles. -- - Communication with Chupat Colony. -- Diplaik. -- Calficura's - Declaration of War. -- Tehuelches learn Fishing. -- My Indian - Relatives. -- Woodland Rambles. -- An Indian Paradise. -- The - Upper Chupat. -- Cushamon. -- Losing Horses. -- Official - Functions. -- Message from Las Manzanas. -- Blessing the - Liquor. -- Casimiro Intoxicated. -- Foyel's Encampment. -- - Great Parlemento. -- Foyel's Ideas. -- Gatchen-kaik. -- Arrival - at Geylum. - - -On January 21 the word was given to march, and all the united forces of -the Tehuelches, numbering 200 men, with the usual allowance of women and -children, prepared to advance to join the Araucanos. Ten toldos, forming -Crimè's party, lingered behind, in consequence of the continued sickness -of this caciquillo, who, however, sent word that he would follow in our -rear. - -All the horses were in excellent condition, and it was with great -delight that I saw the immense cavalcade set out. Our family party in -Casimiro's toldo included, besides the chief and his wife, sons, and -little daughter Chingook, an old brother-in-law, Kai, nicknamed Chileno, -and his wife and son Macho; and an old deaf and dumb woman of most -repulsive aspect. The only good feature in Casimiro's character was his -charity. He was always ready to afford an asylum to any destitute or -infirm people, and his toldo was never without some such object of his -pity. My honourable position as secretary and general referee next in -rank to the cacique, scarcely reconciled me to the exchange of the -orderly comfort of Mrs. Orkeke's household for the dignified discomfort -of my present quarters. They were also shared by Meña, whose good -qualities had raised him above his fellow Chilians. Their number had -been reduced to four, Arica having disappeared whilst hunting near -Teckel: without doubt his quarrelsome disposition had occasioned his -death at the hands of some one whom he had insulted or offended. The -route followed led northwards through a valley on both sides of which we -hunted, and arrived in the afternoon at an encampment called Carge-kaik, -or Four Hills. There was nothing remarkable in the scenery: the -hill-sides on either hand were covered with scrub, and the summits -presented masses of rocks, and in some places loose boulders, amongst -which numerous armadillos were basking in the sun. They are easily -captured, as they are very slow; but if they once get into their burrow -it is difficult to extract them, owing to the tenacity with which they -hold fast to the soil. They are very good eating, and are usually cooked -in the shell on the fire, the entrails, &c., being taken out, and the -cavity filled with heated stones. When they are in their best condition, -one leg is sufficient for a man, as there is about an inch of yellow fat -on them. Of the shells the women make work-baskets, to contain their -bodkins, sinews, &c., when sewing, or to serve as colour-boxes for the -different colours when painting. - -The day following our arrival, Tankelow and another Indian were -despatched as messengers to the party of Araucanian Indians, or -Manzaneros, supposed to be encamped a few marches distant. During that -night a child was born, the parents of which were rich, and accordingly -a great slaughter of mares took place, the mandil tent was erected, and -a feast and dance announced. - -Meanwhile, about 4 P.M., the chasquis returned, bringing with them an -Araucanian Indian, who was escorted to our toldo in due form amidst a -curious crowd, all eager to look at him, while he preserved a grave and -stolid demeanour. After the usual ceremonious formalities he sat down, -and by means of an interpreter stated himself to be a son of Quintuhual, -a chief residing at present about four marches to the north. His father -had with much pleasure received the courteous message sent by Casimiro, -and it would give him equal gratification to welcome the Tehuelches; -but he signified a desire first to meet Casimiro alone. This the latter -monarch did not appear to see in the same light--if I may be allowed the -expression--as it seemed to forebode no good intentions; but he replied -evasively, and thus the colloquy terminated. - -This Indian was about the middle height, dressed in coloured ponchos, -with a silk handkerchief round his head. His features were regular, with -restless sparkling black eyes, and complexion about the same as that of -the Gauchos of the Rio de la Plata. He wore his hair cut short, and his -general cleanly appearance afforded a strong contrast to the flowing -locks and paint-bedaubed bodies of the Tehuelches. - -Giving up my sleeping place to him, we soon made him at home, and after -he had had some dinner we proceeded in company to watch the dancers, who -were vigorously stepping out round the fire in front of the mandil tent. -Here we were joined by Jackechan, whose knowledge of the Araucanian -language enabled us to maintain a conversation. Presently, by particular -request, I joined Golwin (White) and two others in the dance, coming out -in full costume of ostrich feathers and girdle of bells, and properly -painted, to the great delight of the Indians. My performance elicited -general applause; and at last all retired for the night, myself taking -my saddle-gear and sleeping under a bush near the toldo. - -After a delicious breakfast of fried fish, cooked most skilfully by -Meña, we prepared to march again, the chasqui bidding us farewell for -the present, and by 9 A.M. the whole cavalcade of women and children -were in motion, and the circle formed for the hunt. - -Several shallow streams, fringed with dwarf beeches, were crossed, -flowing into lagoons or into the Teckel River, the course of which lay -north east of our line, and the cavalcade of women struck the valley -occasionally in the march. Of the hills dividing these streams, the -southern side consisted of gradual slopes covered with coarse grass, -while the northern counterslopes were precipitous, and covered with -loose rocks and stones. Orkeke, in the previous marches, had often -informed me that the Araucanos' country was very stony, and that there -were a great many armadillos, but little other game; and this day -guanaco were rarely seen, but ostriches were numerous and armadillo -abounded. - -After crossing several ridges and glens, we at length traversed a -hillocky plain, of the usual scrub-covered aspect, and strewn with -flint, agate, and other pebbles, and encamped for the night in a place -called 'Woolkein,' situated by the side of a water-course which was now -nearly dry, the water only remaining in the deep holes. We had left the -cañon or valley of the river Teckel a few miles east, from which point -it appeared to give a sharp turn in an easterly direction. - -To the west the mountains of the Cordillera were visible about twenty -miles distant, while on the south were the rocky abrupt hills already -passed over, and on the north a range of rather peaked hills running -west, and appearing to slope at their western extremity towards the -plains beneath the Cordillera. Next morning, before the rime was off the -pasture, we were again en route, and after a rocky descent of perhaps -fifty feet reached a second plain, everywhere strewn with stones, which -rendered galloping very difficult; nevertheless a large herd of guanaco -were enclosed and numbers killed, while ostrich, on the contrary, -appeared to be very scarce. To my great surprise, whilst running some -guanaco, two large partridges got up from close to my horse's feet, and -flying a short distance settled again. Partridges had been described to -me in the neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, but I had never seen one, and -these were the first met with in the country. Towards three in the -afternoon we emerged from the stony district to a plain covered with -sand and scrub, and after refreshing ourselves at a rivulet, travelled -westward, with the Cordillera in full front, till we turned a high -cliff which jutted out from the grassy slopes in which the hills fell -gradually down to the plains, and beyond it, turning again northward, -entered a level plain, at the far extremity of which we observed with -great contentment the answering smoke from the toldos of the Araucanian -Indians. On the south-west edge of this valley the high beetling cliff -obscured the view of the wooded mountains, which, however, showed out -between the hills shutting in the valley we had traversed up to this -point. On the eastern side rose a range of hills, barren and desolate, -with here and there a single guanaco in solitary majesty, cropping -the stunted grass. In front of us, directly to the north, lay a large -lagoon, in which numerous swans and flamingoes were wading and swimming -about. Beyond it were visible the toldos of the Araucanians, ten in -number. - -We halted near the head of the lagoon, under shelter of some thick -bushes, to collect our forces, don our best ponchos and silver -ornaments, and change our horses, and then proceeded slowly to within -about a quarter of a mile of the toldos. To our great surprise nobody -appeared to receive us; but at length a woman arrived with the -intelligence that all the men were away hunting, but had been sent -for, and would arrive shortly. - -Our women meanwhile erected the toldos on a green sward, carpeted with -strawberry plants, near to a small stream which divided our camp from -that of the Araucanos. All dismounted and rested after the long journey -of fully forty miles from the previous station; and in about half an -hour the Araucanos appeared, galloping like demons. Their women having -previously brought up their fresh horses, they were in almost less time -than it takes to write it in the saddle, and formed into excellent line, -lances in hand, waiting for us to go through the ceremony of welcome. -In about five minutes our ranks were dressed, and the usual galloping, -shouting, and ceremonious greetings gone through. I was particularly -struck with the bold, honest bearing of the young men of this party, -who, dressed in gay-coloured ponchos, with clean linen drawers and white -flannel vests underneath, presented a most civilised appearance. More -noticeable than the remainder, who numbered but twenty-seven in all, -were four brothers, particularly handsome, robust men, with florid -complexions, who at a distance, where the colour of their eyes could not -be distinguished, looked almost like Europeans; which remark made to El -Sourdo, who was my right-hand man during the performance, called forth -the reply in a low voice, 'Very much devil these Indians; perhaps -fight.' That he could have entertained the idea when we were at least -ten times their number, speaks volumes for the Araucanian character for -bravery. - -However, all passed off quietly, and a council was fixed for the -following day. As we were returning to the toldos we observed some -of the Araucanians bringing up a flock of sheep, and others a herd -of cattle, from some woods bordering the stream, which flowed to the -northward. On the eastern side of the valley some four or five hundred -horses and mares were grazing on the green pasture; and Hinchel pointed -out to me with great glee the horses and mares--about a hundred -head--owned by his eldest son, who had married an Araucanian woman, -and resided with them; and the proud father declared that we should not -want for food, as he likewise owned cattle and sheep. - -Casimiro informed me that many years ago whilst travelling northwards he -met these same Indians on foot. Their custom was to hunt with large dogs -that they kept expressly for the chase, and dividing the meat equally, -carry it back on their shoulders to the toldos. They also when on the -march loaded themselves with their household gear, leaving bags of -grease hung up in the trees for future use. He left them a couple of -mares, from which part of their present stock is sprung. This story, -however, should be taken with reservation, although it is perfectly -possible that in some fight their horses were taken from them, and -that subsequently, when all the Indians were joined together under the -Cacique Lenketrou to invade the settlements, they received a share of -the spoils, and have since added to their stock by trade. - -The day following our arrival a council was held, and an interchange -of presents took place. Here I made the acquaintance of the old -chief Quintuhual, and presented him with a dagger. He was a short, -heavily-built man, with a grave and indeed solemn expression; but he -had a bad name for getting intoxicated and using knife or revolver -freely--in fact, running a-muck. He was of course a relation--nephew, it -was said--of Casimiro; but notwithstanding, he at first received me with -great suspicion, and when, in answer to his inquiries as to what I was -and why I came, he was informed that I was in the service of the Cacique -of England, who wished the Indians well, but that I had visited these -parts for my own pleasure, he replied that he was not a boy to be -humbugged easily; but having instituted private inquiries, he soon -changed his tone, showing me the greatest civility, and was never tired -of asking questions about England and Englishmen. - -Here the letters forwarded some time previously, which we had thought -were by this time arrived at Patagones, were handed back to us. They had -been forwarded to Foyel's[9] people, but owing to those sent by me for -England being written on pink note-paper they were returned, the Indians -considering the colour of the paper to denote war. - - [9] Also called Poyel. - -Quintuhual had with him a Valdivian or Chilote named Juan Antonio, who -acted as interpreter. This little man, who had originally come from what -he called his 'Pago,' somewhere in the vicinity of Porto Montt, bringing -liquor to trade with the Indians, had concluded to remain with them, -esteeming himself to be better off as a poor man in the Pampas in -company with Indians, than in the like station in the settlements. He -of course spoke the Araucanian language, which is generally used in -Valdivia, but was conversant with the Spanish tongue. Off his horse -he was a miserable little specimen of a man, and though tolerated -by Quintuhual, was looked upon as what Spaniards term 'Infeliz,' or -unfortunate one. - -After a while the council broke up, but Crimè arriving with the ten -expected toldos, was resumed the following day; Quintuhual finally -agreeing to unite his party with the Tehuelches, and proceed under -Casimiro's banner to Las Manzanas. - -The Chilote Juan Antonio paid us a visit in the evening, and informed us -that the toldos had been several months in this place, which was named -Esgel-kaik; the men having been absent hunting, first the young guanaco, -and afterwards catching and taming cattle in the Cordillera. - -By his account these Indians were great adepts with the lazo, and would -gallop through the forests in chase of animals in the most wonderful -manner; one man only being required to catch and secure an animal, and -then proceeding to capture another. How different from our dreadful -failure, where seven men could not lazo one animal! - -He further stated that with Foyel's Indians, who were distant a few -marches to the north, eight Valdivians had for the last two years been -employed catching cattle, and having now succeeded in getting together -a herd of about eighty head, intended shortly to return to Valdivia. - -The third day after our arrival I visited the toldos of our new allies; -and while talking to one of the principal Indians, named Malakou, who -could speak a little Spanish, was asked if I could repair firearms, and -one or two very antique specimens of flint pistols and blunderbusses -were produced, the locks of which were wood-bound. Half an hour served -to set these to rights, at which the owners were much delighted, and -offered me tobacco, &c., which however I refused, taking instead a hide -to make a small lazo. - -After bidding, not adieu, but _au revoir_, to my new friends, whilst -strolling back I was called into a toldo where four women were sitting -sewing mantles. One, who appeared to be of the Pampa tribe, old and -ugly, spoke Spanish, and stated that she was formerly in the Rio Negro -with the cacique Chingoli. She acted as spokeswoman for the others, -three tall, buxom lasses, daughters of a brother of Quintuhual, who was -Capitanejo of the party. They were gaily dressed in variegated ponchos, -with silk handkerchiefs bound round their fine glossy hair, which was -plaited into two long tails, and set off their clear, fresh complexions -charmingly. The first question they asked me was where I came from. On -answering 'From the direction in which the sun rises,' they asked if it -wasn't very hot there. They then asked if I had ever been above in the -sky; if I had not been dead one time and come to life again; whether -Casimiro had not been dead and come back again, and various other -questions of the same description. - -After satisfying their curiosity to the best of my ability, and smoking -a pipe, I received a message by Juan Antonio that Quintuhual wanted to -see me in his toldo. Proceeding thither, I was shown to a seat on a -poncho, and discoursed with the old chief for half an hour; at the end -of which he made me a present of a 'jurga,' or, as the Tehuelches term -it, 'lechu,' a sort of blanket made by their women, similar to the -poncho, except, instead of two parts with an opening for the head to -pass through, it consists of an entire piece. It was perfectly new, -having been just completed by his daughters. - -After a good dinner we adjourned to see the races, a great match being -on between the two tribes. The course was about four miles; and the race -resulted in a victory for the Tehuelches. Both sides had backed their -favourites heavily; and as on this occasion the ladies took a prominent -share in the betting, the Tehuelches were in great glee, having won from -the fair Araucanians many valuable mandils and lechus. In the evening a -grand feast took place, with a mandil tent and dance. - -Near this place grew a quantity of the wild potatoes, and the women used -to start early in the morning and come back towards evening with their -horses loaded. The tubers were the largest I had seen, and closely -resembled the sweet potato in flavour. The usual way of cooking them was -boiling in a pot, a sod of earth being placed over all to keep the steam -in. - -We made a stay of eight days in Esgel-kaik, amusing ourselves by racing, -visiting the Araucanos, and passing a very pleasant time, the only -drawback being the illness of Crimè, who grew gradually worse. - -The day before our departure Jackechan and El Sourdo intimated that, as -they feared a disturbance, and wished to keep clear of any fight, they -would not accompany us to Las Manzanas, but purposed to proceed in the -direction of Chupat, and send in a messenger to the Welsh colony. So I -at once took the opportunity of forwarding a letter to Mr. Lewis Jones, -requesting certain supplies of yerba, tobacco, and sugar. - -On February 5th the whole camp broke up, Jackechan and two toldos -marching to the north-east, and the remainder, who now formed an -extensive train, marching almost due north. Before leaving Jackechan -sent one of his wives and his youngest son, who was remarkably attached -to me, to our toldo, to be under the charge of her father, Kai Chileno. -El Sourdo had pressed me to go with their small party, and for some time -I wavered, but thought it best to stick to Casimiro, and pay a visit to -Cheoeque, and the much-praised Manzanas, where the Indians anticipated -finding plenty of fruit and plenty of drink. After leaving Esgel the -character of the country changed. We were no longer traversing Pampas, -with their dreary monotony, but journeyed through level valleys of two -or three miles in extent, watered by rivulets fringed with stunted -trees, and abounding with game. The general line of the dividing -hills--which were round downs and occasionally broken and waterworn -cliffs--was from east to west, seeming as if they were thrown off as -spurs from the Cordillera, from which, however, their western bases -were divided by a valley often narrowing to a glen, down which flowed -a stream in a northward course. Towards evening a halt was made at the -side of a stream where there was sufficient pasture for the horses, and -it was an amusing sight to watch the long line of women winding down the -hills in the distance, like a flock of ants; the Araucanians driving -their cattle and mares separate from our party, and their sheep bringing -up the rear by slow marches under charge of some lads. - -Early the following morning the camp was struck, and after crossing a -hill directly above the encampment, which was covered with rank high -grass, we descended the northward slope to a wild, barren-looking plain, -at the northern side of which, near to a low range of hills, some -trees and a silver line marked the course of a river flowing from the -Cordillera, the mountains of which rose to a height of 2,000 or 3,000 -feet, wooded nearly to the summits, and their crests glittering with -occasional patches of snow that had defied the power of the summer sun. -Traversing this plain, which was dotted with barberry and other bushes, -and varied here and there by small hummocky ridges, we closed the -hunting circle by the banks of the stream, a few miles distant from the -Cordillera. Here, in different parties, the usual fires were lit, and -the hunting meal discussed, after which we proceeded to the toldos. -The Araucanians had pitched theirs on the southern bank of the river, -amongst some clumps of trees; whilst those of the Tehuelches were -situated on the northern bank, the river dividing the two villages. -Westward from our encampment the barren plain was succeeded by a wide -level of grass, reaching to the base of the mountains, some two miles -distant; but higher up the course of the river, which trended to the -north, the plain appeared to resume its barren and stony aspect, with -here and there a dry lagoon, until the slope of the mountains was -reached, and detached belts of trees formed the commencement of the -forest. On the southern side of the river the pasture was not very -abundant; nevertheless there was sufficient for the horses, cattle, -and sheep of our allies to graze upon. - -After the usual stable drill most of us bathed in the stream, which, -although nowhere of great depth, had pools at intervals suited for -bathing; but the water was icy cold. The day following our arrival at -this camp, which was named Diplaik, a birthday feast took place in the -Araucanian toldos, to which most of us were invited, the usual tent -being erected and a dance held in the evening, and the feast and dance -were kept up for two days and nights, at the end of which a messenger -arrived from Foyel to say that Calficura, the chief of the Indians -encamped at the Salinas north of the Rio Negro, near Bahia Blanca, was -going to make war on Buenos Ayres, the reason assigned being the murder -of one of his relations by the Christians; he therefore desired the -Araucanians and Tehuelches to join with him in the inroad. His literal -message was as follows: 'My horse is ready, my foot is in the stirrup, -my lance is in my hand, and I go to make war against these Christians, -who tire us out with their falseness.' - -A parlemento was called, and the chiefs deliberated for some time, -but in the end determined to have nothing to do with the affair; so a -message was sent to the effect that he might do as he pleased, but that -they wished to maintain peace. - -We remained some days in Diplaik, during which several races were run, -resulting on this occasion in favour of the horses of the Araucanians, -who won many horses and mares from their neighbours. - -The international sports were diversified by a cock fight between -Orkeke's bird and one belonging to an Araucanian. My assistance was -requested to sharpen the spurs, and my friends were much astonished at -my indignant refusal to have anything to do with such a proceeding. The -Araucanian owner of the cock had also a hen which, during the march, sat -upon a clutch of eggs and successfully reared her brood of six chickens, -the hen, nest, and all being carefully transported on horseback, and -Dame Partlet seeming quite as much at home in the saddle as any Indian -mother with her nursling carried in the cradle behind her. - -In the dry lagoons on the western side of the valley the women and, -indeed, sometimes the men, were frequently engaged in grubbing up an -edible root which grew in large quantities. The leaf of the plant -is very minute, and the root, which is found about a foot below the -surface, varies in length from 1 to 3 inches: it is quite white, and -about a quarter of an inch in diameter; when raw its taste resembles -that of a chestnut, but is rather sweeter. The Indians boil it and -drink the water, which is very sweet. During the last two days of our -stay we subsisted entirely on this food and fish caught in the stream, -as meat was not obtainable. Some of the Tehuelches were here induced for -the first time to taste the fish on which Casimiro, Meña, and myself -were regaling, and some of them took a great liking to it, and borrowing -my lines and hooks were soon sitting on the bank waiting patiently for -a bite. They caught several, and towards evening returned with my lines -and a share of the fish for us, which we did not require. As I had -plenty of hooks, these ingenious savages soon made lines for themselves -out of twisted ostrich sinews, and may, for all I know, at the present -time be occupied in fishing. The fact that none of these Tehuelches -would before this touch the fish caught by me, and even expressed great -disgust at the idea, is worthy of note, as it has been stated that on -the coast they catch and eat sea fish, which could only be alleged by -persons ignorant of their real habits of life.[10] - - [10] Cf. Guinnard, 'Three Years' Slavery,' p. 73. - -On the 12th we marched; the cause of our detention for the two extra -days being the continued sickness of Crimè, who, however, at length -determined to make an effort and proceed, although barely able to sit -on his horse. The women followed, more or less, the valley of the river, -whilst the hunters ranged over the hills, which on the eastern side were -in most parts free from rock and stones and abounded with ostriches. -During the journey I came suddenly on two wild cats, one of which my -dog attacked and killed, and the other fell a victim to my bolas. These -were of the species common in the provinces of La Plata, and especially -in the islands of the Parana. Towards evening we came on another -small stream flowing into the main river, into the plain of which we -subsequently descended and found the toldos already pitched, literally -'sub tegmine fagi.' During this day's ride, happening to be in the same -part of the circle as the Araucanians, we cooked our dinners in company -and rode home together. On the way Quintuhual's eldest son, with whom -I had always had very friendly relations, said that he desired to -recognise me as his brother. So we accordingly joined hands, and riding -together formally declared that we were as brothers, and would always -remember the duties of our relationship and assist each other, if needs -be, in whatever part of the world we might be placed. All this was very -satisfactory, and it may be interesting to the reader to know that -my sisters and cousins were the good-looking girls who had asked -such curious questions at Esgel, and with whom, though we could not -understand each other's language, I had always kept up a laughing -acquaintance, thereby arousing considerable jealousy in the bosoms of -my Tehuelche friends. The gloriously warm weather which, for a wonder, -continued during our stay at Lilly-haik, as this station was named, -rendered our residence there most enjoyable, and we revelled in the -simple pleasures of the woods; sometimes three or four of us would go -away across the brook, and traversing a plain occupied by the horses and -cattle, search for strawberries amongst the ravines of the neighbouring -mountains, or climb the tall trees and gather the yellow insipid fungus -adhering to the branches, or lie down amongst the wild violets and -enjoy the _dolce far niente_. These Indian children of nature showed -themselves as thoroughly able to appreciate the idleness of gathering -fruit and flowers and roaming in the woods as school children on a -holiday ramble. On one occasion Casimiro and several others proceeded -in search of wood wherewith to construct saddles, and we felled several -fine trees, selecting and cutting off suitable pieces of timber. It was -hard work with blunt axes, but Indians are indefatigable when they -once commence a task. After my spell at the axe I wandered off with a -companion into the thicker forest in search of fungus to make tinder. -Of this we found little, but thirst soon made us seek for water, and -discover a delicious ice-cold rivulet, embowered with currant bushes -bearing ripe fruit. Here we remained a short time smoking and picking -currants, recumbent on the mossy turf, till a shout in the distance -warned us that our companions were returning. On our way home we killed -one of the flat toad-like lizards which the Indians regard as devilish; -we also caught a young skunk, which Casimiro wished to keep as a pet for -the children, but at my instance let it go and enjoy the delights of -freedom. 'Fancy a tame skunk!' some may exclaim; but in Hinchel's toldo -there were two skunks which, perfectly tame and as playful as kittens, -ran about everywhere, never using their offensive powers, and sometimes -getting lost for an hour or two caused a dreadful outcry to be raised by -the children until they were found. - -The hill slopes were a garden of calceolarias, alyssum, tiny wild -geraniums, and other flowers unknown to me. Amongst them were two -magnificent creepers, one resembling a vine, with rich violet -trumpet-shaped flowers, and another displaying gorgeous circular orange -blossoms, with black lines radiating, like the spokes of a wheel, from -the centre. I looked in vain for seeds, but there were none mature, so -contented myself with plucking a flower, which was subsequently lost -with other specimens. - -A disagreeable incident here gave me an opportunity of observing the -disposition of the Araucanians to enslave and illtreat any unhappy -'Cristiano' that they can either kidnap or purchase. One of the -Chilians, after more than once removing from one Tehuelche toldo to -another, listened to the delusive promises of an Araucanian and deserted -his old protectors rather than masters. He soon found that he had -exchanged an easy berth for real slavery. One day he besought me to -interfere to protect him from the cruelty of his master, who was urging -him with his whip to continue his labour of wood felling. He complained -that he was worked all day, and scantily fed, and obliged to sleep -outside the toldo; very different from his life amongst the Patagonians, -when food, shelter, and a horse to ride were always his lot. At my -intercession Quintuhual took him into his service to protect him, for no -Tehuelche would receive him; but he was afterwards reported to have been -killed by his quondam master, as a punishment for his desertion. - -During our stay great gambling with cards was carried on amongst some of -the party; and Casimiro and Hinchel worked most assiduously constructing -saddles, which when finished they were in as great haste to gamble -away. A wedding also varied the proceedings in this place; and another -little incident, in the shape of a separation by mutual consent of an -Araucanian husband and Tehuelche wife, gave the old ladies subject for -gossip; but a reconciliation was soon after effected. - -On the 16th of February we left Lilly-haik, and bid adieu to the -pleasant river and the sylvan delights of this Paradise, as it seemed -to us, with its flowery shades. As we ascended the northern declivity of -the high ground bounding the valley, I halted to take a farewell look; -and nowhere has a more beautiful scene presented itself to my gaze. The -valley narrowed as it curved to the west, and at its head, through a -gigantic cleft, the perpendicular walls of which rose several hundred -feet, the waters of the river issued from their mountain cradle. So deep -was the gloom of this gorge, that it was impenetrable to even Indian -eyes, and the river seemed to flow into the sunlight out of unknown -darkness. Above, on either hand, the precipitous cliffs sloped upwards -into high mountains clothed with a rich mantle of the dark green, -cedarlike foliage of the beech forests; and between their summits might -be discerned the dazzling peaks of far distant loftier mountains crowned -with perpetual snow. - -Turning our backs upon this lovely scene, we crossed a remarkable -succession of barren and stony terraces or benches of curiously -irregular formation, the terraces running in different directions, and -presenting no parallel lines to indicate any uniform action of water; -the regular slopes and level surfaces resembling a complication of -gigantic steps. We at length descended to a plain bordering a river, -which all the Indians agreed in declaring to be the main branch of the -Chupat. The banks on the southern side were remarkable for being fringed -with a species of Pampa grass, while on the northern side grew a few -trees, near which the toldos were pitched. - -The river was about forty yards in width, and easily fordable in most -places, although there were deep reaches where a horse had to swim. -The foremost party of the hunters crossed first, and some, either not -knowing or careless of the fords, enjoyed a bathe, swimming alongside -their horses. By eventide all our party, women and baggage, had arrived. -A few days' halt was occasioned in this place, named Chupatcush, by the -continued illness of the cacique Crimè. We hunted in all the surrounding -country, which presented no very remarkable features. Down river, or to -speak more correctly to the eastward, after passing a range of hills of -the usual description, covered with short tufty grass, interspersed with -shrubs, through which the river forces its way in a succession of narrow -gorges, a large plain opened out, which extended for perhaps nine miles -on each side, scantily covered with grass, excepting towards the banks -of the river, where the pasture was luxuriant. - -A subsequent comparison of the observations made by Welsh settlers as to -its lower course with my own, aided by Indian accounts, enables me to -state that the Chupat river is characterised throughout its course by -the narrow gorge-like cuttings alternating with similar wide plains, -all of which are suitable for cultivation. Besides the Sengel, which -is doubtless one of its main feeders, other streams occurring in our -journey had also been described as tributaries of the Chupat, and by -their direction of course it would appear that their waters, if they -reach the sea, must flow into this river; but it seems to me difficult -to understand how, if the Chupat receives the drainage of so large -an area of country, its stream near the mouth, as described both by -Indians and settlers, can be of such small dimensions. It is, therefore, -probable that some, if not most, of the lesser rivers lose themselves -in lagoons or swamps in the central districts, and the reader must be -pleased to remember that the courses of these rivers, as indicated on -the map, are not in all cases laid down from my own observation, but -partly from Indian description and partly from an already existing map, -probably compiled from similar data. - -To the westward plains occur at intervals apparently until the river -debouches from the ravines of the high mountains of the Andes, about -twelve miles from the encampment. At this point the stream flows from -the northward, and the Indians informed me has its source in a large -lake, most probably Nahuel-huapi. The pasture in the immediate vicinity -of the camp was scanty, having apparently been recently burned, but -the soil was of a rich alluvial description. In the chase the most -remarkable thing observed was the abundance of armadillos, one hunter -frequently bringing in two or three. Fish also were abundant in the -river, and averaged a larger size than those previously caught. - -On February 18th smoke was observed to the northward, not far distant, -and towards evening a chasqui arrived, bringing with him a couple of -bottles of liquor for Quintuhual, as well as news that things were going -on well amongst Foyel's people; and on the 21st we again marched over a -high plateau broken by numerous irregular ravines which appeared to have -been swept by an inundation. High isolated cliffs stood up as though -the waters had washed round them and swept away the intervening soil, -leaving their waterworn faces marked with the indelible record of -the floods, as plainly as the torn and blasted rocks in the southern -districts bore the traces of volcanic fires. At last a more unbroken -plain terminated suddenly in a shelving descent of 300 to 400 feet, -the wall of a chasm covered with grass and shrubs interspersed with -scattered boulders, down which we made our way, encamping near the base, -where a beautiful spring gushed from the side. The bottom of the cañon, -which was nearly half a mile in width, contained a watercourse, the bed -of which was dry at this season, except a few pools of stagnant water -unsuitable for drinking. - -It was intended to despatch messengers from this place, which was -called Cushamon, to Foyel, and also Cheoeque, the chief of Las Manzanas, -warning him of our near approach; and accordingly, after our arrival -in camp, I wrote a letter to the said chieftain at the dictation of -Casimiro, which in well-rounded periods and with much complimentary -verbiage explained the fact and reasons of our having united all the -Indians and inviting their co-operation. - -The following morning, after the letter had been read and explained to -the assembled Caciques, the two messengers (sons of Caciques) appeared -with two horses each, and after receiving some verbal injunctions, -started on their journey, amidst the howlings of a few old women and a -blast from the cornet. The remainder of us, who had mounted, to add to -the pomp and ceremony of the occasion, went out hunting, some following -the ravine in an easterly direction, which, penetrating high pampas, -opened into a plain containing a lagoon fed by the waters of the -brook, whilst others encircled the high pampas above. Hinchel, whom I -accompanied on this occasion, pointed out to me several small holes with -little mounds of earth and rubbish at the mouth, which he asserted to -be the abodes of snakes, but no occupants were visible outside. He -described the snakes as dark in colour, about 2 feet 6 inches long, and -perfectly harmless, adding that they would be good to eat, which facts -were subsequently corroborated by Casimiro. - -One of the troubles of pampa life is occasionally losing one's horses, -as was my case in this place, and I spent one entire day in search -before I recovered them, as they had strayed in company with a troop of -mares far up the valley, which here divided into two branches, opening -into watered grassy plains extending to the Cordillera. As there were -horse tracks up both valleys, according to the usual law of contrariety -I took the wrong one at first and had a long gallop for nothing. At any -time it is troublesome to have to look through about two thousand horses -all unmarked and many of the same colour, and perhaps resembling those -belonging to the perplexed searcher. An Indian, however, with his -natural quickness of sight, will distinguish his own horses at a great -distance amongst a hundred others. It has been already said that in this -roving life all must look after their own horses, for Indians do not -understand another person doing it for them, unless he be a son or -relation, and in all cases when preparing for the march everyone is -expected to find and bring up his own. - -During our stay (until the 28th) in this encampment, the cold winds -again set in, and snow fell on one occasion, but not in great quantity, -and we were all very glad at length to get the order to march, and -proceeded in joyous expectation of shortly meeting the chasquis with -news from the other Indians. By this time the young guanaco had grown to -considerable size and afforded a lengthened chase, but their skins were -useless for mantles, the fur having acquired more of the thick woolly -nature of that of the full-grown animal. The next halt was made in a -place called Telck, a valley of considerable width, on one edge of which -the burrow of a Patagonian hare or cavy was pointed out to me, but the -owner was not visible. Here a messenger arrived with an answer to our -letter from Foyel, indited by a Valdivian Indian named Antonio Guaitu, -educated by the missionaries, who filled the post of secretary to the -chief. The Caciques having formed a circle, in which my place was next -the president, Casimiro, the chasquis were introduced and ceremoniously -handed me the letter, written in most peculiar Spanish, which, after -some private study, I was able to decipher and expound to the attentive -assembly. It contained many expressions of good will and hopes of a -speedy meeting, winding up with an apology that, owing to having left -his country north of the Rio Limay and come down into these parts in -order to hunt the young guanaco, he regretted having so few warriors -in his train wherewith to welcome 'the great chief of the south,' -viz., Casimiro. After this function, with my deportment in which, be it -modestly said, all the chiefs were much pleased, as well as gratified by -the amicable contents of the despatch, one of the Araucanian caciques -assuring me with many compliments that his horses were always at my -disposal for a mount, all adjourned to a shooting match, or rather -pistol practice, at which the performances were decidedly moderate, and -the mark seemed to be the safest place. Starting thence on March 3, and -travelling always northwards over the barren upper pampas with scarcely -a shrub on them, the wall-like Cordillera rising on the west, and ranges -of hills bounding the view to the east, about 2 P.M. we arrived at a -marshy plain: there, as we were halting to make a fire, a cloud of smoke -rose suddenly from the opposite side, indicating the near approach of -the chasqui sent to Las Manzanas. Half a dozen of us were immediately -despatched to verify the supposition, and, leaving our dinner for a -future occasion, raced across the valley at full speed, the Indians -firmly believing that the messengers would bring liquor with them, and -every one being ambitious of the first drink. We at length made them -out, and perceiving us in return they halted and dismounted by a small -hillock, where we shortly joined them, Casimiro following sedately, as -became so grand a personage. The Indians were disappointed as to the -advent of liquor, the messengers having brought nothing with them except -a few apples, some of which, distributed to us, proved to be very juicy -and refreshing, equalling any European apple. The only answer to our -letter was a verbal message to the effect that we should be welcome at -Las Manzanas, and that Cheoeque would collect a force to meet us, all -his people being at present busy in the mountains gathering the harvest -of apples and piñones; he also stated that he had received late news -from Patagones, one Mariano Linares, brother of the head chief of the -tame Indians in that settlement, being at present a visitor at Las -Manzanas. Casimiro was rather irritated at not receiving a written -answer, but on my pointing out that it was just possible Cheoeque did -not own a secretary in his suite, the chief was somewhat pacified, -although his dignity was rather hurt, and he recurred again and again -to the subject. - -On our way to the toldos, which, during the interval of our hearing the -news, roasting apples, &c., had been pitched, Casimiro pointed out to -me the scene of a former fight in which a chief and several Indians had -been killed. It was a very desirable place for encampment, but, owing to -these antecedents, was carefully avoided, and instead of it our party -occupied a damp and even sloppy site on the borders of a small stream -that lost itself in a large marsh farther to the east, while the -Araucanians had selected a better spot a little higher up the valley. -The following day we hunted over some hills in the vicinity of the -mountains and killed a great quantity of ostriches, scarcely a man -coming home without a good supply of meat. - -On March 5, early in the morning, whilst most of us were rounding up -our horses, others smoking at the fireside, some men appeared in the -distance with several horses, one of which appeared to be loaded. In a -moment many Indians were away to meet the newcomers, and one came back -at speed to inform us that they were Manzanero Indians bringing liquor -to trade with. They proceeded to Quintuhual's toldo, one of them being -a connection of the chief, and there dismounted, unloading their horse -of two sheepskins filled with rum. Great was the rejoicing amongst the -Indians, and large the crowd that soon collected round Quintuhual's -toldo, carefully keeping at a respectful distance. Casimiro and myself -were shortly sent for, and on riding over were invited to preside at -the commencement of the festival. On our dismounting, in company with -several of the other caciques, four lances were planted in the ground -(one having a white weft or poncho placed on it), and the chiefs, each -taking a horn or pannikin containing a very little rum, marched round -the lances muttering an incantation and sprinkling a little liquor -on the ground, also on the lances as they passed. This ceremony was -repeated twice, a select body of old women attending to sing and cry, to -assist in frightening away the evil spirit. After this my brother, who -appeared to be master of the ceremonies, handed pannikins of grog round, -and all were soon very convivial. After taking a glass or two I retired -in company with Orkeke and Hinchel, neither of whom was inclined to -drink much, owing to the possibility of a disturbance. The rest of the -party then began to buy drink, as the first free allowance was stopped, -and in a short time many were in an advanced stage of intoxication, -amongst whom was our head chief. The terms of barter were a mantle or -unbroken colt for two bottles of villainous Valdivian rum, which was, -as the Tehuelches agreed, a very exorbitant price; but inasmuch as the -dealers left it free for them either to go without or pay up, the liquor -was soon finished and the merchants possessed of some eighteen new -mantles and a good number of mares and colts. The artful Tehuelches, -however, during the ensuing night, stole back a portion of the mantles -and humbugged the Araucanians about the horses, professing not to be -able to catch them. Everything went on quietly until about 3 P.M., when -a fight took place, but the combatants were disarmed. From this up to 8 -P.M. Quintuhual, Orkeke, and many of the people who had kept sober, were -occupied in quelling disturbances, Casimiro being as bad as any, and -sending for his gun wherewith to shoot some imagined enemy, which I -fortunately intercepted, and after plugging up the nipples hid it behind -the toldo. There was little sleep to be obtained till nearly morning, -when the inebriated ones laid down anywhere and everywhere to sleep -off their potations. The following morning Casimiro awoke with a bad -headache and bad temper, and commenced talking about something that had -been said to him the previous day, on which I informed him that he must -have no shame left in him to get so intoxicated, and that no Indians -could respect a chief who was the first to set an evil example by -wishing to create a disturbance, while Quintuhual had remained sober, -taking care of his people as became a chief, and that he (Casimiro) -should have done the same. This raised the ire of the ancient monarch, -who answered in a most impolite manner, so much so, that to avoid a row -I left him to his bad head and quitted the toldo till he should be in a -better frame of mind. Shortly after this little episode we broke up the -camp and marched a few miles to the north. Having been detained by a -missing horse, I did not start with the hunting party, but overtook the -people who had arrived with the grog, returning with their remaining -mantles, horses, colts, &c., and loudly abusing the Tehuelches for a set -of thieving rascals. One of this party was a Valdivian boy who spoke -fluent Spanish, and invited me to accompany him to Los Llanos, whither -he now intended returning. He stated that in seven or eight days he -hoped to reach his destination, and that from thence to the port of -Valdivia was but a day and a half's journey. On arriving at the next -encampment I bade adieu to these people, who continued their march -farther to the north, not liking to trust their property again in the -neighbourhood of our camp. - -Only halting for the night, we resumed our journey shortly after -daylight, mounting a rather steep ascent to a high plateau strewn with -sharp stones and crossed by ridges of rocks at intervals. - -Ostriches and guanaco were numerous, and although chasing them almost -involved the certainty of laming one's horse, many were killed. In this -hunt a male guanaco came racing towards me from the Indians on the -western side of the circle, and on my galloping to intercept him, he -turned and descended a ridge of rocks. I was about to throw the bolas, -being within distance, when he suddenly tripped and, falling on his -head, lay stunned at the bottom of the cliff, where I soon despatched -him with my knife. - -These barren pampas terminated suddenly in a line of cliffs, gradually -but steeply shelving in some places, and in others presenting a -perpendicular descent of 200 feet; at the base lay a large plain watered -by a brook, and enclosed on the southern, eastern, and partially on the -western sides by these cliffs, while the northern and north-western -boundary was formed by hills rising in gentle slopes. In about the -centre of this plain, close to the brook side, were to be distinguished -the toldos of Foyel, to which the women were wending their way, having -descended by a ravine to the east, while some distance to the north-east -on the upper plains were to be distinguished the hunting fires of the -proprietors of the toldos. In due course of time we arrived, but as -the hunting party did not return till late, we saw nothing of Foyel's -people that evening, though letters were exchanged between the chiefs, -felicitating each other on the meeting, and appointing next day for the -ceremony of welcome. - -The following morning, however, day broke with a furious south-west -gale, with passing squalls of snow and sleet, and so bitterly cold and -miserable that Foyel sent a note to state that, 'as the day was rather -frozen,' perhaps it would be better to postpone the ceremony till finer -weather, inasmuch as after it a parlemento would have to be held to -consider matters in general. Casimiro answered, through me, that he -was of the same opinion, but would do himself the honour of paying -a personal visit. Presently we sallied out in the storm, taking the -presents and the necessary number of women to cry, and proceeded to -Foyel's toldo, where we handed over the gifts, the women melodiously -howling during the operation. A short parley then ensued between the -two caciques, neither of whom, be it remembered, could understand the -language of the other. After this ceremonial was concluded, which took -place outside the toldo during a blinding snow storm, we returned to our -home, and shortly after the day cleared up a little, and Foyel's people -were visible bringing up cattle and sheep from distant parts of the -valley to which they had been driven to seek shelter from the storm. -Some headed in our direction, and were driven close to the toldo, over -which the Buenos Ayrean colours proudly waved to designate the dwelling -of the chief. Foyel then arrived and had an interview with Casimiro, -presenting him with cattle which were lazoed by some of the Valdivian -Indians, and a light-haired man dressed in Christian clothes, but with -rather a wild appearance. My first idea was that he was either Scotch or -English, but as he approached me whilst despatching one of the cows, I -asked him in Spanish where he came from, and whether he was not English; -he answered that he was from Chili, but had lived nearly all his life in -Valdivia working cattle, and had for the last two years been in company -with the Valdivians catching cattle in the Cordillera, and making his -head-quarters at Foyel's camp. His name was Ventura Delgado, and he -had visited Patagones the previous year in company with the secretary, -Antonio Guaitu, who took an application for rations for Foyel. As we -were both busy we arranged to meet and have a talk later in the day. A -good deal of eating took place in the forenoon, and to escape the crowd, -and also the persecution of having continually to write some nonsensical -message from Casimiro to Foyel, who about every half hour used to -interchange written messages, although the toldos were not above two -hundred yards apart, I quitted the chief's quarters for a stroll. While -roaming about the camp looking for the toldo in which my new Valdivian -acquaintance put up, I was called into another, where Casimiro's aunt, -one of our domestic circle, and my 'companion of the pipe,' was sitting -by the fire drinking grog, in which she invited me to assist her; -nothing loth, I sat down and we had two or three cheerers together, -after which the owner of the toldo, a brother-in-law of Foyel's, a -Pampa Indian, arrived. He spoke fluent Spanish, having formerly been -for a considerable time near the settlements, and was an intellectual, -fine-looking man; he was very civil and escorted me to Foyel's toldo, -where I spent the afternoon in company with Antonio Guaitu and Ventura -Delgado, the Valdivian. - -On March 8, the day being fine and suitable for the ceremony of welcome, -Casimiro gave orders at an early hour for all to mount and hold -themselves in readiness to go through the necessary evolutions. About -an hour after the orders had been given, most of the Patagonians were -mounted and ready, so all proceeded to the part of the valley where the -united Araucanian Indians, under Quintuhual and Foyel, were already -formed in line, lances in hand, waiting for our motley crowd, who gave -considerable trouble to the chiefs, owing to their loose ideas of -formation: the caciques and adjutant no sooner had got one part of the -line into something like order, than the people at the other extremity -would break up into knots and converse or smoke. Foyel sent several -messages to Casimiro to keep his line properly formed, and at length -the Tehuelches were arrayed in something like order and the ceremony -commenced. After it was concluded a great Parlemento was held, which -lasted until the afternoon; all the previous resolutions were confirmed, -viz., that Casimiro should be recognised the chief of the South, his -jurisdiction extending over all Indians south of the Rio Limay; that -with his people he should guarantee the safety of Patagones, and hold in -check the Pampa Indians of Las Salinas, under the chief Calficura, in -the improbable event of his endeavouring to cross the Rio Limay for the -purpose of making raids into the settlements; 2ndly, that we should, all -united, march to Las Manzanas to visit Cheoeque, and propose to him to -guarantee with his forces the safety of the north bank of the river, -which would effectually bridle Calficura and secure Patagones. After -the Parlemento I proceeded to visit Foyel, and was received by him with -every expression of friendship and regard. During the course of our -interview he asked me to show him my compass, the fame of which had gone -before it. I at once took it off my neck, where I was in the habit of -carrying it, and endeavoured to explain its uses to him. Unlike the -other Indians, although at first regarding it rather with superstitious -awe, Foyel soon understood its uses, though he also hinted that it might -not only be useful for finding the way at night, but perhaps would bring -luck at play as well. I accordingly begged him to accept it, which, -after a little demur, he did with evident delight, wrapping it carefully -up and giving it in charge of his daughter. - -He then commenced a conversation on the subject of Indians and their -relations with white people. He stated that he was in favour of friendly -intercourse both with the Valdivian people on the western side and the -Argentines on the eastern shores. I quote some of his exact words: 'God -has given to us these plains and hills wherein to dwell; he has provided -us with the guanaco, from the skins of which to form our toldos, and -from the young of which we make mantles to clothe ourselves with; also -the ostrich and armadillo for food. Our contact with the Christians of -late years has given us a taste for yerba, sugar, biscuit, flour, and -other luxuries formerly unknown, but which now have become almost -necessary to us. If we have war with the Spaniards, we shall have no -market for our skins, ponchos, feathers, &c., therefore it is for our -own interests to be on good terms with them; besides, there is plenty of -room for all.' He then went on to state that he was endeavouring to find -a route to Valdivia, avoiding Las Manzanas and the Picunche tribe of -Indians, who are against all foreigners; and that if possible he would -get families of Valdivian Indians and endeavour to cultivate some of -the valleys in the neighbourhood of the Rio Limay. - -I was not at that time aware of Mr. Cox's descent from Lake Nahuel-huapi, -or could at once have informed him of that means of communication with -the settlements on the western side; still I doubt the practicability of -that route for women and children carrying with them household goods and -agricultural implements. After some more conversation, and receiving a -general invitation to visit his toldo whenever I felt inclined, and a -hospitable assurance that there would always be food for me if I was -hungry, I retired to Casimiro's, whilst Foyel went away to play cards, -taking with him my compass for luck, and curiously enough he won several -horses, silver stirrups, and other valuables from the Tehuelches. - -The following day a race took place, the Tehuelches first taking their -horse up to the top of a neighbouring hill, where the doctor performed -some magical ceremony to ensure his winning, which he did, though -apparently inferior to his competitor. In this plain, called by the -Indians Gatchen-kaik or Rocky Hills, Crimè's illness caused us to remain -encamped until March 21, during the greater part of which time I and -several others were suffering from neuralgia and ulcerations in the -mouth, caused, I think, by the bad water we had to drink, perhaps also -by the want of salt, which had become a very scarce commodity. - -Friendly rivalry was kept up between the tribes in play, hunting, and -other sports, in which fortune varied from one side to the other. Every -other day I visited poor Crimè, whose groans might be heard at night -accompanied by the chaunt of some old hag. The sick man always asked me -how long he would live. I at first tried to persuade him that he would -get well, but after a time, as he was really fast sinking, gave him to -understand that he might live a month if he was lucky. I offered to open -his leg and endeavour to cure him, but this he would not allow, stating -that if he died under the operation it would go hard with the doctor, -which was indeed true, so I gave up my intentions of performing a -surgical operation. - -Before we broke up the camp a Valdivian and other Indians arrived from -Cheoeque's, but brought little news, stating that the Manzaneros were -still dispersed amongst the valleys of the Cordillera engaged in -gathering the yearly harvest of apples and piñones: of these we had -already received plenty from Foyel's people, who kept up a constant -communication with their relations near the Rio Limay. - -On the 21st all left the valley and travelled a few leagues through a -diversified country. On the line of march cliffs, which stood out in -the glens in irregular, picturesque manner, were of yellow and red -sandstone, but to the westwards black basaltic heights could be seen -abutting on the plains, while in hunting over the higher ground masses -of ironstone and igneous rock were met with scattered over the surface. -We remained for the night in a valley called Changi, and, proceeding -next day, arrived about noon at a large plain shut in by sandstone -cliffs on the eastern side, at the northern side of which towered a -peculiar pointed rock, perhaps 300 feet in height, standing out alone -on the sloping descent; viewed from the western side it appeared like a -natural column composed of stratified yellow and red and black layers of -sand, and on the summit a condor had his eyry. - -The plain extended for several miles to the west, where it was again -closed in by cliffs, differing from those to the eastward in being -composed of basalt. In this plain, called Geylum, situated, according -to Indian accounts, a few leagues to the eastward of Lake Nahuel-huapi, -and distant sixty miles from the Rio Limay, and seventy-five miles from -Las Manzanas, it was determined to spend the time required for sending -chasquis to give notice of our near approach, prior to all marching in -company for Cheoeque's head-quarters. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -LAS MANZANAS. - - Catching a Thief. -- Miss Foyel. -- Start for Las Manzanas. -- - First View of the Apple Groves. -- Omens of War. -- Inacayal's - Tolderia. -- Crossing the Rio Limay. -- Mr. Cox's Shipwreck. -- - Lenketrou's Raid. -- A Night of Alarm. -- Bravery of my - Cousins. -- The Great Cheoeque. -- A Mounted Parlemento. -- - Apples and Piñones. -- Graviel's Madness. -- Las Manzanas. -- - Cheoeque's Palace. -- The Revels. -- Feuds between the Chiefs. - -- The Picunches and the Passes to Valdivia. -- Trading and - Politics. -- Resolutions of Peace. -- A Grand Banquet. -- Power - of Cheoeque. -- Araucanian Customs. -- Farewell Presents. -- - Invitation to Return. -- Orkeke's Generosity. -- Return to - Geylum. -- Outbreak of an Epidemic. -- My Pretty Page. -- - Departure from Geylum. - - -The day after our arrival at Geylum, Manzaneros or Araucanians arrived -from the north with cider of their own manufacture stored in sheepskins, -apples, and piñones, to trade; and a scene of debauchery ensued, as -usual. At night an attempt, nearly successful, was made to rob our -toldo: one of the women, however, was awake, and heard the thief -endeavouring to get into the back of the sleeping places where some -newly-finished mantles were stored; she gave the alarm to two of the -men, and they endeavoured to catch the would-be intruder, who, hearing -the alarm raised, started off at speed, not without receiving a cut from -a knife which marked him deeply on his shoulder; and, what was worse, -being recognised as he ran off. - -Foyel invited me to drink at his expense, but I merely stayed in his -toldo long enough for the observance of etiquette; then retired to keep -Hinchel, who would not drink, company by his fireside. Whilst chatting -together he related how, many years ago, this place had been the scene -of a great battle between the Tehuelches and Manzaneros, in which he, -though only a boy, was struck down by a bola perdida and wounded with -a lance whilst on the ground; the battle resulting in a victory to the -Tehuelches. - -The day following the drink, meat being scarce, I dined in Foyel's toldo -off a little cornmeal and a dessert of apples and piñones, of which -the honours were done by his daughter, a pretty girl of eighteen, -with long black silky hair, which it was the special duty of her -handmaid--a captive Tehuelche girl--to dress daily. This young lady -never condescended to any menial labour, though she occasionally busied -her delicate fingers with the needle; her dowry of about eighty mares -and the influence of her father made her of course a most desirable -match; but she, up to the time of my departure, had exercised the -privilege of an heiress and refused all offers. This evening she was -in great trouble, having lost a new mantle and some other valuables, -stolen no doubt by the Tehuelches. I promised to set inquiries on foot -through Casimiro, which resulted in the stolen property being given up, -and the thief proved to be the same individual who had endeavoured to -rob our toldo. - -Shortly after this two messengers were despatched to Cheoeque, who -returned on March 25 with intelligence that the said chief would be -ready to receive us on April 2, and 'that we were to bring our arms,' -which latter message was rather ambiguous. I had been given the option -of taking our chief's message to Cheoeque, but owing to one of my horses -being lame, and for other reasons, preferred going with the mass later -on. Meña, the Chilian, was therefore honoured with the despatches in my -place, as he alone was competent to read the Spanish letters written -by myself as secretary, and he returned with glowing accounts of -the civility shown him at Las Manzanas, and the generally civilised -appearance of those Indians. We passed several very hungry and -disagreeable days in Geylum previous to starting; there was little game -in the surrounding country, and the weather was cold and wet, with -occasional snow. For two whole days Casimiro, Meña, and myself, who -were usually messmates, had nothing to eat but an armadillo and a few -fish which I caught in a pool of the stream. Near the Column Rock, -whilst hunting, we discovered a 'cache,' belonging to Foyel's Indians, -which contained something wrapped and lashed up in hides: although the -temptation was great to overhaul its contents, the package was left -unopened, and a quiet warning conveyed to Foyel that others were not -likely to be so scrupulous. This confirmed what Casimiro had said as to -these Indians providently leaving bags of fat and provisions in various -places to which they expected to return at no very distant period. - -On the day fixed in the council, held subsequent to the return of -the chasquis, we all started, fully equipped, on our journey to Las -Manzanas, mustering 250 men of the united Indians, without toldos or -baggage, and in light marching order with a few spare horses. A few -horses were loaded with coverings for toldos, mantles, &c., which the -women hoped to sell to advantage to the Araucanians, and a few of the -women accompanied the expedition to conduct their barter, while a guard -of perhaps forty men remained behind to provide food for the women and -children who were to await our return. - -We crossed the gradually sloping irregular plains covered with stunted -bushes, but scarcely deserving the name of high pampas, which bordered -the northern side of the valley of Geylum, and after passing between two -parallel walls of rocks, forming a sort of natural street, we emerged -into a succession of grassy plains, separated by barren rocky hills -covered with scrub, on attaining the summits of which the wooded -Cordillera on the western side rose into view some few leagues distant. -About 11 A.M., after we had been some four hours on our march, we met -two men, bringing with them a pack horse with a couple of skins of -grog for Foyel's people. They were soon surrounded by Tehuelches, -who proposed to drink there and then, and were much inclined to help -themselves; but a messenger from Foyel's people in the rear arriving, -they were permitted to pass unmolested on their way to Geylum, and we -proceeded on our journey and formed a circle to hunt. The country became -more impracticable for riding as we left the lower plains and mounted -some hills broken by deep gorges and bristling in every part with rocks -sparkling with unusually large plates of mica, which glistened like -glass in the sunshine; these hills were terminated by steep cliffs, over -which the ostriches were driven, a party having previously descended to -look out for them below. It was a curious sight to see the ostriches -dropping down heights varying from 10 to 50 feet, often two or three -together, with outspread wings. They appeared generally to be stunned -for a minute or two on reaching the bottom, and by the time they were on -their legs found themselves hampered by a ball from the unerring hand -of some stalwart Tehuelche, and running a yard or two fell with broken -legs. - -Descending from these cliffs we mounted a range of hills more than 2,000 -feet high, by means of a tolerably practicable track for travelling, and -on arriving at the summit halted for the remainder of the cavalcade. -From this point a most magnificent view presented itself; right below -us, looking quite close, but really some thirty miles distant, lay a -dark line as of a deep cutting, marking the valley of the Rio Limay, -which on the west side was terminated by high wooded mountains with -steep precipitous sides. Away to the N.W. was a very high snow-clad -mountain, on which the rays of the setting sun were shedding a -rose-coloured light. Between this and the line of the river rose -wooded ranges of hills, the real apple groves we had heard so much -about; below these again was a low peaked eminence, at the foot of -which, invisible to our eyes, lay our destination, viz., the toldos of -Cheoeque. For weeks Las Manzanas and Cheoeque had been almost the sole -topic of conversation, and the general excitement, which had been -intense at starting, now culminated at the sight of our distant bourne. -As we halted the Indians all raised their hands to their foreheads, -saluting the distant river, and inviting the Spirit of the locality to -be propitious to our undertaking, as to the issue of which there was -great uncertainty. The night before Casimiro had pointed out the redness -of the setting sun, and declared it to be an omen of war; but without -paying attention to the omen, which indeed was not perceptible to my -eyes, the unprecedented visit of 250 Tehuelches ostensibly for peace -might very possibly be otherwise understood by Cheoeque: indeed, it -afterwards appeared that he, in reality, was by no means assured of our -pacific intentions. - -When all were collected and prepared to descend the mountain, it -transpired that Casimiro, who had been missing since the hunt commenced, -had, in company with several other Tehuelches and Foyel's Indians, -returned to drink. This was very annoying, and all present united in -abusing him for setting such an example when about to enter a part -of the country whither we were going on sufferance, amongst a not -remarkably friendly-disposed set of people. We halted after nightfall in -a valley at the side of a small rapid stream, the banks of which, for a -short distance, were covered with high tussocks of broad-leaved pampa -grass, amidst the shelter of which we bivouacked, although the night was -cold and frosty. Firewood was plentiful, supplied by drift wood brought -down by winter or spring floods, so with blazing fires and under the lee -of the pampa grass we slept warmly enough. It was necessary, however, to -keep a sharp look out on the horses, as pasturage was scanty. Before -daylight, after a slight consultation, Guenalto was given chief command, -and we again started; after following a winding valley for a short -distance and scrambling up a steep slope, we continued to ascend a hill -of considerable height and attained a more open country, the western -side of which was bounded by the Cordillera. In one of the valleys -bordering the mountains we came suddenly upon the Valdivians, driving -their cattle en route to return to their own country, Cheoeque having -sent orders to the Picunches occupying the country near, the only known -passes through the Cordillera, to allow them to traverse their district -unmolested; notwithstanding this precaution, they were by no means -certain that the Picunches would not ease them of the trouble of taking -care of their animals on their arrival in the neighbourhood of the -passes. Clearing this open country we again ascended a slight rise, at -the top of which grew a single apple tree in solitary majesty, but it -had been stripped long since of its fruit. Descending this one-tree -ridge we entered a cañon, and after half an hour's ride a sudden turn -brought the valley of the Rio Limay into view immediately below. Having -passed through the cañon, we halted on a slight eminence immediately -underneath the barranca bordering the southern side of the valley of the -river. From this cliff to the river bank, varying from about a mile to -half a mile in width, extended a grassy plain cut up here and there -by streams, and wooded at intervals. About a league to the west the -barranca blended with the declivities of high precipitous mountains, -and the river appeared to force its way from the south between steep -precipices before trending into the valley. On the northern side the -valley, though dotted here and there with clumps of trees, was more -open, and the distance to the barranca greater than that on the southern -side. Immediately opposite our post was situated the tolderia of some -of Inacayal's Indians, and grazing on the surrounding pastures cattle, -sheep, and numerous horses were visible. The river appeared to be of -very considerable width, but very rapid through the whole course of this -open valley. A mile west of the opening of the cañon three small islands -were descried, which Hinchel pointed out as the pass, or ford if it -deserves the name. We accordingly proceeded in that direction, and -taking off all unnecessary gear, strapping our mantles close up, or -wearing them like plaids over our shoulders, descended through the trees -and soon plunged into the river. - -[Illustration: CROSSING THE RIVER LIMAY.] - -The first part of the ford was deep, but the water then shallowed -on nearing the shore, and the velocity of the noisy stream greatly -increased. Still we arrived easily enough at the first island, but to -pass from that to the smaller one appeared at first to rather daunt even -the Tehuelches. The current was running like a millrace, and the waters -foamed over the uneven bottom with a rush and roar that rendered all -warnings inaudible. It was evident that only strong horses could -cross at all; but one or two bolder spirits dashed in, and although -unacquainted with the pass, reached the second island some distance -down the river in safety, so the remainder shortly followed, the women -crossing behind the men; here and there were places in the ford which -necessitated swimming, and in others were huge boulders, over which the -water swirled in large waves. At last we all reached the bank in safety, -and were met by some of Inacayal's Indians. Being among the lucky first -arrivals, I came in for some apples and other food that some of these -people of Inacayal's had thoughtfully brought with them from the toldos. - -When all were mustered and had resumed their clothes, we started for the -toldos, where we were received by Inacayal, and as it was needful to -await those who had remained behind drinking, we bivouacked by the bank -of the river, and shortly some cattle and mares were brought up and -slaughtered to satisfy the cravings of our hunger. After bathing in the -river, I was sitting by the fireside watching our dinner cooking, when -I received a message to say that I was required in one of the toldos. -In that indicated I found an old Indian, a brother of Quintuhual, who -spoke fluent Spanish; he invited me to sit down, and then narrated that -an Englishman named Cox had formerly descended the river from Lake -Nahuel-huapi in a boat, but in trying to descend under cover of night, -had been wrecked in the rapids at the bend, about a mile above the ford -which we had recently crossed: he then took refuge among these Indians, -by whom he was hospitably received, and subsequently returned to -Valdivia across the mountains, being unable to proceed to Patagones. The -old Indian entertained a most friendly feeling for Mr. Cox, whom he had -known well, as he had remained several days in his toldo. - -After talking some time about this, food was served, and he then -proceeded to ask my opinion as to the treatment the Indians experienced -from what he called the Spaniards, stating that the Chilians were -encroaching on one side and the Argentines on the other, by which means -the Indians must eventually be driven off the face of the earth, or else -fight for their existence. - -After some more conversation I returned to our fireside accompanied by a -half-bred nephew of Inacayal, who had left Patagones some eight months -previously, having been 'wanted' by the Juez de Paz on account of his -having deserted from the army, and having further, in a quarrel, either -killed or wounded a Frenchman. He was anxious to induce me to use my -influence with Casimiro to allow him to join us, which I did not do for -the best of reasons, viz., that he appeared to be a great scoundrel, but -I volunteered to take a message to some of his friends in Patagones. - -About midnight, bugle calls on the opposite side of the river indicated -the approach of the rest of the party, who arrived next day, but -Casimiro was in the bad temper customary with him after a debauch, and -steadily refused to proceed and take advantage of the fine weather; so -another day was spent in loitering about by the side of the river and -eating a great deal of beef. - -My first cousins, who were also nephews of the old man who had formerly -been acquainted with Mr. Cox, started in company with him to procure -some apples and piñones, promising me plenty when they returned. -Meanwhile I made acquaintance with a Pampa Indian named Gravino, who -must have originally been a Christian captive; he himself stated that -his mother formerly resided near the settlements, and described her as -a Pampa Indian; on her death he, being about fifteen years of age, left -the settlements to join the Indians of her tribe, and had got but three -days on his journey when he met the united party of Tehuelches, Pampas, -and Araucanos, or, as he called them, Chilenos, under the cacique -Lenketrou, proceeding to make a raid on the settlements; he had nothing -for it but to turn back, and much against his will proceed to rob people -under whose protection he had formerly been. In the foray he, with -another youth of about his own age, succeeded in driving off a troop -of mixed horses and mares, but being dreadfully tired he laid down to -sleep in a retired place, having secured his riding horse by means of a -lazo attached to his own ancle. At night he was awoke by a stampede of -all the horses; and his own taking fright at the same time dragged him -some yards, until disentangled by his companion, who cut the lazo: they -then tried to secure their animals, but found that the Araucanians had -taken off all the best, so he did not make much by the invasion. He had -since been employed as a 'manso' or tame Indian in the service of the -Argentine Government, but disliking the work had returned to the Pampas -and married a relation of Inacayal's. He was a fine-looking young -fellow, neatly dressed in ponchos made, as he informed me, by his wife. - -On the following day, amidst a storm of wind and rain, we started for -Las Manzanas. After ascending the northern barrancas of the river -valley, we traversed a level plain where a hunting circle was made for -form sake, as the ostriches were very scarce, and I only saw one killed; -and passing below, or rather to the N.E. of the hill before mentioned, -descended into a valley watered by a small stream; this we followed for -some distance, until we arrived at a point where another valley opened -into it, the two united forming one of considerable width. Here, under -the shelter of some trees, we halted and lit fires to warm ourselves, -for the drenching rain had by this time thoroughly forced its way -through our mantles. Whilst conversing and making as merry as possible -under the circumstances, a messenger dashed up, splashed with blood, and -with the effects of drink or furious excitement visible in his face. -All crowded round to hear the news, and he shortly informed us that -the party who had started to obtain apples on the previous day had -met another party of Indians with liquor. A drinking bout ensued, and -a quarrel occurred in which a man was killed; but the rest went on -drinking, leaving the body outside, where the dogs made a meal of -it. This so exasperated one of his comrades that he galloped off to -Cheoeque, to whose tribe the party belonged, and the chief at once sent -twenty-five horsemen to surround my cousins and demand payment for the -death. This they refused to give, so a fight took place, in which four -out of the five brothers and another were left for dead, with lance -thrusts all over them, the youngest escaping on his own or somebody -else's horse, after dropping four of the enemy who tried to intercept -him, with a revolver brought by me from Santa Cruz. This was bad news -for us, as we were bound to protect these people, who belonged to our -united Indians. A consultation took place, in the middle of which -Inacayal dashed up with a party all well armed with lances, in addition -to their other arms. Foyel's people came next, eager for the fray; the -Tehuelches, however, having an eye to business, in the way of bartering -the mantles they had brought with them for trade, overruled the warlike -ideas of these people, saying 'it was better to wait a little.' -Meanwhile guns were loaded and arms got ready, and a party were being -told off to proceed to the scene of the _mêlée_ and pick up the wounded, -when a messenger arrived from Cheoeque with proposals of a peace. I -and the rest of the relations of those who had been killed, as we then -supposed, were placed under a guard of Tehuelches for a short time until -the party started to find the wounded men. We then all proceeded a short -distance down the valley, and bivouacked in the pampa grass about a mile -and a half from, but out of sight of, the toldos of Cheoeque. Messengers -passed two or three times between the latter's residence and our -bivouac, and ultimately a very old woman came over and made a long -oration on the benefits of peace. This was all very well, but as both -parties were evidently suspicious of each other, a watch was kept in the -event of a surprise; and as we thought it probable that the negotiations -would fall through, we spent the night shivering round the fires and -making bolas perdidas. I assured Quintuhual and Casimiro that there -would be no fight, at which the latter grew very irate, saying he knew -better, that the whole business was a trap to obtain the gear and -firearms of our party, also stating that I did not understand these -Indians, in which I differed from him. Later in the evening news came, -that although fearfully cut about, none of 'my cousins' were dead; the -opposite party, however, had fared worse, losing three killed outright. -For six men to fight against twenty-five seems long odds, but I believe -that Quintuhual's and Foyel's people are the bravest Indians to be met -with in the southern part of America, fully deserving the proud title -of 'the Warrior Indians.' - -The following morning at daylight all mounted their best horses, and -forming into column of six proceeded, with the lancers of the warriors -at our head, towards the toldos situated in a valley running at right -angles to the one we had rested in the previous night. On arriving in -sight of Cheoeque's ancestral halls, we observed the Araucanians or -Manzaneros forming into line and manoeuvring about half a mile -distant; we approached to within 300 yards, and then forming into open -line to display our whole force (my proposal of hiding a reserve behind -an eminence having been overruled), awaited the course of events. Thus -we remained about half an hour watching the Manzaneros, who presented -a fine appearance, dressed in bright-coloured ponchos and armed with -their long lances; they manoeuvred in four squadrons, each with -a leader--from whose lance fluttered a small pennon--moving with -disciplined precision, and forming line, wheeling, and keeping their -distances in a way that would not have discredited regular cavalry. - -At the end of the half hour's suspense hostages were exchanged, and -we went through the ceremony of welcome. The Tehuelches were all very -excited, and being in the middle of the troop, when we formed column and -raced down towards the Manzaneros, I at first thought that we were in -for a general scrimmage. On arriving, however, at the line, our leaders -wheeled sharp round, and we went through the usual routine, with the -unpleasant exception that both sides had their guns and revolvers loaded -with ball, and every now and then a bullet would whistle past one's -ears or close over our heads. After the usual hand-shaking between -the chiefs, the great Cheoeque, an intelligent-looking man of some -thirty-five years of age, well dressed in blue cloth ponchos, a hat, -and leather boots, rode down our line, shaking hands with everybody and -making some remark. When he arrived at my number I felt rather ashamed -of my dress, a simple mantle not in a very good state of repair. He, on -his side, having asked who I was, appeared rather astonished at hearing -I was an Englishman, and having been further informed that I had written -the Spanish letters previously sent to him, which had been translated by -a Valdivian, stopped for some minutes conversing with me. After this -a parlemento took place, during which all remained mounted, and the -discussion lasted till sundown, by which time every one was very hungry. -The conclusions arrived at related chiefly to effecting a firm and -lasting peace amongst the Indians present, on which point a happy -unanimity prevailed. Another day was appointed for the discussion of -Casimiro's proposition for guarding Patagones, and the Chilian war -with the Indians farther north; also to consider Calficura's message -concerning a raid on Bahia Blanca, and the Buenos Ayrean frontier -generally. - -One of the principal persons present at the parlemento was a chief -subordinate to Cheoeque, named Mafulko; a fine-looking old man, -magnificently dressed in ponchos which, as well as his arms, were -profusely ornamented, indeed almost covered, with silver; he was -remarkable for a most stentorian voice, which when raised in discussion -became an absolute roar, as of a bull of Bashan. He afterwards noticed -me particularly and was very courteous, pressing me to come and visit -him in his own country, which lay to the northward of the Snowy -Mountain. - -In his train was a man who accosted me in pure Spanish, stating that he -had read and translated my letter, and warning me that these Indians -hated the name of Spaniard. Before I could make any inquiries he was -called away; but, when in Patagones, questions were asked as to an -unfortunate settler who was a captive and slave amongst the Araucanians, -and the description tallied exactly with that of the poor Spaniard. His -master was, doubtless, fearful of recognition and mediation on my part, -so hastened to interrupt our colloquy. - -We dispersed and bivouacked in the neighbourhood of Cheoeque's toldos, -where animals were lazoed and slain for our immediate wants; and -Manzaneros and Picunche Indians came round bartering piñones, apples, -and now and then a little flour, for knives, bolas, &c. The piñones were -some in husks and some ready husked, the white almond-like kernels, -about the size of dates, being strung on threads; and, whether roasted -like chestnuts in their husks or boiled, proved delicious. The apples -also were deliciously fresh and juicy, and I considered a score of them -fairly purchased for a pair of bolas, although my comrades declared I -had been cheated by the Picunche thieves. - -Towards evening Cheoeque sent over to say that, as it was late and -disturbances might occur, he considered it would be better not to allow -any liquor to be sold until the following day, when all arms might be -stored in a safe place, and anybody who felt disposed to get drunk might -do so with comfort. To this Casimiro agreed, further assuring me, in the -most positive manner, that _he_ would keep sober. Whilst we were sitting -by the fireside, a bird, exactly resembling our well-known nightjar, -flew over our heads, uttering its peculiar grating cry; the Indians all -looked startled, asserting that it was a sign of ill luck, and that -whenever this bird croaked in the vicinity of an assembly of people some -one was sure to fall sick or die. Their superstitious belief in the -ill-omened bird received a confirmation, for in the middle of the night, -while asleep by the fire, I was roused by Graviel, who, shaking my arm -and shouting 'Let us go, let us go!' rushed away from the fire-light -into the dark night. His father and myself followed him, and after a -long chase caught and, with difficulty, mastered him. He was raving mad, -struggling violently, and vociferating incoherent nonsense. When the fit -had passed off, his exhaustion and prostration were so great that all -thought he would die; but he recovered for the time. - -At break of day we were all on the alert; and, as the evening previously -we had been too tired and hungry to observe the scenery, I proceeded -to reconnoitre the locality generally. To my great surprise, the -head-quarters of Cheoeque consisted but of four toldos, belonging to the -chief and his brother-in-law, the men who had received us having come -from distant residences unaccompanied by their wives, and bivouacking, -like ourselves, in the open air. The scene of the encampment was a -valley running east and west, the western end being apparently shut in -by some high mountains, spurs of the Cordillera. A good stream watered -this valley, which was everywhere more or less wooded: away to the -north-west, about four miles distant, the apple-groves might be seen; -these trees had, however, already been stripped of fruit, and it was -necessary to proceed much farther to the north to procure any; but -an expedition to visit that district and to get fruit, planned by -Orkeke, Hinchel, myself, and others, proved impracticable. Beyond the -apple-groves the place was also pointed out where the araucarias grow, -from which the piñones are gathered, just below the snow-clad mountains -we had viewed from the ridge above the Rio Limay, and about thirty miles -distant. - -In our valley the pasture was rather scanty, although there appeared to -be sufficient for the three flocks of small sheep, each owned by one -of Cheoeque's wives, to get into good condition; but sheep will feed -anywhere. Immediately behind the toldos was situated a corral for -enclosing cattle, none of which, however, were visible, having, probably, -been driven off to some secluded valley near at hand, to avoid giving -our people a chance of helping themselves. Round this corral were -grouped the Indians of Cheoeque's tribe, and the Picunches with fruit, -&c. to barter; and between the corral and the river lay the bivouac -of the Tehuelches; our fireside being denoted by Casimiro's flag, the -colours of the Argentine Confederation. Up and down the valley, and even -about the neighbouring hills, were scattered our horses. Proceeding to -inspect the toldos, at which I had given but a cursory glance the night -before, I found that they were all fixed dwellings; that is to say, -not put together so as to be moved in marches, like those of the -Patagonians. They were, indeed, constructed in the same manner, but the -poles were much stouter, and the whole edifice more resembled a house. - -Cheoeque's toldo was quite sixteen feet high, and able to accommodate -forty men; while three fires of huge billets of wood burned in the front -part. It was closed in completely, except a doorway in the corner with -a skin curtain by way of door; and along the front ran a species of -verandah, composed of interwoven branches, forming a pleasant canopy, -under the shade of which we sat and smoked. Inside, the bed-places were -raised on timber; and altogether, what with the sheep, corral, &c., the -place had such an air of civilisation about it that, with a small effort -of imagination, one might have fancied oneself in a frontier estancia of -the settlements. There were other toldos hidden amongst the trees on the -northern side of the valley, but these I did not visit. - -About eight o'clock several loaded horses came in sight, bringing the -liquor which had been stowed away in the valley in which we had encamped -the night after the disturbance. As soon as the jars and skins had been -unloaded in Cheoeque's toldo, an order was passed round for all arms -to be given up, and after some little difficulty they were nearly all -collected and stowed in a safe place. The chiefs were then formally -invited to drink, and subsequently all comers were asked, the liquor -being provided in the most liberal manner by Cheoeque. This chief was -fully conscious of his high position and power; his round, jolly face, -the complexion of which, inherited from his Tehuelche mother, is darker -than that of his subjects, exhibited a lurking cunning, and his frequent -laughter was rather sardonic. He possessed a regally strong head, and -was disposed to despise Casimiro for his inebriety; in fact it was plain -that he regarded himself, and not without reason, as superior to all the -caciques, even though they were not subject to him. - -Hinchel, myself, and many of the Araucanians had remained away; and I -was proceeding to look up the horses, when I was called to the corral -by some of the Picunches. These men presented a cast of countenance -decidedly differing from, and much inferior to, that of the Araucanians, -from whom they were easily distinguished by their darker complexions; -but they were very courteous, asking how I came to be with the -Tehuelches, and what sort of a place my country was; and were pleased -when I told them it was hilly and well wooded, and, referring to -Devonshire, that apples abounded. Of course all our conversation was -carried on by means of an interpreter (a Valdivian). After a few more -questions some rum was produced, and having taken a glass I mounted and -proceeded on my original quest. Hinchel rode a part of the way with me, -as he was bound in search of a former acquaintance, whose toldo was -pitched about four leagues distant, and who was, he said, the best -worker in silver amongst the Indians. I afterwards saw specimens -of his handiwork, in the shape of silver tubes for ornamenting -stirrup-leathers, and the appearance of these and other silver ornaments -made of solid metal in peculiar patterns, evidently of their own -devising, left little doubt in my mind that these Indians or some of -the neighbouring tribes possess the knowledge of the places whence the -precious ore is to be obtained, and smelt it themselves. - -On returning after having counted and driven the troop of horses -belonging to our party down to the best pasture, I found that Cheoeque -had sent several messengers in search of me, so I at once proceeded to -his toldo, where I found him and Mariano Linares sitting on two real -chairs, the latter playing a guitar, Casimiro slightly inebriated and -vowing eternal friendship, and howling Indians, men and women, in -various stages of intoxication, all round. Cheoeque shook hands, invited -me to a seat, and provided me with a glass of grog out of his own -bottle, which it is needless to say was not watered like the remainder. -I then took advantage of a slight confusion occasioned by an Indian -wishing to embrace Cheoeque, and retired, but was intercepted, and had -to drink with various acquaintances before reaching the bivouac. As -our fireside was soon occupied by noisy, half-drunken Indians, amongst -others Hinchel's son, who, very drunk, had come to get his gun for -the purpose of killing the master of the revels, but was fortunately -overthrown and bound down by his father, who opportunely arrived, I -retired to Foyel's bivouac, where Gravino and others were keeping -guard, to be in readiness to look after their chief. He arrived soon -after midnight, much to their relief. - -The jealousy existing between Foyel and Cheoeque, which had broken out -in the disturbance so nearly fatal to my cousins, had existed ever since -the migration of this chief and Quintuhual to the south, and all the -Araucanos of their following kept themselves on this occasion as much -as possible aloof, and abstained from sharing in the jovialities, while -the Tehuelches, who were unconcerned in the matter, enjoyed themselves -freely. - -The next day Foyel and Quintuhual marched off their followers in regular -array, and proceeded homewards followed by many of the Tehuelches, -the great races which it had been settled to hold being abandoned in -consequence of the uneasy state of feeling and the consequent fears of -a quarrel: the fight in that case would have been an obstinate one, -as Cheoeque's forces would not have been much too strong for their -opponents, although outnumbering them. We had been surprised on arriving -not to find more Indians ready to receive us, as we only counted ninety -lances, but it transpired that some were concealed in the woods by -the side of the river, who did not appear; besides these seventy or a -hundred men had gone to Patagones to obtain their chief's ration of -cattle, but 200 more, friends and relations of Foyel, who were on their -march to the rendezvous at Las Manzanas, had turned back on hearing -of the attack made by Cheoeque's party on their friends, my cousins. -Whether they remained away in order to be neutral or to come to the -support of their kinsmen did not appear, but Foyel had frequently -boasted that 200 of Cheoeque's followers would espouse his quarrel. The -Picunches were the original cause of the feud. This tribe, asserted by -Antonio Guaitu, who gave them the name of Chollo, to be a branch of the -Araucanians, are under Cheoeque's dominion, though governed by local -caciques. As already mentioned, they live near the passes of the -Cordillera and plunder all travellers. They had not respected Foyel's -messenger bringing him stores from Valdivia, and at last forcibly -annexed two sheepskins of rum, on which occasion some fighting ensued. -Thereupon Foyel sent Cheoeque a defiant message to the effect that if -any more robberies by his subjects took place, he should make reprisals; -that the latter chief must have imagined that he (Foyel) had forgotten -how to ride and use his lance. All this was subsequently amicably -settled, but in the end Foyel, who was by right under the rule of -Cheoeque, preferred to throw off his allegiance and retire across the -Rio Limay. The chief reason alleged by him was that although Cheoeque -received large rations of cattle from the Buenos Ayrean Government, he -never thought fit to share them with his subordinate chiefs. How far -these stories were true I cannot say; as to the Picunches and their -subjection to Cheoeque, the Valdivians had been detained over a year -waiting for a safe conduct, which was at length obtained on the eve of -our arrival, and as far as could be afterwards ascertained, they passed -unmolested, although probably suffering loss of cattle from the weather, -as it was full late in the year to cross the passes, which during the -winter are obstructed by snow and swollen rivers. - -Antonio and Ventura Delgado assured me they would have to cross one -river seven times owing to its tortuous windings, and on every occasion -be obliged to swim their animals. This I at first fancied to be a branch -of the Rio Limay, but in answer to other inquiries the Valdivians stated -that it flowed to the westward. _Apropos_ of this route, an enterprising -German had some short time previously crossed from Valdivia to trade -with the Indians; he was allowed to pass unmolested with all his -merchandise, and drove a profitable trade, and at last started on his -return journey with a goodly stock of horses and gear, but near the -passes he was stripped of everything and left to make his way homewards -on foot if possible. It was very tantalising to be so near Valdivia and -not to be able to explore the route thither and visit the Picunches, -and indeed Casimiro and myself had planned a trip from Las Manzanas, -but it was abandoned, owing to the lateness of the season and other -circumstances, combined with my own conviction that if the Cacique got -into Valdivia he would not be able to tear himself away from civilised -pleasures for too long a period. - -After the drinking bout and the departure of Foyel's party, a day -devoted to trading intervened, political discussions being postponed in -consequence of the indisposition of Casimiro, who required twenty-four -hours to recover from the effects of Cheoeque's hospitality. Our -Tehuelches, thanks to the profuse generosity of Cheoeque, disposed -of all their wares to advantage, and became the happy possessors of -numerous horses, silver ornaments, and mandils. Had it been necessary -for them to purchase liquor, they would have returned empty-handed and -in bad tempers. The Manzaneros appeared to depend on the Tehuelches for -their supply of toldo coverings, just as the latter in their turn must -procure from them the woven mandils and ponchos. I noticed that the -horses brought up for sale by the Manzaneros more resembled those used -in the Argentine States than the breed common amongst the Tehuelches, -showing finer points and greater speed for racing on flats, but being -inferior in the staying powers requisite for hunting. - -The second parlemento or council, attended by numerous chiefs, was duly -held, in which Mariano Linares, brother of the chief of the Indians in -pay of the Government, participated. He was a connection by marriage of -Cheoeque's, and had been despatched from Patagones to induce him to keep -the peace. The speeches of the Araucanos were made in a peculiar chant, -intoned in fact, in a manner closely resembling that I have since heard -in some churches at home. Cheoeque thus intoned an harangue setting -forth how chiefs had come to him from Araucania proper, soliciting his -aid in the war with Chili. He had at first refused to receive them, but -at last had heard what they had to say, and it was probable that he -might send a small force to assist his countrymen. - -Calficura's message relating to the foray on the settlements had been -forwarded to us already. Many speeches were made, and Linares and -Casimiro pointed out that it was to the Cacique's interest not to -interfere, as he would inevitably lose the valuable supplies of horses -and cattle given him by the Buenos Ayrean Government, and that it was -more profitable to receive the annual rations than plunder and break up -the Rio Negro settlements. Finally, it was unanimously resolved that -a message should be sent to Calficura, desiring him to confine his -hostilities to Bahia Blanca, and that Cheoeque should protect the north -bank of the Rio Negro and guard Patagones on that side, while Casimiro -guaranteed the southern, which arrangement was duly adhered to on both -sides. Accordingly Calficura revenged his real or supposed injuries on -the 'Cristianos' by two destructive inroads into Bahia Blanca, carrying -off plunder and captives. But letters from the Rio Negro have informed -me that peace had been restored, and an exchange or ransom of prisoners -effected. This will be more fully dwelt upon, but it is mentioned here -in order to show that the Indians are fully aware of the advantages of -peace, though they are undoubtedly, the Araucanians especially, jealous -of the encroachments of foreigners, and the traditions of their -past history have caused them to hold the very name of Spaniard or -'Cristiano' in abhorrence. It is also difficult for the superior -caciques in all cases to restrain the petty caciquillos from small -depredations; but a fair and well-arranged system of 'rations' will -prevent them from making forays, and it is much to be regretted that -the well-intentioned and liberal plans of the Buenos Ayrean Government -for the protection of the frontiers are too often thwarted by the -unscrupulous agents who enrich themselves by appropriating the supplies -intended for the Indians. Some may consider the method of keeping the -chiefs quiet by pensions undignified; but it is certainly a more humane -and economical policy than continual wars of reprisals, which in the end -would lead to the extermination either of the Indians or the settlers, -most probably the latter, and the certain impoverishing of the country. - -After the parlemento a grand banquet was given by Cheoeque to all the -assembled caciques and their sons. Over three huge fires in his spacious -toldo, large iron pots were supported on tripods, containing beef, -mutton, and horse flesh. The guests sat down as they could, while -Cheoeque sat, as the Spaniards say, 'on horseback' on a chair in the -middle of the toldo, dressed in a magnificent cat skin mantle, and -holding a 'revengue' or hide whip in his hand, with which he ever and -anon chastised an intrusive dog, or even one of his numerous sons if -they came too near, or made too much noise. - -The small boys were evidently used to it, and showed great agility in -avoiding a blow, and equal unconcern if they received it. The chief's -three wives presided at the fires, and wooden platters loaded with large -portions of meat and a due allowance of fat were handed round for the -first course. Each guest was expected to consume all that was in the -platter, and when cleared it was carried off, washed, and refilled for -another. The second course consisted of apples and piñones, raw or -cooked according to taste, and it was strict etiquette to eat or pocket -all the fruit supplied. Water was handed round after the feed, no other -drink being produced save a private bottle, from which the chief helped -two or three of his most favoured guests. There must have been at least -thirty present at once, and there were ample room and abundant supplies. -And subsequently a succession of guests of less distinction were fed; -all the Tehuelches as well as Araucanos and Picunches being maintained -during their stay by the chief. - -I was very much struck with the obedience and respect evinced by these -people towards their Cacique. His authority extends as far north as -Mendoza, over hundreds of Indians, residing in fixed tolderias, some few -in the valley near Manzanas, but the chief part more to the northward, -near the groves of araucarias. But the power of the chief is absolute, -and his word is law to his most distant subjects. At an order from -him they leave their toldos, wives, and children, and repair mounted, -and ready for any service, to his head-quarters. His wealth is -considerable: besides the numerous flocks and herds, one of the toldos -was used simply as a treasury, where his stores of silver ornaments, -ponchos, mantles, &c., were safely stowed away. - -I was present in his toldo at the arrival of a messenger. The Indian, -who had evidently come from a long distance, did not venture to enter -until commanded to do so, when, with the utmost respect, he took his -seat at a distance from the chief, communicated his message, received -his orders, and retired; when again ready for the road he appeared to -receive final instructions, after which he mounted his horse and rode -off without more ado. - -The subordinate caciques, whose office and rank are hereditary, appeared -to be finer and more intelligent men than the rank and file. Whether -this was owing to a difference of race, or merely to their aristocratic -descent and hereditary refinement of features and bearing, I cannot say; -but their superiority was very marked; whereas among the Tehuelches no -such difference between the caciques and their clansmen is observable. -The superiority of these semi-civilised Araucanos to their southern -neighbours was evident in every way, save only bodily strength. Their -residence in a more fertile country, near the apple and araucaria -groves, gives them great advantages over the nomad Patagonians. They -cultivate wheat, small quantities of which were brought to us for sale; -besides storing the natural harvest of piñones and apples, from which, -as before stated, they brew cider of unusual strength, and also distil -'pulco,' an intoxicating liquor, from the algarroba bean. My intercourse -with both Foyel's people and those at Manzanas was not sufficiently long -to enable me to become conversant with their language and customs, which -have been described by others. The language, of which I learnt a few -words, seemed softer and more melodious, as well as possessing a more -copious vocabulary, than the guttural Tehuelche, and appeared to me -closely akin to the Pampa tongue; but Jackechan, who could speak both, -and Gravino, strongly insisted on the distinction between the two -dialects. Their personal habits were excessively neat and cleanly, the -morning bath never being omitted by men, women, and children, who all -regularly trooped down to the water just before dawn; and their dress -was much more carefully attended to than that of the Patagonians. I had -no opportunity of witnessing their religious ceremonies, but was assured -that they are worshippers of the sun, and there was no vestige of idols -of any sort possessed by them. Their ceremonials on occasions of births, -&c., were very similar to those of the Tehuelches, save that the -'doctor' appeared on such occasions more elaborately adorned with -various colours. - -When Quintuhual's niece was sick, her brother enacted the part of -'wizard,' duly painted and adorned with a head-dress of feathers. -Instead of a mandil tent, a screen of ponchos hung over posts was -erected, and all the finery of the family displayed. I was a guest at -the feast of slaughtered mares, but was not present at the previous -proceedings, as by this time the restraints of dignity as a caciquillo -forbade my wandering about as an idle spectator. - -They were invariably scrupulous not to commence a meal without first -throwing broth or a small piece of meat on the ground, at the same time -muttering a charm to propitiate the Gualichu, and they are generally -more superstitious and more fearful of witchcraft than even the other -Indians. They have some knowledge of precious stones, and seem to -attribute certain virtues to them. Thus Foyel possessed what seemed to -be a magnificent rough turquoise, which he was on the point of bestowing -on me, when his wife and brother-in-law interposed some remark, upon -which he apologised, saying that he did not like to part with it, as -it had been long in the family. They object strongly, however, to any -strangers picking up stones as specimens, or appearing to 'prospect' in -any way, which, being forewarned by Ventura Delgado, I was especially -careful to avoid. Mons. Guinnard has given a description of some of -their games, differing from those in vogue among the Tehuelches, as for -instance gambling with black and white beans. Casimiro is my authority -for stating that this people preserve the singular custom of abduction -in marriage. The intending bridegroom does not trouble himself to obtain -the consent of the bride, but having paid the fixed dowry or price to -her parents, he gallops up, and forcibly seizing the girl carries her -off before him to the bush, whence, after an enforced honeymoon of two -days, they return as man and wife to his dwelling. This, however, is -not the practice in the case of the marriage of a cacique's daughters. -Polygamy is allowable: thus the great Cheoeque possessed three wives, -the chief favourite, whose amiable good-humour deserved the honour, -occupying the central place in the toldo; but all three lived in perfect -harmony and took care of each other's children with impartial affection. - -These Araucanos are, as I have said, apt to kidnap or buy captives, -and I am inclined to suspect that there is a scarcity of women amongst -them, of which the exterminating cruelties practised towards women and -children by the frontier 'Cristianos' is a probable cause. They are -certainly more dangerous to strangers than the Southern Indians, and it -is unsafe to venture amongst them without proper safe conducts from the -cacique. - -To myself Cheoeque offered permission to travel directly north -through the interior of the country as far as the Argentine Provinces, -guaranteeing my safety; and the temptation was only resisted by -reflecting on the necessity of keeping faith with my Tehuelche friends -by proceeding to Patagones. He also gave me a cordial invitation to -return, and an assurance that I should be always welcomed as a friend. -All our business, both commercial and political, being concluded, and -the farewell banquet over, Cheoeque distributed gifts of horses, &c., -among the Tehuelches in return for the numerous presents he had received -from them. As a set-off to a set of gold studs, he presented me with -one of the peculiar lances always used by his people, about fifteen to -eighteen feet long and very light, the shaft being made of a cane, which -grows in the Cordillera forests, strongly resembling a bamboo, and of -the thickness of the butt of a stout pike rod. This present, by the way, -caused me to commit a breach of etiquette. I placed it leaning against -the toldo, and was at once requested to remove it, as it was a sign of -war, though whether it was regarded as a challenge or an omen was not -clear; but I was instructed that the lance must either be laid down on, -or planted upright in the ground. Another lance was also bestowed on -Casimiro, besides numerous horses and other valuables. We took leave of -the powerful Cheoeque, and of Linares, with whom, as it had been settled -that I should proceed as chasqui, I made an agreement to meet in -Patagones, and on the 11th started on our return to the toldos, all in -high satisfaction at the success of our visit. The natural exultation of -Casimiro was much lessened by the continual illness of his son Graviel, -on whom a careful watch had to be kept to restrain him, in the event of -his being attacked by another paroxysm of madness. - -Riding up the valley where we had slept the night previous to arriving -at Cheoeque's, we observed some cattle in the thicket on the borders -of the stream; part of the herd belonging to the chief, which had been -stowed away in various secluded parts of the neighbourhood. We crossed -the barren high pampa, and descended, about one o'clock, to the banks -of the Rio Limay, bivouacking in the same spot as on our journey to Las -Manzanas, close to Inacayal's toldos. Here we found Orkeke and a good -many other Tehuelches; also the four wounded men, two of whom were -already on the high road to recovery. - -We proceeded to Inacayal's toldo at his personal request, where we -remained until evening was drawing on, when cattle were brought up, -caught, and slain, and divided amongst the chiefs. Whilst busy shaving -a piece of hide wherewith to make some gear, I received a message from -Orkeke, whose fire was situated at perhaps a hundred paces from ours, -that he wished to see me when disengaged, and after supper I strolled -down, and found the veteran sitting loading his pipe. After a smoke, -he invited me to accompany him to inspect his newly-acquired troop of -horses, and show him which I considered to be the best. I picked out -a young white animal that had belonged to Cheoeque's own stud. 'Very -well,' he replied; 'take him; he is yours; I never made you any return -for the revolver you gave me in Teckel.' Although I did not require the -horse, it would have been insulting to refuse it, so I walked off with -my racer in tow. This little incident is mentioned to correct the notion -entertained by some that the greed of gain is a predominant feature in -the Indian character. - -The following morning we bid adieu to Inacayal and his people, and -turned our horses' heads for the pass of the river Limay, which was -if possible more swollen and rapid than on the previous occasion; but -we all crossed in safety, although Casimiro's and my horse fell once, -fortunately where the water was shallow. Everybody, however, got -thoroughly wet, and a continual downfall of rain coming on, prevented -all chance of drying our mantles. We marched back by a route lying to -the westward of that we had before followed, passing under and amongst -the high wooded mountains, on the heights of which every now and then we -could perceive a condor sitting in majestic solitude, looking down on us -like a priest from a pulpit. - -About four P.M. the rain cleared off, and we bivouacked in a grassy -valley, with incense and other bushes growing on the sides. Here, -owing to the sickness of Graviel and another of our party, we passed a -miserable time, not even being able to get dry; and in addition to our -previous discomfort, towards evening a frost set in, and when I woke up -about midnight to look round for the horses my mantle was like a board. - -I kindled a fire, as the weather was now clear, and soon all the party -were huddled round it to warm their half-frozen limbs before lying down -again. - -The next morning at daylight, thoroughly chilled and hungry, two of -us started to fetch the horses, some of the new ones having, as we -expected, found their way back to within a few miles of the Rio Limay. -However, by the time the sun had risen to sufficient height to give some -warmth, we had caught up the others of our party, and not sparing our -horses, by two o'clock had passed through the street of rocks and come -in sight of the toldos, where we shortly arrived. - -Before sunset all the Tehuelches had returned to the bosoms of their -families, and all were glad to sleep under the shelter of a toldo once -more, after having passed twelve days and nights in stormy weather -without any covering save our mantles. - -The 14th of April, the morning after our return, a complaint was made -by Foyel's people that the Tehuelche Indians left behind, thinking -it useless to proceed to the plains, some miles distant, to hunt for -the supply of the toldos whilst cattle and sheep were grazing in the -immediate vicinity, had helped themselves in the obscurity of the night. -Meña corroborated the fact; and although he had been away hunting -with the greatest assiduity, he had met with but little success, and -complained bitterly of the hungry times they had endured. - -Soon after our arrival Kai Chileno was seized with illness, and in a few -days several of the more aged and children sickened with headache and -fever, showing all the symptoms of severe influenza. Alarmed lest the -sickness should spread, on the 16th of April most of the Tehuelches -struck toldos and took the road leading to Patagones; but our toldo and -another remained behind on account of the continued illness of Graviel -and the others. Towards evening of the same day we suddenly heard shouts -and cries in the toldos of Foyel, and all except Casimiro, who sat quite -still by the fireside, rushed to seize their arms, naturally thinking -that a party had arrived to fight from Las Manzanas. After a little -suspense we observed a line of men advancing towards our toldos on foot, -shouting, firing, and brandishing their arms. Casimiro, who was having -a quiet laugh at us, then explained that they were only fighting the -sickness. The party advanced to our toldo, beating the back of it with -their lances, to scare away the Gualichu, and then retired. - -We all had a good laugh over this affair; and I was amused to hear Meña, -who was an intelligent youth, arguing that the Indians were quite right, -as sickness never attacked an armed man. - -We lived chiefly on air the last four days of our stay in Geylum, as -no hunting was done; but Foyel, after learning our wants, came to the -rescue, presenting me with a couple of sheep, which I received with -gratitude, and divided amongst the party. - -It had been intended that his party should accompany the Tehuelches -to Patagones, but as it would be necessary to leave their women and -children in Geylum with only a few boys to take care of the flocks and -herds, and they were not confident as to the pacific intentions of the -Manzaneros, he and Quintuhual considered it more advisable to remain -for the present in their camp, and afterwards, by riding in fast, -to overtake our party en route previous to their arrival in the -settlements. - -I bid an affectionate adieu to Miss Foyel, who had always shown me the -greatest kindness, and the natural grace of whose manners would have -adorned a civilised drawing-room. Her parting words were an invitation -to return if possible and pay another visit to the toldo, where I had -been made to feel myself at home. - -Her father asked me to procure him a grinding organ, as Casimiro had -informed him that he had seen music made by turning a handle. I promised -to get one if I could, and after a cordial farewell returned to our -toldo, as we intended going away at daylight on the 17th. - -Accordingly we prepared for a start; and a boy came over from the other -toldos to join us. He was a Tehuelche, whose father had been killed on -suspicion of witchcraft, and being a remote connexion of Casimiro's, had -claimed his protection, which of course was granted, and he (Casimiro) -had agreed to take him with us, informing him that he was to act as my -page, look after my horses, &c., and make himself generally useful. This -was a very fine idea, but one glance at the face and figure of this -illustrious youth was sufficient to show me that I should probably spend -my time in looking after him, and a more mischievous imp I never -saw. When told that he might catch one of my horses to travel on, he -immediately fixed on the wrong one, a horse that I had myself barely -mounted for perhaps six weeks, in order to get it into condition for the -journey into Patagones. - -This horse he caught, and came down to the toldos at full gallop over -rocks, stones, and bushes, with a grin of delight on his face. After -being warned in mild terms that he was not to ride that horse, which I -took from him and turned loose, he proceeded to catch one of Casimiro's, -which he treated in the same manner, but at length got the right one, -and then, without saying 'With your leave, or by your leave,' galloped -off, yelling at the top of his voice, to follow the road which the -Indians had taken the previous day. - -We were about to start ourselves when, at the last moment, Quintuhual -sent to say that he wished to have a council. So Casimiro and myself -remained in the pouring rain squatting on the grass listening to a -repetition of what we had heard the previous day. - -When the council was concluded a sheep was brought up and killed. The -poor beast was lashed to a post with its head looking to the sky, and -the throat being cut, salt was forced into the wound, the lip of which -was compressed _secundum artem_, in order to flavour the blood and -lungs, &c., which formed the repast. All the girls then crowded round, -each preferring a request to us to bring a little yerba, flour, sugar, -&c., from the settlements, till, our horses being ready, mine having -been additionally burdened with the dead mutton by way of provisions for -the road, we extricated ourselves from the crowd, and amidst repeated -injunctions, charges, and affectionate farewells, got away, and towards -4 P.M. started to overtake the now distant cavalcade. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -GEYLUM TO PATAGONES. - - A Sick Camp. -- Oerroè Volcanic Hill. -- Crimè's Deathbed. -- - Graviel's Promotion. -- The Burning Ground. -- Hot Springs. -- - Fighting the Gualichu. -- A Real Fight. -- A Soda Lake. -- - Encampment at Telck. -- The Doctor comes to Grief. -- An - Obliging Ostrich. -- Appointed Chasqui. -- Miseries of Pampa - Life. -- A Bad Time. -- The Plains of Margensho. -- Casimiro's - Distrust. -- Doctor and Sick Child. -- Duties of a Messenger. - -- Departure of the Chasquis. -- Travelling Express. -- The - Paved Pampas. -- An Ideal Bandit. -- Letter from the Chupat - Colony. -- Trinita. -- Teneforo's Pampas. -- Champayo's - Generosity. -- A Morning Drink. -- Departure from Trinita. -- - Valchita. -- The Pig's-Road. -- Wild Horses. -- The Travesia. - -- Limit of the Patagonian Fauna and Flora. -- First View of - the Rio Negro. -- Sauce Blanco. -- The Guardia. -- San Xaviel. - -- Approach to Patagones. -- Señor Murga. -- Welsh Hospitality. - -- Among Friends at Last. - - -We were now fairly started on our journey eastward to the Rio Negro, -on my part with contending feelings of regret at quitting my recently -acquired and amiable relatives, and of joyful expectation of reaching -Patagones and finding there that which travellers, amidst all the -excitement of new countries and strange people, still so eagerly long -for--news from home! We galloped forward casting longing looks behind -at the forest-clad slopes and snowy peaks of the Cordillera, the -never-to-be-forgotten beauty of which made the dismal prospect of the -country before us still more dreary. - -My friends had been unanimous in describing the district that intervened -between Geylum and a place spoken of as Margensho, nine marches distant, -as both difficult to travel, and affording scanty pasture for the horses -and little game for the people. The rain which had been falling when -we left, had turned to sleet driven by a strong westerly gale, and my -load of mutton sadly interfered with the management of the sheltering -mantle. Fortunately, as the direction of our route was easterly, we thus -escaped having to face the storm, while the gale in our backs stimulated -both horses and riders to their utmost speed. - -At the entrance of the rock-strewn gorge which formed the eastern -gateway of the valley of Geylum, to the south of which towered the -isolated column of rock, we were suddenly startled by the apparition -of mounted Indians galloping towards us from the direction which our -advanced party had taken. Conjectures as to possible calamity in the -shape of a fight or accident were speedily dispelled, as they proved to -be Tehuelches riding back in search of lost horses, which they averred -had been stolen and craftily concealed by the Araucanians. So we -continued our march through a succession of narrow rocky gorges winding -amongst the hills, till, as the twilight was growing dark, we arrived, -wet and weary, and feeling symptoms of illness, at the encampment -situated in one of the usual grassy valleys. The toldo when reached -proved to be in utter disorder, two of the women and a child having been -attacked with the epidemic; so we set to work ourselves to light a fire, -secure the skin covering of the toldo, and arrange the beds, and after a -time the interior assumed a more ship-shape aspect, although the grass -(our carpet) and everything else were wet. On every side one heard -complaints of some child having fallen sick, and throughout the night -the wailing cry of the women 'Ah gelay loo!' over their darlings -rendered sleep all but impossible. Next morning broke fine and clear, -so it was determined to march onwards in the hope that speedy change -might get rid of the epidemic, but starting was almost as difficult as -staying. - -Of our party Meña had returned to look for a missing horse; Crimè was -dying, and Casimiro was attending to him; and what with sick friends and -children all were occupied or distracted, and the business of catching -the horses devolved on myself, single-handed at first. Having secured -the troop, the next task was to catch my newly-acquired steed; the sight -of a lazo was sufficient to make him gallop a league, and as he was -very swift, three hours were spent in ineffectual efforts, but at last, -two or three of my comrades coming up to my assistance, he was caught. -Giving my flibbertigibbet page charge of the remaining horses, I -started, in company with one of my friends, to join the hunting circle, -already in course of formation. - -We rode up a valley in an easterly direction, on our way passing the -invalid Crimè, who, groaning with pain, lay stretched out at full length -on a sort of couch composed of blankets on the horse's back, his wife -leading the horse and wailing out loud. But as condolences were of -little use, we passed on in silence, and shortly emerged from the -valley, which sloped up by gradual ascent to a wide plain of sandy soil -and stunted bushes, bounded on the eastern horizon by a line of high -jagged hills, which stretched to the southward as far as the eye could -reach. While sitting under a bush by the fire, I was attacked with -headache and sickness, the premonitory symptoms of the epidemic; -however, I mounted and joined the hunting party, and at the end of -the circle felt much better, although unable to eat. - -The finish brought us to the entrance of a valley which wound among the -precipitous rocky hills of the range seen from the farther verge of -the plain. While watching the cavalcade of women and baggage, I looked -long in vain for my own troop of four horses, but at last descried -them trotting without a guide in the rear of the column, their natural -sagacity or perhaps thirst having induced them to follow their comrades. -The trusty page had left them to take care of themselves, and gone off -hunting on his own account, which behaviour, repeated on a subsequent -occasion, caused the loss of the stud. Towards evening we encamped in -a valley enclosed by three hills, one of which, of decidedly volcanic -aspect, was named 'Oerroè.' The side of this hill was thickly scattered -with fragments of the vesicular lava which furnishes the favourite -material for the hand bolas. As most of us had exchanged our weapons -of the chase for apples, piñones, &c., in Las Manzanas, many were soon -employed picking stones and fashioning bolas. I took very good care -that my page should be unprovided with hunting implements, but, alas! -here he fell sick, or pretended to be, and was just as useless as -before. The day after our arrival Crimè's sufferings were terminated. I -received a summons to his death-bed; the Cacique, though wandering, knew -his friends, and called all to witness that his death had been caused by -a Southern Tehuelche whom he named and described, and then, raising -his arm, pointed to a vacant space and cried, 'Look at him, there he -stands.' He then asked me to 'feel his arm,' and as, to please him, I -laid my finger on his pulse it beat slower and slower, till, with a -sudden gasp, he died. According to etiquette we silently retired, and -the toldo resounded with the clamorous crying of the women and the -wailing of his widow. The usual funeral rites were hurriedly gone -through, but most were too absorbed in their own troubles to participate -in them. During the night three children died, and more were at death's -door; and, the supply of horseflesh from the funeral victims being -abundant, all thoughts of marching were abandoned, and the camp -resounded with the lamentations of the women. In our toldo all the -inmates were sick, and the duty of looking after the horses devolved -on myself and Casimiro, who was recovering from his attack. - -We were joined in this place by Hinchel's son with his Araucanian wife, -with whom another man came to look for a girl who had run away from -Foyel's toldo, but his quest proved fruitless, as she remained -invisible, stowed away in some of the toldos. This man brought further -news that Cheoeque's people, renewing the old feud, were arming to fight -now that we had gone; also that a man had been killed in a drunken brawl -since our departure, and that a rumour was current that the Valdivians -had had their cattle taken from them, and various other stories, most of -which were declared to be lies by Orkeke, who, having lost a horse, had -returned to look for it in Geylum; the budget of alarming news thus -proving to be a fresh illustration of the Indians' proneness to invent -if they have nothing of real importance wherewith to astonish their -hearers. Crimè's widow took up her abode in our toldo; and as, by this -chief's death, the post of Capitanejo, with the rank of Lieutenant in -the Buenos Ayrean army, and the right of drawing rations, was vacant, -Casimiro consulted me as to his successor. But successive proposals of -those who seemed most fit, beginning with Wáki, were objected to by the -Cacique, who at last declared that he should name his almost insane son -Graviel as the chief to be placed by the Argentine Government upon the -list of the Caciques to be conciliated by annual pay! On April 22 a -start was made, but we remained to the last, as four of Casimiro's -horses which I had brought down to the valley the previous evening were -missing, so the chieftain returned to look for them, and the rest of the -toldo pursued their journey. - -After taking a farewell look at the Cordillera, which was presently shut -out from view by the hills, the counterslope of which we descended, a -hurried march led us through a very barren rocky country entangled in -broken irregular hills, with scarcely a bush to shelter under, and -little or no pasture. We encamped, or rather reached the camp after it -was pitched, in a cañon containing a small spring and a very little -green pasture, and went to bed supperless, as, not being in time for the -hunt, and game being very scarce, what we could beg from our neighbours -was naturally given to those recovering from sickness. - -Jackechan's wife and child were still very unwell, and, as the child was -supposed to be dying, the doctor was sent for. He proceeded to cure it -by laying it on the ground, muttering a charm and patting it on the -head; after which he put his mouth close to its chest and shouted to -bring the devil out: he then turned it on its face and repeated the same -process. The child's health mended next day, and it was shortly out of -danger. - -About ten o'clock at night Casimiro returned with his horses, which had -strayed a considerable distance on the road back to Geylum. The next day -a long march of twenty miles brought us to an encampment on the western -verge of a broad plain, watered by a brooklet. During the hunt the -first Patagonian hares, or cavies, were caught. These little animals -live in burrows, but are generally out feeding or sleeping in the grass -during the day. They are excessively swift for perhaps a mile, but, like -the foxes of this country, soon get tired. The chase of these small deer -afforded an agreeable relief to the monotony of the journey. As soon as -we entered a plain or valley where they abounded, as they always were -found in numbers where the pasture was good, all hurried off to 'stop -the earths,' i.e. close up the burrows with bushes; but the cunning -little beasts often evaded us by slipping into a burrow overlooked -by the earth stoppers. It required considerable skill to bring them -down with the bolas, as, if only caught round the legs or body, they -disentangled themselves quickly, but a blow on the head proved at once -fatal. They are good eating, though the flesh is somewhat dry when -roasted. Their skins are made up into mantles, but are of little value, -as the hair soon comes off. - -About a mile below the encampment, where the sandy plain narrowed -and sloped down to a low-lying grassy valley, a singular phenomenon -presented itself. The morning after our arrival, when going out to look -for the horses, a furious easterly gale whirled the dust aloft in dense -clouds, and, to my great surprise, the sand, which was driven into -our faces, was as hot as when the fire so nearly encircled us. Almost -blinded in forcing our way through this curtain of driving sand, we rode -right into a hollow, where the earth appeared to be on fire; as the -horses plunged through the heated surface the hair was burnt off their -fetlocks, and they were nearly maddened with fright, so that it was a -difficult feat for the riders without saddles or stirrups to keep their -seats. Once I was somewhere near my horse's ears, but, more by good luck -than good management, just escaped being thrown as it were into the -fire. After the gale had partially moderated, I proceeded to inspect -this place, and found that, although not, as I at first thought, -absolutely on fire, the ground was smoking as if from internal -combustion. The surface presented a crust of baked yellow clay, which, -yielding to the horses' feet, disclosed a black subsoil; there was -no flame, but a thin white vapour issued from the ground. When I -incautiously ventured a step on the treacherous crust it gave way, but -I managed to extricate myself with no further damage than burning my -potro boots. The Indians stated that the fire had been originally caused -some years previously by their having kindled the pasture higher up -the valley, and that the ground had been burning ever since. It -was impossible to discover whether there was any subjacent bed of -combustible matter which might thus have been ignited; but, as there are -hot wells and springs in the same range not many miles distant to the -south-east, it seems more probably due to volcanic agency. The principal -hot spring was described as a circular basin of about six feet in -diameter, the water, of a temperature not so hot as to scald the hand, -bubbling up through numerous holes in a clay bottom. In many of the -surrounding hills there are lava and pumice of not extremely ancient -formation; some of the hills have also an appearance of having been at a -recent period the outlets of eruptive forces, which have scattered large -shattered masses of rock over the sides of the extinct craters. - -In this encampment I had a serious misunderstanding with our chief, -which all but ended in a downright quarrel; but after consideration we -agreed to make it up, as although on two occasions of danger he had left -me to my fate, I thought it better on the whole to keep friends for the -present. The evening of this quarrel, as a party of three toldos were -starting off to go to the Chupat, and Casimiro was desirous of extending -his fame to the Welsh settlement, I wrote a letter to the authorities -enquiring about some saddles, part of his Argentine rations sent thither -by mistake, which the chief declared to have been intended for him, -but which had been distributed amongst other Indians. The letter was -forwarded by one of the Indians who was supposed to be of English -parentage on one side, although he showed but little traces of English -blood in his type, with the exception perhaps of his hair, which was of -a lighter colour than that usually met with: he was a very good-natured -fellow, and I regretted his departure, as he was one of my adherents, -but being a man of very sober habits he did not wish to be mixed up in -the universal orgie which would probably take place on arriving in the -vicinity of Patagones. With this party the young widow who had made -overtures of marriage to me also departed, after an affectionate -farewell, and receiving a handkerchief as a remembrance. The following -morning we also started, and one of the universal loafers who had -gambled his property away, asking for a mount, was told to catch the -'white horse' presented by Orkeke: he accordingly borrowed a horse to -catch him, and at the end of our day's journey had not succeeded in -doing more than driving him in, to use a nautical term, in our wake; -this was exactly what I had intended, as this Indian was a great rogue, -and had cheated me at cards out of a set of metal bolas, equivalent to -a horse. - -Our march lay up the valley, and the circle was formed on the -surrounding volcanic hills, the sides of which, besides the vesicular -lava, presented large masses of the ironstone noted as having been -observed at Santa Cruz. Shrubs were sparsely scattered on these hills, -and game was exceedingly scarce. - -Towards evening we encamped on the borders of a stream in a place called -by the Indians Telck. There the sickness broke out afresh in its worst -form, and several children died, in consequence of which a quantity of -mares and horses were slaughtered, and numbers of ponchos, ornaments, -and other property burnt by the parents in their grief. It was most -distressing to see and hear the melancholy manifestations of sorrow, -and the sound alone of that dreadful crying aloud, and the dismal -'ullagoning,' to use the Irish expression, of the old women, haunted -me even in my sleep. The night of our arrival a mock combat with the -Gualichu took place, in which everybody joined. After dark, when many -were sitting by the firesides conversing, and I myself was reclining on -my bed smoking, the Doctor came into the toldo, and communicated with -the chief, who told all to get their arms ready, and loaded his gun: on -a shout being set up all fires were immediately extinguished, and all -commenced firing off guns, clashing their swords, and beating the backs -of the toldos, and yelling 'kow-w!' at each blow; firebrands being, at -the same time, thrown into the air by the women, with clamorous shouts -and cries. The scene was wild and striking, the darkness of the night -being only illuminated by the flashes of the guns or the sparks from -the brands whirled high into the air. At a given signal all stopped -simultaneously, and for two or three minutes the camp remained in -perfect darkness, after which the fires were relighted, and things -resumed their ordinary aspect. - -The following day, strange to say, a real fight took place, in which one -man was wounded, and for a few minutes a general mêlée or free fight -appeared imminent. Parties were already forming to cancel old blood -feuds, when further mischief was checked by the return of Hinchel, -myself, and others. We had been absent trying new horses on the -racecourse, which, as in almost all the camping-grounds since leaving -the Rio Sengel, was a regular beaten level track of about a couple of -miles in length, and my new horse had established his fame as a racer -by winning a match over a distance of a mile-and-a-half; meanwhile the -quarrel broke out--such are the uncertainties of Indian life. - -We remained some days in this place, and whilst hunting in the -surrounding country (where hares abounded), we observed a new -description of spinous shrub with small ovate leaves and yellow flowers, -resembling holly, and growing to about two feet in height. Casimiro -and myself agreed to try whether the leaves might not be medicinal, so -a quantity were bruised and boiled: the infusion proved exceedingly -bitter, reminding me of quinine, and acted as an admirable sudorific, -being administered to the invalids with great success. In one of our -excursions we had crossed the hills and descended on a high elevated -plain, concluding our hunt near a swelling eminence exactly resembling a -huge 'barrow' thickly overgrown with shrubs, from which what appeared to -be a salina was espied, to our great delight. Hinchel and myself being -alone, and having a fat ostrich to discuss for dinner, determined to -enjoy our meal by its shore, first testing the quality of the salt, a -luxury which we had long been destitute of. Dismounting, we proceeded -to investigate it; but to our great disappointment, after walking over -every part of it, and digging down with knives a foot below the surface, -the supposed salt proved to be bitter and nauseous nitrate of soda. - -After quitting the vicinity of the Cordillera the weather had every day -become warmer, and the frosts at night much lighter: indeed whilst in -Telck some warm days were experienced, although the winter season was -fast approaching. Near this encampment the small edible root previously -described as growing in the dried-up lagoons was found in abundance, and -was collected by the women and children. - -Cavies were plentiful in the hollows and valleys in the neighbouring -hills, and even close to the encampment, but the chase of other game -proved difficult, the hill sides being so strewn with stones as -to render galloping a horse a certainty of laming him. In this -neighbourhood Hinchel pointed out a detached pinnacle of rock, much -resembling that noticed at Geylum, and according to custom invoked a -blessing from the guardian spirit; and then he informed me that on the -third next march we should pass a deposit of yellow ore, lying to the -south of the route, and that during the hunt he would show it to me. -Orkeke also corroborated this statement, and I have every reason to -believe that there is in that locality a deposit of iron or more -probably copper ore. - -As the meat of the slain horses was nearly consumed, we marched the -following day across a most stony, rocky, and inhospitable country, and -at length arrived at a range of hills, through which ran a steep, narrow -gorge. Descending through its tortuous windings, we at length arrived -at a spring, the waters of which, joining with another small rivulet, -flowed out and formed a sort of marsh at the head of a large plain. From -the slope of the hill bordering the ravine a fine panorama extended to -the east, the entire face of the country appearing to be more uniformly -undulating than the confused ranges of hills, through the intricacies -of which we had been marching and hunting since leaving Geylum. In the -foreground were visible distant black figures, moving with swiftness -across the plain in pursuit of numerous ostriches; and away to the -eastward rose a column of smoke, the cause of which was eagerly -speculated on. - -I am conscious that the description of this part of the journey is not -likely to give a very clear idea of the country traversed; and that -the directions of the successive ranges, and the general character of -the ground, are left too much to the reader's imagination; but, in -deprecation of criticism and censure, it is pleaded that I was under -the impression that this district had been traversed, and accurately -surveyed and described, by a savant employed by the Argentine -Government; and that I was deprived of the assistance of my compass, -which had been presented to Foyel. The notes taken at the time were very -scanty, and my recollections were confused, inasmuch as I was labouring -under a constantly-recurring attack of sickness, which was only kept -at bay by resolute endeavours not to give way; but which rendered -observation and record, in addition to hunting and the usual toils of -marching, impossible. It was the more needful for me to endeavour to -keep up, as all were more or less ill, and becoming increasingly gloomy -and dispirited. To add to the troubles which weighed down the Indians' -spirits at this place, the doctor's horse fell while descending a -precipitous rocky hill. The unfortunate physician was stunned, and very -nearly crushed to death by the horse falling on him; great grief was -universally expressed at this catastrophe, as no one was left to cure -the invalids and contend with the malignant Gualichu, who it was natural -for the Indians to imagine had laid a trap for his opponent, and upset -the medicine man's steed in order to have the field clear for himself. - -We encamped in a sort of morass by the side of the hills overlooking the -plain, and were woke at daylight by the chattering of a flock of blue -and orange parroquets; these birds, which brought back old pleasant -associations of the banks of the Parana, and almost seemed to be -harbingers of civilised life, were numerous in this locality, though -they were the first of the species that I had observed in the country. - -The distant signal smoke was concluded to indicate the presence of -Jackechan and the Pampa Indians under Teneforo, and all were in spirits -at the prospect of obtaining news, and perhaps luxuries in the shape of -flour, yerba, &c., from Patagones. The order was accordingly given to -march, and a large answering signal fire kindled in some dry pasture -bordering the hill side, a messenger being at the same time despatched -to ascertain the news. After a rather long march over a barren plain -strewn with angular masses of chalcedony and projecting rocks resembling -alabaster, we arrived at a dreary encampment, sheltered under a bank, -from which a spring gushed out, forming a refreshing rivulet. - -The mutiny of my page had compelled me to enjoy the pleasure of driving -my own cattle, following the track in advance of the other people; -besides this, an attack of fever rendered me indisposed, and, indeed, -incapable of hunting. While languidly jogging on in the centre of the -circle which was made on both sides of the tracks, and anathematizing -one of the horses who would every now and then endeavour to join the -hunt on his own account, I observed an ostrich coming straight towards -me: the sight was reviving, and leaving the horses to themselves, I -galloped to the cover of a friendly bush, and when he was within a short -distance dashed out, and discharging the bolas, had the satisfaction of -seeing him turn a somersault and lie with outstretched wings stunned. An -Indian riding up at the time claimed the customary division, and took -charge of the bird, on which we regaled our friends at the close of the -hunt. Many of the hunters came in empty-handed, or with only a skunk, -of which there were numbers in this vicinity, hanging to their saddles. -By this time the armadillos had taken up their winter quarters under -ground, and only came out of their burrows on a remarkably sunny day. - -At night we encamped under a barranca or steep rising to the eastward. -On his arrival Hinchel informed me that we had passed the vein of ore -previously spoken of, and the hot springs, the Indians having shortened -the journey by deviating from the usual line of march. - -The chasqui returned late at night with intelligence that the smoke had -been caused by a party of Pampas Indians travelling to join Quintuhual, -or, at any rate, in that direction, but whatever provisions or tobacco -they had they kept to themselves, and had purposely avoided us. -Jackechan and Teneforo had started for Valchita _en route_ for -Patagones, after waiting for our coming more than a month in Margensho, -the place appointed as a rendezvous. Whilst there they had received -liquor and other luxuries from Patagones, but no disturbances had -ensued, the only casualty being that a woman had been severely burned by -falling into a fire whilst in a state of intoxication. All was reported -to be peaceable at Patagones, and a rumour was current that Commandante -Murga was about to give up his governorship. Casimiro, on receiving all -this intelligence, immediately wished a despatch to be indited, although -I pointed out to him that it would be better to wait until we had -arrived at a nearer point; he was so urgent that on the following -morning I composed an elaborate letter, detailing the union of the -tribes, the precautions taken for protecting Patagones, and requesting -a hundred mares for Casimiro and his people: when finished it was -carefully wrapped up and stowed away in my baggage till wanted. - -The talk then naturally turned on the subject of the choice of -messengers to be despatched to Patagones on our arrival at Margensho. -It had been previously arranged that I should be sent fully commissioned, -as being better able to represent to the authorities what had been -resolved on, as well as to impress upon them the immediate requirements -of the Indians, and several others now volunteered to accompany me, and -got quite merry at the thoughts of a drink. But we were still three -marches distant from Margensho. The following day we were again _en -route_, traversing a succession of plains with rocky ridges cropping up -at intervals, until we at length reached a grassy valley enclosed by -steep walls of rocks sixty feet high; gravely perched on the summits -of which several slate-coloured Chilian eagles were visible, their -occupation being to prevent the excessive multiplication of little -cavies. On the hill sides bordering this valley, our old friend the -incense bush, which had for many marches back been very scarce, grew in -luxuriant profusion. At this season it was covered with berries which, -though uneatable, are used by the Indians mixed up with water as a -drink; this infusion has a very sweet taste, but I should think must -be very unwholesome. On arriving at the encampment, at the head of the -valley, near some pools of standing water, we were apprised, by the -lugubrious sounds of the women's monotonous chants, that the number of -the children had been further diminished by several deaths. One of this -day's victims to the epidemic being Algo, Tankelow's youngest daughter, -the father was in great distress and anger, as he attributed the death -not to the distemper, but to witchcraft. - -The warm and tolerably fine weather experienced since our departure from -Telck had been succeeded by a heavy, murky, still atmosphere, and the -clouded sky promised a downfall of rain, which speedily came. The next -day more children and the old deaf and dumb woman died; over her little -moan was made, but the lamentations over the children were terrible to -hear, and on all sides mares were slaughtered. The abundance of meat, -and the general confusion, combined with the rain to defeat Casimiro's -anxious desire to proceed. The accumulation of miseries had rendered all -the Indians gloomy and ill-humoured; and since our departure from Geylum -we had had ample experience of the wretched side of Pampa life. - -This district is always dreaded by the Indians, who assert that -they invariably are attacked by a similar sickness when in it, -notwithstanding that some considered it to have been occasioned by -poison or deleterious drugs administered by our late neighbours. The -marches had therefore been forced and prolonged, and the increased -fatigue had doubtless aided the distemper in its fatal effects. Nearly -half the children and several of the elder people died during our -progress to Margensho, and the utter misery and discomfort cannot be -described. The rain had continually drenched us; the women, distracted -with their endeavours to soothe the sick children and their grief over -the dead, could not attend to their domestic duties; our mantles were -unmended, and proved but a poor shelter from the rain, no small misery -in this climate, and the arrangements of the toldos were utterly -devoid of their customary care and comfort. The usual good temper and -cheerfulness of all had fled, and grief, sickness, and angry suspicion -cast a gloom over every countenance. One misery, starvation, had -certainly been avoided by the abundance of horse-flesh, but it can -easily be imagined that we could have borne hunger better. We had -endured cold, and hunger, and fatigue, as well as danger, before, but -nothing has left so indelible an impression of a thoroughly bad time -as that march from Geylum to Margensho. - -At last Casimiro issued orders to march, and with two or three more of -us started in advance. While waiting under the shelter of a mass of -rocks for the remainder to overtake us, I fell asleep, and on waking up -found the rain pouring down in torrents, and the chief just directing -Meña to return and see what the women were about. Our page arrived a -little later to say that the Indians had refused to march, the occupants -of our toldo alone being on their way to join us: these soon appeared, -so we proceeded in the storm, having agreed that to return, after having -once started, would be an ignominious proceeding. - -We followed for some distance the valley, or rather the plain, into -which it had opened out, and then ascended some abrupt rocky heights at -its eastern extremity; crossing these hills, in the valleys or ravines -of which incense bushes grew almost like a forest, we halted for a time -by the side of a rivulet flowing from a spring on the hill side. - -After kindling a fire to warm our bodies, wet as we were and chilled by -the wind, which, originally west, now blew from the south with cutting -violence, the sight of numerous guanaco on the heights above determined -us to encircle a herd; we accordingly mounted the heights, and having -completely failed in our attempt, descended to the other side. A large -lagoon lay at our feet, and away to the east a succession of plains -extended to the encampment called Margensho. - -These plains were bounded for a short distance on the north side by -a range of hills, which came to an abrupt termination at the end of -the lagoon, on the south side by another range gradually sloping to -the eastward, and on the western side by the rocky heights we were -descending. The view would have been enjoyable on a fine day, but in -such a Patagonian tempest of rain and wind, landscapes were by no means -appreciated. Near the lagoon was another herd of guanaco, some three -thousand strong, who tempted us to a vain endeavour to encircle them, -but they descried us before we could approach within a mile, and were -soon lost to sight on the plains leading towards Margensho. Whilst -riding down the edge of the hills Casimiro pointed out some thyme, a -little of which we gathered to flavour our soup with in the evening. -We then descended and sheltered under the overhanging bank of a dry -watercourse leading to the lagoon. The women and remainder of the -cavalcade shortly arrived, and loading my page with firewood, to his -intense disgust and the extreme delight of every one else, we proceeded -a little farther to the south, where the pasture was good, and -established ourselves for the night. - -The following morning early we all started to hunt, and were more -successful than on the previous day, though the wind was blowing a -fearful gale from the S.W., with occasional storms of sleet. Towards the -afternoon, by which time, having finished our hunting, we were snug -enough under the toldo, it rained hard, and with the rain the Indians -commenced to arrive, till before dusk a town of toldos occupied the -borders of the hills. - -Casimiro this evening sent for volunteers to go in with me as messengers -or chasquis to Patagones, on our arrival at Margensho, now but one march -distant. But of those previously so desirous to go on, not one appeared, -nor would any one Indian consent to lend his horses for so long a -journey. The chieftain was sadly put out, and cursed the caciquillos all -round. He then tried to dissuade me from going myself, saying that it -was a great distance, that the desert or travesia was a fearful place, -that I should probably lose my horses, that many people had starved, -at the same time wishing me to lend my horses to some other Indian. He -narrated how he himself had occupied twelve days in crossing it, and had -been obliged to abandon a horse and the saddle and gear of his remaining -steed, and with difficulty, nearly starved, on foot, and driving his -almost worn out horse before him, had made his way to a station. - -At the same time a young Indian started to cross the desert, but lost -his way, and, quoth the Cacique impressively, 'His bones are there now.' - -One statement, that the chañals or white thorns grew higher than the -horses' heads and tore the unlucky riders' mantles to pieces as they -forced their way through them, my own after experience fully verified. -I, however, adhered firmly to my original intention of going, as agreed -to by him, and conveying, with my own hand, the letter I had written: -and it was finally settled that Meña, Nacho, and I should, on arriving -at Margensho, start on our journey as chasquis. Casimiro's real motive -for dissuading me was distrust, as we had on two or three occasions -disagreed, and once nearly come to blows; he was therefore afraid that -I should, on arriving at Patagones, work against his interests and -give him a bad character. Meña, who had taken a great fancy to me, -volunteered for the purpose of keeping an eye on Nacho, who was my -'bête noire' and not to be trusted. - -These arrangements having been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, -we proceeded to the toldo of a friend and assisted at the ceremony -performed by the doctor of curing a sick child, more especially -concerning the part of painting with red ochre, killing, and eating -a white mare. - -On this occasion the parents formally invited the principal chiefs and -their relations and friends, and the ceremony commenced as follows:--All -the men were either sitting or standing in a circle, in the centre of -which sat the mother holding her infant in her arms. The doctor then -came in, and under his direction the mother plastered the infant -from head to foot with white clay, the wizard meanwhile muttering -incantations; when this was completed the doctor disappeared for a -minute or two, returning with an ornamented hide bag in his hand; this -he opened, and produced from the bottom some charms carefully enveloped -in rags, which he, after performing some mystic hocus-pocus, returned to -the bag. He next took the baby from the mother, and patting it gently on -the head, and muttering in a low tone, dipped its head into the bag two -or three times, and then returned it to its mother. A white mare was -brought up and, after being daubed all over with hand-marks of red -ochre, was knocked on the head, cooked, and eaten on the spot, the -heart, liver, and lungs being hung on a lance, to the top of which was -suspended the bag containing the charms. Care was taken, as in other -ceremonies, that no dogs approached to eat the offal, which was buried, -the head and backbone being removed to a neighbouring hill. - -On the 9th of May we started, arriving the same evening at Margensho, -which was, as the Indians had previously described it to me, a large -grassy plain lying below a step or barranca, and watered by a brook -running N.E. and S.W. During the hunt over the previously described -plains there was nothing remarkable except the extreme scarcity of game, -skunks alone being numerous; fortunately I killed a male guanaco, and as -I had the previous day corrected my page he brought up the horses most -carefully, so that all was in readiness for an early start. Before -sundown the chiefs were collected, and the contents of the letter read -to them; they all appeared pleased, and after adding a postscript -setting forth the names and number of the chiefs who required rations I -closed the correspondence. - -Hinchel came and provided me with tobacco, asking as a favour that if -any of his friends in the settlement should enquire if he got drunk when -occasion offered in the Pampas, I would bear witness to his sobriety; he -also entreated that I would either return to the Indians or remain in -Patagones until he arrived, which latter I promised to do. - -At the risk of repetition it must be said this man was the best -Tehuelche, excepting perhaps Wáki, I ever had anything to do with; he -was frank, honest, generous, sober, and in every way fit for a chief; a -ready and skilled workman in all Indian trades from breaking a colt to -constructing a saddle or silver necklace; his only vice being gambling, -but for which last habit he would have been the richest and most -powerful chief, as he was universally respected. - -Orkeke also sent for me, and put into my hand a packet of tobacco for -the journey, which he assured me would be long, tedious, and dangerous. -I promised to ask particularly for his ration, and if the Government -would not grant it, to make him a present myself. He wished me to -return, but I pointed out to him that for various reasons it would be -better not, so we parted, agreeing to meet in Patagones. - -It may be as well to mention that if the post of chasqui or herald, as -he may be styled, be an honourable one, for which as a rule only the -near relatives of chiefs are employed, the duties are sufficiently hard. -The chasqui is expected to ride like 'young Lochinvar,' as fast and as -far each day as the horse will carry him; he must not turn aside or halt -even for the purpose of hunting, and unless an ostrich or other game -cross his path may have to go without supper after his day's fifty or -sixty miles' journey, while his bed and bedding are the ground and -mantle. Of course endurance, sobriety, and reliable steadiness of -purpose are essential qualifications, especially if the distance to -be travelled over be great. And Nacho had always approved himself an -excellent chasqui, and was an unerring guide even across the trackless -travesia. - -When the chasqui falls in with other Indians on the march, or an -encampment, he is ceremoniously received and honourably entertained, and -it is usually expected that in case of need he will be supplied with -fresh horses to prosecute his mission. - -The following morning at daylight another consultation took place, and -the letter had to be again produced, and another postscriptum added. I -then took down in my note-book the immediate requirements of Casimiro -and other friends, which, according to agreement, were to be sent back -by Meña and Nacho, myself remaining in the settlement until the arrival -of Casimiro, when we were to proceed together to Buenos Ayres either by -land _viâ_ Bahia Blanca, or by steamer. - -At about eight o'clock, when the rime of the frost was just cleared off -the grass, we, after bidding adieu to all friends, caught our horses -and started. I took with me only my suit of clothes in a bag, and the -letters. Each of the party was provided with a piece of meat from the -guanaco I had slain the previous day by way of provision, and with two -horses apiece we were at length _en route_, the old women chanting -melodiously to keep the devil out of our way. My page affected great -distress at my departure, but as he had my remaining horses to take -charge of, and a legacy of a mantle I had no particular use for, having -worn it almost without interruption since leaving Santa Cruz, he was, in -all probability, delighted to see, as he thought, the last of me as we -disappeared over the ridge. - -We travelled slowly for the first half hour, and had just released our -spare horses from the lazos, which hitherto had restrained them from -rejoining their fellows, when we heard a shout behind us, and an Indian -appeared driving a troop of horses. He was from the encampment, and -being a Pampa was _en route_ to join his tribe, whom he expected to meet -somewhere about Valchita, five days' journey on, and from whom we were -to get fresh horses wherewith to cross the travesia to the settlements. -This addition to our party was unexpected, but we considered the more -the merrier, and three at any rate is an awkward number to travel -sociably together. Putting our horses to a hand canter, we now regularly -started, leaving care behind, and looking forward to bread, coffee, and -other long untasted good things. We passed the time in talking over what -we would get, how we should be received, and in smoking and singing. Our -route lay along the barranca, which changed as we proceeded in a N.E. -direction, to higher rugged hills interspersed with sandy valleys -covered with scrub and incense bushes. - -By nightfall we had arrived at a pointed hill, under the brow of which -we encamped. We had seen plenty of ostrich and guanaco, but had not -delayed to hunt, only pausing to pick up an armadillo that happened to -be basking in our road. - -On dismounting we secured all the horses with lazos or manéos, as they -might probably be inclined to stray away. After gathering a little -firewood, kindling a fire, and discussing the armadillo and a small -piece of meat each, we wrapped ourselves in our mantles and lay down to -sleep, every now and again during the night getting up to have a look at -the horses. The morning star was shining brightly above the horizon when -we saddled up, and crossing the brow of the hill mounted to an adjoining -pampa, where the rocky nature of the ground obliged our unshod horses to -go at a foot pace. Added to this a bitter cold wind and small driving -rain were not improving to the temper, until after an hour or two of -difficult and slow travelling, the sun rose magnificently and dispelled -the mists and drizzle, and restored our cheerfulness. We at length -descended into a ravine leading to a series of small valleys, containing -here and there ponds covered with teal and other water birds. We -travelled at a gallop through the same description of country till -5 P.M., when, after passing a high barren plateau, similar to that -encountered at starting, we suddenly came to an abrupt declivity, at -the bottom of which, in a plain extending for about five miles, lay a -large salina. - -We descended where it was feasible, and after stopping to get a little -salt, proceeded to encamp near a small spring of fresh water. About a -mile to the eastward large herds of guanaco and several ostrich were -visible in the plain, and near our halting place we found the tracks of -a puma, for which we searched diligently, but without success. - -After securing our horses, as on the previous night, we dined, minus -armadillo, off a piece of scraggy meat, and turned in. The salt from -the salina was of excellent quality; it was necessary to remove a little -of the upper surface, which had slightly deteriorated by exposure to the -atmosphere, and then we cut out cakes of salt like pieces of ice, which -served for plates. It is a strange fact that both into this and other -salinas small rivulets of fresh water flowed, fed by springs in the -neighbouring hills. - -The next morning (if it could be so called) at the same hour we were in -the saddle, and traversing the plain crossed some ridges of moderate -height, and continued passing through a tract of country thickly wooded -with incense and other bushes. About 2 P.M. we arrived at a rivulet of -water, near which were marks of a recent encampment; after examining -these we came to the conclusion that a week had perhaps elapsed since -the occupants had left. We travelled forward at our utmost speed over -ground of much the same description, diversified now and again by ranges -of low hills, putting up occasionally a partridge, of which birds we -observed two different species, one crested, and nearly as large as a -hen pheasant, and the other smaller than an English bird, and which took -only short flights and then cowered--and were fortunate enough to kill -a couple. The sun went down behind some hills, and still we found no -suitable place to halt in; at last, however, we came to some ponds of -water, where we all, being pretty well tired, dismounted, and tethering -two of the horses allowed the remainder to go loose. We found the water -brackish, though drinkable, but the animals would scarcely touch it, and -wandered about, necessitating a watch on them all night; this was rather -weary work, especially as a sharp frost came on, and with all our care, -at starting time two horses were missing. After a search of an hour they -were found, having wandered in search of better water, and, wiser than -ourselves, found out a spring about two miles to the east. - -The sun was up before we got away, after warming and eating the last of -our food, which we had cooked overnight: it was dry and dusty, and all -the washing in the world could not have got the grit out of it; however, -we laughed over it, saying we would soon have a bottle of wine to wash -away the dirt from our throats. One thing we congratulated ourselves -on was being well provided with tobacco, and although we boasted no -pipe, mine having been lost at a previous encampment, Casimiro's -correspondence with Foyel and Cheoeque, which I had carefully kept, -provided us with cigarette papers. We rode on accordingly, rejoicing, -and passing out of this wooded country traversed a succession of high -pampas, set with small blocks of granite exactly resembling paving -stones, and placed as thickly and regularly as if paviors had been at -work. The appearance of a London street undergoing repair brought this -singular formation vividly to my mind. These pampas terminated in -waterworn cliffs thickly strewn with stones, and as our horses scrambled -like cats up the slopes, their hoofs sent the stones clattering down, -and they found it hard to keep their footing. At the foot of the cliffs -were watered valleys, and whilst descending into one of these valleys -I noticed for the first time the algarroba thorn, which was in fruit. -There were two sorts, one with black fruit, which Nacho warned me not to -touch, as it was poisonous, the other bearing yellow pods, which though -somewhat dry, as the season was so advanced, we plucked and ate as we -rode along, the taste proving something between tamarinds and peach. - -Near a lagoon in one of these valleys we halted for a few minutes, and -on pursuing our journey espied a horseman with a troop of led horses -approaching from the opposite side. I had halted for a moment and saw -my companions rein up, and racing up to know the cause, observed him. -When within 200 or 300 yards, all halted; and Nacho rode forward, and -ceremonious explanations ensued, followed by formal introductions. He -was a Pampa Indian outward bound to join those mentioned as having -passed us eastward of Margensho; he gave us news that Jackechan's, -Teneforo's, and other Indians were in a place called Trinita, some four -hours' gallop only distant. When he found that I was 'Anglish,' he spoke -in high praise of my countrymen whom he had met in Rio Negro. - -This man was a perfect picture; he was splendidly mounted, and had a -troop of horses all as good as the one he bestrode. He was well dressed -in ponchos and white drawers, and wore a silk handkerchief round his -head. Over his saddle was a poncho containing, as we supposed, a store -of yerba, flour, or other luxuries, and he had a bold, careless, -good-humoured face, with restless eyes; altogether he gave one an idea -of the imaginary generous bandits one reads of in novels, and to make -the character complete it turned out afterwards that he had almost -certainly stolen the horses from Trinita. - -After five minutes' conversation we started in opposite directions, and -our party pressed on at speed. From the steep hill above the valley we -saw, to our joy, the smoke of hunting parties, apparently not far off. -However, it was four o'clock when we arrived in the vicinity of the -fires in a green pastured valley. From one of the two toldos pitched -there, a man emerged with a matè pot in his hand and a bombilia or reed -used for imbibing matè, like straws for sherry cobblers, in his mouth. -As these people proved not to be the Indians we wanted, after saluting -him we galloped on, and crossing the valley, where we had to jump our -horses over a brook, ascended the opposite hill. A new growth of bush -growing 16 feet high, with long switches like osiers, forced itself -unpleasantly on our attention, as, when riding fast, they sprang back -into one's face in the most painfully annoying manner. On the hillside -we overtook and passed a caravan of women travelling in the same -direction as ourselves, and from the summit of the range saw in the -valley below two different groups of thirty to forty toldos each, about -half a mile apart. Galloping on we arrived, about 5 P.M., at the nearest -tolderia; but on inquiring for Patricio, to whom we had been directed -to go by Casimiro, found that he belonged to the others, to which we -proceeded, and were duly received, our horses, &c., taken care of, and -ourselves ushered with all ceremony into the presence of Patricio (a -half-bred Pampa and Tehuelche). After the hour's etiquette of answering -questions, we were each given one rib of a guanaco apiece to eat. I was -so hungry that I could have eaten a dozen at least, so on the plea of -washing started off to look for Jackechan's toldo, which I shortly -found, and was received with open arms by my friend and El Sourdo. After -his 'missus' had given me some food, followed by the luxury of a matè -with sugar, Jackechan related his proceedings subsequent to leaving our -party. - -After a few days' march in the direction of the Chupat, he came across -some cattle, which were caught and killed, and then, whilst in the -same spot, he despatched the messenger to Chupat with the letter, who -returned in fifteen days with an answer, but without any stores. - -The letter, carefully wrapped in a piece of old linen which had served -as the envelope to my own epistle, was ceremoniously handed to me by the -light of a blaze produced by some grease thrown upon the fire. I read -and interpreted the contents to Jackechan. The writer--Mr. Hughes, if I -recollect rightly--expressed his pleasure at hearing of my safety, but -regretted his inability to forward any stores or clothing, as the supply -in the colony was extremely scanty, owing to the non-arrival of the ship -with Mr. Lewis Jones on board, which had been expected for some months. -It need scarcely be said that I had been quite unaware of the privations -endured by these unfortunate colonists, which the despatches of -Commander Dennistoun have made known to the public during the preparation -of these pages for the press, and to which reference will be made in the -ensuing chapter. Jackechan, after the return of his messenger, proceeded -to Margensho, in the vicinity of which he met the parties under -Teneforo, Patricio, Antonio, and other petty chiefs. These all united, -and, sending into Patagones, obtained liquor and other stores, with -which, as before mentioned, they had a drink for ten days, but no -quarrels or fights took place--a fact which redounds to the credit of -the chiefs. After waiting a month for our party, they, owing to the -scarcity of game, had come by easy stages to this place (Trinita). -Jackechan then explained that the first toldos were those of the Pampa -Indians, under Teneforo and Champayo, the former being absent in -Patagones, getting his rations of animals; his Indians are pure Pampas, -and are often called Kerekinches,[11] or armadillos, for some reason -unknown to me. Some of them are in the service of the Argentine -Government, and liable to be called upon by Linares, chief of the Tame -Indians. The remaining toldos were those belonging to the Indians under -Antonio and Patricio, who were composed of mixed Tehuelches and Pampas. -The two encampments were situated about half a mile apart, separated by -a winding stream, in some places concealed by most unusually high reeds. -The position was entirely surrounded on the eastern, southern, and -western sides by high rocky eminences; but to the north the valley -apparently continued for some miles: its breadth was about three miles, -and everywhere in the vicinity of the stream, which in some places had -overflowed its banks and formed a marsh, the most luxuriant pasture was -growing. - - [11] Quirquincho. - -On returning to Patricio's toldo, I formally asked for the necessary -horses to prosecute our journey, but was refused on the grounds of his -having none to spare; so we determined, as our horses showed symptoms of -fatigue and one was lame, to give them one day's rest before proceeding. -We passed the following day with our friends, and I made acquaintance -with the petty chief Champayo, for whom I wrote a letter requesting a -ration which was due to him. He was very civil, and presented an Indian -to me named Luiz Aguirre. This man had been brought up in Patagones, -whence he had received his names, his parents, I believe, having been -killed. He was a very intelligent man, and had formerly been in the -troop of Linares, but had left disgusted with the quarrelling and -generally mutinous state of those Indians, and taken to the Pampa, where -he could live a free and happy life with his wife--at least so he -affirmed. - -After we had taken various matès together, Champayo, on my mentioning -the cause of our not proceeding that day, said, 'Your people shall not -want for horses. I will supply them, and send Luiz Aguirre in with you, -and you can give him the answer about my ration.' I afterwards visited, -at his own request, the Cacique Antonio, for whom I also wrote a letter -requesting that his ration should be sent to him at the Guardia of Sauce -Blanco, as, owing to having lost his troop of horses in a storm, he -could scarcely reach the Upper Guardia. This was true, as at the first -toldos we had visited in the neighbouring valley in Trinita we had -been informed of Antonio's loss, which was most probably a gain to our -well-dressed bandit friend; but he had some enemies on the road to -Patagones, which was the real reason of his not going as far as the -Upper Guardia. - -After dinner, having asked me all about our proceedings, he commenced -to give me advice as to what I should do on arriving at Patagones. -He assured me that I should get employment readily, but especially -cautioned me against drink, as the commandante disliked drunkards, and -would not encourage them! - -At a late hour I retired to Patricio's toldo, and coiled up in one -corner. The next morning we were getting our horses ready for a start, -when a boy galloped into camp with the news that people were coming in -from Patagones. Everybody at once mounted and went to escort in the new -arrivals, who proved to be Teneforo himself and two of his followers. -They had brought a hundred head of horses and cattle as far as Valchita, -two days' journey from Trinita, and had left them there, bringing on -with them only some liquor and yerba, which were at once unloaded. After -I had been presented to the newly-arrived chief, who hailed me as a -brother, and honoured me by a place among the four caciques, who, -pannikins in hand, walked round the lances in due performance of the -ceremony of blessing the liquor, already described, the drinking -commenced. - -When the people arrived the sun had just risen, and by 10 o'clock most -of the liquor, which consisted of some gin and caña, or white rum, had -disappeared. Many of the Indians were intoxicated, but all after a -merry, good-tempered fashion, which it had never been my luck to see -before. After imbibing freely enough with my numerous friends--who, if -it had been left to them, would have made me as drunk as themselves--I -mounted my horse, and after a bathe amongst the tall reeds on the -borders of the stream, returned to the toldo, where I found the aged -Patricio singing to himself in a very maudlin state. By sundown all were -sober again, and Patricio imparted to me that he intended himself to -proceed with us, as well as some other friends, his wife, and two or -three other women, but that we were to travel by the lower route, which, -though longer, was easier and safer than the shorter and upper road, -where the thorns grew higher and thicker: the latter is usually selected -in summer, when water is scarce, of which at this season there was no -danger. - -The following morning, bidding adieu to Antonio, Champayo, and -Jackechan--whose ration I had promised to procure--we started, eleven -men and four women, taking plenty of horses, besides a troop of mares -for an Indian called Hernandez, settled near the Guardia Chica, the -mares being intended for the purpose of treading out his crop of corn. -We were soon out of sight of the encampment at Trinita, and proceeding -at either a gallop or a trot through an undulating country, in which -incense, algarroba, and other shrubs abounded, arrived near sunset at -a stream, on the north side of which we encamped, amongst some thick -bushes. A little distance to the west lay a large salina, from -which, several miles across, the place takes its name, being called -Hitchin-kaik, or Salt Hill. The stream flows round one side of the -salina, and is, I think, the same that we subsequently crossed near -Valchita. This time we travelled in great style, the women having -brought with them stores of horse-meat and yerba. - -After dinner we all sat round the fire and took a matè, and some of an -Indian sweetmeat, a yellow paste made from the algarroba bean pounded -and mixed with water. Old Patricio, who had turned over a new leaf and -grown quite frisky after the drink, said that I was a fortunate man, -having a wife with me; alluding to one of the wives of the Cacique El -Ingles, who was travelling with us to rejoin her husband near Patagones. - -The following morning at daylight we again started, and, travelling -over much the same description of country as on the previous day, -arrived, about mid-day, at the place where Teneforo had left his cattle. -Here we dismounted and refreshed ourselves off the round berries, about -the size of a turnip-radish, the fruit of a small plant growing by the -margin of the water, which had a very pleasant taste. The river here had -a fringe of tussocks of pampa grass, under which we reclined and smoked. - -The cattle were grouped about amongst these tussocks, and Golwin, -Jackechan's son with the light hair, amused himself by vain attempts to -count them. After half an hour's dawdling we proceeded, leaving behind -one of Meña's horses which was done up, and, following more or less -the line of the river, we arrived, about 3 P.M., at the encampment of -Valchita. As it was early in the day, some of the party started to hunt, -but returned empty-handed. We filled up the skins and water-bottles, in -anticipation of entering the travesia the following day; and, after the -usual meal and matè, sought out each his own particular nest in the -Pampa grass, and went to sleep without fear of the horses straying far, -the pasture and water both being of the best quality. As it was in -this encampment that, according to Casimiro, the defunct Mendoza had -discovered gold, I prospected carefully for any signs, but only noticed -that parts of the adjoining pampa were strewn, amongst other pebbles, -with pieces of quartz. At the usual hour we started to commence the -ascent to the travesia, or desert, which rose above us to the north, in -a high plateau. On ascending a short distance, we observed on our left -hand (to the westward) a salina of several leagues in length, which -bordered the edge of the travesia in about an east or west direction. -I am inclined to think that the river Valchita loses itself in this -salina. This river is subject to great floods, evidences of which were -visible in the drift weeds and rubbish clinging to the bushes and shrubs -throughout the valley, evidently left there by the spring inundation. By -a gradual ascent we at length reached the level of the plateau, and saw -before us an interminable dreary expanse strewn with small shingle, and -covered with shrubs varying from four to twelve feet, or even higher, -and here and there small tufts of grass. No signs of life were visible. -The sky was bright and clear, although clouds were gathering on the -southern horizon, and the wind (it nearly always blows in Patagonia) was -cutting. I remarked to Luiz Aguirre that it would possibly rain; his -reply, 'I hope it will--it will be splendid, then all the lagoons will -be full,' told of the danger of drought, but found no assent from me, -having had enough of wet weather during the excursion to Las Manzanas. -During the ride he told me that he knew the difference between the -Catholic and Protestant religions, and of the two he preferred the -latter; he also asked me if I had ever been to China, where the tea came -from, and various other questions evincing a considerable amount of -information; and wound up by proposing that I should set up a trading -establishment near the Chupat; Jackechan--who, if any one can claim it, -is the real lord of the soil--having volunteered to cede the ground to -me. In the event of establishing a store in that neighbourhood, this -astute Indian considered that all the Indian trade would be taken out -of the hands of the people of Patagones, who notoriously used false -weights, besides charging exorbitantly for all articles supplied to the -Indians. - -About 2 P.M., as the rough shingle had already begun to tell on our -horses' feet, a halting place was found near a laguna containing -rain-water of the colour of _café au lait_. The horses were for the -present let loose, to pick up the best meal they could off the stunted -grass near the borders of the lagoon. Before dark most of them were -tethered, and a careful watch kept all night, lest they should return to -Valchita in search of pasture and water. After a lengthened conversation -by the fireside--in which I was informed that the track we were -travelling was called Pig's-road, from wild pigs, or perhaps peccaries, -having been killed near one of the lagoons in the route--we wrapped -ourselves in our mantles and sheltered ourselves like hedgehogs under -the bushes, from time to time getting up to look round for the horses. -Next day we rode over the same interminable desert of stones, and -bushes of the following descriptions:--Chañal or whitethorn; picayun, -furnishing the best firewood; the osier-like switches before described; -black bush, which is useless for burning, owing to the pestiferous smell -it emits; algarroba, incense, which are, however, very scarce; and some -others whose names I was unable to procure. The chañal is the only one -that impedes the traveller's progress, as the thorns are large and -sharp. In the other road (more to the west), which we had avoided, -although the distance is shorter across the travesia, and therefore more -used by the Tehuelches, who dread this crossing, especially in summer -or for small parties, the chañal grows to the height of ten to fifteen -feet, and, like the 'waitabit' thorns in Albania, renders fast riding -impossible. - -This day we were about to start hunting, when a demijohn of rum was -discovered in a bush. This put an end to the sport, for, although it was -hidden again in another place, enough was taken out to render most of -the party talkative, a bottle or two also being reserved for discussion -at the camp fire. - -At 4 P.M. we camped by the side of a lagoon similar to the previous one, -and, our Valchita water being finished, diluted the rum with meal and -water about the consistency of Spanish chocolate. I forgot to state that -in the excitement of the 'find' the horses were not looked after, and -on mustering to proceed, one of Nacho's had disappeared, and, although -carefully searched for, he was not found again. - -The next day, despite the dissipations over night, we were in the saddle -at daybreak, and had hardly traversed a league of this wearisome waste -when we came suddenly upon seven wild horses. An effort made to surround -them failed, owing to the difficult nature of the ground; but the -failure was to me fully made up by the magnificent spectacle of these -splendid creatures careering in their untamed strength and beauty across -the plain. - -We subsequently hunted and killed guanaco and ostrich, and also saw -some hares and partridges. At about 10 A.M. our eyes were gladdened -by the sight of the sea, and presently the level plain rose into more -undulating country, and from the crests of the elevations at times a -full view of the inlet called the Laco de San Antonio presented itself. - -Smoke was visible ahead, and we accordingly pushed on, and made a long -and rapid march, the surface being here altogether free from the small -stones which had previously caused so much damage to the horses' feet. -That night we halted, as usual, by the side of a lagoon, the water of -which was not more than two inches deep. - -Patricio during this day's journey pointed out to me a dry lagoon near -which efforts had been made to sink a well for obtaining a permanent -supply of water, but, although the shaft was of some depth, none had -been reached, and the work had been given up in despair. It is a mystery -even to the Indians where the guanacos, wild horses, puma, and other -game that exist in this desert, find water, as these lagoons, depending -entirely on the rainfall for a supply of water, must inevitably, in this -country where little rain falls, be dry for many months in the year. No -doubt springs exist in hitherto undiscovered places. - -Before leaving the travesia, a few remarks, which cannot claim to be -called a description, may be interesting. - -This desert consists of a plateau about three hundred feet above the -level of the valley of the Rio Negro, stretching to the southward more -than thirty leagues to Valchita. Of its extent westward I have no -precise information; but it narrows considerably in the interior, -forming an irregular triangle, with its base on the coast, and its -apex near the junction of the Rio Limay and the northern streams. - -The soil is either clay or sand and gravel, with small stones strewn -thickly over the surface; while the only vegetation met with consists of -the bushes already mentioned, and scanty tufts of coarse grass. - -It is much dreaded by travellers, and, after traversing it, I can well -believe the stories current of people having perished on the passage; -the track once lost would be very difficult to regain; while the want of -water in the summer, and the danger of horses straying and leaving the -traveller helpless, are both probable risks. With all our watchfulness, -two horses strayed away and were lost. In the winter there is no fear of -want of water; but the fatigue of travelling is at all times great, and -the horses are almost worn out by the time that the desert is passed. It -serves, therefore, as a barrier, protecting Patagones from all danger of -attack by the Indians from the south, who in their forays must descend -the river. A large troop of horses can scarcely find pasture, and, after -the rapid journey, would not be in a condition for their riders to -attack with success, if opposed vigorously by people able to defend -themselves. - -This district appeared to form a distinct and well-defined limit between -the habitats of various animals; as for instance, the Rhea Darwinii, -or smaller ostrich of Patagonia, and the Rhea Americana. The latter, -according to my experience, is never found to the south of it, and I -am at a loss to understand how Mr. Cunningham could have met with any -specimens of it, as he seems to imply.[12] - - [12] Natural History of the Straits of Magellan, p. 134. - -The Tehuelches often described the larger Rhea as found north of the -travesia, and as distinct from that hunted in their country. They also -particularly insisted on the fact that the Gama, or deer--abundant in -the Rio Negro valley and the country north of it--is never met with -south of the travesia. The same remark is true of the Viscacha and the -Aguarra (Lupus manatus), though the latter is probably to be met with in -the spurs of the Cordillera. - -Patagonia may thus be properly considered as cut off by the Rio Negro -and the line of the Cordillera, and possessing its own races and a -separate Fauna and Flora. - -It may be added that only one species of armadillo, the Quirquincho -(Dasypus minutus, Gay), occurs within these limits. The algarroba and -other bushes, though found in and near the borders of the travesia, do -not occur south of its immediate vicinity. - -It was a joyful hour for all when, on the fourth day, after galloping -from dawn till ten o'clock, we at length came in sight of the valley, -still three miles distant, where large willows--which, by the way, are -unknown in Patagonia, save a few at Chupat, probably introduced by the -settlers--marked the winding course of the Rio Negro. We halted at the -head of an abra, or lateral opening which ran up into the barranca from -the main valley, and saw in the distance a solitary rancho, the first -civilised dwelling beheld since my departure from Santa Cruz. - -After a rest, to enable all to come up, some having lagged behind -perforce, their horses being hardly able to limp along, we made our way -down the slope and at length reached the river, in which our thirsty -steeds soon drank their fill. - -The rancho, which belonged to Hernandez, for whom the convoy of mares -was intended, was then visited. The owner was absent, but his Indian -wife did the honours, at least as far as serving us with matè, for no -food was produced, though all were dreadfully hungry. I wished to stop -and don what an American would call my citizen's clothes, thinking that -we should immediately proceed to the Guardia I had heard so much of from -Luiz Aguirre; but he told me not to be in a hurry, so in my dirty mantle -I remained for the present. - -After half an hour's delay we left the rancho and followed the south -bank of the river, which here was a swift stream 200 yards wide, passing -the farm of Hernandez, where a man was occupied in ploughing, and mares -and cattle were grazing. The river here made a bend towards the southern -barranca, which so nearly abutted on it as to compel us to ride close -along the bank. Small partridges got up frequently, and I made a mental -resolution to come and have a day's shooting at a future period in the -magnificent willows bordering the river; blue pigeons were cooing in the -trees; and through an opening we caught a glimpse, on the opposite bank, -of a well-built, comfortable-looking estancia in the foreground of a -wide extent of rich flat land, with corral, galpones, and the usual -surroundings, which Luiz Aguirre informed me belonged to Mr. Kincaid. -The feeling of having safely emerged from the desert into the -settlements put us, though very hungry, into the best of spirits; and -after a cheerful half hour's ride, passing on our road a tumbledown, -unused rancho, we arrived at Sauce Blanco, or 'White Willow;' there the -river, sweeping to the northern side, leaves a wide rincon, or expanse -of rich alluvial ground. This is considered as belonging to the Indians, -some of whom are always to be found encamped near the rancho, which -belonged to the Cacique El Ingles, and three toldos were pitched in its -vicinity. - -We presented to the chief his wife, whom we had brought with us, and -I was warmly welcomed as a relative, the cacique being a nephew of -Quintuhual. This chief derives his name from his alleged relationship to -some one or other of the officers of Fitzroy's surveying expedition, so -that I was doubly welcome in my English and Indian character. Here we -camped amongst the pajas, or pampa grass, and, having been presented -with a mare and some pumpkins, soon had a good fire blazing and meat and -pumpkins cooking; these latter being dressed by cutting them in halves, -taking out the seeds, and filling the interior with hot ashes, and then -placing them on the ashes, the result being, at all events as it seemed -then to my taste, delicious. I wished to proceed direct to the Guardia, -but, as Patricio and the others put it off till the morrow, in my -ignorance of the road and usages of the place, I was forced to 'do at -Rome as Rome does.' - -A good wash in the river was one of the first things indulged in, and -the enjoyment of getting rid of several days' accumulation of the dust -and mud of the travesia can be better imagined than described. - -The following morning, before daylight, we all bathed in the river, and -after taking matè with the cacique El Ingles, and a warm by the fireside -after sleeping in the frosty night air, we prepared to visit the -Guardia. Casting off the Indian mantle, I assumed the usual dress of an -Englishman of the period, shooting-coat, &c.; and having been provided -with fresh horses by our friend, half an hour's gallop brought us -to the north bank, opposite the Guardia--not, however, without -misadventure, for as we made our way along the narrow uneven horse-path, -full of ruts, and hemmed in by Pampa grass, Luiz Aguirre's horse -stumbled and threw him, rolling over him and crushing his revolver into -his ribs. - -The mean appearance of the much talked of Guardia at once dispelled the -ideas of it derived from the imaginative descriptions of the Indians, -but previous experience of Spanish frontier towns saved me from -disappointment. The settlement consists of a small fort mounted with one -gun, a cuartel or barracks, and a few houses, one or two built of brick -and the others of adobe, clustering round the fort. Almost, if not quite -all, of these are 'pulperias,' or grog-shops and stores, intended for -trade with the Indians, for whose transport a launch is kept. The usual -object first seen in frontier towns--an unfinished church--is here -conspicuous by its absence, no provision for spiritual wants being made -in the Guardia. After about half an hour's delay on the bank, a bustle -on the other side was observed, caused by getting ready a large launch, -which shortly crossed to our side; and having secured our horses with -lazos and manéos, we jumped in, and I was greeted by a non-commissioned -officer, who congratulated me on my arrival, stating that the -Commandante, Señor Murga, had been expecting me for some months. We -crossed over in great pomp, a soldier playing the cornet in the bows of -the boat, and, landing, we proceeded to a store kept by a man named Don -Fermin, where we were all ushered into a room behind the shop, and -the Indians exposed their skins and plumes for trade. My friend the -non-commissioned officer had left me, as I declined to surrender my -letters to any one but the Commandante in person, and he was at the time -at Patagones, distant eighteen leagues from this Guardia. Meanwhile I -watched the trade going on between Don Fermin and the Indians. - -Now and again people came and contemplated us, as if we were some -strange sort of wild animals; but as I was out of the trading, no one -bid the stranger welcome, and I formed a bad idea of the politeness of -the inhabitants, though perhaps my shaggy hair and dress, not altogether -of the neatest, may have been against me. - -The Indians were soon in full enjoyment of some grog and biscuits, which -they naturally asked me to share. After a bite and a sup, finding the -proceedings slow, I left the room, and shortly after met Mr. Alexander -Fraser and Mr. Grenfell, the owners of an estancia a few miles lower -down the river; and after introducing myself was most kindly received, -and supplied with cash, a civilised medium of which I had not a sou -to enable me to gratify the desire of treating my Indian friends to a -bottle or two of wine and spirits and a few loaves of bread. - -Mr. Fraser hospitably pressed me to come on to his establishment at -once, but being desirous of handing the letters to the Commandante -without delay, I returned across the river with the Indians. - -A foretaste of Rio Negro manners was given us at the other side, as one -of the horses, saddle, lazo and all, was missing--stolen by some of the -civilised inhabitants. The horse belonged to El Ingles, and had been -lent to Meña to go down from the encampment to the Guardia; the lazo -belonged to me. - -At the camp most of the people got more or less drunk, and Nacho -received a richly-deserved thrashing for being pugnacious, after which -he was lashed down, and left to cool in the frost for an hour. - -In the morning I started for Patagones, accompanied by El Ingles and -another Indian; but as our horses proved to be too tired to proceed -into Patagones, we stopped for the night in a toldo at San Xaviel, the -head-quarters of Linares and his Tame Indians. - -I took up my quarters at the toldo of one Chaloupe, and after supper, -being desirous of communicating the political arrangements to the chief, -proceeded on horseback behind another horseman, who proved to be a -brother of Rouque Pinto, to the chief's residence, a long low house. - -After a little delay I was ushered into the Sala, where the two wives -of the chief were sitting sewing. The usual matè was served, and I -waited long in vain for the chief, who was away collecting his followers -for an intended pursuit of some of Calficura's Indians, who had recently -driven off cattle from the valley. - -At last I bade good-night to my fair hostesses, and summoning my -companion, who had been taking matè in the kitchen, set out to return. -We had scarcely proceeded a hundred yards when the tramp of approaching -horsemen was heard, and my companion enjoined strict silence, for fear -of 'accidents,' and reined up our steeds under the shadow of some trees, -till we heard the people pass. When their voices had died away in the -distance we proceeded, and resumed our conversation, in the course of -which he informed me that it was unsafe to meet people at night in this -vicinity unless when well armed. I rather opened my eyes at this, and -moralised considerably on the benefits conferred by civilisation on -Indian races. At Chaloupe's toldo I found Antonio Linares, brother of -the chief, who had brought with him a bottle of brandy, over a glass of -which I told him my business, which he promised to forward, and after a -nightcap he left in search of more boon companions. This young fellow -was very well dressed in cloth ponchos and chiripas, leather boots and -clean linen, and wore a revolver in his belt. He playfully informed me -that he had been in search of some one he had quarrelled with all the -afternoon, and would have shot him if he had found him. - -Mrs. Chaloupe made me up a luxurious bed with ponchos and my own saddle -gear, and indeed all the inmates of the toldo showed me the greatest -civility. - -At an early hour in the morning I started on my now jaded horse in the -hopes of seeing Linares, but on arriving at his house was informed -that he had already left for Carmen to have an interview with the -Commandante, Señor Murga. - -Refusing the proffered matè, I hastened on and speedily overtook him -taking a stirrup cup at a friend's house. After introducing myself -and joining in a social glass, I was glad to avail myself of his -companionship, as our routes lay in the same direction, and transact my -business on the road. - -An hour's ride brought us in sight of Patagones, at which point I -diverged from my companion to the chacra or farm of my expected host -Don Pablo Piedra Buena, situated on the river bank. Half an hour's ride -brought me to the house, but finding no one at home, with the exception -of a big bull dog, I soon started in search, and shortly came on two men -occupied in ploughing. After the usual salutations I inquired for Don -Pablo, and was very civilly answered that he was shortly expected at the -farm, but that if I went straight to Patagones I should probably meet -him on the way. Accordingly, being very desirous of some breakfast, I -spurred my horse into a gallop, and rode towards the town. Its aspect, -as viewed from a distance, although it appeared rather irregular, was -tolerably imposing; the fort and buildings on the northern bank, which -are situated on a rise, showing out prominently, whilst on the southern -shore the cathedral (unfinished, of course) and English mission station -were the most noticeable buildings. After making a slight détour through -ignorance of the track, I arrived at the immediate vicinity of the -southern suburb, which, like all Spanish settlements, new or old, failed -to bear a close inspection. - -An extensive mud-hole, which a fall of rain would probably render -impassable, bordered the outskirts, which, when reached, were found to -be plentifully strewn with offal, heaps of bricks, and other _débris_, -making it incumbent carefully to pick one's way along the paths. - -As I had heard that it was possible the Commandante would come over to -the south side to arrange about a race, I visited a pulperia, indicated -as a likely place to learn his whereabouts, where I found Linares and -his capitanejo (adjutant) taking a glass of brandy, and was introduced -by them to the proprietor, Don José Real, who offered his services, and -informed me that Commandante Murga was expected in about half an hour. I -accordingly proceeded to the mission station, where, having introduced -myself to Dr. Humble, I left my now tired horse in his quinta, and -after a short rest returned to José Real's, and found the Commandante -Murga, to whom I presented the letter from Casimiro and my own letter of -introduction. - -At first sight I was not prepossessed in favour of Señor Murga; he was -about the middle height, dressed in Garibaldi shirt, uniform trousers -and boots, and casquette with the lace bands denoting the rank of -colonel. He disposed of my business by saying that he would attend to it -'mañana,' to-morrow, which is the answer to everything in the provinces -of La Plata, and evidently dismissing the subject from his mind, resumed -an argument with Don José about a racehorse. - -This Colonel Murga is addicted to field-sports of every description, is -a good rider, in fact a perfect gaucho, and rarely misses a cockfight on -Sunday after mass. - -Somewhat disgusted with my reception I proceeded to the boatman's -house with the intention of crossing the river to the north side, and -knocking at the door asked in Spanish for Solomon. It was opened by -a well-dressed woman, and inside I perceived a broad-shouldered, -well-built man at his breakfast. I was about to retire with apologies, -when he recognised me for an Englishman, and guessing who I was, -immediately dragged me in and seated me at the table, whilst the -good wife cut slices of bread and butter and brewed more tea. I was -considerably hungry, as the Americans say, and enjoyed the bread and -butter and tea as I never enjoyed a meal anywhere else. The kind, -honest welcome of this Welsh family will always remain as a pleasant -remembrance to me of Patagones. - -Leaving the house with Solomon we met Don Pablo, who was equally hearty -in his welcome, and we proceeded across in his company to the northern -shore, where my friend placed his house at my disposal, and I took up my -quarters with him; and after the necessary ablutions, and the reduction -of a twelvemonth's growth of hair to a decent length, got into a new -suit of clothes which were brought from Señor Aguirre's store, and felt -that I was a civilised Cristiano once more. - -That afternoon I was introduced by Don Pablo to several of his -relations, who were all most kind and amiable, and their agreeable -society dispelled the thoughts which I had entertained of returning to -the Indians; instead of which I now determined to send Meña and Nacho -out with the answers to the letters and some stores, and wait in -Patagones, until the arrival of the rest, employing the interval in -reconnoitring the place and studying its chances in the future. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE RIO NEGRO SETTLEMENTS. - - Patagones, or Carmen Old Town. -- The Fort and Buildings. -- The - Southern Town. -- The English Mission. -- Elements of the - Population. -- The Negroes. -- The Convicts. -- Lawless State - of Society. -- The Cemetery. -- Early History of the Colony. -- - A Successful Stratagem. -- Villarino's Ascent of the River. -- - Expedition of Rosas. -- The Island of Choelechel. -- La Guardia - Chica. -- Estancia of Messrs. Kincaid. -- Ancient Indian - Graves. -- Flint Weapons. -- The Shepherd and Pumas. -- - Estancia San André. -- The Indians and the Colonists. -- - Calficura's Raid. -- Indian Method of Attack. -- The Tame - Indians. -- View of the Valley. -- Trade of Patagones. -- - Fertility of the Soil. -- Rio Negro Wine. -- The Sportsman. -- - Advice to Emigrants. -- Interview with Col. Murga. -- The - Government Grants to Chiefs. -- Casimiro again. -- The - Tehuelches in Town. -- Farewell. -- The Welsh Utopia. -- Social - Life at Patagones. -- The Steamer at Last. -- Aground. -- The - Pilot. -- Pat Sweeny. -- Adieu to Patagonia. - - -As it did not at the time occur to me that the rising settlements of -the Rio Negro could have escaped being fully described already, I must -candidly confess that the duty of keeping a diary was neglected during -my stay; and recollections alone have furnished the materials for what -has been peremptorily urged on me as a necessary supplement to my -travels--a description of Patagones. This name, which seems intended to -designate the future capital of Patagonia, has completely usurped the -place of the original title El Carmen, conferred on this settlement -in honour of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, under whose patronage it was -placed. - -The modern town, situated on a bend of the Rio Negro, about eighteen -miles from the sea, consists of two parts separated by the river, here -about 450 yards wide: the older and most important on the northern bank, -where the authorities and principal people reside, and a new suburb on -the southern bank, known as El Merced, which, though of recent growth, -threatens to eventually rival the northern portion. The means of -communication between the two is supplied by ferry-boats, which are -procurable at almost all hours. - -On the northern beach a wooden pier has been erected, opposite his -store, by Señor Aguirre, the grand capitalist, banker, and factotum of -the place, to allow the steamer to unload with greater facility. It is -probable that the northern side will continue to preserve its importance -for some time to come, owing to the want of equal facilities for landing -goods on the other side, where at low tide an extensive mudbank is -exposed, which has to be passed to reach the shore. - -The position selected for Carmen by the founder combined security with -easy access to the river. The barranca at this spot advances as it were -to meet the river bend, and leaving but a narrow intervening space. A -rather steep hill rises to a plateau, which again to the north, or rear -of the town, falls by a step to the level of the pampa. The crest is -crowned by the fort, and up the declivity climbs the town, laid out with -scrupulous adherence to the prescribed pattern, the regularity of its -streets and cuadros not being, however, very perceptible to a stranger, -owing to the formation of the ground. Next to the fort, the most -prominent buildings are the Commandante's house, a pretentious red -brick building, and the old church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, an -insignificant edifice, both situated a little below the crest of the -hill, and under the wings as it were of the fort. - -The fort itself, crowning the crest of the hill, or barranca, is of -imposing appearance when viewed at a distance, but a closer inspection -dispels the illusion, and reveals its utter uselessness for defensive -purposes. The walls are in wretched repair, and the whole edifice is so -decayed that when one of the American gunboats stationed in the Rio de -la Plata visited the place some four years ago, and duly saluted the -Argentine colours, the reverberation of the discharge of her big gun -shook down a portion of the wall fronting the river! The armament -consists of a few field pieces of small calibre mounted _en barbette_, -and of very little use, as a single well-directed shell would demolish -the whole structure; but if advantage were taken of the position for the -construction of a substantial battery mounted with modern artillery, the -approaches to the town from all sides could be thoroughly commanded and -easily defended. - -The Plaza or square lies immediately behind the fort, which forms one -side, and some comfortable houses are situated in it, several of which, -however, were only in course of construction. The condition of the -streets is very bad, especially those descending the hill to the -river-bank; in some places the pedestrian sinks ankle deep in sand, and -in others stumbles over rugged masses of sandstone. The pleasantest part -of the town is the street running from the pier and store inland round -the base of the hill: here a considerable tract of low land stretching -from the rear of the houses on the eastern side to the river is laid out -in gardens, or quintas, full of all kinds of fruit trees, backed by a -row of tall poplars fringing the waterside. - -One of these houses was the hospitable abode of my esteemed friend Don -Pablo Piedra Buena. It was a long low house, built of sun-dried bricks -and whitewashed. We occupied one end, consisting of three rooms, the -next part being occupied by Don Ramirez, captain of the steam transport -Choelechel (at anchor within hail, off the Quinta), and his wife. The -remainder was tenanted by Don Domingo, an Italian, as a restaurant and -hotel. Besides Don Domingo's hostelry, the town boasted another hotel, -the property of Señor Aguirre, situated close to his store and pier, a -fine well-built stone house, the only one of that material I observed in -Patagones, almost all the other edifices being of brick, except in the -Negro quarter of the town, where they were simple adobe houses. Whatever -their material, many of the buildings in all parts of the town were, -like the fort, in a most tumbledown condition, and a freer use of -whitewash would, if the inhabitants only knew it, cover a multitude of -sins, both against external decency and internal cleanliness. - -On the southern shore a considerable tract of low land extends from the -river, and is liable to be overflowed at high spring tides. This is -devoted to the cultivation of wheat, ditches being cut to afford -imperfect drainage; across these flats a causeway--the construction of -which is chiefly due to the exertions of my friend the Welsh boatman -Solomon--leads to the new town of El Merced, built on the higher ground, -beyond the reach of floods. This, too, is laid out on the universal -plan, and judging from the piles of brick and the numerous sites marked -out for future houses, is rapidly growing in size and importance. The -roads, however, were at the time of my visit as execrable as on the -north side, and the outskirts were offensive with offal and rubbish, -while the pantaño or mud-hole seemed to present an impassable barrier to -friend or foe. The most noticeable buildings were--first, the new Church -of Señora del Merced, in the Plaza, which, with its two towers, quite -threw into the shade its elder rival del Carmen, on the northern side; -and next the English Mission Station, a considerable building occupying -two sides of a square, one wing containing the room used as a chapel, -whilst the other constituted the residence and dispensary of the -missionary, Rev. Dr. Humble. This gentleman, whose hospitality I -frequently enjoyed, combined in his own person the functions of doctor -and clergyman. As regards the mission, the converts did not appear to be -numerous; indeed an Indian girl, who acted as servant and nurse, seemed -to be the only specimen. The whole establishment was scrupulously -neat and clean, and afforded an agreeable contrast to the surrounding -buildings. In front a considerable tract of ground extended to the -river bank, part of which constituted a pleasant garden, or quinta, -the remainder being used for grazing the horses of the establishment, -whilst a ditch cut at the lower end afforded a harbour for the medical -missionary's boat. - -Dr. Humble formerly had a school for children, but it was given up, I -believe, on account of the opposition raised by the Padre. The church -was generally pretty full on Sundays, when the British flag is hoisted -to denote the hour of prayer; and as half the service was conducted -in Spanish, a good sprinkling of the native inhabitants was generally -present--some perhaps with a view to obtain advice from the pastor -in his medical capacity, in which his skill and kindness made him -deservedly popular. - -According to Sir Woodbine Parish, the population of Patagones in 1832 -amounted to no more than 800: although no statistical means of accurate -information were at my disposal, I should be inclined to estimate the -present number of inhabitants at not less than 2,000, and they may -exceed that number. - -They are divided into four very distinctly-defined classes:--1st. The -descendants of the original and early Spanish settlers; 2ndly. The more -recent foreign immigrants; 3rdly. The negroes; and 4thly. The convicts -sent hither from the Argentine Republic. The descendants of the original -settlers, who for some unknown reason are styled by their townsmen -'Malagatos,' both in name and character manifest their unmixed descent -from the sturdy Gallegos, or settlers from Galicia. Closely united by -intermarriage, they form, as it were, one family, almost every member -of which is either a Crespo or a Real. Although hitherto jealously -exclusive as regards any admixture of their 'sangre azul' by alliance -with the foreigners--except perhaps Englishmen--the men are remarkable -for their hospitable kindness and courtesy, whilst the ladies would vie -with those of any part of Old Spain or the Argentine provinces in grace -of manners or beauty. One noticeable feature of their character was -that both men and women manifested a far more punctilious respect for -religion than I had ever observed in other Catholic countries. Every one -made it a point of being present at mass whenever it was celebrated. I -was among the guests when Don Benito Crespo was entertaining a party at -dinner, given to celebrate his daughter's birthday, which happened to -fall during the period of the novena in honour of Santa Rosa, and when -the bell sounded for vespers everybody rose from table and hurried off -to the church. - -The second part of the population--the foreigners--present a motley -group of people of all nations, but the majority are Italians and -Basque Spaniards. There are a few French, English, Welsh, Swiss, and -Germans. - -The negroes are the descendants of an importation of slaves, introduced -when the slave trade was legal by the Governor, a Frenchman named Viba, -Casimiro's patron, who appears to have entertained an idea of employing -them to cultivate the public lands. They all live together in one -quarter of the town--excepting, of course, those who go out as -servants--and keep up many old traditions and customs. They are called -by the Gauchos 'Blandequis,' which may be a corruption of Mandingo, -and are a fine hard-working race, whose industrious habits and general -character differ widely from the debased type of the negroes in the -Brazils. Their exact numbers I am ignorant of, but was informed that -they were once very much more numerous, their rapid decrease being -caused by their being drawn as soldiers, and the ravages of the -universal scourge of small-pox. - -Lastly comes the convict element. Carmen, at an early period of its -history, was made a 'presidio,' or frontier penal settlement, in this -respect resembling Punta Arenas; but the strict discipline of the -Chilian colony is altogether wanting in Patagones. There is a constant -importation to the latter place of deserters from the army, robbers, and -felons of every description, sent down from Buenos Ayres. These men -are, on their arrival, either enlisted as soldiers, or turned loose on -society, and allowed to work where and how they please, or otherwise -obtain a livelihood. They cannot, it is true, escape, as there is no -chance of getting away by sea, and the almost certain danger of death or -captivity amongst the Pampa Indians is a sufficient safeguard against -their betaking themselves to the interior; but beyond this there is no -restraint exercised. Horse-stealing is, in the event of any animal -being left unwatched, a moral certainty, and robberies of all kinds are -frequent and go almost unpunished; while murder, in the rare cases in -which the criminals are detected, simply involves being sent back to -Buenos Ayres for a trial, which results in a sentence of transportation -back to the Rio Negro. One man named Ruiz was pointed out as having -been four times backward and forward to and from Buenos Ayres for -murders committed: this man openly boasted that whenever he wanted a -trip he had to kill a man. Another man, who had robbed the Bishop of -Buenos Ayres of a jewelled clock, by presentation of a forged order, -filled the position of billiard marker at the hotel, and was looked on -as rather a clever fellow. The Commandante's orderly was also a man sent -down for homicide. The state of society when these ruffians--every one -of whom carries a knife, which is used on the slightest occasion--are -allowed thus to remain loose may be better imagined than described. - -My friend Don Pablo was attacked one evening close to his house, but -fortunately escaped unhurt. Murder is of weekly occurrence, and it is -necessary for everyone to carry some weapon of self-defence, while few -people think of leaving the town without a revolver. - -In the utter absence of legal protection, a project was mooted among -some of the foreigners to establish a vigilance committee on the simple -principle of mutual protection and agreement to avenge any injury to one -of the society. As Sir Lucius consoled his friend by the remark that -there is 'snug lying in the abbey,' the unprotected inhabitants of -Patagones can pride themselves on their possessing an excellent new -cemetery, situated to the north, about half a mile outside the town, -which is surrounded by a brick wall, with iron gates, and kept in a neat -and orderly condition. A little east of it, nearer the town, lies the -old cemetery, the neglected state of which, when I visited it, offered a -melancholy contrast: the mud wall was breached in many places; coffins -appeared protruding from the sand, and in some cases were actually -uncovered; skulls and bones lay exposed to view; and, as a climax, a -cat jumped out of one coffin in which she had taken up her abode. I was -extremely surprised at such want of respect being shown by the residents -to the bones of their departed ancestors, and remarked on it to my -companion, who shrugged his shoulders and muttered something which -sounded like the inevitable 'Mañana.' - -The most interesting relics of the first founders of the colony are a -number of caves, or dwellings, excavated in the sandstone cliff, four -miles below the town; they contain three or four chambers, leading into -each other, and from eight to ten feet square. In one I remarked a sort -of trough, hollowed out in the sandstone, which more resembled a manger -than anything else. Tradition narrates that these were used as dwellings -by the first settlers, or perhaps as hiding-places for themselves, or -for their cattle, in times of war with the Indians. - -Under the Spanish dominion the colony made but slow progress, -notwithstanding the abandonment of all other attempted settlements on -the Patagonian coast, which left the entire advantages to be derived -from the valuable whale and seal fisheries in the hands of the people of -Carmen; their inertness allowed this mine of wealth to remain unworked, -and it fell into the hands of English and American fishermen, who worked -them till a recent period. The Argentine Government has asserted its -claim and granted a lease of the fisheries to Don Luiz Buena, with -authority to warn off all intruders; but the fisheries do not, I -fear, produce the profit deserved by his energy. The Carmen settlers -alternately traded with, and were plundered by the Indians, preferring -the profits of this doubtful commerce to the dangerous, though -profitable, sealing and whaling. That the Indians' hostility had -something to do with the concentration of the Spanish forces at the Rio -Negro appears from a fact which has been studiously omitted from the -Spanish records. The Indians preserve an accurate tradition to the -effect that the first colonists at Port Desire aroused the anger of the -natives, who made a successful attack: the colonists retreated into -the church, where every soul perished at the hands of the natives. The -buildings and fruit-trees still existing are the only monuments of the -destruction of this colony. - -From the time that the South American colonies asserted their -independence, Patagones shared in the consequent increase of population -and development of trade, as already pointed out. Since Sir W. Parish -wrote, the population has largely increased and the value of property -risen; and although the 'old inhabitants' complained to me of the want -of progress, the growing demand and price given for land and houses at -that time, compared with former years, proved the contrary. One item of -its history must not be omitted. During the war between the Brazilians -and the Argentine Confederation, the inhabitants of Patagones -distinguished themselves by defeating and capturing a Brazilian -expedition sent to endeavour to reduce the place. The story was told me -as follows:--A strong force of the Brazilians landed near the sea-coast, -and marched overland towards Carmen, halting about a league north of the -town. The garrison, numbering about fifty regulars and some volunteers, -sallied out, equipped with a large assortment of coloured ponchos. -Taking up a position behind a hill which concealed them from the enemy, -who were ignorant of their real strength, the cunning men of Carmen then -displayed themselves as if for a reconnaissance, and retreated, but only -to change their ponchos and reappear as a fresh detachment; the -enemy was thus led by these repeated feints and transformations to -considerably multiply the real numbers of the Argentine troops, and -hesitate to attack so seemingly large a force. After nightfall the -herbage in the neighbourhood of the bivouac of the invading army was set -on fire. Bewildered by the smoke, the Brazilians retreated, but were -encountered by other fires in their rear, and, seeing themselves -apparently surrounded and opposed by superior numbers, their leader -capitulated. The story is substantiated by the existence of the wreck -of a Brazilian man-of-war, still visible in the river. - -The fertile valley of the Rio Negro must needs be described in order to -convey a proper idea of the resources of Patagones as a colony. By far -the greater extent of this valley is as uncultivated as when it was -first explored by Don Basilio Villarino, who, under the orders of -Viedma, ascended the river in order to ascertain its source, and whose -diary is extant in the collection of De Angelis, a valuable abstract of -it having been given by Sir W. Parish, though sufficiently long ago in -our rapid age to be almost forgotten. He ascended with launches first as -far as the Island of Choelechel, seventy leagues from Carmen, which he -recommended should be fortified as an advance post against the Indians; -thence, after incredible difficulties, he succeeded in reaching the foot -of the Cordillera, always keeping on good terms with the natives. Here -he met with the Araucanians (termed by me Manzaneros), and was in great -hopes of reaching Valdivia through their aid, as they showed themselves -friendly disposed; when, unfortunately, the Indians fell out amongst -themselves, one of the chiefs being killed in the mêlée. The chief who -caused this man's death came with his people to the Spaniards to implore -their assistance, which was promised. This led to the whole of the -remaining Indians forming a league and declaring war against the -Spaniards, whose name up to the present they detest. Being obliged -to abandon his intention of reaching Valdivia, Villarino reluctantly -determined to return, and accordingly, after being supplied by his -allies with a store of apples and piñones, descended the river and -returned to Carmen. - -From the description of this journey, together with the mention of the -supplies of apples and piñones obtained at the farthest point reached, I -am inclined to assume that this point was near, if not identical with, -the place where we passed the Limay on our journey to Las Manzanas, a -mile or two below the rapids where Mr. Cox was wrecked. - -Villarino states that he entered in his small boat a channel where the -river flowed over rounded stones to the S.W. Now the point where Mr. -Cox's boat was lost was a rapid to all appearance impassable for a boat: -however, it is possible that Villarino employed Indians on horseback to -track his boat, and that the state of the river was more favourable for -navigation at the period of his visit. - -The mention of the friendly Indians who accompanied him on his return -and settled under the protection of the Spaniards, suggests the idea -that these may have been the ancestors of Los Mansos or the Tame -Indians, at present in the service of the Government. Casimiro had a -legend about Indians friendly to the first Spanish settlers, who were -subsequently illtreated by them, and I believe revolted. Luiz Aguirre -also asserted that his father was one of the original chiefs of the Rio -Negro, who for a long time was friendly to the Spaniards, but at length, -a revolt taking place, was imprisoned and kept in Carmen as a hostage, -where he died. In the year 1832, when Rosas, for the protection of the -southern frontier, made his great attack on the Indians, and driving -them back to the neighbourhood of the Cordillera, forced them to submit -to his terms, he established a military post at Choelechel, as advised -by Villarino. His scheme was, I believe, to extend from this point a -chain of forts as far as Mendoza, thus keeping the Salinas Indians quiet -inside the chain, and driving the Araucanos up to their native valleys -of the Cordillera. - -This plan was never carried out, and the post, to which the name Isla -de Rosas had been given, was abandoned. Rosas was, notwithstanding his -having beaten the Indians back, very popular amongst them, and on his -overthrow a relation of his, Don Pedro Rosas, took refuge in the Salinas -with his artillery and battalion. Orkeke and several friends of mine -often inquired after Rosas, saying that 'he was a good man,' &c. - -The next expedition up the river occurred only a year previous to my -arrival in the Rio Negro, when the steamer Choelechel ascended as far -as the island, accompanied by a land force under the Commandante Murga. -Indians were found occupying the island, and a European was reported as -resident among them, and as exercising the authority of chief. Although -he refused to hold any communication with the Argentine commander, it -is most probable that this was the famous Frenchman Aurelie I., who was -said to have obtained a supply of arms landed in the Rio Negro, and -brought up to this island. The expedition did not think fit to disturb -the Indians, and returned with little to show as the result of their -journey. - -It was in contemplation to despatch another expedition, but I have as -yet heard no news of its progress from my Patagones correspondents, and -it is probably postponed till 'mañana.' - -The large island of Choelechel, which I know only by description, never -having visited it, appears to be not only an important station in a -military point of view, but also admirably adapted for cultivation; -there are, however, some reasons against its occupation for that -purpose: the first is the undoubted hostility of the Indians to any -enterprise tending to occupy what they consider their country; secondly, -its distance from Carmen or Patagones as a base of supply for bringing -up implements and importing produce, supposing the first difficulties -overcome. A railroad or tramway might, I am sure, be constructed at -little cost to run down the whole valley of the river, or steam launches -of good power, fitted to burn wood, would furnish an effectual means of -communication. The present Government steamer Choelechel both draws too -much water and is of too small power to render material assistance in -the way of opening up the river. The Capitano Major Ramirez pointed out -these defects to his Government previous to her being brought to the Rio -Negro, but his opinion was overruled. - -Foyel and a cacique named Limaron, who claims territorial rights -over the island, had a scheme for cultivating Choelechel and other -advantageous spots, importing for the purpose Valdivian settlers used to -the labour from the other side of the Cordillera, and obtaining their -supplies and implements from Carmen. - -The present further limit of settlement in the valley is the advanced -military post called La Guardia Chica, situated about seven leagues -above the second Guardia, and about twenty-five leagues from Carmen. It -has not, I believe, been in existence many years, and was two years ago -the scene of an _émeute_ amongst the garrison, which was graphically -described to me at our watchfire in Las Manzanas by Rouque Pinto, who -had evidently assisted, if not as an actor, at least as a spectator at -the scene. The troops, who were mostly foreigners, according to his -account, suddenly rose, shot or stabbed the officer in command, and -then their lieutenant, who was killed whilst endeavouring to escape by -swimming the river. The mutineers then sacked the place, getting of -course intoxicated on the contents of the grog shops, and remained -in possession for a day or two, when a party, headed by a man named -Bonifaccio, a Government agent for treating with the Indians, rode in -and took the ringleaders, who were, I believe, summarily shot. I tell -the story as it was told me, and can only vouch for the truth of the -fact that the officers were killed in a mutiny, which was afterwards -suppressed by the determination and courage of Bonifaccio. - -Woodcutters frequently come up the river thus far to procure the red -willow timber. Their plan is simple: they ride up bringing their axes, -ropes, and provisions, and when arrived at the scene of their labours -turn their horses adrift, which readily find their way home. The men -form their timber into a raft, and voyage on it safely down the river. -This, although hard work, is a profitable occupation for men skilled -with the axe. Perhaps at some future period their operations will be -extended farther west, and rafts of Araucarian pine, apple, and other -trees will be floated down from the forests of the Cordillera. - -From the Guardia Chica or Little Guardia, still keeping on the north -side, a wide flat plain extends to the Guardia described in the previous -chapter; in this several farms are situated, most of them wheat-raising -establishments. Nearly all this land is leased by Señor Aguirre from -the Government, and he has at present a large number of men engaged in -cutting a channel or ditch for the purpose of irrigating an extensive -tract of land. The men employed in this work are nearly all of them -natives of Santiago del Estero, and it is needless to state that it is -a most expensive undertaking: it is only to be hoped that Señor Aguirre -will find his labour and expense repaid by fruitful crops. - -A few farms are rented by Welsh settlers, refugees from the Chupat, -who wisely have preferred the valley of the Rio Negro to that luckless -settlement. - -A little above the Guardia is situated the estancia of Messrs. Kincaid, -of which we caught a glimpse on our first arrival at civilisation. I had -the pleasure of staying some days at this farm, where a good deal of -land had been brought under cultivation, and flocks of sheep might be -seen grazing on the rich plain. - -The estancia, from its situation in what is termed a rincon or corner, -namely, a peninsula nearly surrounded by a bend of the river, possessed -great advantages, and as it is one of the most convenient places for -passing cattle to the south side, the owner, who keeps a boat on the -river, was enabled to do a profitable business with the Indians when -they received their rations, by assisting them in ferrying their animals -across. - -The overseer, under Mr. Kincaid, was a Scotch shepherd, whose gude wife -superintended the ménage; the house was a substantial edifice, built -mainly by Messrs. Kincaid, the beams being taken from willow trees -felled in the rincon. Up to the time of my visit these gentlemen had -been working against fortune, neither of the yields of grain in the two -previous years of their occupation having been even a good average. - -Close to this estancia a number of ancient Indian burial grounds exist, -where, besides skulls and bones, numerous flint arrowheads may be found, -some of which, in my possession, have been exhibited to the learned -members of the Anthropological Institute, and found to present the -peculiar Indian type. Besides flint arrow-heads, pestles and mortars, -fashioned out of a porous stone, are also to be found. These articles -probably belonged to an old race of Indians who inhabited the Rio Negro -previous to the advent of Spaniards and horses, and the pestles and -mortars were probably used for pounding the algarroba bean into a paste -like that at present manufactured by Pampa Indians under Teneforo; -indeed, Luiz Aguirre gave me to understand that these Pampas were of -an original stock formerly inhabiting the valley of the Rio Negro, but -I leave these conjectures to the consideration of ethnologists more -skilled than myself. Near these ancient graves I renewed my acquaintance -with the old familiar vizcacha of the plains of Buenos Ayres, which I -have previously pointed out does not exist in Patagonia proper, viz., to -the south of the Rio Negro. Two other species of armadillo besides the -quirquincho were described as being found in their neighbourhood, but I -was not fortunate enough to meet with either description, as they were -at this season hybernating. Puma have been killed in the neighbourhood -of one of the sheep stations. The shepherd heard two outside the corral -on one occasion, and giving chase the puma ascended a small tree. The -shepherd was only lightly attired, but he stripped off his shirt and -fastened it to a stick planted by the tree, which unknown white object -so terrified the 'leones' that they remained quiet while he fetched his -gun and shot them both. - -The skin of an aguarra killed on the premises was also shown to me, but -I had not the good fortune to see one alive. The rarity of the animal -causes the skins to be highly valued, being worth 5_l._ each in Carmen. - -From the second Guardia a short gallop past the advanced barrancas, near -which the river flows in another bend, brings the traveller to another -wide plain, which to the north runs up into an abra deeply recessed in -the receding barranca: in this there are several farms; one of which, -six miles below the Guardia, belonging to Messrs. Fraser and Grenfell, -is named the Estancia San André, and is also situated (_i.e._ the house -and parts intended for wheat growing) inside a rincon or corner -partitioned off by a good whitethorn or chañal fence, resting at each -end in the river. The sheep and cattle graze during the day outside, but -the latter and the horses are invariably brought within the enclosure -at night for fear of theft. This foresight of enclosing the cattle had -saved Mr. Fraser a considerable loss a short time previous to my visit, -as a party of marauding Indians rode along outside the fence, and -finding nothing but sheep, which travel too slowly to be securely -lifted, proceeded to the next estancia and drove off the cattle and -horses, after stripping the shepherd of his clothes, but doing him no -bodily injury. - -When the news reached Mr. Fraser he got some men together and started -in hot pursuit; although a stern chase is a long one, the cattle grew -tired, and the Indians, probably some of Calficura's people, abandoned -them, escaping with the horses only. - -I passed several days at the Estancia San André, spending the greater -part of my time in reading, first the papers, and then all the available -books, and now and then sauntering about with a gun to shoot partridges -or pigeon, whilst my companions were busy, each with his team of oxen -ploughing in the seed, or carting bricks down to the new house in course -of completion. - -The house we occupied was of adobe, and getting rather into a tumbledown -condition; but the new house was a substantial brick building, the -bricks burnt by the future occupiers, and the walls run up by some -Italian masons. This new house was situated on the extremity of the -rincon, or corner, or where its apex touched the river: in front of it -was a small island, rapidly undergoing conversion from its original -reed-covered state to a fertile garden, in which a good crop of potatoes -had already been grown and fruit trees were being planted. - -The old house was to be given up to the Capataz, or head man, who then -resided with his wife in a portion of it. This man was a native, named -Medado; and I have since heard that, when pursuing the Indians who -had invaded some stations near Bahia San Blas, he swam the river -unaccompanied, and rescued two captives, for which he was made an -officer of National Guards. His chief business consisted in looking -after the cattle and horses, and training the racehorse, of which Mr. -Fraser was justly proud. - -During my stay the San André crack was entered against a horse of -Linares' over a short course, and won easily, landing stakes of about -eighty head of cattle. - -I noticed, whilst at San André, a very beautiful description of small -hawk, which appeared closely allied to our merlin, and shot one -specimen. - -The San André people, like those at Rincon Barrancas, had been -struggling against ill-fortune for two seasons; the last season their -harvest was a fair one, but unfortunately they delayed thrashing out for -a long time, waiting for a thrashing machine from England, which, when -it did arrive, would not work properly, and made it necessary for them -ultimately to resort to the native fashion of treading out with mares; -bad weather ensued, and a considerable portion of the grain was spoiled: -such are the woes of Rio Negro farmers, especially improving ones. -During my visit the daily routine of tilling, marking cattle, bringing -up the horses, &c., was carried on; but we found time to visit the next -estancia, owned by a Swiss gentleman residing in Buenos Ayres, and -managed in his absence by a Swiss countryman, known by the name of -Don Juan. Here, as sheep at the present time hardly paid the cost -of shearing, an experiment was being made of curing mutton hams for -exportation to Buenos Ayres, and a large number had been already cured -and were ready for shipment; but the result of the experiment is unknown -to me, and the ingenious Don Juan has since died. - -During my stay at San André and Rincon Barrancas I picked up a good -deal of information regarding the relations of the Indians with the -colonists, which perhaps may not be uninteresting to the reader. All the -settlements and guardias previously described are situated on the north -bank of the river, the south side being almost entirely, as far as this -point, in the hands of the Tame and other Indians. The Indian parties -who are most feared are the Araucanos, under the chief Rouque, and the -Pampas of Calficura, who has his head-quarters at the Salinas near Bahia -Blanca, while the former ranges from the neighbourhood of Choelechel -to the Cordillera. I should be inclined to think that Rouque is a -subordinate chief under Cheoeque, though I am not certain of the fact, -as the latter chief, during my visit to Las Manzanas, mentioned Rouque -as being with his people in the apple and pine groves, gathering the -autumn harvest; but I subsequently met some of these Indians at the -Guardia waiting for Rouque's ration, and recognised one as having been -present at our council and subsequent festivities in Las Manzanas. The -Government agent for Indian affairs, Bonifaccio, showed me a magnificent -pair of stirrups sent from Buenos Ayres as a present to Rouque, the -policy of the authorities being to keep him and Cheoeque from joining -Calficura in the threatened raid on the frontier. The reason assigned -for the declaration of war by this latter chief was the death--by which -he probably meant the imprisonment--of one of his inferior caciques; but -the real reason probably was that the Argentine Government, on account -of robberies committed by some of his people, had refused to renew his -ration of animals. The outbreak in Entre Rios, resulting from the death -of Urquiza, was then unforeseen, and it was intended to have despatched -a large force, under the command of Señor Mitre, to reinforce the whole -frontier, and if necessary crush Calficura; but the troubles caused by -Lopez Jordan necessitated the despatch of all available forces at once -to Entre Rios, and the meditated scheme of rendering the frontier -secure was postponed. Calficura subsequently took advantage of this by -attacking the frontier in various places, carrying off captives women -and children, besides numerous herds of cattle, winding up by attacking -and devastating the new settlements in the neighbourhood of Bahia -Blanca, his Indians penetrating boldly, almost without resistance, -into the very heart of the town, and returning with abundance of -booty. Patagones was not attacked, which may partially be due to -the arrangements effected in Las Manzanas, the unwillingness of the -Tehuelches to join, and the gaining over of Rouque. The latter chief, -however most probably played a double game, and whilst receiving rations -and gifts with one hand, allowed his people to join the raids and -received plunder with the other. - -One reason for the Indians not committing great raids on the Rio Negro -settlements is simply that cattle and horses hardly exist in sufficient -numbers to reward a foray on a large scale. Small parties sometimes -come in, as in the case described, when the horses were taken from the -'China Muerte,' the estancia of Mr. Fraser's neighbour; but these are -rather robberies than hostile invasions--indeed, no important raids have -occurred since the time of Lenquetrou, who united all the Indians for -the purpose, and swept the valley in a raid which, it may be remembered, -was described to me by Gravino, a participator in it, at Inacayal's -toldos, near the Pass of the Rio Limay. The settlers were naturally -anxious to know my opinion as to the probable safety of the Rio Negro, -and I assured them that, from what I knew, there was little chance of a -raid, but that on the contrary Bahia Blanca was sure to be attacked, and -I especially warned one of our countrymen who was on his way to Bahia -Blanca not to hazard himself by settling outside the town at the present -juncture. Englishmen are apt to suppose that because they possess good -weapons, rifles and revolvers, and are able and ready to use them, they -can resist an Indian attack; but the whole system of their warfare -consists in sudden surprises. They secretly collect their forces, and -waiting at a safe distance during the night, come in at the early dawn, -and perhaps the unsuspicious settler, going to the corral or looking -for his horses, observes in the distance what appears to be a troop of -horses, driven, according to custom, by one or two mounted men; these -approach unchallenged, but in a second every horse displays an armed -rider, shouting his war-cry. They then spread out, as if to encircle the -game, thus presenting no front to the rifles of their opponents, and -dash down lance in hand; and whilst some secure the animals, others -set fire to the dwellings and carry off the women--if there are -any--captives. In some cases they kill the men, but generally only -when much resistance is offered. - -Although their chief object in warfare is to carry off cattle and -captives, the Indians will at times fight desperately, regardless of -odds, and show little or no fear of death; and the survivors will never -leave their wounded or killed on the field. The Indians in the service -of the Government, mustering about fifty lances, and residing chiefly -on the south side, are commanded by a man named Linares, previously -mentioned as living at San Xaviel; he receives the pay and rations of -an officer in the army, of what rank I do not know, and all his men -regularly receive pay and rations. These are supposed to act as -gendarmerie; but although Linares and his four brothers are probably to -be depended on, I doubt very much if the rank and file could be trusted -to remain true to their colours in the event of a united raid taking -place, such as that organised by Lenquetrou. - -They have all acquired, by their lengthened residence in the -neighbourhood of bad characters, a rowdy, swaggering disposition not -generally, according to my experience, common amongst uncivilised -Indians; and frequent losses of cattle occur to people settled on the -south side, no doubt attributable to these dubious allies and defenders. - -Between San André and Carmen the winding course of the river twice -approaches and recedes from the barranca, forming two successive wide -alluvial plains, partly settled and partly in natural pasture, in one -of which a mill turned by water-power was at this time in course of -erection, the existing corn-mills being cumbrous, old-fashioned affairs -worked by horses. - -The barranca then abuts on the river, except in one place, where there -is a farm and wharf used for loading salt, forming a cliff close to the -river bank as far as Carmen. Above this farm and wharf an old fort, -apparently untenanted, and armed with one gun, is situated; and away to -the north-east, in an indentation in the plain, lies a large salina from -which the salt is extracted. - -From the immediate neighbourhood of this fort a fine view of the valley -below presented itself: right in front, or nearly due south, on the -other side of the river, lay San Xaviel, partially shrouded by trees; -scattered farms occurred to the west of this, and along the bank as far -as the south side of the town. In the river several delightful-looking -cultivated islands were to be seen, the most noticeable forming the -vineyard of Don Benito Crespo. Beyond the town, to the south-east, the -eye ranged over unbroken plains, with dots here and there marking sheep -stations or small farms. Of the south side little has been said: near -the town there are many small estancias; but a great drawback, I am -told, to settling there is the fact that no secure titles to the -properties are procurable, and therefore there is no security of -occupation in the event of acquiring a piece of land. An important -establishment must not be overlooked, namely, the saladero of Señor -Aguirre, situated about a league below the town of Carmen, whence a -considerable amount of hides and tallow is exported to England. During -my stay a North-German or Dutch barque was lying off the place loading -a cargo. Besides these commodities, the exports of Carmen include salt, -wheat, ostrich feathers, and peltries obtained from the Indians, and -some few ponchos and saddle-cloths; while the imports may be placed -under the head of sundries or notions, from imitation ponchos and cheap -finery to Paraguay tea and bad spirits. - -Although to my eyes, so long accustomed to treeless wastes, rocky -spur-like mountains, and wild grassy valleys, the valley of the Rio -Negro appeared almost a garden of Eden, no doubt to any new arrival from -England it would not have the same aspect. The valley through which -the river winds is destitute of any trees, besides the fringe of tall -willows which belt the stream, extending (except perhaps in Sauce -Blanco) nowhere more than a couple of hundred yards from the bank. The -plains stretching on either bank to the chañal and scrub covered deserts -in many places were so closely eaten down by sheep and cattle as to -present the minimum of vegetation, at least in the winter season. - -However bare and unpromising the land may seem, such is the fertility of -the soil that wheat may be grown, crop after crop, and year after year, -on the same land. Potatoes attain a very large size and are of excellent -quality, but these are chiefly grown in the islands of the river. - -The Government have lately issued orders that all islands belong -inalienably to the State, and all present occupiers are obliged to pay -a small head rent to the authorities, which seems to point at a future -occupation of Choelechel. - -Besides potatoes, all other European vegetables and fruit-trees grow -well; tobacco seems to thrive, and vines promise to furnish a staple of -export in the shape of Rio Negro wine. In one of the islands, occupied -by Don Benito Crespo, and leased by him on shares to some Spaniards from -the neighbourhood of Cadiz, a great number of vines have been planted -and large quantities of grapes pressed out yearly. The wine, which is -called 'Chacoli,' has the muscatel flavour and bouquet of Moselle, and -is a thin pure wine, excellent to drink in the warm weather, as it is by -itself not at all strong or heady. I should imagine that it would not -bear exportation, but Don Benito has hopes that his Andalusians will -shortly be able to produce a superior quality. Besides wine, I tasted at -the table of this hospitable gentleman some brandy, the produce of the -same grape: it was of course colourless, of good taste, but any number -of degrees over proof. - -A sportsman can always find amusement either in shooting ducks, -partridges, geese, and other wild fowl, or mounting his horse and -chasing ostriches or deer in the abras or openings running far up like -inlets of grass between the scrub-covered promontories of the barranca. -Fish may be caught in the river, chiefly, I believe, the delicious -pejerey[13] or large smelt, and those perch-like fish described as -existing in the rivers of Patagonia. - - [13] Atherinichthys Argentinensis. Cunningham, p. 54. - -For guanaco, the pampas near San Blas must be visited, but the valley -and the lagoons formed by backwaters of the river furnish abundance -of black-necked swans, upland geese, red-headed ducks, widgeon, teal, -flamingoes, and roseate spoonbills. - -It will be evident that to any active and enterprising young men, -prepared to rough it a little, and possessed of a small sum of ready -money, who wish to invest in land and cultivate, there is much to be -said for and against the Rio Negro as a home. The land may be had at a -reasonable price, and little clearing is required. Implements may be -brought from Buenos Ayres, either in a sailing ship or by the steamer -which is supposed to run monthly, though rather uncertain in its -movements. The climate is pleasant and healthy, and one good season of -harvest would almost repay the outlay on a moderate establishment. - -As to the drawbacks to be placed on the contra side, the river is -subject at times to floods, at other times droughts prevail, and, unless -artificial irrigation be resorted to, crops will fail, besides which -occasionally a million of locusts will save the farmer the trouble of -reaping his harvest; the cattle, of which most people keep enough to -supply milk and meat for home consumption, may be run off by Indians; -and last, but not least, the settler may lose his life by the hand of -some felon. But no colony offers a certainty of making a rapid fortune. - -The great mistake most English settlers make is going out to a place -with the idea that they are going to make a 'pile' in a year or two and -then return to Europe. - -In my opinion the settler should go with the intention of making the -place he has chosen his home: then if successful he can return, but he -should not look forward to it. The Basque population are looked upon in -the Argentine provinces as the best immigrants, as they generally stay -in the country. The Italians, on the contrary, grub away for some years, -starving and pinching, until they have amassed a small sum of money -sufficient to enable them to live at ease in Italy, while English -and all others are looked upon as people to be fleeced if possible. -Sheepfarming in the Rio Negro is, I think, to be avoided, as in other -places in the Argentine provinces. Señor Aguirre told me that he had -lost a large sum of money in this investment, and many of my countrymen -from the Rio de la Plata can sympathise with him. - -Two sturdy Scotchmen are at present trying the experiment near Carmen, -and as sheep were at a low price when they commenced, they may succeed. - -It is a question in my mind whether larch or araucaria pines would not -thrive along the flats bordering the river; perhaps the climate is too -dry for the latter, but the experiment is almost worth trying for anyone -possessed of means and inclination to take up his abode for a term of -years in the Rio Negro. For my own part, were I a settler, I should -be induced to confine my efforts to the cultivation of the vine, and -perhaps tobacco, keeping of course the necessary stock of animals for -home consumption. - -It must be clearly understood that I am not recommending or interested -in the Rio Negro as a place to which intending emigrants should direct -their thoughts; it undoubtedly possesses great natural advantages, which -are, as yet, insufficiently developed by most of the colonists. Their -estancias, with the exception of those of my Scotch and English friends, -are generally small, miserable-looking tenements, with offal scattered -round the ill-kept corral; and their agriculture is as indifferent -as the neglected appearance of the houses would suggest. But for all -that, there is not a really poor man--except in consequence of his own -laziness or drunken habits--in Carmen and its vicinity, and labour is -in great demand at high wages, while living is cheap, which experience, -since my return, has taught me to be a painful contrast to the state of -our own population at home. - -I was recalled from Rincon Barrancas and my speculations on the Rio -Negro as a field for emigrants by the distant view of Indians, espied -from the lookout on the top of my host's house, as they descended from -the travesia, and hastened back to the town to receive them, according -to promise. It will be remembered that on my arrival as chasqui I -presented to Señor Murga my despatches, in which Casimiro detailed his -arrangements for the protection of Patagones. A list of the chiefs -to whom rations or gifts of cattle, horses, &c., were due, was also -enclosed, and a request that a hundred mares should be sent out at once -with the returning messengers. After some days' delay I was sent for -by Señor Murga, who, it may be here remarked, is reputed to thoroughly -understand the Indians, and to display considerable address in managing -them. It was amusing to observe the natural suspicion and perplexity -aroused in the mind of the Commandante concerning my position among the -Indians; and my reply to his question as to what rank and influence I -possessed among them, and how I was interested for them--that I was -simply a guest and friend--did not seem at all sufficient to explain -matters. But he discussed the question of the chiefs and their requests, -and assured me that all the chiefs who should be found to be entitled -to rations should duly receive them: he, however, absolutely refused to -send out any mares, declaring that Casimiro should receive all his dues -when he arrived. - -As the grand Cacique had for several years not drawn his annual -allowance, amounting to 200 cows, 100 mares, 500 sheep, and a quantity -of clothes and yerba, it can be well imagined that with fair play and -prudence he would, on this visit, become a wealthy as well as powerful -Cacique, as a reward for his labours. At his previous visit he had -left a quantity of cattle and sheep, under charge of some of the Tame -Indians, to increase and multiply; but alas! on his arrival, in reply to -his inquiries, only one small flock of sheep was forthcoming, the rest, -instead of multiplying, having been gambled away by their guardians. The -liberality of the Argentines and the largeness of the gifts may appear -surprising; and indeed the nominal value, as charged to the Government -for these annual gifts to the Indians, is very great. I saw myself 1,000 -head of cattle pass on their way to Rouque, and Cheoeque was expecting -1,200. The cattle were brought down from the Tandil by purveyors, whose -business must be as lucrative as that of American army contractors; -for the Indians are sometimes when sober, or oftener when intoxicated, -induced to part with their newly-acquired possessions for a mere trifle, -and the cattle, reverting to the dealer's hands, thus do duty over again -as a ration perhaps to the same Cacique. Thus the Indians benefit but -little, while the Government pays a large amount and the purveyors and -other agents grow rich, Indians and Government being esteemed apparently -as lawful and natural pigeons, to be plucked by any safe means. - -The Commandante's reply had been duly forwarded to Casimiro, together -with some liquor and presents for my friends; and the morning following -my return from the country I was awoke early by a knock at the door, and -on opening it found five or six Tehuelches who had made their way over -the river to my quarters. After giving them a matè we all proceeded to -the store, and I gave one or two some small presents. Among these first -arrivals was my friend Jackechan, the Cacique from the Chupat, who -confided to me that he had been very drunk the night before. The -Tehuelches had not, however, waited till they reached the settlements -for an opportunity of abandoning themselves to the pernicious enjoyment -of 'lum.' It soon came out that their delay at Valchita had been -necessitated by a prolonged debauch on liquor procured from the Guardia. -Casimiro had of course set the example, and the drink had, as usual, -also led to quarrelling, which resulted in a general fight; several had -been killed, including Cayuke, so often mentioned as a staunch friend; -and I was greatly grieved at being unable to get any accurate tidings of -my Herculean comrade the good-natured Wáki, who had, beyond doubt, been -killed at the same time. - -Such common occurrences were little regarded by my visitors, all of -whom were caciquillos, and whom I presently dismissed rejoicing, with a -promise to visit them on the south side in the evening. But my troubles -had only just commenced. All day long Tehuelches kept arriving, and not -knowing what to do with themselves, followed me about wherever I went, -much to the amusement of some of my acquaintances. - -In the evening I crossed to the other side, and remained for the night -with my old hosts. All were in a great state of delight, as their -rations were to be given them without delay--the yerba, sugar, and -spirits from Aguirre's stores, and the cattle and mares from the Guardia -in front of Sauce Blanco. Old Orkeke, who had not expected to receive -rations, had been allowed, in consequence of my urging his claims, the -same as other minor chiefs, and was consequently in high delight. - -They were, on the other hand, very dissatisfied at the extremely low -prices which their feathers and peltries had realised, and abused -the dealers very roundly as a lot of rogues. False weights and other -tricks of trade had been freely employed to cheat the Indians; and the -storekeepers also charged exorbitantly for necessaries supplied to -them. Their custom is to bivouac in the yards or corrals at the back of -the stores, where they light fires and cook as in their own country, and -pay in the end as dearly for their accommodation as if in a West End -hotel. I delighted the heart of Mrs. Orkeke by presenting her with -a long-promised iron pot and a shawl; and to Hinchel's son I gave a -promised pack of cards, and to the children raisins, sweets, or bread. - -Jackechan's wife and daughter, who had always shown me great kindness, I -took into the store, and told them to choose whatever they fancied most; -whereupon they both, without hesitation, selected two small bottles of -scent to put on their hair. I must remark, _en passant_, that all this -family were exceptionally clean in their habits and persons, and I -promised, if I returned to Patagonia, to travel in their toldo, as I -had then some idea of journeying by the sea-coast to the Chupat, and -perhaps to Santa Cruz. Jackechan's son--the boy with light hair and -complexion--volunteered to come to England with me, and I consented to -take him; but on hearing that there were no ostriches or guanaco where -we were going, he thought better of it. - -Some of Quintuhual's and Foyel's people also arrived, but behaved -themselves in a very different manner to the Tehuelches. Their women and -children had all been left in Geylum, and the men walked about in a very -independent manner, with a proud, superior bearing, not condescending to -admire anything, or to ask for any presents. One of them, on the boatman -requesting his fare for bringing him across the river, refused flatly, -and then drew his revolver to enforce his denial. - -Last, but not least, as became so great a personage, Casimiro arrived, -attended by Meña, who acted as secretary. His costume had suffered -considerably from his late pursuits, and his appearance was by no means -improved by a gash in his face received from a Manzanero in a brawl at -Sauce Blanco. He installed himself in the hotel, hired the fifes and -drums of the garrison to play whilst he was at breakfast, and for two -days kept open house for all comers, ending the day in an advanced state -of intoxication. - -At the end of this debauch a bill was handed to him which, I should -think, took the value of nearly half his rations. This sobered him, and -he, taking my advice, left the hotel, and crossing the river proceeded -to Sauce Blanco to look after his rations and Indians. On the whole, the -Indians behaved very well whilst in the settlement. I saw, of course, -some drunkenness, but not nearly so much as I had expected. One and all -parted from me with most cordial farewells, and pressed me to return to -the Pampa, as they call it, as soon as possible. Jackechan was one of -the last to leave. He, as well as one or two of the others, had found an -old acquaintance in Mr. Humphreys, formerly of the Chupat colony, but -now settled in Patagones as carpenter. We all met in Mr. Humphreys's -house one Sunday after church, and had a long talk relative to this -Chupat settlement, and to the answer received to my letter brought by -Jackechan's chasqui. The statement in it that the settlers had no stores -of any sort, and that of the Indian messenger that they were almost -destitute of clothing, have been fully corroborated by the despatches of -Commander Dennistoun, H.M.S. Cracker, published whilst these pages were -being written. Mr. Humphreys considered himself and the few companions -who had accompanied him to the Rio Negro fortunate in having left -when they did; and all agreed that the colonists would do better if -transferred to the Rio Negro, where those who were skilled in trades -would be able to live in comparative ease, and the mere labourers find -plenty of work, and be able at any rate to maintain themselves. I cannot -but record my astonishment that Mr. Lewis Jones--who, although I am not -personally acquainted with him, must, from the report given me by the -Indians, be a man of no ordinary understanding--should endeavour to -maintain the colony in a place which had formerly been tried by others -and abandoned as hopeless, the distance of the harbour--thirty miles -off--alone being a certain obstacle to its prosperity. - -The visionary scheme of a Welsh Utopia, in pursuit of which these -unfortunate emigrants settled themselves, ought not to be encouraged, -likely as it is to end in the starvation of the victims to it. Had it -not been for the charity of the Argentine Government, this must have -been their fate ere now. Jackechan described to me that he had seen the -settlers 'eating grass,' and had taught some of them how to hunt and -furnished them with bolas. The Blue Book just published confirms the -truth of this statement, and perhaps renders it needless for me to go -more into the subject; but I must add that, though at that time friendly -and well-disposed, this chief considered the settlers as intruders on -his territory, and avowed his intention of demanding payment at a future -time--a refusal of rent being in such a case sure to be followed by a -very summary process of cattle driving and eviction. - -The Rio Negro, with all its drawbacks of Indians, locusts, floods, and -droughts, is certainly infinitely superior to the Chupat. If the Welsh -wish to live as a separate community, I am sure that Señor Aguirre will -only be too happy to let them settle on his tract of land between the -Upper and Second Guardia, where already some of their countrymen--Messrs. -Williams and Owen--have taken land. - -After the Indians had left, I gave myself over to the enjoyments of -social life in Patagones, which did not prove sufficient to reconcile me -to the delay consequent on the non-arrival of the steamer. My days were -spent in walking about, playing billiards, and taking matè; and a visit -in the evening to Don Domingo's, where a party were in the habit of -meeting to play 'truco' for sweetmeats. Sometimes we varied this by -calling on some of the fair señoritas, or spending the evening at the -house of Mr. Davis, the engineer of the Choelechel, in the company of -his amiable señora. All the young ladies agreed that Patagones was very -'triste,' especially those who had been to Buenos Ayres, and had enjoyed -the delights of the opera and bands of music in the Plaza. - -On Sundays, after mass and service in the mission station, attended by -all the English, a race would sometimes take place, or, in default, -there would be sure to be a cock fight held on the south side; at -either of which Commandante Murga invariably attended. There was also a -fives court, where some Basques or natives were generally to be found -playing. Once or twice I accompanied Dr. Humble--not, however, on -Sunday--in a pull on the river. Every day we looked out anxiously -for the steamer, which had been so long overdue as to make it appear -probable that she had met with an accident. Tired of the delay, I had -just negotiated my passage in a Dutch schooner laden with grain for -Buenos Ayres, when one evening the steamer arrived, having been delayed -in Bahia Blanca. - -In the morning I was agreeably surprised by the size of the steamer, -formerly the Montauk, of Boston, but rechristened the Patagones, and -owned by Messrs. Aguirre and Murga. She was pretty well fitted up as -regards accommodation, but all the decks, cabins, and every part of her -presented a very dirty appearance. - -After two days' stay she hoisted the blue peter, and, having taken my -passage, together with Messrs. Fraser and Kincaid, who were going to -Buenos Ayres on business, and Mr. Gibb, who was on his return to Europe, -repaired on board, where we found a considerable number of passengers -assembled; the distinguished billiard-marker who had annexed the clock -amongst the number. About 4 P.M. we weighed, and, bidding adieu to -Patagones, started down the river with the ebb tide, intending to anchor -for the night in the Boca and cross the long line of sandbank, which -forms a dangerous bar, with the morning tide. We steamed along smoothly -enough until just well within sight of the ships lying in the Boca, -when a sudden concussion announced that she was ashore on a sandbank, -where she stuck hard and fast. We thought little of the misadventure, -expecting to be off at high tide, and some of us went on shore and -pic-nicked on the flats bordering the river. We returned about ten, and -about midnight I was woke up by hearing one of the funnel guys snap, -and, going on deck, found that, though the bow of the ship was high -out of the water, the stern was in deep water, and the ship severely -straining amidships in consequence. A few minutes after the main steam -pipe broke: the steam had, however, luckily been turned off, or the -consequences would have been disastrous to those in the after part of -the ship. The ladies were then landed, for fear of accidents, and the -remainder of us held a consultation as to how we should get to Buenos -Ayres, and ultimately went to sleep on it. - -The following morning the Choelechel came down and succeeded in towing -the vessel off, and the Dutch captain of the schooner came on board and -agreed to take me and some others on to Buenos Ayres. We accordingly -jumped into a boat, and proceeding down to the Boca, got on board the -schooner, hoping to sail the next day; but were again doomed to be -disappointed. - -The captain went up to buy provisions, and did not return till late the -following evening. Meantime the wind set in foul in the morning, and -the line of roaring white breakers on the bar showed the impossibility -of sailing; so we were compelled to wait, looking out on the dreary -sand-dunes which narrowed the entrance to the river on either side. - -Some of us went on shore to visit the pilot station, and had a talk with -the pilot, a brave old German or Dutchman. This veteran and his men -had successfully defended his station against a large force of Indians -in the raid of Lenquetrou. The enemy desired to get possession of a -howitzer which is kept in the station, and the Indians rushed actually -up to the enclosure, while the men fired on them almost muzzle to their -breasts, at last succeeding in beating them off with immense loss. - -The boat's crew consisted of men of all nations. I got into conversation -with one, at first in Spanish, then in English. After lending me his -pipe, he looked hard at me and said, 'I know you: I am Pat Sweeny, and -ran away from the Sheldrake. What ship did you run away from?' I was not -dressed in my best clothes, and looked doubtless weather beaten enough; -but I recognised my friend, though he failed to remember me, and was not -enlightened as to my identity. Several weary days were spent in drinking -schnapps, and ineffectually trying to catch fish, when at last a -fair breeze sprang up, which speedily wafted us out of sight of the -Patagonian shores, and after a boisterous passage of six days the anchor -was dropped off Buenos Ayres. - - - - -APPENDIX A. - - -_A partial Vocabulary of the Tsoneca Language, as spoken by the Northern -Tehuelches._ - - ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA. - - I _or_ mine ya - you _or_ yours ma - his _or_ hers ti - this one _or_ he win - who hem - here nanik - there mawoori _or_ mawook _or_ mon - where kinik - when kenoesh - what ket - how ---- - how much _or_ many kinkein kerum - above eok - below penk _or_ _wumka_ - immediately marso - to-morrow nush - yesterday nush - day after to-morrow eounnush - quickly gemmo - jealous ynaien - foolish chops - quick sourno - good ketz - pretty coquet - bad terosh - ill hammersh - hot yporsk - cold kekoosh - big chaish - little talenque - light höppen - heavy pogelsh - like nourks - far éouns - near ekel - similar wáks - tired wotysk - hungry pashlik - difficult wickemi - hard chornk - soft katt[=n] - ready kush - yes ahon (_very guttural_) - no kompsh - man (_Indian_) ahonican - man (_Christian_) háchish - people (_Indian_) tchonik - woman (_married_) karken - father yank - mother yanna - wife ysher - son ykallum - brother yten - sister ystshen - children coquetra - friend _or_ companion gennow - head kittar - eyes ötl - nose tchal - tongue tal - lips chum - teeth oër - hands tsicc'r - legs noa - feet shankence - toldo _or_ house kou - poles for ditto hö - hides, ditto wummum - thongs cowan - mantle kai - fillet for hair kotchi - boots tsuccre - clothes kakewit - hat kor - bolas (_three balls_) yatschiko - bolas (_two balls_) chume - sinews katz - lazo laso - knife paiken - gun gilwum - revolver gilwinikush - powder tchampum - caps kun - lance waike - pot (_for cooking_) askem - bottle oëtre - barrel barr - (bodkin) needle, _or_ nail hüllen - bag hüll - pipe aniwee _or_ conganou - tobacco golk - saddle tusk - bridle hum - bit kankion - stirrups keshon - spurs wateren - girth genig - straps for securing horses' legs kaligi - whip wakenem - belt wáti - sun (_or_ a day) gengenko - moon (_or_ a month) showan - stars ááskren - a year tsor - fire yaik - water léy - snow gél - wind hoshen - rain téwa - smoke p[´=a][=a]n - clouds páwall - night queyomen - wood kaki - hill yorri - place haik - land _or_ country yerroen - river koona - road nooma - poncho lecho - meat yipper - stones kátch - rocks air - grass _or_ pasture kor _or_ oet - broth _or_ tea áásleish - horse ewoe _or_ cawall - cattle choi - sheep cámp[=a]n - large deer shóen - guanaco rou - ostrich (_or_ rhea) mikkeoush - puma gol - fox palt[=n] - skunk wickster - armadillo áno - hare p[.a][.a]hi - fowls peyou - fawn _or_ colt kooroo - skins wummun - gold wínki - eggs [.o][.o]m - bones kotsh - marrow tcham - grease am - a chief gounok - fish [.o]in - marriage coyenk - wild potatoes appely - sleep shensk - a file kikeriki - council aix - ill hammersh - ship youlel - gum _or_ rosin maki - cards bersen - sit down pespesh - catch korigi - to be tired ywotisk - I go yschengs - he goes wansk - he has hell - give me moyout - lend me mon - write [.a][=a]kren - buy amili - change quewarien - I am tired wotyskiya - I am hungry pashlik ya - I am sleepy yshensk - to kill ymuck - to fight ywowesk - to sing yworrish - I like yshorske ya - to mount on horseback amcotts _or_ oin - to race káttern - to send messenger wickeni coëto - to talk ayensh - I understand ya omkes - I do not understand ytonkes - come along heroschengs - to hunt aoukem - to speak kinscott - to do a thing micheten - make máki - to work tirsk - to light kaime - to fill meshawr - to eat shehattu - march wéen - to break charsk - to play nayensh - - EXCLAMATIONS. - - of surprise wati, wati, wati - of anger worrioo-wálloo - curse it nourenk y sé - on erring with the bolas wow - on catching an animal or in fighting kow - - COLOURS. - - black chorlo - white golwin - yellow waieken - green arkum - red k[=a][=o]pen - blue kaliken - brown _or_ bay soorsh - piebald hogel - - NUMERALS. - - one chuche - two houke - three aäs - four carge - five ktsin - six winikush - seven ouk - eight winicarge - nine humanakoutsen - ten kake - eleven chuche kor - twelve houke kor - thirteen aas kor - kor added up to twenty - twenty wommenikukikor - thirty aasenikaki - forty cargekaki - fifty ktsinkaki - a hundred patack - a thousand huaranca - - -SOME SENTENCES. - - ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA. - - Thank you Nouremi naki - Lend me the pipe Mon aniwee--aniwee moyout - Catch my horse Korigi ya - Come along, friend Heroschengs gennow - Will you come out hunting? (_Lit._ Heros aoukemshaw kinscott ya - Come out hunting, tell me.) - The people are fighting Ywowishk chonik - How many are killed? Kinkeinkerum ymuck - Where are you going? Kinek nis chengs - Cook some meat; I am hungry Herósh yipper wummi pashlik ya - I understand Indian Omkes Ahonicanka - I like your wife Ma yshorsks ysher - What do you want? Keterum karn? - It rains much to-day Chaiske nush que tewa - We are going to see many people Wushkaeye seonk chonik - We are going to see another country Wushkaeye kaiok yerroen - Come here quickly Gommo heout witka - What do you buy? Ket, m amli. - - - - -APPENDIX B. - - -_Testimony of successive Voyagers to the Stature of the Patagonians._ - - A.D. - 1520. _Pigafetta_ The least, taller than the tallest men in - Castille. - - 1578. _Drake_ Not taller than some Englishmen. - - 1591. _Knyvet_ Fifteen or sixteen spans high. - - 1598. _Van Noort_ Natives of tall stature. - - 1615. _Schouten_ Human skeletons 10 or 11 feet long. - - 1669. _Narborough_ Mr. Wood was taller than any of them. - - 1750. _Falkner_ A cacique 7 feet and some inches high. - - 1764. _Byron_ A chief about 7 feet high, and few of the - others shorter. - - 1766. _Wallis_ Measured some of the tallest: one was - 6 feet 7 inches, several 6 feet 5 inches; - the average height was between 5 feet - 10 inches and 6 feet. - - 1783. _Viedma_ Generally 6 feet high. - - 1829. _D'Orbigny_ Never found any exceeding 5 feet 11 inches; - average height 5 feet 4 inches. - - 1833. _Fitzroy and Darwin_ Tallest average of any people; average - height 6 feet, some taller and a few - shorter. - - 1867-8. _Cunningham_ Rarely less than 5 feet 11 inches in - height, and often exceeding 6 feet by - a few inches. One measured 6 feet - 10 inches. - - - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - - - -[Illustration: MAP OF PATAGONIA] - - - - - * * * * * - - - - - Albemarle Street, London, - _February, 1871_. - - -MR. MURRAY'S - -GENERAL LIST OF WORKS. - - - ALBERT'S (Prince) SPEECHES AND ADDRESSES ON PUBLIC OCCASIONS; with an - Introduction, giving some outline of his Character. With Portrait. - 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._; or _Cheap Edition_, fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ABBOTT'S (Rev. J.) Memoirs of a Church of England Missionary in the - North American Colonies. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ABERCROMBIE'S (John) Enquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and - the Investigation of Truth. _Nineteenth Edition._ Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Philosophy of the Moral Feelings. _Fourteenth Edition._ Fcap. - 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ACLAND'S (Rev. Charles) Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of - India. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ÆSOP'S FABLES. A New Version. With Historical Preface. By Rev. THOMAS - JAMES. With 100 Woodcuts, by TENNIEL and WOLF. _63rd Thousand._ Post - 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - AGRICULTURAL (The Royal) JOURNAL. 8vo. 6_s._ - - AIDS TO FAITH: a Series of Theological Essays. By the following - Writers. _Seventh Edition._ 8vo. 9_s._ - - Dean Mansel. - Bishop of Cork. - Rev. Dr. M'Caul. - Canon Cook. - Professor Rawlinson. - Bishop of Ely. - Archbishop of York. - Bishop of Gloucester & Bristol. - - AMBER-WITCH (The). A most interesting Trial for Witchcraft. Translated - from the German by LADY DUFF GORDON. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ARMY LIST (The). _Published Monthly by Authority._ 18mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - ARTHUR'S (Little) History of England. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1864. Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ATKINSON'S (Mrs.) Recollections of Tartar Steppes and their - Inhabitants. Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - AUNT IDA'S Walks and Talks; a Story Book for Children. By a LADY. - Woodcuts. 16mo. 5_s._ - - AUSTIN'S (John) LECTURES ON GENERAL JURISPRUDENCE; or, the Philosophy - of Positive Law. _Third Edition._ Revised and Edited by ROBERT - CAMPBELL. 2 Vols. 8vo. 32_s._ - - ---- (Sarah) Fragments from German Prose Writers. With Biographical - Notes. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS; Issued by direction of the Lords Commissioners - of the Admiralty:-- - - A MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY, for the Use of Travellers. By Various - Writers. Edited by Sir JOHN F. HERSCHEL. _Fourth Edition._ Revised - by Rev. ROBERT MAIN, M.A. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - - AIRY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS made at Greenwich. 1836 to 1847. - Royal 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1840 to 1847. Royal - 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 1848 - to 1868. Royal 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- APPENDICES TO THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. - - 1836.--I. Bessel's Refraction Tables. 8_s._ - II. Tables for converting Errors of R.A. and N.P.D. into - Errors of Longitude and Ecliptic P.D. 8_s._ - - 1837.--I. Logarithms of Sines and Cosines to every Ten Seconds - of Time. 8_s._ - II. Table for converting Sidereal into Mean Solar Time. 8_s._ - - 1842.--Catalogue of 1439 Stars. 8_s._ - - 1845.--Longitude of Valentia. 8_s._ - - 1847.--Description of Altazimuth. (_Reprint._) 5_s._ - - 1851.--Maskelyne's Ledger of Stars. 6_s._ - - 1852.--I. Description of the Transit Circle. (_Reprint._) 5_s._ - II. Regulations of the Royal Observatory. 2_s._ - - 1853.--Bessel's Refraction Tables. 3_s._ - - 1854.--I. Description of the Zenith Tube. 3_s._ - II. Six Years' Catalogue of Stars. 10_s._ - - 1856.--Description of the Galvanic Apparatus at Greenwich - Observatory. 8_s._ - - 1862.--I. Seven Years' Catalogue of Stars. 10_s._ - II. Plan of the Building and Ground of the Royal Observatory, - Greenwich. 3_s._ - III. Longitude of Valentia. 3_s._ - - 1864.--I. Moon's Semidiameter. - II. Planetary Observations, 1831 to 1835. - - 1868.--I. Corrections of Bouvard's Elements of Jupiter and - Saturn. 4_s._ - II. Seven Years' Catalogue of 2760 Stars for 1861. 10_s._ - III. Description of the Great Equatorial. 5_s._ - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL RESULTS. 1848 to 1868. 4to. 8_s._ - - ---- MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL RESULTS. 1848 to 1868. 4to. 8_s._ - each. - - ---- REDUCTION OF THE OBSERVATIONS OF PLANETS. 1750 to 1830. Royal - 4to. 50_s._ - - ---- ---- LUNAR OBSERVATIONS. 1750 to 1830. 2 Vols. Royal 4to. - 50_s._ each. - - ---- ---- 1831 to 1851. 4to. 20_s._ - - BERNOULLI'S SEXCENTENARY TABLE. _London_, 1779. 4to. - - BESSEL'S AUXILIARY TABLES FOR HIS METHOD OF CLEARING LUNAR - DISTANCES. 8vo. - - COOK, KING, and BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS _London_, 1782. - 4to. 20_s._ - - ENCKE'S BERLINER JAHRBUCH, for 1830. _Berlin_, 1828. 8vo. 9_s._ - - HANSEN'S TABLES DE LA LUNE. 4to. 20_s._ - - HARRISON'S PRINCIPLES OF HIS TIME-KEEPER. Plates. 1797. 4to. 5_s._ - - LAX'S TABLES FOR FINDING THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE. 1821. 8vo. - 10_s._ - - LUNAR OBSERVATIONS at GREENWICH. 1783 to 1819. Compared with the - Tables, 1821. 4to. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MACLEAR ON LACAILLE'S ARC OF MERIDIAN. 2 Vols. 20_s._ - - MASKELYNE'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOING OF HARRISON'S WATCH. 1767. 4to. - 2_s._ 6_d._ - - MAYER'S DISTANCES of the MOON'S CENTRE from the PLANETS. 1822, - 3_s._; 1823, 4_s._ 6_d._ 1824 to 1835, 8vo. 4_s._ each. - - ---- TABULÆ MOTUUM SOLIS ET LUNÆ. 1770. 5_s._ - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE AT GOTTINGEN, from 1756 to 1761. - 1826. Folio. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - NAUTICAL ALMANACS, from 1767 to 1874. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- SELECTIONS FROM THE ADDITIONS up to 1812. 8vo. 5_s._ 1834-54. - 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- SUPPLEMENTS, 1823 to 1833, 1837 and 1838. 8vo. 2_s._ each. - - ---- TABLE requisite to be used with the N.A. 1781. 8vo. 5_s._ - - POND'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1811 to 1835. 4to. 21_s._ each. - - SABINE'S PENDULUM EXPERIMENTS to Determine the Figure of the Earth. - 1825. 4to. 40_s._ - - SHEPHERD'S TABLES for Correcting Lunar Distances. 1772. Royal 4to. - 21_s._ - - ---- TABLES, GENERAL, of the MOON'S DISTANCE from the SUN, and 10 - STARS. 1787. Folio. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - TAYLOR'S SEXAGESIMAL TABLE. 1780. 4to. 15_s._ - - ---- TABLES OF LOGARITHMS. 4to. 3_l._ - - TIARK'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS for the Longitude of MADEIRA. - 1822. 4to. 6_s._ - - ---- CHRONOMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS for Differences of Longitude - between DOVER, PORTSMOUTH, and FALMOUTH. 1823. 4to. 6_s._ - - VENUS and JUPITER: Observations of, compared with the Tables. - _London_, 1822. 4to. 2_s._ - - WALES' AND BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1777. 4to. 21_s._ - - WALES' REDUCTION OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS made in the Southern - Hemisphere. 1764-1771. 1788. 4to. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - BARBAULD'S (Mrs.) Hymns in Prose for Children. With 112 Original - Designs. Small 4to. 5_s._; or _Fine Paper_, 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BARROW'S (Sir John) Autobiographical Memoir. From Early Life to - Advanced Age. Portrait. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (John) Life, Exploits, and Voyages of Sir Francis Drake. With - numerous Original Letters. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - BARRY'S (Sir Charles) Life and Works. By ALFRED BARRY, D.D. _Second - Edition._ With Portrait, and Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 15_s._ - - BATES' (H. W.) Records of a Naturalist on the River Amazons during - eleven years of Adventure and Travel. _Second Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BEAUCLERK'S (Lady Diana) Summer and Winter in Norway. _Third Edition._ - With Illustrations. Small 8vo. 6_s._ - - BEES AND FLOWERS. Two Essays. By REV. THOMAS JAMES. Reprinted from the - "Quarterly Review." Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ each. - - BELCHER'S (Lady) Account of the Mutineers of the 'Bounty,' and their - Descendants; with their Settlements in Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands. - With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BELL'S (Sir Charles) Familiar Letters. Portrait. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BERTHA'S Journal during a Visit to her Uncle in England. Containing a - Variety of Interesting and Instructive Information. _Seventh - Edition._ Woodcuts. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BERTRAM'S (Jas. G.) Harvest of the Sea: a Contribution to the Natural - and Economic History of British Food Fishes. _Second Edition._ With - 50 Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BIBLE COMMENTARY; THE HOLY BIBLE, according to the Authorised Version, - A.D. 1611. With Explanatory and Critical Notes and a Revision of the - Translation. By BISHOPS and other CLERGY of the ANGLICAN CHURCH. - Edited by Canon F. C. COOK, M.A. Vol. I. (in Two Parts). Medium 8vo. - 30_s._ - - Part I. { GENESIS Bishop of Ely. - { EXODUS Canon Cook and Rev. Samuel Clark. - - { LEVITICUS Rev. Samuel Clark. - Part II. { NUMBERS Rev. T. E. Espin. - { DEUTERONOMY Rev. J. F. Thrupp. - - BICKMORE'S (Albert S.) Travels in the Eastern Archipelago 1865-6; a - Popular Description of the Islands, with their Natural History, - Geography, Manners and Customs of the People, &c. With Maps and - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - BIRCH'S (Samuel) History of Ancient Pottery and Porcelain: Egyptian, - Assyrian, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan. With 200 Illustrations. 2 - Vols. Medium 8vo. 42_s._ - - BISSET'S (Andrew) History of the Commonwealth of England, from the - Death of Charles I. to the Expulsion of the Long Parliament by - Cromwell. Chiefly from the MSS. in the State Paper Office. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 30_s._ - - BLAKISTON'S (Capt.) Narrative of the Expedition sent to explore the - Upper Waters of the Yang-Tsze. Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - BLOMFIELD'S (Bishop) Memoir, with Selections from his Correspondence. - By his Son. _Second Edition._ Portrait, post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BOSWELL'S (James) Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Including the Tour to - the Hebrides. Edited by Mr. CROKER. Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - BRACE'S (C. L.) Manual of Ethnology; or the Races of the Old World. - Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BLUNT'S (Rev. J. J.) Undesigned Coincidences in the Writings of the - Old and New Testament, an Argument of their Veracity: containing the - Books of Moses, Historical and Prophetical Scriptures, and the - Gospels and Acts. _Ninth Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- History of the Church in the First Three Centuries. _Fourth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Parish Priest; His Duties, Acquirements and Obligations. _Fifth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Lectures on the Right Use of the Early Fathers. _Third Edition._ - 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Plain Sermons Preached to a Country Congregation. _Fifth - Edition._ 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Essays on various subjects. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. Illustrated with Coloured Borders, Initial - Letters, and Woodcuts. 8vo. - - BORROW'S (George) Bible in Spain; or the Journeys, Adventures, and - Imprisonments of an Englishman in an Attempt to circulate the - Scriptures in the Peninsula. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Zincali, or the Gipsies of Spain; their Manners, Customs, - Religion, and Language. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Lavengro; The Scholar--The Gipsy--and the Priest. Portrait. 3 - Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Romany Rye. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- WILD WALES: its People, Language, and Scenery. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BRAY'S (Mrs.) Life of Thomas Stothard, R.A. With Portrait and 60 - Woodcuts. 4to. 21_s._ - - ---- Revolt of the Protestants in the Cevennes. With some Account of - the Huguenots in the Seventeenth Century. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - BRITISH ASSOCIATION REPORTS. 8vo. - - York and Oxford, 1831-32, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Cambridge, 1833, 12_s._ - Edinburgh, 1834, 15_s._ - Dublin, 1835, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Bristol, 1836, 12_s._ - Liverpool, 1837, 16_s._ 6_d._ - Newcastle, 1838, 15_s._ - Birmingham, 1839, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Glasgow, 1840, 15_s._ - Plymouth, 1841, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Manchester, 1842, 10_s._ 6_d._ - Cork, 1843, 12_s._ - York, 1844, 20_s._ - Cambridge, 1845, 12_s._ - Southampton, 1846, 15_s._ - Oxford, 1847, 18_s._ - Swansea, 1848, 9_s._ - Birmingham, 1849, 10_s._ - Edinburgh, 1850, 15_s._ - Ipswich, 1851, 16_s._ 6_d._ - Belfast, 1852, 15_s._ - Hull, 1853, 10_s._ 6_d._ - Liverpool, 1854, 18_s._ - Glasgow, 1855, 15_s._ - Cheltenham, 1856, 18_s._ - Dublin, 1857, 15_s._ - Leeds, 1858, 20_s._ - Aberdeen, 1859, 15_s._ - Oxford, 1860, 25_s._ - Manchester, 1861, 15_s._ - Cambridge, 1862, 20_s._ - Newcastle, 1863, 25_s._ - Bath, 1864, 18_s._ - Birmingham, 1865, 25_s._ - Nottingham, 1866, 24_s._ - Dundee, 1867, 26_s._ - Norwich, 1868, 25_s._ - Exeter, 1869, 22_s._ - - BROUGHTON'S (Lord) Journey through Albania and other Provinces of - Turkey in Europe and Asia, to Constantinople, 1809-10. - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Visits to Italy. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - BROWNLOW'S (Lady) Reminiscences of a Septuagenarian. From the year - 1802 to 1815. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BUBBLES FROM THE BRUNNEN OF NASSAU. By Sir FRANCIS B. HEAD, Bart. _7th - Edition_, with Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BUNYAN (John) and Oliver Cromwell. By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - BURGON'S (Rev. J. W.) Christian Gentleman; or, Memoir of Patrick - Fraser Tytler. _Second Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Letters from Rome. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BURN'S (Col.) Dictionary of Naval and Military Technical Terms, - English and French--French and English. _Fourth Edition._ Crown 8vo. - 15_s._ - - BURROW'S (Montagu) Constitutional Progress. A Series of Lectures - delivered before the University of Oxford. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - BUXTON'S (Charles) Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart. With - Selections from his Correspondence. By his Son. Portrait. 8vo. - 16_s._ Or _Popular Edition_. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Ideas of the Day on Policy. _Third Edition._ 8vo. 6_s._ - - BYRON'S (Lord) Life, Letters, and Journals. By THOMAS MOORE. _Cabinet - Edition._ Plates. 6 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Life, Letters, and Journals. By THOMAS MOORE. _Popular Edition._ - With Portraits. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Library Edition._ Portrait. 6 Vols. Demy 8vo. - 45_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Cabinet Edition._ Plates. 10 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. - 30_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Pocket Edition._ 8 Vols. 24mo. _Complete in a - Case._ 21_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Popular Edition._ Plates. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Pearl Edition._ Crown 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Childe Harold. With 80 Engravings. Crown 4to. 12_s._ - - ---- Childe Harold. 16mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Childe Harold. Vignettes. 16mo. 1_s._ - - ---- Childe Harold. Portrait. 16mo. 6_d._ - - ---- Tales and Poems. 24mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Miscellaneous. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Dramas and Plays. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Don Juan and Beppo. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Beauties. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - BURR'S (G. D.) Instructions in Practical Surveying, Topographical Plan - Drawing, and on sketching ground without Instruments. _Fourth - Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BUTTMAN'S LEXILOGUS; a Critical Examination of the Meaning of numerous - Greek Words, chiefly in Homer and Hesiod. Translated by Rev. J. R. - FISHLAKE. _Fifth Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATALOGUE OF IRREGULAR GREEK VERBS. With all the Tenses - extant--their Formation, Meaning, and Usage, accompanied by an - Index. Translated, with Notes, by Rev. J. R. FISHLAKE. _Fifth - Edition._ Revised by Rev. E. VENABLES. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - CALLCOTT'S (Lady) Little Arthur's History of England. _New Edition, - brought down to_ 1864. With Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - CAMPBELL'S (Lord) Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the - Great Seal of England. From the Earliest Times to the Death of Lord - Eldon in 1838. _Fourth Edition._ 10 Vols. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Lives of Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Brougham. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Lives of the Chief Justices of England. From the Norman Conquest - to the Death of Lord Tenterden. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. - 42_s._ - - ---- Shakspeare's Legal Acquirements. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Lord Chancellor Bacon. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Sir Neil) Account of Napoleon at Fontainbleau and Elba. Being a - Journal of Occurrences and Notes of his Conversations, &c. Portrait. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- (George) Modern India. A Sketch of the System of Civil - Government. With some Account of the Natives and Native - Institutions. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (Thos.) Essay on English Poetry. With Short Lives of the British - Poets. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CARNARVON'S (Lord) Portugal, Gallicia, and the Basque Provinces. From - Notes made during a Journey to those Countries. _Third Edition._ - Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Reminiscences of Athens and the Morea. Extracts from a Journal - during Travels in Greece in 1839. With Map. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Recollections of the Druses of Lebanon. With Notes on their - Religion. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - CASTLEREAGH (The) DESPATCHES, from the commencement of the official - career of the late Viscount Castlereagh to the close of his life. - Edited by the MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY. 12 Vols. 8vo. 14_s._ each. - - CATHCART'S (Sir George) Commentaries on the War in Russia and Germany, - 1812-13. Plans. 8vo. 14_s._ - - CAVALCASELLE and CROWE'S History of Painting in Italy, from the Second - to the 13th Century. With 100 Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 63_s._ - - ---- History of Painting in North Italy, from the 14th to the 16th - Century. With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - ---- Notices of the Lives and Works of the Early Flemish Painters. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - CHILD (G. Chaplin, M.D.) Benedicite; or, the Song of the Three - Children; being Illustrations of the Power, Beneficence, and Design - manifested by the Creator in his works. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. - 6_s._ - - CHURCH AND THE AGE. A Series of Essays on the Principles and Present - Position of the Anglican Church, by the following Writers. _Second - Edition._ 8vo. 14_s._ - - Bishop of Ely. - Dean Hook. - Rev. Dr. Irons. - Rev. Charles Pritchard. - Rev. Dr. Barry. - Rev. M. F. Sadler. - Rev. A. W. Haddan. - Rev. W. Walsham How. - Rev. R. St. John Tyrwhitt. - Professor Burrows. - Rev. A. Weir. - Rev. W. D. Maclagan. - - CHURTON'S (Archdeacon) Gongora. An Historical Essay on the Age of - Philip III. and IV. of Spain. With Translations. Portrait. 2 Vols. - Small 8vo. - - ---- New Testament. Edited with a Plain Practical Commentary for the - use of Families and General Readers. With 100 Panoramic and other - Views, from Sketches and Photographs made on the Spot. 2 Vols. 8vo. - 21_s._ - - CICERO'S LIFE AND TIMES. His Character as a Statesman, Orator, and - Friend, with a Selection from his Correspondence and Orations. By - WILLIAM FORSYTH, Q.C. _Third Edition._ With Illustrations. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CLARK'S (Sir James) Memoir of John Conolly, M.D., D.C.L. Comprising a - Sketch of the Improved Treatment of the Insane in Europe and - America. With Portrait. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CLIVE'S (Lord) Life. By REV. G. R. GLEIG, M.A. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CLODE'S (C. M.) Military Forces of the Crown; their Administration and - Government. 2 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ each. - - COLCHESTER (The) PAPERS. The Diary and Correspondence of Charles - Abbott, Lord Colchester, Speaker of the House of Commons, 1802-1817. - Portrait. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - COLERIDGE'S (Samuel Taylor) Table-Talk. _Sixth Edition._ Portrait. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - COLLINGWOOD'S (Cuthbert) Rambles of a Naturalist on the Shores and - Waters of the China Sea. Being Observations in Natural History - during a Voyage to China, Formosa, Borneo, Singapore, &c., during - 1866-67. With Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - COLONIAL LIBRARY. [See Home and Colonial Library.] - - COOK'S (Canon) Sermons Preached at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, and on - Special Occasions. 8vo. 9_s._ - - COOKERY (Modern Domestic). Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge, and adapted for Private Families. By a Lady. - _New Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - CORNWALLIS (The) Papers and Correspondence during the American - War,--Administrations in India,--Union with Ireland, and Peace of - Amiens. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 63_s._ - - COWPER'S (Countess) Diary while Lady of the Bedchamber to Caroline - Princess of Wales, 1714-20. Edited by Hon. SPENCER COWPER. _Second - Edition._ Portrait. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CRABBE'S (Rev. George) Life and Poetical Works. _Cabinet Edition._ - Plates. 8 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 24_s._; or _Popular Edition_, Royal 8vo. - 7_s._ - - CROKER'S (J. W.) Progressive Geography for Children. _Fifth Edition._ - 18mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Stories for Children, Selected from the History of England. - _Fifteenth Edition._ Woodcuts. 16mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Boswell's Life of Johnson. Including the Tour to the Hebrides. - Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Essays on the Early Period of the French Revolution. 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Historical Essay on the Guillotine. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - CROMWELL (Oliver) and John Bunyan. By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - CUMMING'S (R. Gordon) Five Years of a Hunter's Life in the Far - Interior of South Africa: with Anecdotes of the Chace, and Notices - of the Native Tribes. _Sixth Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - CROWE'S and CAVALCASELLE'S Notices of the Early Flemish Painters. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- History of Painting in Italy, from 2nd to 13th Century. Derived - from Historical Researches as well as Inspection of the Works of Art - in that Country. With 100 Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ each. - - ---- ---- in North Italy, from the 14th to the 16th Century. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - CUNNINGHAM'S (Allan) Poems and Songs. Now first collected and - arranged, with Biographical Notice. 24mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - CURTIUS' (Professor) Student's Greek Grammar, for the Upper Forms. - Edited by DR. WM. SMITH. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Elucidations of the Student's Greek Grammar. Translated with the - Author's sanction by EVELYN ABBOT. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Smaller Greek Grammar abridged from the above for the Middle and - Lower Forms. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CURZON'S (Hon. Robert) ARMENIA AND ERZEROUM. A Year on the Frontiers - of Russia, Turkey, and Persia. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Visits to the Monasteries of the Levant. _Fifth Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - CUST'S (General) Lives of the Warriors of the 17th Century--The Thirty - Years' War--Civil Wars of France and England--Commanders of Fleets - and Armies before the Enemy. 6 Vols. Post 8vo. - - ---- Annals of the Wars--18th & 19th Century, 1700-1815. Compiled from - the most Authentic Sources. With Maps. 9 Vols. Post 8vo. 5_s._ each. - - DARWIN'S (Charles) Journal of Researches into the Natural History of - the Countries visited during a Voyage round the World. _Tenth - Thousand._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: or, the - Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. _Fifth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Fertilization of Orchids through Insect Agency, and as to the - good of Intercrossing. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. _Third - Thousand._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 28_s._ - - ---- Descent of Man, and on Selection in Relation to Sex. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Fact and Argument for Darwin. By FRITZ MULLER. With numerous - Illustrations and Additions by the Author. Translated from the - German by W. S. DALLAS. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - DAVIS'S (Nathan) Visit to the Ruined Cities of Numidia and - Carthaginia. Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - DAVY'S (Sir Humphry) Consolations in Travel; or, Last Days of a - Philosopher. _Seventh Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Salmonia; or, Days of Fly Fishing. _Fifth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - DE BEAUVOIR'S (Marquis) Voyage Round the World: touching Australia, - Java, Siam, Canton, &c. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - DELEPIERRE'S (Octave) History of Flemish Literature. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Historical Difficulties and Contested Events. Being Notes on some - Doubtful Points of History. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - DENISON'S (E. B.) Life of Bishop Lonsdale, D.D. With Selections from - his Writings. With Portrait. Crown 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - DERBY'S (Earl of) Iliad of Homer rendered into English Blank Verse. - _Sixth Edition._ 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Translations from the Poets, Ancient and Modern. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - DE ROS'S (Lord) Memorials of the Tower of London. _Second Edition._ - With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Young Officer's Companion; or, Essays on Military Duties and - Qualities: with Examples and Illustrations from History. _New - Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - DIXON'S (W. H.) Story of the Life of Lord Bacon. _Second Edition._ - Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - DOG-BREAKING; the Most Expeditious, Certain, and Easy Method, whether - great excellence or only mediocrity be required. With a Few Hints - for those who Love the Dog and the Gun. By LIEUT.-GEN. HUTCHINSON. - _Fifth Edition._ With 40 Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 9_s._ - - DOMESTIC MODERN COOKERY. Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge, and adapted for Private Families. _New - Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - DOUGLAS'S (Sir Howard) Life and Adventures. By S. W. FULLOM. Portrait. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Theory and Practice of Gunnery. _Fifth Edition._ Plates. 8vo. - 21_s._ - - ---- Constructions of Bridges and the Passage of Rivers, in Military - Operations. _Third Edition._ Plates. 8vo. 21_s._ - - DRAKE'S (Sir Francis) Life, Voyages, and Exploits, by Sea and Land. By - JOHN BARROW. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- (W. Richard) Notes on Venetian Ceramics. Medium 8vo. 4_s._ - - DRINKWATER'S (John) History of the Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783. With - a Description and Account of that Garrison from the Earliest - Periods. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - DUCANGE'S MEDIÆVAL LATIN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY. Translated by Rev. E. A. - DAYMAN, M.A. Small 4to. (_In preparation._) - - DU CHAILLU'S (Paul B.) EQUATORIAL AFRICA, with Accounts of the - Gorilla, the Nest-building Ape, Chimpanzee, Crocodile, &c. - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Journey to Ashango Land; and Further Penetration into Equatorial - Africa. Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - DUFFERIN'S (Lord) Letters from High Latitudes; an Account of a Yacht - Voyage to Iceland, Jan Mayen, and Spitzbergen. _Fifth Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - DYER'S (Thos. H.) History of Modern Europe, from the taking of - Constantinople by the Turks to the close of the War in the Crimea. - Complete, with Index. 4 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - EASTLAKE'S (Sir Charles) Italian Schools of Painting. From the German - of KUGLER. Edited, with Notes. _Third Edition._ Illustrated from the - Old Masters. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Contributions to the Literature of the Fine Arts. With Memoir of - the Author, and Selections from his Correspondence. By LADY - EASTLAKE. 2 Vols. 8vo. 24_s._ - - EDWARDS' (W. H.) Voyage up the River Amazon, including a Visit to - Para. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ELDON'S (Lord) Public and Private Life, with Selections from his - Correspondence and Diaries. By HORACE TWISS. _Third Edition._ - Portrait. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - ELGIN'S (Lord) Correspondence and Despatches. Edited by THEODORE - WALROND. 8vo. (_Nearly Ready._) - - ELLESMERE'S (Lord) Two Sieges of Vienna by the Turks. Translated from - the German. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ELLIS'S (W.) Visits to Madagascar, including a Journey to the Capital, - with notices of Natural History, and Present Civilisation of the - People. Map and Woodcuts. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Madagascar Revisited. Setting forth the Persecutions and Heroic - Sufferings of the Native Christians. Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ELPHINSTONE'S (Hon. Mountstuart) History of India--the Hindoo and - Mahomedan Periods. _Fifth Edition._ Map. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ENGEL'S (Carl) Music of the Most Ancient Nations; particularly of the - Assyrians, Egyptians, and Hebrews; with Special Reference to the - Discoveries in Western Asia and in Egypt. _Second Edition._ With 100 - Illustrations. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ENGLAND (History of) from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of - Versailles, 1713-83. By LORD MAHON (now Earl Stanhope). _Library - Edition_, 7 Vols. 8vo. 93_s._; or _Popular Edition_, 7 Vols. Post - 8vo. 35_s._ - - ---- From the Invasion of Julius Cæesar to the Revolution of 1688. By - DAVID HUME. Corrected and continued to 1868. Edited by WM. SMITH, - LL.D. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- From the First Invasion by the Romans. By MRS. MARKHAM. _New - Edition, revised and continued to_ 1865. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- Smaller History of England. Edited By WM. SMITH, LL.D. _New - Edition, continued to_ 1864. Woodcuts. 18mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Little Arthur's. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, continued to_ - 1864. Woodcuts. 18mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ENGLISHWOMAN IN AMERICA. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ESKIMAUX and English Vocabulary, for Travellers in the Arctic Regions. - 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S TRANSACTIONS. Vols. I. to VI. 8vo. - - EXETER'S (Bishop of) Letters to Charles Butler, on his Book of the - Roman Catholic Church. _New Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - FAMILY RECEIPT-BOOK. A Collection of a Thousand Valuable and Useful - Receipts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - FARRAR'S (A. S.) Critical History of Free Thought in reference to the - Christian Religion. Being the Bampton Lectures, 1862. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (F. W.) Origin of Language, based on Modern Researches. Fcap. - 8vo. 5_s._ - - FERGUSSON'S (James) History of Architecture in all Countries from the - Earliest Times. Vols. I. and II. With 1200 Illustrations. 8vo. - 42_s._ each. - - ---- Vol. III.--The Modern Styles. With 312 Illustrations. 8vo. 31_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Holy Sepulchre and the Temple at Jerusalem; being the Substance - of Two Lectures delivered at the Royal Institution, 1862 and '65. - Woodcuts. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Palaces of Nineveh and Persepolis Restored. Woodcuts. 8vo. 16_s._ - - FLEMING'S (Professor) Student's Manual of Moral Philosophy. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - FLOWER GARDEN (The). By REV. THOS. JAMES. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - FONNEREAU'S (T. G.) Diary of a Dutiful Son. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - FORSTER'S (John) Arrest of the Five Members by Charles the First. A - Chapter of English History re-written. Post 8vo. - - ---- Grand Remonstrance, 1641. With an Essay on English freedom - under the Plantagenet and Tudor Sovereigns. _Second Edition._ Post - 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Biographies of Oliver Cromwell, Daniel De Foe, Sir Richard - Steele, Charles Churchill, Samuel Foote. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - ---- Sir John Eliot: a Biography, 1590-1632. With Portraits. 2 Vols. - Crown 8vo. 30_s._ - - FORD'S (Richard) Gatherings from Spain. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - FORSYTH'S (William) Life and Times of Cicero. With Selections from his - Correspondence and Orations. _Third Edition._ Illustrations. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - FORTUNE'S (Robert) Narrative of Two Visits to the Tea Countries of - China, 1843-52. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - FOSS' (Edward) Judges of England. With Sketches of their Lives, and - Notices of the Courts at Westminster, from the Conquest to the - Present Time. 9 Vols. 8vo. 126_s._ - - ---- Biographia Juridica, or Biographical Dictionary of the Judges of - England, from the Conquest to the Present Time, 1066-1870. (800 pp.) - Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Tabulæ Curiales; or, Tables of the Superior Courts of Westminster - Hall. Showing the Judges who sat in them from 1066 to 1864; with the - Attorney and Solicitor Generals of each reign. To which is prefixed - an Alphabetical List of all the Judges during the same period. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - FRANCE (History of). From the Earliest Times to the Establishment of - the Second Empire, 1852. By W. H. PEARSON. Edited by WM. SMITH, - LL.D. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- From the Conquest by the Gauls. By Mrs. MARKHAM. _New Edition, - revised, continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - FRENCH (The) in Algiers; The Soldier of the Foreign Legion--and the - Prisoners of Abd-al-Kadir. Translated by Lady DUFF GORDON. Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - FRERE'S (M.) Fairy Legends of the Deccan Current in Southern India. - Collected from Oral Tradition. With Notes, by SIR BARTLE FRERE. - _Second Edition._ With Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo. 6_s._ - - GALTON'S (Francis) Art of Travel; or, Hints on the Shifts and - Contrivances available in Wild Countries. _Fourth Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - GEOGRAPHY. The Student's Manual of Ancient Geography. Rev. W. L. - BEVAN. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- The Student's Manual of Modern Geography. By Rev. W. L. BEVAN. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. 8vo. - - GERMANY (History of). From the Invasion by Marius. By Mrs. MARKHAM. - _New Edition, revised, and continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - GIBBON'S (Edward) History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. - Edited by MILMAN and GUIZOT. _A New Edition._ Preceded by his - Autobiography. And Edited, with Notes, by Dr. WM. SMITH. Maps. 8 - Vols. 8vo. 60_s._ - - ---- (The Student's Gibbon); Being an Epitome of the above work, - incorporating the Researches of Recent Commentators. By Dr. WM. - SMITH. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - GIFFARD'S (Edward) Deeds of Naval Daring; or, Anecdotes of the British - Navy. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - GLADSTONE'S (W. E.) Financial Statements of 1853, 60, 63-65, and with - Speeches on Tax-Bills and Charities. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Speeches on Parliamentary Reform. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - GLEIG'S (G. R.) Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New - Orleans. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Story of the Battle of Waterloo. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Narrative of Sale's Brigade in Affghanistan. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Life of Robert Lord Clive. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Sir Thomas Munro. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - GOLDSMITH'S (Oliver) Works. A New Edition. Edited with Notes by PETER - CUNNINGHAM. Vignettes. 4 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - GONGORA; An Historical Essay on the Times of Philip III. and IV. of - Spain. With Illustrations. By ARCHDEACON CHURTON. Portrait. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. - - GORDON'S (Sir Alex. Duff) Sketches of German Life, and Scenes from the - War of Liberation. From the German. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Lady Duff) Amber-Witch: A Trial for Witchcraft. From the German. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- French in Algiers. 1. The Soldier of the Foreign Legion. 2. The - Prisoners of Abd-el-Kadir. From the French. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - GOUGER'S (Henry) Personal Narrative of Two Years' Imprisonment in - Burmah. _Second Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - - GRAMMARS (Latin and Greek). See CURTIUS; HUTTON; MATTHIÆ; SMITH; KING - EDWARD VITH., &c. &c. - - GREECE (History of). _See_ GROTE--SMITH. - - GRENVILLE (The) PAPERS. Being the Public and Private Correspondence of - George Grenville, including his PRIVATE DIARY. Edited by W. J. - SMITH. 4 Vols. 8vo. 16_s._ each. - - GREY'S (Earl) Correspondence with King William IVth. and Sir Herbert - Taylor from November, 1830, to the Passing of the Reform Act in - 1832. 2 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Parliamentary Government and Reform; with Suggestions for the - Improvement of our Representative System. _Second Edition._ 8vo. - 9_s._ - - GRUNER'S (Lewis) Terra-Cotta Architecture of North Italy. From careful - Drawings and Restorations. With Illustrations, engraved and printed - in Colours. Small folio. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - GROTE'S (George) History of Greece. From the Earliest Times to the - close of the generation contemporary with the death of Alexander the - Great. _Fourth Edition._ Portrait, Maps, and Plans. 8 Vols. 8vo. - 112_s._ Or, _Popular Edition_. Portrait and Plans. 12 Vols. Post - 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Plato, and the other Companions of Socrates. _Second Edition._ - 3 Vols. 8vo. 45_s._ - - *** ALPHABETICAL INDEX to the above work, 8vo, 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Mrs.) Memoir of the Life of Ary Scheffer. _Second Edition._ With - Portrait. 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - GUIZOT'S (M.) Meditations on Christianity, and on the Religious - Questions of the Day. Part I. The Essence. Part II. The Present - State. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 20_s._ - - HALLAM'S (Henry) Constitutional History of England, from the Accession - of Henry the Seventh to the Death of George the Second. _Seventh - Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._, or 3 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- History of Europe during the Middle Ages. _Tenth Edition._ 3 - Vols. 8vo. 30_s._, or 3 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Literary History of Europe, during the 15th, 16th and 17th - Centuries. _Fourth Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 36_s._, or 4 Vols. Post - 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Historical Works. Containing History of England,--Middle Ages of - Europe,--Literary History of Europe. Complete in 10 Vols. Post 8vo. - 6_s._ each. - - ---- Student's History of the Middle Ages. With Author's Supplemental - Notes and latest Corrections. Edited by WM. SMITH, D.C.L. Post 8vo. - (_In the Press._) - - ---- Student's Constitutional History of England. With the Author's - latest Additions and Corrections. Post 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - ---- (Arthur) Remains; in Verse and Prose. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - HAMILTON'S (James) Wanderings in North Africa. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - HANNAH'S (Rev. Dr.) Bampton Lectures for 1863; the Divine and Human - Elements in Holy Scripture. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - HART'S ARMY LIST. (_Quarterly and Annually._) 8vo. - - HAY'S (J. H. Drummond) Western Barbary, its Wild Tribes and Savage - Animals. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - HEAD'S (Sir Francis) Royal Engineer. With Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Rapid Journeys across the Pampas. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Bubbles from the Brunnen of Nassau. _Seventh Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Emigrant. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Stokers and Pokers; or, the London and North Western Railway. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- (Sir Edmund) Shall and Will; or, Future Auxiliary Verbs. Fcap. - 8vo. 4_s._ - - HEBER'S (Bishop) Journey through India. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Hymns adapted to the Weekly Church Service. 16mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - HERODOTUS. A New English Version. Edited, with Notes and Essays, - historical, ethnographical, and geographical, by Rev. G. RAWLINSON, - assisted by SIR HENRY RAWLINSON and SIR J. G. WILKINSON. _Second - Edition._ Maps and Woodcuts. 4 Vols. 8vo. 48_s._ - - - FOREIGN HANDBOOKS. - - HAND-BOOK--TRAVEL-TALK. English, French, German, and Italian. 18mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- NORTH GERMANY,--HOLLAND, BELGIUM, PRUSSIA, and the Rhine from - Holland to Switzerland. Map. Post 8vo. - - ---- SOUTH GERMANY, Bavaria, Austria, Styria, Salzberg, the Austrian - and Bavarian Alps, the Tyrol, Hungary, and the Danube, from Ulm to - the Black Sea. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO THE TYROL. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- PAINTING. German, Flemish, and Dutch Schools. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- LIVES OF THE EARLY FLEMISH PAINTERS. By CROWE and CAVALCASELLE. - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- SWITZERLAND, Alps of Savoy, and Piedmont. Maps. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- FRANCE, Normandy, Brittany, the French Alps, the Rivers Loire, - Seine, Rhone, and Garonne, Dauphiné, Provence, and the Pyrenees. - Maps. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CORSICA and SARDINIA. Maps. Post 8vo. 4_s._ - - ---- PARIS, and its Environs. Map and Plans. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - *** MURRAY'S PLAN OF PARIS, mounted on canvas. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SPAIN, Madrid, The Castiles, The Basque Provinces, Leon, The - Asturias, Galicia, Estremadura, Andalusia, Ronda, Granada, Murcia, - Valencia, Catalonia, Arragon, Navarre, The Balearic Islands, &c. &c. - Maps. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- PORTUGAL, Lisbon, Porto, Cintra, Mafra, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- NORTH ITALY, Piedmont, Liguria, Venetia, Lombardy, Parma, Modena, - and Romagna. Map. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CENTRAL ITALY, Lucca, Tuscany, Florence, The Marches, Umbria, and - the Patrimony of St. Peter's. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- ROME and its Environs. Map. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- SOUTH ITALY, Two Sicilies, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and - Vesuvius. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO ITALY. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- SICILY, Palermo, Messina, Catania, Syracuse, Etna, and the Ruins - of the Greek Temples. Map. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- PAINTING. The Italian Schools. Edited by Sir CHARLES EASTLAKE, R. - A. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- LIVES OF ITALIAN PAINTERS, from CIMABUE to BASSANO. By MRS. - JAMESON. Portraits. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- RUSSIA, ST. PETERSBURGH, MOSCOW, POLAND, and FINLAND. Maps. Post - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- DENMARK, SWEDEN, and NORWAY. Maps. Post 8vo. - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO NORWAY. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- GREECE, the Ionian Islands, Albania, Thessaly, and Macedonia. - Maps. Post 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- CONSTANTINOPLE, the Bosphorus, Dardanelles, Brousa, and Plain of - Troy. With General Hints for Travelling in Turkey. Maps. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- EGYPT, Thebes, the Nile, Alexandria, Cairo, the Suez Canal, the - Pyramids, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- HOLY LAND--SYRIA and PALESTINE, Peninsula of Sinai, Edom, and - Syrian Desert. Maps. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- INDIA--BOMBAY and MADRAS. Map. 2 Vols. Post. 8vo. 12_s._ each. - - - ENGLISH HANDBOOKS. - - HAND-BOOK--MODERN LONDON. Map. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ESSEX, CAMBRIDGE, SUFFOLK, AND NORFOLK, Chelmsford, Colchester, - Maldon, Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket, Bury, Ipswich, Woodbridge, - Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Norwich, Yarmouth, Cromer, &c. Map and Plans. - Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Oxford, Peterborough, Norwich, Ely, and Lincoln. - With 90 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- KENT AND SUSSEX, Canterbury, Dover, Ramsgate, Sheerness, - Rochester, Chatham, Woolwich, Brighton, Chichester, Worthing, - Hastings, Lewes, Arundel, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- SURREY AND HANTS, Kingston, Croydon, Reigate, Guildford, - Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight. Maps. Post - 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- BERKS, BUCKS, AND OXON, Windsor, Eton, Reading, Aylesbury, - Uxbridge, Wycombe, Henley, the City and University of Oxford, and - the Descent of the Thames. Map. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- WILTS, DORSET, AND SOMERSET, Salisbury, Chippenham, Weymouth, - Sherborne, Wells, Bath, Bristol, Taunton, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- DEVON AND CORNWALL, Exeter, Ilfracombe, Linton, Sidmouth, - Dawlish, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Devonport, Torquay, Launceston, - Truro, Penzance, Falmouth, &c. Maps. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Winchester, Salisbury, Exeter, Wells, Chichester, - Rochester, Canterbury. With 110 Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. - 24_s._ - - ---- GLOUCESTER, HEREFORD, AND WORCESTER, Cirencester, Cheltenham, - Stroud, Tewkesbury, Leominster, Rose, Malvern, Kidderminster, - Dudley, Bromsgrove, Evesham. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Bristol, Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester, and - Lichfield. With 50 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- ---- GLOUCESTER--HEREFORD--and WORCESTER. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- NORTH WALES, Bangor, Carnarvon, Beaumaris, Snowdon, Conway, &c. - Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SOUTH WALES, Carmarthen, Tenby, Swansea, and The Wye, &c. Map. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - ---- DERBY, NOTTS, LEICESTER, STAFFORD, Matlock, Bakewell, Chatsworth, - The Peak, Buxton, Hardwick, Dove Dale, Ashborne, Southwell, - Mansfield, Retford, Burton, Belvoir, Melton Mowbray, Wolverhampton, - Lichfield, Walsall, Tamworth. Map. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SHROPSHIRE, CHESHIRE AND LANCASHIRE--Shrewsbury, Ludlow, - Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Chester, Crewe, Alderley, Stockport, - Birkenhead, Warrington, Bury, Manchester, Liverpool, Burnley, - Clitheroe, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Preston, Rochdale, Lancaster, - Southport, Blackpool, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- YORKSHIRE, Doncaster, Hull, Selby, Beverley, Scarborough, Whitby, - Harrogate, Ripon, Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, - Sheffield. Map and Plans. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of York, Ripon, Durham, Carlisle, Chester, and - Manchester. With 60 Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND, Newcastle, Darlington, Gateshead, - Bishop Auckland, Stockton, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Shields, - Berwick-on-Tweed, Morpeth, Tynemouth, Coldstream, Alnwick, &c. Map. - Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- WESTMORLAND AND CUMBERLAND--Lancaster, Furness Abbey, Ambleside, - Kendal, Windermere, Coniston, Keswick, Grasmere, Carlisle, - Cockermouth, Penrith, Appleby. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - *** MURRAY'S MAP of the LAKE DISTRICT, on canvas. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Melrose, Kelso, Glasgow, Dumfries, Ayr, - Stirling, Arran, The Clyde, Oban, Inverary, Loch Lomond, Loch - Katrine and Trossachs, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Perth, Dundee, - Aberdeen, Braemar, Skye, Caithness, Ross, Sutherland, &c. Maps and - Plans. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- IRELAND, Dublin, Belfast, Donegal, Galway, Wexford, Cork, - Limerick, Waterford, the Lakes of Killarney, Coast of Munster, &c. - Maps. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - HAND-BOOK OF FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS. From English Authors. _Third - Edition._ Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - HATHERLEY (Lord) On the Continuity of Scripture. As declared by the - Testimony of our Lord and of the Evangelists and Apostles. _Fourth - Edition._ 8vo. 6_s._ Or _Popular Edition_. Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - HESSEY (Rev. Dr.). Sunday--Its Origin, History, and Present - Obligations. Being the Bampton Lectures for 1860. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - HICKMAN'S (Wm.) Treatise on the Law and Practice of Naval - Courts-Martial. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - HOLLWAY'S (J. G.) Month in Norway. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ - - HONEY BEE (The). An Essay. By REV. THOMAS JAMES. Reprinted from the - "Quarterly Review." Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - HOOK'S (Dean) Church Dictionary. _Tenth Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (Theodore) Life. By J. G. LOCKHART. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - HOPE'S ARCHITECTURE OF AHMEDABAD, with Historical Sketch and - Architectural Notes by T. C. HOPE, and JAMES FERGUSSON, F.R.S. With - 2 Maps, 120 Photographs, and 22 Woodcuts. 4to. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - HORACE; a New Edition of the Text. Edited by DEAN MILMAN. With 100 - Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life. By DEAN MILMAN. Illustrations. 8vo. 9_s._ - - HOME AND COLONIAL LIBRARY. A Series of Works adapted for all circles - and classes of Readers, having been selected for their acknowledged - interest, and ability of the Authors. Post 8vo. Published at 2_s._ - and 3_s._ 6_d._ each, and arranged under two distinctive heads as - follows:-- - -CLASS A. - -HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, AND HISTORIC TALES. - - 1. SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR. By John Drinkwater. 2_s._ - - 2. THE AMBER-WITCH. By Lady Duff Gordon. 2_s._ - - 3. CROMWELL AND BUNYAN. By Robert Southey. 2_s._ - - 4. LIFE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. By John Barrow. 2_s._ - - 5. CAMPAIGNS AT WASHINGTON. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 2_s._ - - 6. THE FRENCH IN ALGIERS. By Lady Duff Gordon. 2_s._ - - 7. THE FALL OF THE JESUITS. 2_s._ - - 8. LIVONIAN TALES. 2_s._ - - 9. LIFE OF CONDE. By Lord Mahon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 10. SALE'S BRIGADE. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 2_s._ - - 11. THE SIEGES OF VIENNA. By Lord Ellesmere. 2_s._ - - 12. THE WAYSIDE CROSS. By Capt. Milman. 2_s._ - - 13. SKETCHES OF GERMAN LIFE. By Sir A. Gordon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 14. THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 15. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF STEFFENS. 2_s._ - - 16. THE BRITISH POETS. By Thomas Campbell. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 17. HISTORICAL ESSAYS. By Lord Mahon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 18. LIFE OF LORD CLIVE. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 19. NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. By Sir F. B. Head. 2_s._ - - 20. LIFE OF MUNRO. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - -CLASS B. - -VOYAGES, TRAVELS, AND ADVENTURES. - - 1. BIBLE IN SPAIN. By George Borrow. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 2. GIPSIES of SPAIN. By George Borrow. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 3 & 4. JOURNALS IN INDIA. By Bishop Heber. 2 Vols. 7_s._ - - 5. TRAVELS IN THE HOLY LAND. By Irby and Mangles. 2_s._ - - 6. MOROCCO AND THE MOORS. By J. Drummond Hay. 2_s._ - - 7. LETTERS FROM THE BALTIC. By a Lady. 2_s._ - - 8. NEW SOUTH WALES. By Mrs. Meredith. 2_s._ - - 9. THE WEST INDIES. By M. G. Lewis. 2_s._ - - 10. SKETCHES OF PERSIA. By Sir John Malcolm. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 11. MEMOIRS OF FATHER RIPA. 2_s._ - - 12. 13. TYPEE AND OMOO. By Hermann Melville. 2 Vols. 7_s._ - - 14. MISSIONARY LIFE IN CANADA. By Rev. J. Abbott. 2_s._ - - 15. LETTERS FROM MADRAS. By a Lady. 2_s._ - - 16. HIGHLAND SPORTS. By Charles St. John. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 17. PAMPAS JOURNEYS. By Sir F. B. Head. 2_s._ - - 18. GATHERINGS FROM SPAIN. By Richard Ford. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 19. THE RIVER AMAZON. By W. H. Edwards. 2_s._ - - 20. MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF INDIA. By Rev. C. Acland. 2_s._ - - 21. ADVENTURES IN MEXICO. By G. F. Ruxton. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 22. PORTUGAL AND GALLICIA. By Lord Carnarvon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 23. BUSH LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. By Rev. H. W. Haygaeth. 2_s._ - - 24. THE LIBYAN DESERT. By Bayle St. John. 2_s._ - - 25. SIERRA LEONE. By a Lady. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - *** Each work may be had separately. - - HUME'S History of England for STUDENTS, from the Invasion of Julius - Cæsar to the Revolution of 1688. Corrected and continued to 1868. - Edited by DR. WM. SMITH. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - HUTCHINSON (Gen.), on the most expeditious, certain, and easy Method - of Dog-Breaking. _Fifth Edition._ With 40 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. - 9_s._ - - HUTTON'S (H. E.) Principia Græca; an Introduction to the Study of - Greek. Comprehending Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise-book, with - Vocabularies. _Sixth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - IRBY AND MANGLES' Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria, and the Holy Land. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - JAMES' (Rev. Thomas) Fables of Æsop. A New Translation, with - Historical Preface. With 100 Woodcuts by TENNIEL and WOLF. - _Sixty-third Thousand._ Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - JAMESON'S (Mrs.) Lives of the Early Italian Painters--and the Progress - of Painting in Italy--Cimabue to Bassano. _New Edition._ With 50 - Portraits. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - JENNINGS' (L. J.) Eighty Years of Republican Government in the United - States. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - JESSE'S (Edward) Gleanings in Natural History. _Eleventh Edition._ - Fcp. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - JOHNS' (Rev. B. G.) Blind People; their Works and Ways. With Sketches - of the Lives of some famous Blind Men. With Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - JOHNSON'S (Dr. Samuel) Life. By James Boswell. Including the Tour to - the Hebrides. Edited by MR. CROKER. Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Lives of the most eminent English Poets. Edited with Notes by - PETER CUNNINGHAM. 3 Vols. 8vo. 22_s._ 6_d._ - - JUNIUS' HANDWRITING Professionally investigated. By Mr. CHABOT, - Expert. With Preface and Collateral Evidence, by the Hon. EDWARD - TWISLETON. With Facsimiles, Woodcuts, &c. 4to. - - KEN'S (Bishop) Life. By a LAYMAN. Portrait. 2 Vols. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Exposition of the Apostles' Creed. Fcap. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - KERR'S (Robert) GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE; or, How to Plan English Residences, - from the Parsonage to the Palace. With Views and Plans. _Third - Edition._ 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Ancient Lights; a Book for Architects, Surveyors, Lawyers, and - Landlords. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (R. Malcolm) Student's Blackstone. A Systematic Abridgment of the - entire Commentaries, adapted to the present state of the law. Post - 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - KING'S (Rev. C. W.) Antique Gems; their Origin, Use, and Value, as - Interpreters of Ancient History, and as illustrative of Ancient Art. - _Second Edition._ Illustrations. 8vo. 24_s._ - - KING EDWARD VIth's Latin Grammar; or, an Introduction to the Latin - Tongue. _Seventeenth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- First Latin Book; or, the Accidence, Syntax, and Prosody, with an - English Translation. _Fifth Edition._ 12mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - KING GEORGE THE THIRD'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH LORD NORTH, 1769-82. - Edited, with Notes and Introduction, by W. BODHAM DONNE. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 32_s._ - - KIRK'S (J. Foster) History of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. - Portrait. 3 Vols. 8vo. 45_s._ - - KUGLER'S Italian Schools of Painting. Edited, with Notes, By SIR - CHARLES EASTLAKE. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 30_s._ - - ---- German, Dutch, and Flemish Schools of Painting. Edited, with - Notes, by DR. WAAGEN. _Second Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 24_s._ - - LANE'S (E. W.) Private Life, Manners and Customs of the Modern - Egyptians. _A New Edition._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - LAYARD'S (A. H.) Nineveh and its Remains. Being a Narrative of - Researches and Discoveries amidst the Ruins of Assyria. With an - Account of the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan; the Yezedis, or - Devil-worshippers; and an Enquiry into the Manners and Arts of the - Ancient Assyrians. _Sixth Edition._ Plates and Woodcuts. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 36_s._ - - *** A POPULAR EDITION of the above work. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Nineveh and Babylon; being the Narrative of Discoveries in the - Ruins, with Travels in Armenia, Kurdistan and the Desert, during a - Second Expedition to Assyria. With Map and Plates. 8vo. 21_s._ - - *** A POPULAR EDITION of the above work. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LEATHES' (Stanley) Practical Hebrew Grammar. With an Appendix, - containing the Hebrew Text of Genesis i.-vi., and Psalms i.-vi. - Grammatical Analysis and Vocabulary. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LENNEP'S (Rev. H. J. Van) Missionary Travels in Asia Minor. With - Illustrations of Biblical History and Archæology. With Map and - Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - LESLIE'S (C. R.) Handbook for Young Painters. _Second Edition._ With - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life and Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Portraits and - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - LETTERS FROM THE BALTIC. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- MADRAS. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- SIERRA LEONE. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - LEVI'S (Leone) Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes. With some - Facts Illustrative of their Economic Condition. 8vo. 6_s._ - - LEWIS'S (M. G.) Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West - Indies. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - LIDDELL'S (Dean) Student's History of Rome, from the earliest Times to - the establishment of the Empire. With Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - LINDSAY'S (Lord) Lives of the Lindsays; or, a Memoir of the Houses of - Crawfurd and Balcarres. With Extracts from Official Papers and - Personal Narratives. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 24_s._ - - LISPINGS from LOW LATITUDES; or, the Journal of the Hon. Impulsia - Gushington. Edited by LORD DUFFERIN. With 24 Plates. 4to. 21_s._ - - LITTLE ARTHUR'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1864. With 20 Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - LIVINGSTONE'S (Dr.) Missionary Travels in South Africa. Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Expedition to the Zambezi and its Tributaries; and the Lakes - Shirwa and Nyassa. 1858-64. Map and Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - LIVONIAN TALES. By the Author of "Letters from the Baltic." Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - LOCH'S (H. B.) Personal Narrative of Events during Lord Elgin's Second - Embassy to China. _Second Edition._ With Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 9_s._ - - LOCKHART'S (J. G.) Ancient Spanish Ballads. Historical and Romantic. - Translated, with Notes. _New Edition._ With Portrait and - Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- Life of Theodore Hook. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - LONDON (OLD). A series of Essays on its Archæology and Antiquities. By - VARIOUS WRITERS. 8vo. 12_s._ - - LONSDALE'S (Bishop) Life. With Selections from his Writings. By E. B. - DENISON, Q.C. With Portrait. Crown 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - LOUDON'S (Mrs.) Instructions in Gardening. With Directions and - Calendar of Operations for Every Month. _Eighth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - LUCAS' (Samuel) Secularia; or, Surveys on the Main Stream of History. - 8vo. 12_s._ - - LUCKNOW: a Lady's Diary of the Siege. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - LYELL'S (Sir Charles) Principles of Geology; or, the Modern Changes of - the Earth and its Inhabitants considered as illustrative of Geology. - _Tenth Edition._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 32_s._ - - ---- Student's Elements of Geology. With 600 Illustrations. Post - 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man. _Third Edition._ - Illustrations. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- (K. M.) Geographical Handbook of Ferns. With Tables to show their - Distribution. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LYTTELTON'S (Lord) Ephemera. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - LYTTON'S (Lord) Poems. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Rightful Heir; a Drama. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Lost Tales of Miletus. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - McCLINTOCK'S (Sir L.) Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir - John Franklin and his Companions in the Arctic Seas. _Third - Edition._ With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MacDOUGALL'S (Col.) Modern Warfare as Influenced by Modern Artillery. - With Plans. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - MACGREGOR (J.), Rob Roy on the Jordan, Nile, Red Sea, Gennesareth, &c. - A Canoe Cruise in Palestine and Egypt and the Waters of Damascus. - With Map, and 70 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - MACPHERSON'S (Major) Services in India, while Political Agent at - Gwalior during the Mutiny. Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - MAETZNER'S COPIOUS ENGLISH GRAMMAR. A Methodical, Analytical, and - Historical Treatise on the Orthography, Prosody, Inflections, and - Syntax of the English Tongue. 3 Vols. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - MAHON (Lord), see STANHOPE (Earl of). - - MAINE'S (H. Sumner) Ancient Law: its Connection with the Early History - of Society, and its Relation to Modern Ideas. _Fourth Edition._ 8vo. - 12_s._ - - ---- VILLAGE COMMUNITIES IN THE EAST AND WEST. Six Lectures delivered - at Oxford. 8vo. - - MALCOLM'S (Sir John) Sketches of Persia. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - MANSEL (Dean), Limits of Religious Thought Examined. Being the Bampton - Lectures for 1858. _Fifth Edition._ Post 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - MANTELL'S (Gideon A.) Thoughts on Animalcules; or, the Invisible - World, as revealed by the Microscope. Plates. 16mo. 6_s._ - - MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY. For the Use of Travellers. Edited by SIR - J. F. HERSCHEL. Revised by REV. R. MAIN. Maps. Post 8vo. (_Published - by order of the Lords of the Admiralty._) - - MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS. A New English Version. With Copious Illustrative - Notes. By COL. HENRY YULE. With Maps and Illustrations. 2 Vols. - Medium 8vo. - - MARKHAM'S (Mrs.) History of England. From the First Invasion by the - Romans. _New Edition, continued down to_ 1865. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- History of France. From the Conquest by the Gauls. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- History of Germany. From the Invasion by Marius. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- (Clements R.) Travels in Peru and India. Maps and Illustrations. - 8vo. 16_s._ - - MARRYAT'S (Joseph) History of Modern and Mediæval Pottery and - Porcelain. With a Description of the Manufacture. _Third Edition._ - Plates and Woodcuts. 8vo. 42_s._ - - MARSH'S (G. P.) Manual of the English Language. Edited by Dr. WM. - SMITH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MATTHIÆ'S SHORTER GREEK GRAMMAR. Abridged by BISHOP BLOMFIELD. _A New - Edition, revised and enlarged_ by E. S. CROOKE. 12mo. 4_s._ - - MAUREL, on the Character, Actions, and Writings of Wellington. Fcap. - 8vo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - MAYNE'S (Capt.) Four Years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MEADE'S (Hon. Herbert) Ride through the Disturbed Districts of New - Zealand to Lake Taupo, at the Time of the Rebellion; with a Cruise - among the South Sea Islands. With Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 14_s._ - - MELVILLE'S (Hermann) Adventures amongst the Marquesas and South Sea - Islands. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - MILLS' (Rev. John) Three Months' Residence at Nablus, with an Account - of the Modern Samaritans. Illustrations. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - MILMAN'S (Dean) HISTORICAL WORKS. Containing: 1. History of the Jews, - 3 Vols. 2. History of Early Christianity, 3 Vols. 3. History of - Latin Christianity, 9 Vols. Post 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Annals of St. Paul's Cathedral. _Second Edition._ Portrait and - Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Savonarola, Erasmus, and other Literary Essays. 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Character and Conduct of the Apostles considered as an Evidence - of Christianity. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Translations from Æschylus and Euripides. Illustrations. Crown - 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Works of Horace. With 100 woodcuts. Small 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Horace. Woodcuts. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. Plates. 3 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Fall of Jerusalem. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ---- (Capt. E. A.) Wayside Cross. A Tale of the Carlist War. Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - MEREDITH'S (Mrs. Charles) Notes and Sketches of New South Wales. Post - 8vo. 2_s._ - - MESSIAH (THE): A Narrative of the Life, Travels, Death, Resurrection, - and Ascension of our Blessed Lord. By A LAYMAN. Map. 8vo. 18_s._ - - MICHIE'S (Alexander) Siberian Overland Route from Peking to - Petersburg. Maps and Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MODERN DOMESTIC COOKERY. Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge. _New Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - MONGREDIEN'S (Augustus) Trees and Shrubs for English Plantation. A - Selection and Description of the most Ornamental which will flourish - in the open air in our climate. With Classified Lists. With 30 - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MOORE'S (Thomas) Life and Letters of Lord Byron. _Cabinet Edition._ - With Plates. 6 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._; or _Popular Edition_, with - Portraits. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - MOTLEY'S (J. L.) History of the United Netherlands: from the Death of - William the Silent to the Twelve Years' Truce, 1609. _Library - Edition._ Portraits. 4 Vols. 8vo. 60_s._ Or _Cabinet Edition_, 4 - Vols. Post 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - MOUHOT'S (Henri) Siam, Cambojia, and Lao; a Narrative of Travels and - Discoveries. Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - MOZLEY'S (Rev. J. B.) Treatise on Predestination. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Primitive Doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MUNDY'S (General) Pen and Pencil Sketches in India. _Third Edition._ - Plates. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MUNRO'S (General Sir Thomas) Life and Letters. By the REV. G. R. - GLEIG. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - MURCHISON'S (Sir Roderick) Russia in Europe and the Ural Mountains. - With Coloured Maps, &c. 2 Vols. 4to. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - ---- Siluria; or, a History of the Oldest Rocks containing Organic - Remains. _Fourth Edition._ Map and Plates. 8vo. 30_s._ - - MURRAY'S RAILWAY READING. Containing:-- - - Wellington. By Lord Ellesmere. 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Chase. 1_s._ - Essays from "The Times." 2 Vols. 8_s._ - Music and Dress. 1_s._ - Layard's Account of Nineveh. 5_s._ - Milman's Fall of Jerusalem. 1_s._ - Mahon's "Forty-Five." 3_s._ - Life of Theodore Hook. 1_s._ - Deeds of Naval Daring. 3_s._ 6_d._ - The Honey Bee. 1_s._ - James' Æsop's Fables. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Turf. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Art of Dining. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Ballam's Literary Essays. 2_s._ - Mahon's Joan of Arc. 1_s._ - Head's Emigrant. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Road. 1_s._ - Croker on the Guillotine. 1_s._ - Hollway's Norway. 2_s._ - Maurel's Wellington. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Campbell's Life of Bacon. 2_s._ 6_d._ - The Flower Garden. 1_s._ - Lockhart's Spanish Ballads. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Taylor's Notes from Life. 2_s._ - Rejected Addresses. 1_s._ - Penn's Hints on Angling. 1_s._ - - MUSIC AND DRESS. By a LADY. Reprinted from the "Quarterly Review." - Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - NAPIER'S (Sir Chas.) Life, Journals, and Letters. By SIR W. NAPIER. - _Second Edition._ Portraits. 4 Vols. Post 8vo. 48_s._ - - ---- (Sir Wm.) Life and Letters. Edited by H. A. BRUCE, M.P. - Portraits. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 28_s._ - - ---- ---- English Battles and Sieges of the Peninsular War. _Fourth - Edition._ Portrait. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - NAPOLEON AT FONTAINBLEAU AND ELBA. A Journal of Occurrences and Notes - of Conversations. By SIR NEIL CAMPBELL, C.B., British Commissioner. - With a Memoir of that Officer. By REV. A. N. C. MACLACHLAN, M.A. - Portrait. 8vo. 16_s._ - - NAUTICAL (The) ALMANAC. Royal 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ (_By Authority._) - - NAVY LIST. Monthly and Quarterly. Post 8vo. (_By Authority._) - - NEW TESTAMENT (Illustrated). With Explanatory Commentary. Edited by - ARCHDEACON CHURTON, M.A., and ARCHDEACON BASIL JONES, M.A. With 110 - authentic Views, &c. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 21_s._ _bound_. - - NICHOLLS' (Sir George) History of the English, Irish and Scotch Poor - Laws. 4 Vols. 8vo. - - ---- (Rev. H. G.) Historical Account of the Forest of Dean. Woodcuts, - &c. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - NICOLAS' (Sir Harris) Historic Peerage of England. Exhibiting the - Origin, Descent, and Present State of every Title of Peerage which - has existed in this Country since the Conquest. By WILLIAM - COURTHOPE. 8vo. 30_s._ - - NIMROD, On the Chace--Turf--and Road. _A New Edition_, illustrated - with Portrait of the Author by Maclise, and Plates by Alken. Crown - 8vo. 5_s._ Or with Coloured Plates, 7_s._ 6_d._ Or _Cheap Edition_, - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - OLD LONDON; Papers read at the Archæological Institute. By various - Authors. 8vo. 12_s._ - - OWEN'S (Lieut.-Col.) Principles and Practice of Modern Artillery, - including Artillery Material, Gunnery, and Organisation and Use of - Artillery in Warfare. With numerous Illustrations. 8vo. 15_s._ - - OXENHAM'S (Rev. W.) English Notes for Latin Elegiacs; designed for - early Proficients in the Art of Latin Versification, with Prefatory - Rules of Composition in Elegiac Metre. _Fourth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - PALLISER'S (Mrs.) Brittany and its Byeways, its Inhabitants, and - Antiquities. With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - PARIS' (Dr.) Philosophy in Sport made Science in Earnest; or, the - First Principles of Natural Philosophy inculcated by aid of the Toys - and Sports of Youth. _Ninth Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - PARKMAN'S (Francis) Discovery of the Great West; or, the Valleys of - the Mississippi and the Lakes of North America. An Historical - Narrative. Map. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - PARKYNS' (Mansfield) Three Years' Residence in Abyssinia: with Travels - in that Country. _Second Edition_, with Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - PEEL'S (Sir Robert) Memoirs. Edited by EARL STANHOPE and Mr. CARDWELL. - 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ each. - - PENN'S (Richard) Maxims and Hints for an Angler and Chess-player. - Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - PERCY'S (John, M.D.) Metallurgy. Vol. I. Fuel, Coal, Fire-Clays, - Copper, Zinc, Brass, &c. _New and Revised Edition._ - With Illustrations. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- Vol. II. Iron and Steel. _New and Revised Edition._ With - Illustrations. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- Vol. III. Lead, including Desilverization and Cupellation. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Vol. IV. Gold, Silver and Mercury. With Illustrations. 8vo. - (_In the Press._) - - ---- Vol. V. Platinum, Tin, Nickel, Cobalt, Antimony, Bismuth, Arsenic, - and other Metals. With Illustrations. 8vo. (_In Preparation._) - - PHILLIPP (C. S. M.) On Jurisprudence. 8vo. 12_s._ - - PHILLIPS' (John) Memoirs of William Smith. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Geology of Yorkshire, The Coast, and Limestone District. Plates. - 4to. Part I., 20_s._--Part II., 30_s._ - - ---- Rivers, Mountains, and Sea Coast of Yorkshire. With Essays on the - Climate, Scenery, and Ancient Inhabitants. _Second Edition_, Plates. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - PHILPOTTS' (Bishop) Letters to the late Charles Butler, on his "Book - of the Roman Catholic Church." _New Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - PICK'S (Dr.) Popular Etymological Dictionary of the French Language. - 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - POPE'S (Alexander) Life and Works. _A New Edition._ Collected in part - by the late Right Hon. J. W. CROKER, with Introductions and Notes, - by REV. WHITWELL ELWIN. With Portraits. Vol. I. to III. 8vo. 10_s._ - 6_d._ each. - - PORTER'S (Rev. J. L.) Damascus, Palmyra and Lebanon. With Travels - Among the Giant Cities of Bashan and the Hauran. _New Edition._ Map - and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - PRAYER-BOOK (Illustrated), with Borders, Initials, Vignettes, &c. - Edited, with Notes, by REV. THOS. JAMES. Medium 8vo. 18_s._ _cloth_; - 31_s._ 6_d._ _calf_; 36_s._ _morocco_. - - PRINCIPLES AT STAKE. Essays on Church Questions of the Day. By the - following writers. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - Benjamin Shaw. - Lord Arthur Hervey. - Professor Payne Smith. - Rev. Alexander R. Grant. - Rev. G. H. Sumner. - Canon Bernard. - Arthur Mills. - Rev. Dr. Salmon. - Rev. W. G. Humphry. - Dean Howson. - - PUSS IN BOOTS. With 12 Illustrations. By OTTO SPECKTER. 16mo. - - QUARTERLY REVIEW (The). 8vo. 6_s._ - - RAMBLES in the Syrian Deserts. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - RANKE'S (Leopold) History of the Popes of Rome during the 16th and - 17th Centuries. Translated from the German by SARAH AUSTIN. 3 Vols. - 8vo. 30_s._ - - RASSAM'S (Hormuzd) Narrative of the British Mission to Abyssinia. With - Notices of the Countries Traversed from Massowah to Magdala. - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 28_s._ - - RAWLINSON'S (Rev. George) Herodotus. A New English Version. Edited - with Notes and Essays. _Second Edition._ Maps and Woodcut. 4 Vols. - 8vo. 48_s._ - - ---- Five Great Monarchies of the Ancient World, Chaldæa, Assyria, - Media, Babylonia, and Persia. _Second Edition._ With Maps and - Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - REED'S (E. J.) Shipbuilding in Iron and Steel; a Practical Treatise, - giving full details of Construction, Processes of Manufacture, and - Building Arrangements. With 5 Plans and 250 Woodcuts. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Our Iron-Clad Ships; their Qualities, Performances, and Cost. - With Chapters on Turret Ships, Iron-Clad Rams, &c. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - REJECTED ADDRESSES (The). By JAMES AND HORACE SMITH. _New Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._; or _Cheap Edition_, Fcap. 8vo. - 1_s._ - - RENNIE'S (D. F.) British Arms in Peking, 1860. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Narrative of the British Embassy in China. Illustrations. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Story of Bhotan and the Dooar War. Map and Woodcut. Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - RESIDENCE IN BULGARIA; or, Notes on the Resources and Administration - of Turkey, &c. By S. G. B. ST. CLAIR and CHARLES A. BROPHY. 8vo. - 12_s._ - - REYNOLDS' (Sir Joshua) Life and Times. By C. R. LESLIE, R.A. and TOM - TAYLOR. Portraits. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - REYNOLDS (Sir Joshua) Descriptive Catalogue of his Works. With Notices - of their present owners and localities. With Illustrations. Fcap. - 4to. (_In the Press._) - - RICARDO'S (David) Political Works. With a Notice of his Life and - Writings. By J. R. M'CULLOCH. _New Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - RIPA'S (Father) Thirteen Years' Residence at the Court of Peking. Post - 8vo. 2_s._ - - ROBERTSON'S (Canon) History of the Christian Church, from the - Apostolic Age to the end of the Fifth Council of the Lateran, 1517. - 4 Vols. 8vo. - - _The Work may be had separately._ - - Vol. 1.--_Fourth Edition_, A.D. 64-590. 8vo. 18_s._ - Vol. 2.--_Third Edition_, A.D. 590-1122. 8vo. 20_s._ - Vol. 3.--A.D. 1122-1303. 8vo. 18_s._ - Vol. 4.--A.D. 1303-1517. 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - ---- How shall we Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England? - _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ROBINSON'S (Rev. Dr.) Biblical Researches in Palestine and the - Adjacent Regions; a Journal of Travels in 1838 and 1852. _Third - Edition._ Maps. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - ---- Physical Geography of the Holy Land. Post 8vo. - - ---- (Wm.) Parks, Promenades, and Gardens of Paris; Described and - considered in Relation to the Wants of our own Cities. With 400 - Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Alpine Flowers for English Gardens. An explanation of the - Principles on which they may be grown to perfection in all parts of - the British Islands. With 70 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Wild Garden: or, our Groves and Shrubberies made beautiful by the - Naturalization of Hardy Exotic Plants. With a Chapter on the Garden - of British Wild Flowers. With Frontispiece. Small 8vo. 6_s._ - - ROME. _See_ LIDDELL and SMITH. - - ROWLAND'S (David) Manual of the English Constitution; Its Rise, - Growth, and Present State. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Laws of Nature the Foundation of Morals. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - RUNDELL'S (Mrs.) Domestic Cookery, adapted for Private Families. _New - Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - RUSSELL'S (Rutherfurd) History of the Heroes of Medicine. Portraits. - 8vo. 14_s._ - - RUXTON'S (George F.) Travels in Mexico; with Adventures among the Wild - Tribes and Animals of the Prairies and Rocky Mountains. Post 8vo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SALE'S (Sir Robert) Brigade in Affghanistan. With an Account of the - Defence of Jellalabad. By REV. G. R. GLEIG. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - SALLESBURY'S (Edward) "Children of the Lake." A Poem. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ - 6_d._ - - SANDWITH'S (Humphry) Siege of Kars. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SCOTT'S (G. Gilbert) Secular and Domestic Architecture, Present and - Future. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- (Dean of Rochester) University Sermons. Post 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - SCROPE'S (G. P.) Geology and Extinct Volcanoes of Central France. - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 30_s._ - - SHAW'S (T. B.) Manual of English Literature. Edited, with Notes and - Illustrations, by DR. WM. SMITH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Specimens of English Literature. Selected from the Chief Writers. - Edited by WM. SMITH, LL.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Robert) Visit to High Tartary, Yarkand, and Kashgar (formerly - Chinese Tartary), and Return Journey over the Karakorum Pass. With - Map and Illustrations. 8vo. (_Nearly Ready._) - - SMILES' (Samuel) Lives of British Engineers; from the Earliest Period - to the Present Time, with an account of their Principal Works; - including a History of the Invention and Introduction of the Steam - Engine. With 9 Portraits and 400 Illustrations. 4 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ - each. - - ---- Lives of George and Robert Stephenson. With Portraits and - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21_s._ Or _Popular Edition_, with - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Lives of Boulton and Watt. With Portraits and Illustrations. - Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Lives of Brindley and the Early Engineers. With Portrait and 50 - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Life of Telford. With a History of Roads and Travelling in - England. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Self-Help. With Illustrations of Character and Conduct. Post 8vo. - 6_s._ Or in French. 5_s._ - - ---- Industrial Biography: Iron-Workers and Tool Makers. A sequel to - "Self-Help." Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Huguenots in England and Ireland: their Settlements, Churches and - Industries. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - SHIRLEY (Evelyn P.) on Deer and Deer Parks, or some Account of English - Parks, with Notes on the Management of Deer. Illustrations. 4to. - 21_s._ - - SIERRA LEONE; Described in Letters to Friends at Home. By A LADY. Post - 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SIMMONS (Capt. T. F.) on the Constitution and Practice of - Courts-Martial; with a Summary of the Law of Evidence. _Sixth and - Revised Edition._ 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - STANLEY'S (Dean) Sinai and Palestine. Map. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Bible in the Holy Land; being Extracts from the above work. - Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- St. Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. With Dissertations and - Notes. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- History of the Eastern Church. Plans. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- History of the Jewish Church. _Third Edition._ 2 Vols. 8vo. - 24_s._ - - ---- Historical Memorials of Canterbury. _Fourth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Memorials of Westminster Abbey. _Third Edition._ With - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Essays on Church and State, 1850-70. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Sermons in the East, during a Tour with H. R. H. the Prince of - Wales. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- ---- on Evangelical and Apostolical Teaching. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Addresses and Charges of Bishop Stanley. With Memoir. 8vo. 10_s._ - 6_d._ - - SMITH'S (Dr. Wm.) Dictionary of the Bible; its Antiquities, Biography, - Geography, and Natural History. Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 105_s._ - - ---- Concise Bible Dictionary, for Families and Students. With Maps - and 300 Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller Bible Dictionary, for Schools and Young Persons. With - Maps and Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Antiquities. Woodcuts. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Woodcuts. 3 Vols. 8vo. - 63_s._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Geography. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - ---- Classical Dictionary of Mythology, Biography, and Geography. With - 750 Woodcuts. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Smaller Classical Dictionary of Mythology, Biography, and - Geography. With 200 Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. With 200 - Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Complete Latin English Dictionary. With Tables of the Roman - Calendar, Measures, Weights, and Money. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller Latin-English Dictionary. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Copious and Critical English-Latin Dictionary. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller English-Latin Dictionary. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Principia Latina--Part I. A Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise Book, - with Vocabularies. _Eleventh Edition._ With an Appendix, containing - the ACCIDENCE arranged for the "Public School Latin Primer." 12mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part II. A Reading-book of Mythology, Geography, Roman - Antiquities, and History. With Notes and Dictionary. _Fifth - Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part III. A Latin Poetry Book. Hexameters and Pentameters; - Eclog. Ovidianæ; Latin Prosody, &c. _Fourth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part IV. Latin Prose Composition. Rules of Syntax, with - Examples, Explanations of Synonyms, and Exercises on the Syntax. - _Fifth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part V. Short Tales and Anecdotes for Translation into - Latin. _Second Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - - ---- Latin-English Vocabulary; for Phædrus, Cornelius Nepos, and - Cæsar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Student's Latin Grammar. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Smaller Latin Grammar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Græca, Part I. An Introduction to Greek; comprehending - Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise-book. _Fourth Edition._ With - Vocabularies. _Third Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Græca, Part II. A Reading Book. Containing Short Tales, - Anecdotes, Fables, Mythology, and Grecian History. Arranged in a - systematic Progression, with a Lexicon. _Second Edition._ 12mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Græca, Part III. Greek Prose Composition. Containing the - Rules of Syntax, with copious Examples and Exercises. 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Student's Greek Grammar. By PROFESSOR CURTIUS. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Smaller Greek Grammar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of England. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of Greece. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of Rome. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Classical Mythology. With Translations from the Poets. - Illustrations. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of English Literature, with Specimens of the Chief - Writers. 2 Vols. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- ---- Scripture History. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Ancient History. Illustrations. 16mo. [_Nearly ready._ - - ---- (Rev. A. C.) Attractions of the Nile and its Banks. A Journal of - Travels in Egypt and Nubia. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - STUDENT'S HUME. A History of England from the Invasion of Julius - Cæsar. By DAVID HUME. Continued to 1868. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - *** Questions on the above Work. 12mo. 2_s._ - - ---- HISTORY OF FRANCE; from the Earliest Times to the Establishment - of the Second Empire, 1852. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- HISTORY OF ROME; from the Earliest Times to the Establishment of - the Empire. By DEAN LIDDELL. Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- GIBBON; an Epitome of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- HISTORY OF GREECE; from the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest. - By WM. SMITH, LL.D. Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - *** Questions on the above Work. 12mo. 2_s._ - - ---- ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE EAST; Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Media, - Persia, Asia Minor, and Phoenicia. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY; from the Creation to the Return of the - Jews from Captivity. Maps and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. With an Introduction connecting the - History of the Old and New Testaments. Maps and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY. By REV. W. L. BEVAN, M.A. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- MODERN GEOGRAPHY; Mathematical, Physical, and Descriptive. By - REV. W. L. BEVAN. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ENGLISH LANGUAGE. By GEO. P. MARSH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ENGLISH LITERATURE. By T. B. SHAW, M.A. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. Selected from the Chief Writers. - By THOMAS B. SHAW, M.A. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- MORAL PHILOSOPHY. By WILLIAM FLEMING, D.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- BLACKSTONE. By R. MALCOLM KERR, LL.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - STANHOPE'S (Earl) History of England, from the Peace of Utrecht to the - Peace of Versailles, 1713-83. _Library Edition._ 7 Vols. 8vo. 93_s._ - Or, _Cabinet Edition_, 7 Vols. Post 8vo. 5_s._ each. - - ---- Reign of Queen Anne until the Peace of Utrecht. _Second Edition._ - 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- British India, from its Origin till 1783. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- History of "Forty-Five." Post 8vo. 3_s._ - - ---- Spain under Charles the Second. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Historical and Critical Essays. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Belisarius. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Condé. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Pitt. Portraits. 4 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Miscellanies. Post 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Story of Joan of Arc. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ST. CLAIR and BROPHY'S RESIDENCE IN BULGARIA; or, Notes on the - Resources and Administration of Turkey. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ST. JOHN'S (Charles) Wild Sports and Natural History of the Highlands. - Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Bayle) Adventures in the Libyan Desert. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ST. LEONARDS (Lord) Misrepresentations in Lord Campbell's Lives of - Lyndhurst and Brougham. Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - STORIES FOR DARLINGS. A Book for Boys and Girls. With Illustrations. - Square 16mo. 5_s._ - - STOTHARD'S (Thos.) Life. With Personal Reminiscences. By Mrs. Bray. - With Portrait and 60 Woodcuts. 4to. 21_s._ - - STREET'S (G. E.) Gothic Architecture in Spain. _Second Edition._ With - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 30_s._ - - STYFFE (Knutt) On the Strength of Iron and Steel. Translated by C. P. - SANDBERG. With Preface by DR. PERCY. With Plates. 8vo. 12_s._ - - SWIFT'S (Jonathan) Life, and Works. By JOHN FORSTER. 8vo. - (_In Preparation._) - - SOMERVILLE'S (Mary) Physical Geography. _Sixth Edition, Revised._ By - W. H. BATES. Portrait. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Connexion of the Physical Sciences. _Ninth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Molecular and Microscopic Science. Illustrations. 2 Vols. Post - 8vo. 21_s._ - - SOUTH'S (John F.) Household Surgery; or, Hints on Emergencies. - Woodcuts. Fcp. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - SOUTHEY'S (Robert) Book of the Church. Post 8vo. - - ---- Lives of Bunyan and Cromwell. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - SPECKTER'S (Otto) Puss in Boots. With 12 Woodcuts. Square 12mo. 1_s._ - 6_d._ plain, or 2_s._ 6_d._ coloured. - - SYBEL'S (Von) History of Europe during the French Revolution, - 1789-1795. 4 Vols. 8vo. 48_s._ - - SYME'S (Professor) Principles of Surgery. _5th Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - TAYLOR'S (Henry) Notes from Life. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ - - THOMSON'S (Archbishop) Lincoln's Inn Sermons. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life in the Light of God's Word. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - THREE-LEAVED MANUAL OF FAMILY PRAYER. Royal 8vo. 2_s._ - - TOZER'S (H. F.) Researches in the Highlands of Turkey. Including - Visits to Mounts Ida, Athos, Olympus, and Pelion. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 24_s._ - - TRISTRAM'S (H. B.) Great Sahara. Illustrations. Post 8vo. - - TWISS' (Horace) Life of Lord Eldon. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - TYLOR'S (E. B.) Researches into the Early History of Mankind, and the - Development of Civilization. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Primitive Culture; Researches into the Development of Mythology, - Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - VAMBERY'S (Arminius) Travels from Teheran across the Turkoman Desert - on the Eastern Shore of the Caspian. Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - VAN LENNEP'S (Henry J.) Travels in Asia Minor. With Illustrations of - Biblical Literature, and Archæology. With Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post - 8vo. 24_s._ - - WAAGEN'S (Dr.) Treasures of Art in Great Britain. Being an Account of - the Chief Collections of Paintings, Sculpture, &c., in this Country. - 4 Vols. 8vo. 54_s._ - - WELLINGTON (The) Despatches. 8 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Supplementary Despatches. 12 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Civil and Political Correspondence. 3 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Selections from Despatches and General Orders. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Speeches in Parliament. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - WHITE'S (Henry) Massacre of St. Bartholomew. Based on Documents in the - Archives of France. 8vo. 16_s._ - - WHYMPER'S (Edward) Scrambles among the Alps. 1860-69. Including the - First Ascent of the Matterhorn, and the attempts which preceded it; - with Notes on Glacial Phenomena. With Maps, and 100 Illustrations. - 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- (Frederick) Travels and Adventures in Alaska and on the River - Yukon, and Visits to other parts of the North Pacific. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - WILBERFORCE'S (William) Life. By SAMUEL, LORD BISHOP OF WINCHESTER. - Portrait. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - WILKINSON'S (Sir J. G.) Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians. - With 500 Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - WORDSWORTH'S (Christopher, D.D.) Athens and Attica. _Fourth Edition._ - Plates. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- Pictorial, Descriptive, and Historical Account of Greece. _New - Edition._ With 600 Woodcuts. Royal 8vo. 21_s._ - - ZINCKE'S (Rev. F. Barham) Winter in the United States. Post 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - - - -BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of At Home with the Patagonians, by -George Chaworth Musters - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - -***** This file should be named 42483-8.txt or 42483-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/4/8/42483/ - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/42483-8.zip b/42483-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 63d27fa..0000000 --- a/42483-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/42483-h.zip b/42483-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8c0dee7..0000000 --- a/42483-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/42483-h/42483-h.htm b/42483-h/42483-h.htm index 984468c..02df9f3 100644 --- a/42483-h/42483-h.htm +++ b/42483-h/42483-h.htm @@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> <title> At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters — Project Gutenberg </title> @@ -399,45 +399,7 @@ li { </style> </head> <body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: At Home with the Patagonians - A Year's Wanderings over Untrodden Ground from the Straits - of Magellan to the Rio Negro - -Author: George Chaworth Musters - -Release Date: April 8, 2013 [EBook #42483] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - - - - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - - - - - -</pre> - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42483 ***</div> <div class="figcenter" style="width: 329px;"> <img src="images/cover.jpg" width="329" height="498" alt="cover of book" /> @@ -17122,380 +17084,6 @@ added to the original for this e-book and is granted to the public domain.</p> </div> - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of At Home with the Patagonians, by -George Chaworth Musters - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - -***** This file should be named 42483-h.htm or 42483-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/4/8/42483/ - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 42483 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/42483.txt b/42483.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dab094e..0000000 --- a/42483.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,14155 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's At Home with the Patagonians, by George Chaworth Musters - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: At Home with the Patagonians - A Year's Wanderings over Untrodden Ground from the Straits - of Magellan to the Rio Negro - -Author: George Chaworth Musters - -Release Date: April 8, 2013 [EBook #42483] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - - - - -Produced by Rene Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - - - - - - +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ - | Transcriber's Note: In this text the following character | - | representations are: | - | [.a] = a with dot above, | - | [.o] = o with dot above, | - | [=a] = a with macron above, | - | [=o] = o with macron above, | - | [=n] = n with macron above, | - | ['=a] = a with acute accent over macron above. | - | Some illustrations have been relocated to fall between paragraphs | - | rather than within. | - +---------------------------------------------------------------------+ - - - - -THE PATAGONIANS - - -LONDON: PRINTED BY -SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE -AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - -[Illustration: WAKI KILLING A PUMA.] - - - - - AT HOME - - WITH - - THE PATAGONIANS - - - A YEAR'S WANDERINGS OVER UNTRODDEN GROUND - FROM THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN - TO THE RIO NEGRO - - - By GEORGE CHAWORTH MUSTERS - - RETIRED COMMANDER R.N. - - - _WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS_ - - - - - LONDON - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET - 1871 - - - _The right of translation is reserved_ - - - - - TO MY FRIEND - - F. W. EGERTON, - - ROYAL NAVY, - - THIS NARRATIVE IS DEDICATED. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -In submitting the following pages to the public, I am conscious that -some readers who desire exact and scientific descriptions of the -geography and geology of Patagonia will be disappointed; but it must be -urged as an apology that instruments could not be carried nor safely -used under the circumstances. The course travelled was as carefully laid -down, by the help of a compass, as was possible; and the map of the -country is so far accurate, and, if incomplete, at least is not -imaginative. To others who may perhaps eagerly expect tales of stirring -adventure and hair-breadth escapes, such as are usually recounted as the -every-day occurrences of uncivilised life, I can only express the hope -that this faithful record of life with the Indians all the year round, -if not very sensational, will serve at least to make them really at home -with the Tehuelches. It is a pleasanter task to record my thanks to -those by whose assistance the results of my journey have been utilised; -foremost of whom is the venerable ex-President of the Royal Geographical -Society, Sir RODERICK MURCHISON, whose kindly reception and introduction -of the returned traveller to the Society are gratefully acknowledged. -My obligations are scarcely less to CLEMENTS MARKHAM, C.B., whose -unrivalled knowledge of the early history as well as the geography of -South America has been freely placed at my disposal; and to Dr. HOOKER, -Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, for his courteous assistance in -identifying some of the plants observed: while to Mr. RUDLER, of the -Museum of Mines, I am indebted for a careful classification of the -various specimens of rocks and minerals collected in the country. -Lastly, the reader will share in my gratitude to Mr. ZWECKER, whose able -pencil has created, out of rough outlines sketched in a pocket-book, the -vivid and faithful illustrations which bring before his eyes the scenery -and incidents of life in Patagonia. - - G. C. M. - _September 1, 1871._ - - - - -CONTENTS. - - -CHAPTER I. - -FROM THE STRAITS TO SANTA CRUZ. - - PAGE - Journey Planned. -- Preparations. -- Passage from Stanley. -- The - Straits. -- First Footsteps in Patagonia. -- The Narrows. -- - Punta Arenas. -- Commandante Viel. -- The Colony. -- The Town. - -- Chilotes and Convicts. -- Resources. -- Visit to the Coal - Bed. -- Lieut. Gallegos. -- The Start. -- Rio Chaunco. -- The - Patagonian Pampas. -- Our Party. -- Cabecera del Mar. -- Oazy - Harbour. -- A useless Chase. -- A Fireless Night. -- Volcanic - Hills. -- Pampa Yarns. -- Rio Gallegos. -- First Indians. -- - Sam Slick. -- Rio Cuheyli. -- Meeting with Tehuelches. -- - Caravan of Women. -- 'Anglish' Politeness. -- Desert. -- Santa - Cruz at last 1 - - -CHAPTER II. - -SANTA CRUZ. - - Introduction to Chiefs. -- Orkeke. -- Chilian Deserters. -- The - Settlement. -- Island of Pabon. -- Natural Advantages. -- The - Mission Station. -- Mr. Clarke. -- Our Circle at Pabon. -- - Expedition to Lake Viedma. -- Winter Occupations. -- Work and - Play. -- Casimiro's Adventures. -- His Character. -- A Winter - Hunting Excursion. -- A Pampa Snow-storm. -- The Santa Cruz - Valley. -- Up the River. -- The Northern Hills. -- Pumas. -- - Devil's Eyes. -- Hunting on Foot. -- Intense Cold. -- Return of - the Deserters. -- Visit to the Indian Camp. -- First Night in a - Toldo. -- Towing a Horse. -- Adieu to Santa Cruz 33 - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE RIO CHICO. - - Breaking up of the Camp. -- An Idle Day. -- A Rash Start. -- A - Dilemma. -- Alone on the Pampa. -- Reunion. -- The Kau or - Toldo. -- The Domestic Interior. -- The Indian Tribes. -- Three - Races. -- Order of the March. -- The Hunt. -- Indian Game Law. - -- Tehuelche Cookery. -- Basaltic Hills. -- An Indian Festival. - -- My First Tehuelche Ball. -- Mrs. Orkeke's Spill. -- Fording - Rio Chico. -- A Battle. -- Death of Cuastro. -- Dangerous - Times. -- Chilian Conspiracy. -- Obsidian Plain and Pass. -- - First Ostrich Eggs. -- Amakaken. -- Lifting the Boulder. -- The - Devil's Country. -- God's Hill. -- Condors and Dinner. -- - Sunrise on the Cordillera. -- The Plague Herald. -- Gelgel Aik. - -- Escape from Matrimony. -- Tele. -- Eyes of the Desert. -- - Preparations for War. -- Another Fight. -- Water Tigers. -- - Indian Bravoes. -- Iron Ores. -- Ship Rock. -- Perch Fishing. - -- Appley-kaik. -- Casimiro's Escape. -- Arrival at Henno 62 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -HENNOKAIK TO TECKEL. - - Ceremonial of Welcome. -- Hinchel's Indians. -- Tehuelches - and Araucanos. -- Jackechan and the Chupat Tribe. -- My - Examination. -- Encampment at Henno. -- Peaceful Occupations. - -- The Oldest Inhabitant. -- Chiriq. -- The Hidden Cities. -- - Modern Legends. -- Mysteries of the Cordillera. -- Los Cesares. - -- La Ciudad Encantada. -- Its Whereabouts. -- The Indian - Cesares. -- The Guanaco. -- The Patagonian Ostrich. -- - Neighbourhood of Chiriq. -- Horseracing. -- Indian Horses. -- - Indian Dogs. -- Dog and Lover. -- Plaiting Sinews. -- Windy - Hill. -- Surrounded by Fire. -- Young Guanaco. -- Arrival of - Grog. -- News from Santa Cruz. -- Gisk. -- Romantic Scenery. -- - A Pleasant Neighbourhood. -- Fairy Glen. -- Breaking a Horse. - -- Female Curiosity. -- The Wild Cattle Country. -- The Forests - of the Cordillera. -- The Watershed. -- Among the Mountains. -- - Wild Flowers. -- A Bull Fight. -- The Bull Victorious. -- No - Christmas Beef. -- Teckel. -- Change of Quarters 108 - - -CHAPTER V. - -MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE TEHUELCHES. - - Patagonian Giants. -- A Long Walk. -- Strength and Good Humour. - -- Heads of Hair. -- Tehuelche Coquettes. -- Dress of Men and - Women. -- Ornaments and Cosmetics. -- Toilette and Bath. -- - Arms and Implements. -- Ancient Bolas and Arrows. -- Saddles - and Bridles. -- Silversmiths. -- Manufacture of Mantles. -- - Women's Work. -- Diet and Cookery. -- Smoking. -- Card Playing. - -- Game of Ball. -- Ceremonies at Birth. -- Childhood. -- - Marriage. -- Funeral Rites. -- Religion. -- Demons and Doctors. - -- Witchcraft and Omens. -- Medical Skill. -- Population and - Politics. -- Etiquette. -- Tehuelche Character. -- Natural - Affection. -- Advice to Travellers 157 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TECKEL TO GEYLUM. - - Casimiro's Household. -- Carge-kaik. -- Quintuhual's Son. -- - Woolkein. -- Partridges. -- Meeting with the Araucanians. -- - The Cacique Quintuhual. -- Esgel-kaik. -- Araucanian Belles. -- - Communication with Chupat Colony. -- Diplaik. -- Calficura's - Declaration of War. -- Tehuelches learn Fishing. -- My Indian - Relatives. -- Woodland Rambles. -- An Indian Paradise. -- The - Upper Chupat. -- Cushamon. -- Losing Horses. -- Official - Functions. -- Message from Las Manzanas. -- Blessing the - Liquor. -- Casimiro Intoxicated. -- Foyel's Encampment. -- - Great Parlemento. -- Foyel's Ideas. -- Gatchen-kaik. -- Arrival - at Geylum 189 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -LAS MANZANAS. - - Catching a Thief. -- Miss Foyel. -- Start for Las Manzanas. -- - First View of the Apple Groves. -- Omens of War. -- Inacayal's - Tolderia. -- Crossing the Rio Limay. -- Mr. Cox's Shipwreck. -- - Lenketrou's Raid. -- A Night of Alarm. -- Bravery of my - Cousins. -- The Great Cheoeque. -- A Mounted Parlemento. -- - Apples and Pinones. -- Graviel's Madness. -- Las Manzanas. -- - Cheoeque's Palace. -- The Revels. -- Feuds between the Chiefs. - -- The Picunches and the Passes to Valdivia. -- Trading and - Politics. -- Resolutions of Peace. -- A Grand Banquet. -- Power - of Cheoeque. -- Araucanian Customs. -- Farewell Presents. -- - Invitation to Return. -- Orkeke's Generosity. -- Return to - Geylum. -- Outbreak of an Epidemic. -- My Pretty Page. -- - Departure from Geylum 218 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -GEYLUM TO PATAGONES. - - A Sick Camp. -- Oerroe Volcanic Hill. -- Crime's Deathbed. -- - Graviel's Promotion. -- The Burning Ground. -- Hot Springs. -- - Fighting the Gualichu. -- A Real Fight. -- A Soda Lake. -- - Encampment at Telck. -- The Doctor comes to Grief. -- An - Obliging Ostrich. -- Appointed Chasqui. -- Miseries of Pampa - Life. -- A Bad Time. -- The Plains of Margensho. -- Casimiro's - Distrust. -- Doctor and Sick Child. -- Duties of a Messenger. - -- Departure of the Chasquis. -- Travelling Express. -- The - Paved Pampas. -- An Ideal Bandit. -- Letter from the Chupat - Colony. -- Trinita. -- Teneforo's Pampas. -- Champayo's - Generosity. -- A Morning Drink. -- Departure from Trinita. -- - Valchita. -- The Pig's-Road. -- Wild Horses. -- The Travesia. - -- Limit of the Patagonian Fauna and Flora. -- First View of - the Rio Negro. -- Sauce Blanco. -- The Guardia. -- San Xaviel. - -- Approach to Patagones. -- Senor Murga. -- Welsh Hospitality. - -- Among Friends at Last 247 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE RIO NEGRO SETTLEMENTS. - - Patagones, or Carmen Old Town. -- The Fort and Buildings. -- The - Southern Town. -- The English Mission. -- Elements of the - Population. -- The Negroes. -- The Convicts. -- Lawless State - of Society. -- The Cemetery. -- Early History of the Colony. -- - A Successful Stratagem. -- Villarino's Ascent of the River. -- - Expedition of Rosas. -- The Island of Choelechel. -- La Guardia - Chica. -- Estancia of Messrs. Kincaid. -- Ancient Indian - Graves. -- Flint Weapons. -- The Shepherd and Pumas. -- - Estancia San Andre. -- The Indians and the Colonists. -- - Calficura's Raid. -- Indian Method of Attack. -- The Tame - Indians. -- View of the Valley. -- Trade of Patagones. -- - Fertility of the Soil. -- Rio Negro Wine. -- The Sportsman. -- - Advice to Emigrants. -- Interview with Col. Murga. -- The - Government Grants to Chiefs. -- Casimiro again. -- The - Tehuelches in Town. -- Farewell. -- The Welsh Utopia. -- Social - Life at Patagones. -- The Steamer at Last. -- Aground. -- The - Pilot. -- Pat Sweeny. -- Adieu to Patagonia 288 - - -APPENDIX. - - A.--A partial Vocabulary of the Tsoneca Language as spoken by the - Northern Tehuelches 319 - - B.--Testimony of successive Voyagers to the Stature of the - Patagonians 323 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - WAKI KILLING A PUMA _Frontispiece_ - - MAP OF PATAGONIA _at the end_ - - STATION ON PABON ISLAND, RIO SANTA CRUZ _to face p._ 37 - - HUNTING GUANACO AND OSTRICH, VALLEY OF RIO CHICO _p._ 64 - - START FROM THE CAMP AT MOWAISH, OR WINDOW HILL 75 - - CEREMONY OF WELCOME (TEHUELCHES AND ARAUCANIANS) 110 - - A WILD BULL IN THE CORDILLERA 151 - - SKETCH MAP FROM RIO SENGEL TO TECKEL 156 - - TEHUELCHE ARMS AND IMPLEMENTS 164 - - THE PRETTY HOUSE AND DANCE 175 - - CROSSING THE RIO LIMAY 223 - - - - -INTRODUCTION. - - -Three hundred and fifty years ago the great navigator Magellan anchored -in a port on the eastern coast of an unknown shore, part of the seaboard -of the vast continent of South America, to which he gave the name of St. -Julian. Starting from this point, the pilot Serrano explored the coast -to the southward, and discovered a river, which he named Santa Cruz. His -ship was wrecked near the mouth, and left her timbers on the rocks, the -first of the long list of vessels lost on that ironbound coast which, -from the mouth of the Rio Negro to the Straits, offers but one or two -safe harbours, while submerged reefs, fierce gales, strong tides, -currents, and overfalls combine to render it nearly the most perilous -known to navigators. - -Magellan remained at Port St. Julian and Santa Cruz from April till -October of 1520, when he sailed southward, and discovered the Straits -which bear his name. Two months after his arrival at Port St. Julian a -man of gigantic stature appeared on the beach, 'larger and taller than -the stoutest man of Castile.' Eighteen natives afterwards arrived, -dressed in cloaks of skins and shoes of guanaco hide, which made huge -footmarks, whence they were called Patagones, or 'large feet,' by the -Spaniards; and thus originated in a nickname the name of the country, -Patagonia. These men used bows and arrows, and had with them four young -guanacos, with which they decoyed the wild ones within shot. Two young -men were treacherously seized and carried off, howling and calling on -their god Setebos. The natives naturally resented this return for their -ready friendliness, and, attacking a party sent after them, killed one -Spaniard with their arrows. Enough, however, was seen of them to furnish -Pigafetta with some details. 'Their tents were light movable frames, -covered with skins; their faces were painted; they were very swift of -foot, had tools of sharp-edged flints, and ate their meat nearly raw.' - -That the first knowledge of Patagonia was diffused in England by -Pigafetta's narrative is suggested by Caliban's lines in the 'Tempest:' -'he could command my dam's god Setebos;' but it was not till 1578 that -the newly-discovered country was visited by Englishmen. - -Sir Francis Drake in that year anchored in Seal Bay--probably a little -to the south of Port Desire--and saw several Indians. His chaplain -narrates their method of stalking the ostriches: 'They have a plume of -ostrich feathers on a long staff, large enough to hide a man behind, and -with this they stalk the ostriches.' He further says: 'They would have -none of our company until such time as they were warranted by their God -"Settaboth." They never cut their hair, which they make a store-house -for all the things they carry about--a quiver for arrows, a sheath for -knives, a case for toothpicks, a box for fire sticks, and what not; they -are fond of dancing with rattles round their waists; they have clean, -comely, and strong bodies, are swift of foot, very active, a goodly and -lively people. Magellan was not altogether wrong in naming them giants, -yet they are not taller than some Englishmen.' Drake next visited Port -St. Julian; and, curiously enough, as Magellan had in this place put to -death two and marooned a third of his captains who mutinied, so this -harbour was the scene of the execution of Mr. Doughty, who chose rather -to be beheaded than to be put on shore. The ensuing year Sarmiento was -despatched from Callao to examine the Straits in search of the daring -Englishman. He saw natives who chased their game on horseback, and -brought it down with bolas. But fifty years had elapsed since horses had -been imported by the Spaniards of the Rio de la Plata, and already the -Indians in the far south had become horsemen, and would seem to have -exchanged their bows and arrows for the bolas. - -In 1581 Sarmiento was sent from Spain with 2,500 men in twenty-three -ships, to found new colonies in the Straits, and established a -settlement, leaving 400 men and thirty women, furnished with eight -months' provisions. On his way home his ship was captured by the -English, and the unhappy colonists were altogether forgotten and -neglected by their Government. - -Five years after, Thomas Cavendish anchored in a bay to the south of St. -Julian, called by him Port Desire, which perpetuates the name of his -little craft of 120 tons. Here the natives attacked his men with bows -and arrows. Visiting the Straits, he arrived at the settlement, and -found only twelve men and three women surviving, the rest having -perished of slow starvation and disease; and the name of the place, -Port Famine, conferred by him, still recalls the miserable fate of -these ill-fated colonists. - -On his next voyage, in 1591, Cavendish died; but John Davis twice -visited Port Desire, and explored the river for twenty miles. During his -stay some 1,000 natives visited the strangers, and Knyvet describes them -as being fifteen or sixteen span high. - -Passing over the visits of Van Noort and Schouten, in the reign of -Charles the Second Sir John Narborough took possession of the country -near Port Desire in the name of the King. But few natives were seen, and -the mate, Mr. Wood, boastingly declared that he himself was taller than -any of them. - -In the eighteenth century Byron and Wallis successively visited the -shores of Patagonia, and made friends with the natives, whose height -was found to be from 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet, while some were nearly -7 feet high. - -In 1774 the Jesuit Father Falkner published his work on Patagonia, -containing all the information procured by himself and the other Jesuit -missionaries who had attempted to obtain a footing on the western and -northern boundaries. His account of the Tehuelches, or Tsoneca Indians, -was evidently derived from personal communication with them, although -his knowledge of the topography of their country seems to have been -procured from the reports of others. By this work, which produced a -great sensation, the jealous fears of the Spanish Government were -aroused, and they hastened to despatch an expedition to form settlements -on the coast of Patagonia. - -Of the brothers Viedma, who were sent in command, Francisco founded -Carmen at the mouth of the Rio Negro, and Antonio, after first fixing -on Port Desire, determined finally on Port St. Julian as the site -of another colony. He thence undertook the first exploration of the -interior in search of timber for building, in the course of which he -reached the great lake at the foot of the Cordillera, from which flowed -the Rio Santa Cruz. Both on the coast and in the interior he received -much friendly aid from the Indians, of whom he formed a most favourable -opinion. - -Under his brother's auspices the Rio Negro was ascended as far as the -mountains by Villarino, to whose expedition reference will be made in -the proper place. - -No further knowledge was gained of the interior of Patagonia until the -survey of the Beagle, so ably performed and so admirably described by -Fitzroy and Darwin; during which the ascent of the Santa Cruz river for -200 miles enabled the latter to observe the remarkable formations which -he has so aptly described in his work on the Geology of South America. - -This brief but perhaps tedious account has been given to show that -although the coasts of Patagonia had been explored and surveyed, yet -the interior of the country, though pierced by the expeditions of Viedma -and Fitzroy, remained up to a late date still almost unknown. Its -inhabitants, the Tehuelches, had been often communicated with, their -stature noted, and their friendly disposition commended; but their -real manners of life as they wandered through the country, and their -relations with, or difference from, the Araucanian and Pampa Indians, -had remained almost as much a mystery as they were in the last century. - -During the last thirty years the Governments of Chili and of Buenos -Ayres have shown themselves inclined to claim the possession of the -coast, the former trying to advance from the Straits, and the latter -from Patagones; and the natives have acknowledged the influence of -either Government as they happened to be in the northern or southern -parts respectively. Our missionaries also have not left the Patagonians -without some efforts to instruct and evangelise them; and although these -efforts have been necessarily limited to the coast, yet the fruits of -Mr. Schmid's sojourn with the Tehuelches remain both in their friendly -feelings and in the lasting record of the vocabulary of the Tsoneca -language published by him. And the intercourse of these Indians with -Argentines and Chilians, and more especially with English officers, -sealers, and missionaries successively, all of whom have testified -favourably to their character, has tended to make them more open to -access, and to give them a knowledge of foreigners; so that in this -respect I can feel that to all those who have been mentioned as having -thus preceded me, this brief record is due from a traveller who has -experienced the friendly feelings of the natives towards strangers, and -especially Englishmen. - -While engaged in preparing the ensuing pages for the press, I have had -an opportunity of perusing the work of M. Guinnard, first published -in French, and recently given to the English public in a spirited -translation, entitled 'Three Years' Slavery among the Patagonians.' The -name necessarily attracted me, but to my great surprise careful perusal -led to the distinct conviction that the author's personal experiences -were altogether confined to the Pampas Indians north of the Rio Negro. -From his own statements and omissions it is quite evident that he was -not carried by any of his successive masters across this river, which he -clearly and accurately defines to be (p. 40) the northern boundary of -Patagonia. The name of Patagonians is, therefore, a complete misnomer; -and the curious account (pp. 72-3) of the 'Tcheouelches,' or Foot -Nomads, clothed in seal skins and accustomed to live on fish, and -literally destitute of horses, is applicable to no tribe whatever east -of the Cordillera, the Fuegians being the only race presenting any of -the characteristic habits attributed to this so-called Patagonian tribe. - -I hope I may not be supposed to be desirous of impeaching the accuracy -of M. Guinnard's account of the hardships endured in his captivity, or -of the customs of the Indians into whose hands he fell, much of which I -can corroborate; but it is to be regretted that he was induced, probably -by others, to describe under the name of Patagonians, the Pampas -Indians, who, by country, race, language, and character, are marked as -being altogether distinct from the Tehuelches of Patagonia. - - - - -AT HOME - -WITH - -THE PATAGONIANS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -FROM THE STRAITS TO SANTA CRUZ. - - Journey Planned. -- Preparations. -- Passage from Stanley. -- The - Straits. -- First Footsteps in Patagonia. -- The Narrows. -- - Punta Arenas. -- Commandante Viel. -- The Colony. -- The Town. - -- Chilotes and Convicts. -- Resources. -- Visit to the Coal - Bed. -- Lieut. Gallegos. -- The Start. -- Rio Chaunco. -- The - Patagonian Pampas. -- Our Party. -- Cabecera del Mar. -- Oazy - Harbour. -- A useless Chase. -- A Fireless Night. -- Volcanic - Hills. -- Pampa Yarns. -- Rio Gallegos. -- First Indians. -- - Sam Slick. -- Rio Cuheyli. -- Meeting with Tehuelches. -- - Caravan of Women. -- 'Anglish' Politeness. -- Desert. -- Santa - Cruz at last. - - -In April 1869 chance took me to our remote colony of the Falkland -Islands, with the purpose of taking thence a passage to Buenos Ayres to -arrange some business matters. During my stay in the settlement, the -coast of Patagonia, in the survey of which H.M.S. Nassau was then -engaged, formed a frequent topic of conversation. I had formerly, when -stationed on the south-east coast of America, read with delight Mr. -Darwin's work on South America, as well as Fitzroy's admirable Narrative -of the Voyage of the Beagle, and had ever since entertained a strong -desire to penetrate if possible the little-known interior of the -country. Now, at length, a favourable opportunity seemed to have arrived -for carrying out the cherished scheme of traversing the country from -Punta Arena to the Rio Negro, Valdivia, or even to Buenos Ayres. The -accounts given me of the Tehuelche character and of the glorious -excitement of the chase after the guanaco, graphically described by a -seaman, Sam Bonner, who had been much on the coast and had resided at -the Santa Cruz station, made me more than ever anxious to prosecute this -plan; and, having a tolerable acquaintance with Spanish, which language -many of the Indians know well, it seemed to me possible to safely -traverse the country in company with some one or other of their -wandering parties. Accordingly I bestirred myself to obtain information -as to the best way of getting such an introduction to the Indians -as would probably secure their consent; to which end most material -assistance was afforded by Mr. Dean, of Stanley, who kindly provided -me with letters of introduction to Captain Luiz Piedra Buena, an -intelligent Argentine well known in Stanley, the owner of a schooner, in -which he worked the seal fisheries on the coast, and also of a trading -station at the Middle Island, on the Santa Cruz river. Mr. Dean was of -opinion that I should be almost certain to meet with Don Luiz in the -Straits of Magellan, and that he would willingly exert his influence -with the Indians to enable me to carry out my plan of travel. I was -furthermore provided with letters of credit to the firm of Messrs. -Aguirre & Murga, at Patagones, or, as it is most commonly called at -Stanley, the Rio Negro. - -Thus armed with credentials, and equipped with a guanaco skin mantle, -lazo and bolas, I availed myself of the offer of a passage to the -Straits made by an old friend who was bound to the westward coast. - -In the first week of April we sailed from Stanley, and, after a -boisterous passage of eleven days, anchored in Possession Bay, just -within the entrance of the Straits, to wait for the turn of the tide, as -the extreme velocity with which the tides ebb and flow through these -channels renders it impossible for any vessel not possessed of great -steam power to proceed except the tide is favourable. Our first view of -the Straits did not impress me favourably. On either hand the shores -looked bleak and barren, though far away to the south and west the -mountains of Tierra del Fuego could be distinctly seen. As we anchored -early in the afternoon, a descent on the coast of Patagonia was -proposed, and a party speedily volunteered--well provided with guns -and other arms, for the purposes of sport and self-defence in case of -necessity--and were soon in the boat. As the tide was out, the shoal -water did not permit us to reach the shore, so we had to wade some two -or three hundred yards over beds of sharp-edged mussels, and, after a -climb up the steep cliff, found ourselves on the verge of a barren plain -which seemed perfectly destitute of life. - -After a tramp of some distance we came to the edge of a gully running -down to the coast, where finding the torn carcase of a guanaco, we -stopped to examine what was to most of us an unknown animal; and -our speculations as to the curious hybrid form of the odd-looking -'camel-sheep' were put an end to by the discovery close by of the fresh -footprints of a puma. These were eagerly tracked, in the hopes of a -little entertainment; but after some tedious searching we abandoned -the pursuit, and again resuming our excursion, tramped along through -high, coarse grass, and sparsely scattered thorny bushes; some of the -sportsmen varying the monotony by an occasional shot at a snipe. The -day was very genial, the warmth of the bright sunshine was tempered by -a wind just cool enough to make a walk pleasant, and the Patagonian -climate was pronounced by all hands to be agreeable. Whilst we were -beating a rough bit of ground, to our utter amazement and delight our -friend the puma jumped out of a bush; but the first surprise was so -great, that the opportunity of giving him a long shot was lost. Away -we all started in chase, hoping to be able to keep him in sight from -a small adjacent eminence; and after a good breather two of the party -succeeded in viewing him to somewhere near the edge of the cliffs, -mainly guided by a retriever dog, which seemed as anxious as anybody to -see what the catamount hide was made of. On arriving at the cliff, a -seaman observed his tracks on the soft clay of the shelving brow, and -soon proclaimed his discovery of the puma in a hole or small cave just -below, by the exclamation of 'There he is!' at the same time thrusting -the stick he had been beating with nearly into the mouth of the 'lion,' -which had set our dog, and appeared about to spring on him. Two shots -were fired in quick succession, but apparently without effect, as -he made good his retreat, affording us a fine view as he went off, -springing in great bounds, along the beach. Pursuit was of course -organised, but night being near failed to afford us an opportunity of -a closer study of this specimen of the feline race; and we accordingly -started again for the ship, after firing a shot or two into the numerous -flocks of oyster-catchers and shags which were domiciled on the rocks -and about the cliffs. The number of these and other sea-birds was -incalculable; the numerous beds of mussels furnishing them with constant -food. - -Next morning we were under weigh with the flood-tide, and rapidly ran -through the narrows at a speed of eighteen miles an hour. The scenery on -the northern side of the Straits offered little variety until we sighted -the Barrancas of San Gregorio, a range of somewhat picturesque hills, -rising near the north shore of the bay of the same name, and running -along for some miles in an easterly direction. On the southern or -Fuegian side of the Straits the land was low for some distance from the -coast, and resembled the northern shore, but high mountains were visible -in the background. After passing the second narrows, an hour or two's -run with the flood-tide and a good head of steam brought us opposite to -the 'Island of San Isabel,' or Elizabeth Island; after passing which the -snow-clad peaks of Mount Sarmiento, in the southern part of Tierra del -Fuego, came into sight, appearing to rise out of the water, ninety miles -distant, if not more. Steaming along the coast through numerous beds -of the characteristic kelp seaweed, which in the most forcible way -attracted our attention, by fouling the screw, and holding the ship -as if anchored for about an hour, we passed Cape Negro, and opened -completely different scenery. Instead of undulating plains, hills -thickly wooded were seen; at the foot of one of which, on a low piece -of flat ground, numerous horsemen, dressed in gay-coloured ponchos, were -visible, careering about. - -It was the afternoon of Sunday, which in all Spanish South American -countries is a gala day, more or less appropriated to horse-racing. -However, the sight of a steamer appeared to cause a diversion, and, in -fact, a general race to the settlement ensued, all being apparently -anxious for anything new or strange. The anchor was soon dropped, near -an American schooner lying off the Sandy Point, from which the Chilian -settlement of Punta Arenas derives its name. - -There was no sign of the Nassau, then engaged in the survey of the -Straits, which we had hoped to find in this anchorage; but from the -Chilian officer, who speedily boarded us, we learned that she had sailed -to the westward a day or two before our arrival, and was expected to -return immediately. The results of the careful observations made by Mr. -Cunningham, of the scenery and natural history of the Straits, have -appeared while these pages were in preparation for the press; and it -affords me pleasure to refer such as desire more scientific accounts of -the botany and zoology, at least of Southern Patagonia, than it was in -my power to obtain, to his work. - -My own object in visiting Punta Arenas was to proceed thence to Santa -Cruz with the Indians, or in whatever way might prove feasible; -but, in truth, it was by no means clear to my mind how it was to be -accomplished; it was, therefore, with great relief that I learned -from the Chilian lieutenant that a small expedition was about to be -despatched by the governor to Santa Cruz in pursuit of some runaways -from among the deserters who were serving their term of punishment in -the colony. He suggested that the Commandante would, doubtless, give -permission to accompany this party; and, without delay, I accompanied -him on shore, and was introduced to Commandante Senor Viel. - -Nothing could exceed the kindness and courtesy with which the -Commandante entered into my plans; he at once not only gave me -permission to accompany the party, but, unasked, offered me the use -of a horse, and told me not to trouble myself about the commissariat -for the road. It was possible, however, that the deserters might be -overtaken in the Pampas, in which case the party would return without -proceeding as far as Santa Cruz; he therefore advised me to secure -the services of some one acquainted with the route, who could act as -guide in the event of our having to proceed without the rest of our -companions. - -I was afterwards introduced to Senora Viel, a fair Limena possessing all -the proverbial charms of the ladies of Lima, and who bemoaned bitterly -the isolation and ennui of life at Punta Arenas; she had literally no -equals of her own sex, and scarcely any of the other, to speak to. Senor -Viel had formerly commanded a Chilian ironclad, instead of which he had -accepted the government of this distant colony; his zeal and energy -in discharging the duties of his office were unceasing, and his naval -habits asserted themselves in the strictness of discipline maintained, -which was absolutely necessary to keep in order the motley population. -But as a residence, viewed from a social point of view, Punta Arenas -must have been unimaginably dull. The Commandante kindly pressed me to -make his house my home, promising quarters for the night--which his own -limited accommodation could not supply--in an adjacent house. So after -two days, agreeably spent in the interchange of courtesies and visits, I -bade adieu to my shipmates, who were to sail at daylight for the Western -Straits, and removed myself and traps to a wooden house close to the -Cuartel, the quarters of Don Centeno, the engineer in charge of the -Government works. The next morning, accompanied by Captain Cushing, of -the schooner Rippling Wave, I set out to procure some few necessary -supplies, and make inquiries for a guide. We bent our steps to the -store of a man named Guillermo, and after purchasing tobacco and other -necessaries, the talk turned on gold, of which Don Guillermo showed us -some specimens, obtained from the banks of a neighbouring stream. One of -the crew of the Rippling Wave grew greatly excited and exclaimed, 'Ah, -that's the stuff we used to grub up in a creek in Californy; I guess if -the old boat lays her bones on these here shores, I'll stop and turn to -digging again.' Hanging up in the store were some Indian bolas and a -belt made of beads, studded with silver bosses, which the owner informed -me was a woman's girdle, and, with the bolas, had been left in pawn by -the Indians. They had not, however, visited the colony, at least for -trading purposes, for several months, as they had taken umbrage about a -dispute between a Chilian and an Indian, in which they considered their -comrade to have been treated with injustice. The party described by Mr. -Cunningham evidently arrived with doubtful intentions, and the tact -displayed by Senor Viel removed their resentment. This information -explained what had previously mystified me, viz., that nothing was to be -seen or heard of the Indians with whom I had hoped to make acquaintance. -My good fortune in arriving on the eve of the departure of the -expedition, and the Commandante's courtesy, were now even more keenly -appreciated by me, as otherwise I should have been simply stranded in -Punta Arenas. The guide difficulty was not long of solution, although, -from the natural dislike of most of the unofficial population to take -part in the recapture of runaways, it had seemed rather perplexing. -After we had quitted the store, we were accosted by a man named J'aria, -who came to offer his services. A short examination of his knowledge -and recommendations proving satisfactory, he was engaged on terms which -certainly were far from exorbitant, and he deserves to have it recorded -that he fully earned his pay. My equipments and preparations for the -journey were now made complete by the thoughtful good nature of Captain -Cushing, with whom I proceeded on board his vessel, where he provided -from his stores, and forced on my acceptance, several most useful -articles; and it is pleasant to be able to publish my sense of the -kindness received from one of our American cousins, who are always ready -to sympathise with and befriend a Britisher, at least according to my -experience. - -A stroll of inspection round the settlement was extended to the -saw-mill, not far distant, worked by water-power; where, under the -direction of Mr. Wells, an American, the trees when cut down are -converted into boards to build the houses that take the place of the -forest. Proceeding thence to the half-cleared outskirts, we found the -Commandante supervising numerous labourers, principally of the convict -class, who were busily engaged in felling trees, clearing stumps, -and otherwise preparing the way for the future development of the -settlement. - -To anyone unaccustomed to frontier towns, the _coup-d'oeil_ of the -town presented an irregular and random growth of wooden houses; but the -plan which was indicated in outline was laid out after the usual Spanish -American fashion, as originally prescribed by the Council of the Indies. -A main street ran near and parallel to the beach, crossing a large -vacant square--the Plaza, out of which, and at regular intervals from -the main street, ran other embryo streets intersecting at right angles, -so that the houses, whenever they should be built, would form blocks -or 'cuadros.' In the Plaza were the church and a large unfinished -school-house. Chilian ideas as to the public duty of education are -advanced, and the schoolmaster is a state functionary, combining at this -time at Punta Arenas the duties of secretary to the Governor with those -proper to his office. The excellent sketch of Staff-Commander Bedwell -(Cunningham, 'Straits of Magellan,' p. 70) shows the Governor's house -nearly at the end of the main street, and beyond it was the Cuartel, a -palisadoed inclosure, containing the barracks, the gaol or lock-up, and -the guard-house, irreverently termed by the officers of the Nassau 'The -Punch and Judy House,' and shown in the same sketch. - -From this a constant look-out is maintained, and a light displayed -at night. The transverse streets, running up almost to the uncleared -forest, were only indicated by scattered houses, and in the line of the -main street two or three detached dwellings a mile distant were only -separated from the trees by patches of potato ground. - -The first penal colony planted in the Straits by the Chilian Government -was established in 1843, at Port Famine, the ominous name of which -recalls the miserable fate of the colonists left there by Sarmiento in -1581. The superior anchorage was the inducement to select the same place -for the modern colony, but the same evil destiny seemed to cling to it. -After struggling on for some years, during which the inhabitants were -frequently reduced to great distress by the failure of supplies of food -from Chili, it was sacked and destroyed by the convicts, who mutinied -and killed the Governor and Padre. They afterwards seized a vessel in -which they attempted to escape, but were pursued by a man-of-war, and -met with deserved punishment. - -The colony was subsequently removed to its present position, and in -addition to the involuntary immigrants, chiefly deserters from the army, -settlers were tempted by liberal grants of land, and a large number of -Chilotes or natives of Chiloe were introduced. These men, who are of -mixed Spanish and Indian blood, are a hardy, sturdy race, accustomed -to the use of the axe in their own thickly-wooded country, whence they -export quantities of timber. They are very Paddies in their diet, living -almost altogether on potatoes, which grow freely in Chiloe, but in Punta -Arenas do not attain large size. Besides land, the Chilotes receive -wages from the Government for their labour, and are the most industrious -portion of the population: the men are hard working, but also hard -drinking, and the women are said to be very lax in their notions of -fidelity. Of the convicts, some were allowed, for good behaviour, to -live in their own houses, subject to certain restrictions; but many of -them were utterly reckless, and needed to be kept under the strictest -surveillance, and locked up in the Cuartel every night. Notwithstanding -all precautions, escapes are continually contrived, and the runaways -face the difficulties of the Pampas, sometimes succeeding in joining the -Patagonians, but as often losing their way, and perishing of starvation, -or becoming a prey to the pumas. Thus, ten or a dozen had succeeded -in escaping just before my visit, necessitating the despatch of the -expedition in chase of them. The garrison consisted of some fifty or -sixty regular soldiers, besides irregular employes, who hunt wild -cattle or deserters, as occasion requires. The number of troops is quite -insufficient to defend the place against an attack of the Indians, but -the southern Tehuelches are not naturally inclined to raids, and if well -and fairly treated are more willing to avail themselves of the trading -facilities afforded by the half-dozen stores, the existence of which -could only, in my mind, be accounted for by the hopes of Indian barter, -for they were far in excess of the wants of the colony. Still the -permanent population was certainly a thirsty one, and seemed to do its -best to encourage trade, at least in grog: drunkenness in the streets -is, however, an offence punishable by imprisonment, and at the time of -my visit the blacksmith was in durance vile, whence the Irish Doctor had -only just been released for this venial offence. - -There appeared to be little cultivation, with the exception of potatoes. -The climate does not permit wheat or barley to ripen, though, perhaps, -oats or rye might succeed. The tame cattle seemed to me stunted and -miserable, but in the forests there are others of a wild breed, which -are said to be large and of excellent quality; these, as well as the -red deer, afford, during some portion of the year, occupation to a few -hunters, who obtain high prices for their meat, but the supply is too -scanty and irregular to prevent fresh meat from being a rare luxury. The -resources and prospects of the colony naturally formed the subject of -conversation at Senor Viel's, and Don Centeno, who was in charge of the -survey of the newly-discovered coal bed in the vicinity, invited me to -join him the next day in a visit of inspection. - -Next morning we accordingly set out, and crossing a small stream, -shortly arrived at the commencement of the forest, through which a -straight road was in course of formation. Numerous groups of Chilotes -were employed on all sides, some levelling the way already cleared, -others at work felling trees, others applying fire instead of the axe. -The timber consists chiefly of Chilian beech (Fagus antarctica) and -Winter's bark, described by Mr. Cunningham, the former of which splits -readily and is available for most purposes. - -After Don Centeno had completed some minor details of surveying, we -struck into the dense forest, and followed a winding path until we -arrived at the bed of the stream, which debouches at the colony. This -we followed up for some time, and eventually arrived at a ravine, the -sides of which were as regular as if navvies had been employed to form a -cutting, in which, at a point sixty yards above our heads, the seam of -coal was visible. Here we dismounted and scrambled up a slippery path to -a spot where a shaft, or rather burrow, had been driven into the bed, -to the depth of perhaps fifty or sixty feet, made apparently for the -purpose of examining the quality, regularity, &c., of the seam. The coal -did not appear to me of a very good quality; but I have since heard that -it gave exceedingly favourable results. My companion also pointed out -to me a place in the opposite bank where some men had been washing for -gold, the specimens of which I had seen in the town; and their labours -were said to have been attended with good returns. As the day was -advancing and rather chilly, a fire was kindled; and after a warm -thereat, mounting our horses, we returned homewards down the ravine. On -emerging from the forest, we observed a large steamer just on the point -of anchoring; so we hurried on to obtain news and despatch our letters -if it should prove the Magalhaens--one of the line of packets from -Liverpool to Valparaiso. On the beach we found the Commandante and Mrs. -Viel, the latter having visited the vessel and obtained some English -newspapers. After dinner, accepting the Governor's offer of his boat, I -proceeded on board, and found her to be a magnificent steamer of great -power and good accommodation. The establishment of this line of steamers -will doubtless have a most beneficial effect on the prosperity of Punta -Arenas; as, though agriculture and Indian trade are not likely to reward -industrious or speculative immigrants, the discovery of the coal-bed is -of the most obvious importance as affecting the future of this colony. -It will now be possible to maintain powerful steam-tugs to tow -sailing-vessels through the Straits, and thus avoid the passage round -Cape Horn; whereas up to the present time the navigation of the Straits -has been almost closed to sailing-ships; while, owing to the great -steam-power required, even steamers, whether war or merchant ships, are -frequently obliged to buy wood at Sandy Point; and then, owing to the -vast quantity used to keep steam, not unfrequently are obliged to stop -again before entering the Pacific to renew their supply wherever they -could cut it. Now this will all be changed, and a steam-launch will -probably be kept to tow the lighters to and fro, and thus materially -facilitate coaling. As population and colonisation increase, encouraged -by the accommodation afforded by the Pacific steamers--which at this -present date run every month, bringing the Straits of Magellan almost -within hail--the interior of the country may become opened up, in which -case, probably, other sources of mineral wealth will be discovered and -made productive. - -Our departure having been definitely fixed for the morrow, I proceeded -to review and arrange my equipments for the journey, a list of which may -gratify intending explorers of Patagonia. Two saddle-bags contained my -kit and necessaries, consisting of a couple of shirts and a jersey -or two, a few silk handkerchiefs, and soap, lucifer matches, writing -materials, fishing lines and hooks, quinine and caustic, and a small -bottle of strychnine. The armoury comprised a rifle in case complete, -and two double-barrelled breech-loading pistols, hunting-knives, a small -ammunition-case of unfilled cartridges, and a supply of powder. The only -instrument ventured on was a small compass. My personal equipment was a -shooting suit of tweed and a Scotch cap, and a most excellent pair of -boots made by Thomas, to which for comfort were superadded a guanaco -skin mantle, two ponchos, and a waterproof sheet. In the evening Senor -Viel introduced me to my future travelling companion, Lieutenant -Gallegos, who was to command our party. He was a short, thick-set man, -with a dark, almost Indian complexion, and looked all over what the -Commandante declared him to be, 'a man for hard work.' In his native -province of Arauco he had been for many years employed in the frontier -wars with the Indians, and could handle the lazo or the lance with -wonderful dexterity. He spoke with great cordiality of the officers of -the Nassau, and seemed well inclined to the company of one of the same -service; indeed, I am strongly inclined to believe that he is introduced -into the foreground of Commander Bedwell's sketch--at all events, if any -reader wishes to know his appearance, the occupant of the fallen -tree presents a strong resemblance to the leader of our party. Our -arrangements and prospects were fully discussed; and after bidding -farewell to Captain Cushing, who was to sail the next day, and to my -most kind and courteous host and hostess, we parted, agreeing to meet at -daylight ready for the road. - -At an early hour of the morning of the 19th of April I was awoke by -J'aria, and with him and my small belongings proceeded to the Corral, -where the horses were being caught and loaded. Here we were joined by -Gallegos, and when everything was nearly ready for the start adjourned -to his house close by for a cup of coffee. The Senora seemed to regard -me with great commiseration, and recounted various dismal tales of the -dreadful cold winds, hardships, Indians, and other disagreeables to be -encountered; her consolations were cut short by the entrance of J'aria -with the news that all was ready. After a parting glass of something -stronger than water, we got into our saddles, and the cavalcade, -consisting of Gallegos, myself, one regular soldier, three irregulars or -employes of the Government, and J'aria, with twenty-one horses, left the -town. As we passed the cuartel, the guard turned out in the balcony and -presented arms, and the bugler executed a musical salute. It was a fine -frosty morning, and we rode on in high spirits, accompanied by two or -three horsemen, who were going to spend their Sunday festa in duck -shooting, and had made an early start to escort us a little way. -Scarcely had we crossed the stream when one of the baggage horses kicked -his load off; this was soon replaced; but when the bustle was over and -the cavalcade reformed, J'aria and one of the employes, to whom I had -confidingly entrusted a bottle of rum, were missing, and they did not -turn up again for some time, and the bottle never again. We rode along -the coast until we reached the outpost called Tres Puentes, where a -narrow pass, between the forest on one hand and the sea on the other, -is barred by a gate house tenanted by two men, posted there to prevent -desertion; they turned out, and we lingered for a farewell chat, during -which one of the sportsmen stalked and shot some ducks; at the report of -his gun the regular soldier's horse, not being used to stand fire, shied -and threw him, capsizing his saddle-bags, and strewing the beach with -tortillas (cakes) and coffee, with which his no doubt provident and -thoughtful 'she' had stored them. Gallegos sat in his saddle and laughed -at the scene; but as the others could not catch the horse, he gave us a -proof of his dexterity with the lazo. After this little diversion we -pursued our course along the beach as far as Cape Negro, where the -forests terminated, and our accompanying friends bade us adieu after -taking a parting glass all round; J'aria and the other absentee -overtaking us in time for this part of the performance. - -Our horses' heads were then turned from the coast in a north north-west -direction, and after half-an-hour's ride a halt was called for breakfast -under the lee of a sheltering hill. To the southward we viewed the -counter slope of the wooded hills, below which on the other side lay -Punta Arenas. A thick growth of shrubs covered the ground, but beautiful -glades of luxuriant pasture were visible; one of which opened just to -the south of our camping place, and others appeared east and west like -oases of green. Their appearance caused me to remark that as a settler I -should choose this location for my hut. Gallegos, however, replied that -the pastures could not be used for the cattle of the settlement during -the summer, as neither the Indians nor their own men could be trusted; -the latter would desert, and the former would steal the beasts. After -a pipe we remounted, and having crossed the hill we descended to the -valley of a small but deep stream, called the Rio Chaunco, having forded -which we ascended the opposite border slope, and entered on the Pampa, -which name is universally used in Patagonia to designate the high -undulating plains or plateaux, frequently intersected by valleys and -ravines, or rising into successive or isolated hills, which generally -occupy the crest of the country. The Indians, indeed, who know a little -Castilian, apply the word Pampa indiscriminately to any tract of country -hunted over by them. After a successful day's sport, and the contentment -consequent on a hearty meal, they will ask with great satisfaction, 'Muy -buena Pampa? No?' really meaning 'Is not the wild life the best?' But -English readers, who have derived their idea of a Pampa from Head's -delightful work, or from other experiences of the unlimited grassy -or thistle covered plains which roll away for miles in the Argentine -States, and offer no obstruction to the stretching gallop of the -untiring gaucho, must not transfer that pleasing picture to Patagonia. -The Pampas, properly so called, of Patagonia, occasionally indeed -present a tolerably even and uniform succession of rolling plains -covered with coarse grass, but more frequently the surface, even when -unbroken by hills and suddenly yawning ravines, is sterile, with a -sparse vegetation, consisting of stunted bushes and round thistle -clumps; and even these are often wanting, and nothing clothes the bare -patches of clay or gravel; elsewhere it is strewn with huge round -boulders, and again rugged with confused heaps or ridges of bare -sharp-edged rocks, many of them of volcanic origin: this more -particularly applying to the northern part of the country. The only -uniformity of appearance is afforded in the winter, when the white sheet -of snow covers rocks, grass, and shingle; but one accompaniment is the -same, whatever be the nature of the soil or surface; and the word Pampa -invariably recalls to one's shuddering memory the cutting blasts which -sweep almost without intermission from various points, but chiefly from -the west, over the high country, till, reaching the heated atmosphere of -Buenos Ayres, the cold Patagonian wind becomes the Pampero, the sudden -and terrific blasts of which cause so many disasters among the shipping. -The descent from these Pampas to the valleys, or more sheltered and -fertile level ground bordering the banks of the streams and rivers, is -commonly termed 'Barranca,' or bank, from the scarped slopes, varying in -depth from fifty to two or three feet, and in angle from an easy to an -almost perpendicular descent, but often fissured by ravines or gullies, -affording roads, down all of which, however, the native riders gallop -with equal recklessness. - -The Pampa we were now traversing presented an expanse of undulating -or rolling plains covered with a uniform growth of coarse grass -interspersed with barberry bushes, and occasional lagoons in the -hollows. No living creatures except ourselves appeared on the waste. -To the westward the snow-clad peaks of the mountains bordering the -Sarmiento Straits greeted us with an icy blast which made my thoughts -longingly revert to the cosy cabin and my late shipmates, who were, no -doubt, threading the intricacies of its channels. But the good guanaco -mantle kept out the wind, and our motley party pushed briskly on in -good order. Lieutenant Gallegos has been already introduced: as to -the others, J'aria was a small man, of rough exterior, of doubtful -extraction, and more than doubtful antecedents, who looked fit for -any business except good; but he served me most assiduously, and with -unlooked-for care. The soldier was a fine-looking fellow, new to the -Pampas, whose carbine, which he duly carried, proved a source of great -embarrassment to him; and his horse being by no means too manageable, he -was considerably bothered, much to the delight of the rest. Two others -were hybrids, between gauchos and sailors, having, like our marines, -been equally accustomed to service _per mare, per terram_; but, like the -jollies, they were unmistakeably useful and good men. The last of the -party was of the J'aria type. All were well mounted, and provided with a -spare horse. We carried for provisions biscuit, charqui or dried meat, -roasted wheat meal, and coffee and sugar, and were furnished with an -unusual but welcome luxury, a small tent, underneath which we cared -little for the bitter frost outside. - -After riding over the Pampas for three or four hours we encamped for the -night in a hollow by the side of a lagoon, having selected a suitable -spot for pitching the tent on the sheltered slope, well out of the sweep -of the wind. The lagoon was covered with black-necked swans and other -wild fowl; so, as soon as the horses had been unloaded and looked after, -a fire lit, and all arrangements made for camping, two or three of us -went out to try and shoot some wild fowl; but our sporting endeavours -were not crowned with much success, and a little before dark we -returned to a supper of charqui, and after a talk over the fire, turned -in, and slept sound and warm, though outside the frost was severe. My -mind was much disquieted, first by the discovery that the box of rifle -ammunition which J'aria carried had been dropped by that worthy at the -scene of the baggage horse escapade, and secondly, by the mysterious -absence from my shot-belt of all my coin, consisting of an onza and a -few sovereigns. I said nothing, however, until next morning, when I -proceeded quietly to search, remembering that I had taken off my -accoutrements before the tent was pitched, and dropped in the grass I -found the missing coins. The story afforded J'aria a great theme for -jokes, and he often adverted to the chance of inheriting my ounce, in -a way that might have made a timid traveller expect foul play, though -nothing was farther from my guide's thoughts. At seven o'clock, after -coffee and a biscuit, we were again _en route_, and about ten arrived -close to the head of Peckett's Harbour. Here one of the party discovered -a horse, which was chased into our troop, but as it appeared lame was -not pressed into our service; it had probably belonged to the Indians. -As in a long voyage, so in a journey of this description, the slightest -novelty serves to relieve what it is needless to say becomes the -slightly monotonous task of trotting along behind the troop of horses -over barren wastes, so we were always on the _qui vive_ for something -to chase. One of the men had a dog with him, and shortly after the -excitement about the horse we started some ostriches, which, however, -proved too swift for the cur, and escaped over some muddy plots close to -the 'Cabecera del Mar.' This is a large inlet or arm of the sea, running -up some miles from Peckett's Harbour, with which it communicates by a -very narrow channel, which can only be crossed at low water; it was our -good fortune to arrive at this period, thus escaping a long _detour_ -round the inlet. But our crossing was not effected without trouble; the -flood-tide rushing up like a mill-race, and proving almost too much for -the steadiness of one of the baggage-horses. After clearing the channel, -in our farther progress we passed several small streams with swampy -ground, all of which probably discharge themselves into Oazy Harbour, -and arrived towards evening at an old Indian encampment situated under -a range of hills, running more or less north and south, forming one -barrier of a broad and well-watered valley, bounded on the eastern side -by the well-known 'Barrancas' of San Gregorio. - -Our station was just within the opening of the valley, which, being -sheltered from the wind, is the favourite winter quarters of the -Southern Tehuelches, whose encampment is usually pitched near Oazy -Harbour, called by them 'Ozay Saba.' - -Westward the low flats which bordered the shores of the Cabecera del -Mar terminated in irregular hills, beyond which higher peaks rose, and -they in their turn were overlooked by distant snow-clad summits on the -horizon. Among the blue hills of the middle distance floated wreaths of -light haze so much resembling smoke that Gallegos, ever on the alert -for signs of the deserters, proposed to deviate from our route to -investigate, and only my strongly pronounced opinion in favour of haze -_versus_ smoke induced him to give up the idea. The Argentine Government -formerly planned a settlement in this valley, which was not carried out, -and the missionaries also proposed to fix a station hereabouts, with -Oazy Harbour as a depot, but the Chilians of Punta Arena set up their -claims and compelled the missionaries to desist. - -After camp was arranged, the weather, which since our start had been -bright with cold winds and moderate frosts at night, changed to rain, -and Gallegos proposed to me that, in the event of its continuing bad, -we should remain under the shelter of the tent. However, though the -night was rough and rainy, morning broke fair and the sun rose bright -and warm, so we started, following a path along the base of the -before-mentioned range of hills until about ten o'clock, when, just -after passing a beautiful little stream where I noticed fish darting -about in the pools, a herd of guanaco, hitherto concealed by a small -eminence, came into view. Chase was immediately given, but most of our -horses were soon blown, and Gallegos, the soldier, and myself having -ascended the hills over which the herd had taken flight, as it appeared -useless to continue the chase, stopped on the crest and watched the -animals as they streamed up an opposite hill. One of the party was -missing, and suddenly an exclamation from the Lieutenant 'What is it?' -caused us to turn our eyes in the direction to which he pointed, where -some fancied they descried a man. The idea of deserters immediately -occurred to their minds, so they started off, asking me to tell J'aria -(who had remained with the horses) to travel on to a given spot at the -head of the valley. Having descended the hill, which was tunnelled with -burrows of the Ctenomys Magellanicus,[1] the crowns of which, yielding -to the horses' tread, proved a series of dangerous traps, I rejoined -J'aria and we pursued our way for a few miles until we reached a small -lagoon at the head of the valley, covered with thousands of widgeon and -duck. The sight suggested the thought that no man need starve in this -country, so abundant seemed the supplies of animal life. Here we waited, -and in the course of half-an-hour the remainder came up with their -horses blown, one of the party having a piece of guanaco meat hanging -to his saddle. This was Jose Marinero, one of the hybrids, who had -succeeded in lazoing a guanaco, at which he appeared intensely -delighted. The 'man,' as I had previously supposed, proved imaginary. I -regretted not being up at the death, as it turned out that Jose had -been close to us, but hidden from sight by a rise. After a pleasant and -refreshing rest and a draught of cafe Quillota (parched corn meal and -water), we resumed our route north. After leaving the lagoon, a scarcely -perceptible slope ascended from the valley, and a more undulating course -was traversed until we reached a small canyon, which, after a gradual -descent, dipped down between walls a hundred feet high, sloping up at -either hand, and finishing in a rounded summit leading to the high -plain. 'Here,' said J'aria, 'there is no firing, and those _stupid_ -Indian women actually carry loads of it from the next stage.' But the -event proved that the Indians were wiser than ourselves. Following this -we arrived at another canyon running at right angles, east and west, on -one of the grass-covered sides of which we observed a couple of horses -feeding in a hollow which looked more verdant than the rest of the -ground, but the animals being caught and examined proved unsound and -useless. In the bottom of the canyon there flowed a small but deep stream -spreading into lagoons in places. We crossed this and encamped on the -northern side, and found J'aria's words, as to no fuel to be found about -this valley, verified, much to our discomfort. Towards evening we went -out and shot some ducks, but having no fire to cook with, were content -to turn in on meal and water. During the night the tent pole, having -been first soaked with rain and then frozen, snapped in two, and down -came the spread of wet canvas; and altogether we did not spend a very -pleasant time. - - [1] Cunningham, p. 133. - -Misfortunes never come single; at daylight no horses were to be seen, -and we had to wait until near ten o'clock before they turned up. During -this interval we burnt the tent pegs and some chips from the tent pole, -and raised sufficient fire to make coffee. J'aria informed me that this -canyon extends from the Cordillera to the sea, but runs in a tortuous -manner, and we afterwards again struck either the main line or some -canyon leading from it. Having scaled the precipitous banks, we headed -towards a range of peaked hills, curiously resembling one another, and -after passing down one or two more canyons, where we refreshed ourselves -with the berries of a barberry (Berberis axifolia), called by the -Chilians califate, and also saw plenty of the red and white tea-berries, -so common in the Falklands, we entered a wide plain or valley, at the -farther end of which rose a peculiar pointed hill, one of a range that -stretched away east and west, pierced by a pass. In the midst of it a -huge square flat rock shone white in the sunlight, forming a striking -object: it looked like a megalith, deposited by giants to cover the -grave of some deceased hero. Others of less dimensions lay strewn here -and there, giving somewhat of a graveyard aspect to the scene. As we -advanced the ground was encumbered with rocks and scoriae, lying in heaps -in all directions, making it very difficult travelling for the horses, -and on arriving at the hills themselves their appearance was decidedly -volcanic. The whole immediate vicinity of this range of hills presented -a peculiarly wild, blasted, and weird appearance; nevertheless ostriches -and guanaco were observable in great quantities. My first thought on -passing one hill, where, among the other fantastic forms into which -the rocks had been tossed, was a natural corral, or circle of huge -fragments, built with apparent regularity, but of superhuman dimensions, -was, 'What a hell this must have been when the volcanoes were in an -active state, belching out the streams of lava and showers of rock, and -that perhaps at no distant period!' While at Santa Cruz, Casimiro told -me of an active volcano situated at a distance and in a direction which -would fix it as belonging to this range. Formerly its neighbourhood had -been frequented by the Indians, as the guanaco resorted thither in great -numbers during the winter; but the Indians' horses had most of them been -poisoned by drinking the water of a stream close to the range, and soon -after all the toldos were shaken down by an earthquake or the vibration -of an explosion, and since then they had not ventured to go near the -place. Casimiro and Gonzalez had, however, subsequently ascended the -volcano, and had killed numbers of guanaco in the neighbourhood. It was -also mentioned that when they were encamped on the Cuheyli, or Coy Inlet -River, tremendous volumes of thick black smoke, rolling from the west, -enveloped the Indians and terrified them exceedingly. No signs were -afterwards found of burned pasture, and it was conjectured that the -Canoe Indians of the Chonos Archipelago had fired the western forests, -but it was much more likely to have been due to volcanic eruption. While -trotting along the defile through these hills formed by a chasm, with -perpendicular walls of rock rising on each hand, as evenly scarped as -the sides of a railway cutting, I observed several caves, which J'aria -had a tradition the Indians formerly used as dwelling places. This pass -led into another valley still more rugged and strewn with sharp angular -fragments of rock, amongst which stunted shrubs began to appear; and -lagoons, some of which were encrusted round the edges with saltpetre, -and contained brackish water, might be seen at intervals. Towards -evening we encamped by the side of a small lagoon of circular form, -with wall-like cliffs rising some 200 feet from its banks, and nearly -surrounding it. I took a stroll, rifle in hand, whilst the men were -getting firewood; and plenty of guanaco were visible, but I only -succeeded in wounding one, which escaped on three legs. Traces of a -puma, in the shape of carrion, were also there, but Leon himself was -hidden. So I returned empty-handed to the fire, where I found a cheerful -supper of wild duck and guanaco meat just ready. The moon was beautiful, -and the air just frosty enough to be bracing and exhilarating, so some -of us staid smoking and spinning yarns until the small hours. The -stories were chiefly of adventures on the Pampas. Jose narrated how, -when in pursuit of a party of runaways in the depth of winter, when the -snow lay thick on the ground, he and his comrade rode into a valley -where countless guanaco had taken refuge from the storm in the upper -heights, and stood huddled together, too benumbed by the cold to attempt -to escape, and were slaughtered like oxen in the shambles. In another -hunt the party overtook the deserters, housed in the toldo of an Indian, -and a fight ensued, ending in the death of one of the pursuers; the -deserter who shot him was pistolled, and J'aria and Jose carried the -dead body of their comrade on horseback to the settlement, sixty -miles distant, proceeding without a halt all through the night, and -accomplishing their ghastly journey by the next morning. J'aria related -how he had been drifted in a launch among the ice in the Straits, and -carried over to Tierra del Fuego, where they found rocks so magnetic -that iron nails adhered to them. He further amused us by a short -dissertation on his domestic arrangements; how, when his last wife -died, he married a Chilote to be mother for his children and wife for -him, and he always called her in conversation the 'Madre Muger'--wife -mother. - -Next morning we started early, and varying our march with one or two -races after foxes, which generally met their death in a very short time, -and an engagement with a female puma, which one of the men despatched by -a splendid revolver shot through the head, traversed some uneven Pampas, -with occasional hills, and arrived at the descent of the valley of the -Rio Gallegos, where the very remarkable bench formation, afterwards -observed on a smaller or larger scale in other Patagonian rivers, first -arrested my attention. To the west, some miles away, a high hill, -apparently of basalt, the square summit of which with seemingly regular -walls and towers mimicked the distant view of an extensive fortress, -served as a landmark for the break in the barranca, which formed a -natural road, by which we reached the first or upper bench, a mile and a -half in width; from this a drop or scarped slope of 50 feet and upwards -descended to another terrace or plain of equal extent, and terminating -in another fall, at the bottom of which lay the bed of the river; it is -fordable in the summer months, I believe, in many places, but when we -crossed the water about reached where one's saddle flaps would be if -riding on an English saddle. After crossing the ford a halt took place -to smoke a pipe, whilst doing which we watched the gyrations of a huge -vulture of the condor species; he hovered for some time, and at length -boldly settled on a point of rock about a hundred yards distant; so the -soldier, whose carbine was always ready, took a shot, but missed, much -to the grief of Gallegos, who asserted that the heart of the vulture is -a good remedy for certain diseases. We then mounted, and riding about a -mile halted for the night by a spring gushing out of a ravine in the -slope between the upper and lower benches, where the pasture was good, -as J'aria declared that water was scarce for some leagues farther on. -The bivouac arranged, Jose and myself proceeded to try and shoot a -guanaco, but the plain was too open, so, after lighting up a bed of dry -grass to attract any neighbouring Indians, we very foolishly indulged in -a bathe in the river. The water was intensely cold, and the ill effects -of this ill-timed indulgence were felt for a long time after. The -soldier meanwhile was away on horseback chasing a large herd, but he -returned about dusk empty handed. Next morning we started about 9 -o'clock, having been, as usual, delayed by the horses having strayed -some distance. Ascending the slope we crossed the higher bench, a -barren, dreary waste, for about a league, until we came to a lagoon -covered with upland geese, and lying just below what may be termed the -barranca of the Upper Pampa. Halting here for a smoke and warm to dispel -the effects of the intensely cold wind, we were about resuming our route -to ascend the steep slope of the upper plains, when large columns of -smoke, in answer to the signal fire we had left behind us, rose up to -the sky in a N.E. direction. We moved on, and arriving at the summit of -the ascent, looked eagerly round for signs of the fire, but nothing -was visible. The plains lay before us apparently destitute of life, -excepting a stray guanaco here and there. J'aria then set light to a -neighbouring bush, which gave out dense clouds of black smoke, and in a -few minutes this was answered in the same direction as that previously -observed. A horseman was at length espied galloping towards us, who -proved to be an Indian named Sam, son of the chief Casimiro, who has -been mentioned in the missionary reports. After conversing for a short -time with J'aria and Gallegos, he turned to me and said, in English, -'How do you do? I speak little Anglishe,' which he had learned during -a visit to the Falklands, where also he had acquired his sobriquet of -Sam Slick. He then galloped away at full speed, and brought up his -companions, who had been concealed from view in a neighbouring hollow; -the party consisted of two men and a boy, and two women, all mounted, -and apparently having just finished hunting, as they had plenty of fresh -guanaco meat with them. We halted by a bush, and in a few minutes had a -fire kindled, and the pipe being handed round, I had an opportunity of -observing them closely. The men were fine muscular specimens. One, whom -they called Henrique, was a Fuegian, formerly, I believe, a captive, but -now doctor, or wizard. He travelled with this party separate from the -remainder of the tribe on account of some suspicion of his having caused -the death of a chief. One of the men, taller than the others, was a -Tehuelche. The boy was bright looking and intelligent, and it afterwards -appeared that Don Luiz Buena had kept him for some time, vainly -endeavouring to teach him Spanish. They were very cordial, and -especially forced on me more meat than I could carry; but there was -a certain constraint visible in their manners, probably owing to their -being conscious of some dealings with the deserters, whom J'aria -counselled them to despatch whenever they might meet with them. The -women carried bottles of water, which they readily gave us, to our -great refreshment and relief, for we were all parched with thirst. - -Gallegos asked Sam whether he was willing to guide us to Santa Cruz, -J'aria not being over certain of the route. The tracks made by the -guanacos are easily mistaken by almost anyone but an Indian for the -trail of 'chinas,' or caravans of women and laden horses; and this, -combined with the want of landmarks on the Pampas and the confusing -succession of hills closely resembling each other, renders it only -too easy to lose the right direction. As examples of this, out of ten -deserters of whom the party was in search, six were never more heard of. -Our guide J'aria himself, when travelling from Santa Cruz to the colony, -lost his way, and would inevitably have starved had he not fortunately -been fallen in with by a party of Indians. Sam having agreed to come -with our party, we bid adieu to the Indians, who, in return for their -presents of meat, were gratified with a little tobacco, and rode off. -Suddenly a fox started up from a neighbouring bush. The soldier giving -chase, Sam shouted, 'Stop, I'll show you:' at the same time putting -spurs to his horse, and cutting Reynard off, he put his hand to his -waist-belt, drew out his bolas, gave them two turns round his head, -and in another minute the fox was lying dead, with his ribs crushed -completely in where the metal hall had struck him. Under the directions -of our new guide, who rode ahead with me, we traversed a succession of -high barren plains, sinking into frequent irregular hollows, without -streams, but usually containing lagoons of salt or brackish water, -until, about 4 P.M., we descended into the valley of Rio Cuheyli, or -the river, which debouches at Coy Inlet. The bench formation, though -noticeable, is not here so decidedly marked. For some time we pursued -the trail in an orderly march; but an ostrich springing nearly under our -horses' feet, and escaping over some marshy swamp, where horses could -not follow, roused Sam's hunting propensities, and he proposed to -myself, the soldier, and Jose to leave the path--which he said, with -emphatic disdain, was good for women, not for men--and ride up the -barranca to see him ball an ostrich; so having regained the Pampa, we -formed into line, about two hundred yards apart, to drive a certain area -of ground down to a point where there was a gentle slope to the valley, -so as to meet the advancing cavalcade of the rest of our party. We saw -nothing except one ostrich vanishing at great speed towards the valley -at another point, and a pair of doves, which I remarked with interest; -so we returned to the track, and as night was closing in, pushed on, -wishing to cross the ford of the river and encamp on the other side. At -seven o'clock, having reached a nice spring flowing from the barranca, -where there was firewood in profusion, Gallegos ordered a halt, although -Sam wished to proceed, observing that the moon was so bright it was 'all -the same as day.' We accordingly encamped for the night, after making -a good supper off guanaco meat, which was a pleasant change after our -previous charqui. The valley of the Cuheyli slightly indicates the bench -formation, though it does not present so distinctly marked terraces as -those which border the Gallegos River; but the lowest or river plain, -which is nearly two leagues wide in the neighbourhood of the ford, is of -a more fertile character, the pasture being luxuriant and good. One or -two of the springs--notably the one the water of which, contrary to our -guide's advice and example, we drank--had a strong taste of iron, which -caused all the party to suffer from internal derangement; and Sam stated -that near our encampment there was a deposit of the black earth with -which the Indians paint their bodies. Starting early, after a night of -severe frost, we soon struck the ford. Our guide had vanished; but while -rearranging the packs, we saw a volume of black smoke rising to the -east, caused by Sam, who, having thus signalled his countrymen, rejoined -us on the march across the slightly ascending plain. We then observed -numerous Indians galloping in our direction, and crossing the stream at -various parts, as J'aria remarked, quite regardless of fords. We halted, -and were soon surrounded by about forty or more, most of them riding -useful-looking horses barebacked. As they appeared very friendly, -Gallegos gave them some biscuit and charqui; their chiefs--the head -cacique being a nephew of Casimiro--forming them into a semi-circle, in -tolerably good order, to receive the present. There were undoubtedly -some very tall men amongst them, but what struck me particularly was -their splendid development of chest and arms. Although the wind was very -sharp, many of them had their mantles thrown back in a careless way, -leaving their naked chests exposed to the air, and appeared not the -least incommoded. They readily recognised me for an Englishman, coming -and examining me closely, and asking for tobacco with a broad grin on -their faces, exposing a wonderfully clean and regular set of teeth. My -gratifying their importunate requests for tobacco made Sam very jealous, -and for some time he bothered me with remarks such as 'Me very cold, -no got poncho,' 'Me no got knife, me no got "pellon"' (saddle-cloth), -until, finding it useless to beg, he relapsed into sullen silence. A -smoke of the pipe, however, brought him back to his usual cheerful -temper, and as we galloped along he chanted an Indian song, which -consisted of the words 'Ah ge lay loo, Ah ge lay loo,' expressed in -various keys. - -After a ride of some leagues in a rather more open but still undulating -country, a break in the Pampas was reached. Hills of irregular and -picturesque outlines, with labyrinthine valleys or ravines, not running -in parallel order, but communicating with each other, occupied an -extensive district, and though travelling was considerably more -difficult, yet the change in the aspect of nature was grateful after -the barren monotony of the plains. - -We halted in an Indian encampment, situated in a valley underneath a -peaked hill called 'Otiti,' where there were pools of fresh and salt -water in close proximity. Amongst the incense and thorn bushes, which -grow at intervals in these regions, we passed to-day another description -of shrub with a thick rough bark, which is readily detached and leaves -a long rattail-like sort of twig. From the Rio Gallegos the soil had -become generally of a yellower colour than on the south side of that -river, although in the valleys and hollows dark peaty earth was -generally to be found, and the surface of the Pampas had assumed a more -desolate appearance, being strewn with small pebbles, and studded with -bushes--generally of a thorny species. Round clumps of prickly thistles, -which burn like tinder on applying a lighted match--and a few stray -tufts of withered grass, only made more desolate the hungry barrenness -of the deserts, over which the wind blew with cutting violence, yet they -are the home of large herds of guanaco, ostriches, puma, and armadillo, -though the latter were at this period comfortably hybernating. - -Next morning no horses were visible, and as time went on till ten -o'clock without any appearance we all began to suspect Indian treachery. -Sam volunteered the remark that if they (the Indians) had played us -such a trick, he would go and clear all their animals out the following -evening. This threat there was fortunately no occasion for him to put -into execution, as the troop proved only to have strayed into another -valley. As we were now nearing Santa Cruz, which the last of the Indians -were just leaving, having completed their trade and finished all the -grog, we saw numerous columns of smoke, caused by their hunting parties. -After passing the broken ground and reaching the high Pampa, Sam and -myself rode on ahead, amusing ourselves by fruitlessly chasing guanaco -or ostrich, but Sam's dexterity with the bolas was frustrated by his -being mounted on a horse belonging to the expedition and unused to this -work. Towards evening, after again passing numerous salt lagoons, we -came to a descent of 300 or 400 feet leading to a valley containing a -large salina, and halting, made our fire by the side of a spring, -near which, Sam informed me, were the graves of two Indians, which he -mentioned with the deepest respect and in an awe-stricken undertone. - -Our signal smoke, which was as much to attract Indians as to give the -direction of our route to Gallegos and J'aria, was soon responded to -from the opposite hills on the northern side of the valley, and shortly -a line of mounted women and children descended the slope in front, -making for our fire, which Sam informed me was their intended camping -place. We advanced to meet them, and Sam conversed in their tongue, -interpreting to me that they had left Santa Cruz two days previously, -and that Don Luiz P. B. had quitted his settlement on the island to sail -in his schooner to Buenos Ayres; while the Northern Indians, encamped to -the north of Santa Cruz, with whom I hoped to proceed to the Rio Negro, -had no intention of marching until the ensuing spring. On leaving those -ladies, amongst whom was a young and rather pretty girl, I lifted my cap -in salute, which called forth a burst of laughter from the whole group -and cries of 'Anglish, Anglish!' amidst which we rode off to join the -remainder of our party, who were crossing the valley to the eastward, -having intentionally deviated from the straight route; and although Sam -used every effort to induce Gallegos to stop at the Indian encampment, -the latter wisely determined to proceed about a league farther, knowing -that a halt here would cause a considerable inroad to be made in the -stock of provisions, which, in view of the return journey, with perhaps -an increased party, it was desirable to avoid. We accordingly left the -sheltered valley and encamped on the plateau in an exposed situation -near a lagoon, the ice of which had to be broken to secure a supply -of water. The frost was keen, and the tent afforded but a partial -protection from the biting wind; so that the economical foresight of -our leader resulted in all the party spending the coldest night hitherto -experienced by us. - -During the evening we were visited by several Indians, bringing presents -of ostrich and guanaco meat. I was presented by the soldier with a piece -of the gizzard (the tid bit), which he had cooked on the end of his -ramrod; but I must confess I did not appreciate it at the time, though -later on in my journey I learnt to relish this and other strange -delicacies. Amongst the Indians who gave us the benefit of their company -this evening was 'Pedro el Platero,' mentioned in Mr. Gardener's mission -book; also an old squaw rejoicing in the name of 'La Reina Victoria' -(Queen Victoria), who was the occasion of much chaff, my Chilian friends -declaring I ought to salute the sovereign of the Pampas in due form; but -having obtained a charge and a light for her pipe, all she required, she -was soon lost sight of in the dark. We gladly left the camp early the -ensuing morning, the cold continuing unabated; the wind blew strong -in our faces, and though from the northward, was so keen that Sam and -myself kept galloping on and kindling fires at intervals. - -Thus we rode on over a tract of country surpassing in desolation all the -districts hitherto traversed. As far as the eye could reach stretched a -level waste unrelieved by even an eminence or hollow; the aspect of the -low withered shrubs, coarse parched grass, and occasional patches of -pebble-strewn ground which for thirty miles wearied the eye with dreary -sameness, produced an extraordinary feeling of depression, which was -afterwards recalled when journeying through the Travisia, bordering the -Rio Negro, which this district resembles, though on a smaller scale. -Occasional frozen lagoons, doubtless supplied by rainfall, only added to -the desert aspect of this trackless wilderness. The situation was not -improved by Sam pulling up and remarking that he was by no means sure -that he had not lost himself. The only variety was afforded by an -unlucky fox which we chased till he escaped, as he thought, on to the -ice of a lagoon, but the treacherous surface gave way, and poor Reynard, -after a vigorous struggle, sank out of reach of a lazo. At last, about -two o'clock, the desert terminated in a cliff rising from the valley at -our feet, and we looked down upon the winding river of the Santa Cruz. - -Having waited till the rest came up, we descended by a gorge to the -valley, when, after refreshing ourselves by a drink of water, we struck -into a trail which followed the river downwards. We were all in high -spirits at the prospect of a speedy and felicitous conclusion to our -journey; and J'aria was continually questioned as to the distance of -the settlement. His answer was invariably 'a league;' and we rode along -vainly expecting every moment to see the place, rounding innumerable -promontories or points where the barranca advanced into the valley. -Each of these projecting cliffs, which stood like outposts of the -Pampas, J'aria declared in succession to be the last, Sam all the while -maintaining a dignified silence, until at length, at 7.30, when we had -almost despaired of ever arriving, we came to the ford opposite the -island of the settlement, and a barking of dogs saluted our ears. After -Sam had hailed, an answer came back, that if we were going across that -night we must look sharp, as the tide was flowing. We accordingly -proceeded to cross at once, narrowly escaping having to swim our horses, -which on a cold frosty night would have been anything but a pleasant -business. - -My ideas as to the size and extent of the settlement--and it must be -confessed my visions of a 'cheerer,' and even of wine, to put some -warmth into my chilled frame--were sadly dispelled by the reality; the -thriving, though small, town of my imagination being represented by one -house, and all wine and liquor proving to have been exhausted. But this -was fully made up for by discovering in Mr. Clarke--or, as the Indians -called him, 'Clakalaka'--an old acquaintance, whom I had known some -years previously in the Falklands. His utter surprise at the sudden -appearance of one whom he thought far away may be imagined. But, to my -great delight, he thoroughly approved of the proposed excursion. His -cordial welcome and hot coffee soon cheered up our spirits, and when -warmed and rested we discussed my plans. It appeared that the Indians -had not reported wrong as to Don Luiz Buena's movements and the -intentions of the Northern party; but Mr. Clarke believed that the -schooner was still detained in the river mouth waiting for a fair wind, -and undertook to send off a messenger to communicate with him: my object -being to obtain permission to reside in the settlement until the return -of the schooner, so as to equip myself with stores as presents for the -Tehuelches. After an agreeable 'confab,' I turned in on a shakedown on -the floor, well satisfied with having accomplished the first stage, -and deriving a good omen for the remainder of the journey from this -successful trip to Santa Cruz. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -SANTA CRUZ. - - Introduction to Chiefs. -- Orkeke. -- Chilian Deserters. -- The - Settlement. -- Island of Pabon. -- Natural Advantages. -- The - Mission Station. -- Mr. Clarke. -- Our Circle at Pabon. -- - Expedition to Lake Viedma. -- Winter Occupations. -- Work and - Play. -- Casimiro's Adventures. -- His Character. -- A Winter - Hunting Excursion. -- A Pampa Snow-storm. -- The Santa Cruz - Valley. -- Up the River. -- The Northern Hills. -- Pumas. -- - Devil's Eyes. -- Hunting on Foot. -- Intense Cold. -- Return of - the Deserters. -- Visit to the Indian Camp. -- First Night in a - Toldo. -- Towing a Horse. -- Adieu to Santa Cruz. - - -Our first business next day was to despatch a messenger to board the -schooner, if she should prove to be still in the mouth of the river. My -Chilian friends had found some of the deserters, who had been taken into -employment, and subsequently detained as close prisoners by the Mayor -Domo, at the instance of a serjeant sent round from Punta Arena in the -schooner, to solicit Don Luiz's assistance in their capture. About noon -Casimiro, soi-disant chief of the Tehuelches, and father of Sam Slick, -rode in from a hunting excursion, mounted on a tall, shapely horse, and -carrying a guanaco on his saddle. I was formally introduced, and my -plans and purpose fully explained to him; and soon after Orkeke, the -cacique of the party of Northern Tehuelches, encamped on the Rio Chico, -arrived. His consent was necessary to enable me to accompany them in -their journey, and by means of Casimiro as an interpreter, as the chief -spoke but little Spanish, my request was preferred. He confirmed the -statement of Mr. Clarke, that his people intended to winter in their -present encampment, and then proceed northwards; but did not seem at all -disposed to welcome the addition of an Englishman to his party, urging -the difficult nature of the road, length of time, chances of fights, -&c., &c. However, I hoped that during the enforced delay opportunities -would arise of improving our acquaintance, and obtaining his consent. I -was much struck with the grave and dignified bearing of the old chief. -Standing fully six feet, and with a well-proportioned muscular frame, -no one would have guessed him to have passed his 60th year; and whether -vaulting on a bare-backed steed, or leading the chase, he displayed an -agility and endurance equal to that of any of the younger men: his thick -black hair was slightly streaked with grey; and the bright intelligent -eyes, aquiline nose, and thin firm lips were very unlike the popular -idea of Patagonian features; a retreating forehead rather marred the -expression of his face, which was, however, grave and thoughtful, and -at times strikingly intellectual. Months passed in his company gave me -afterwards ample opportunity of studying his powers of reflection, which -were great, and often found expression in pithy and amusing sayings. -Although particularly neat in his dress, and cleanly in his habits, he -was troubled, like all the Indians, with vermin; and one night he roused -me up to have a smoke, and after sitting for some time, apparently lost -in deep thought, he remarked, 'Musters, lice never sleep!' He would -sometimes, but rarely, indulge in intoxication, but never quarrelled, -and it was an understood thing that either he or his brother Tankelow -should on occasions of a general drinking bout remain sober to protect -their families. He was himself childless, and had adopted a little -terrier named Ako, which enjoyed the place and honours of an only child; -but he displayed great affection towards his nephews and nieces, some -one or other of whom might often be seen in his arms on a march, or -after the return from the chase. During our first acquaintance I was -most pleased when, as often happened, he joined our little circle, and -in the company of his old friend, Mr. Clarke, unbent from his gravity -and laughed and talked in a way that seemed quite foreign to the usually -serious chief. It must be confessed that he was jealous and suspicious, -and a little stingy, preferring to increase rather than lessen his -large stock of horses, gear, and arms; but from the time I became his -guest his conduct to myself was irreproachable. - -In the evening the messenger returned; he had of course completely -mistaken his instructions, and informed Don Luiz that the Englishman -desired to proceed in the schooner to Buenos Ayres, and accordingly a -boat arrived with the morning flood-tide to take me off. Mr. Clarke good -naturedly undertook to go himself and explain matters; and returned with -a kind message, offering me quarters and every hospitality if I chose -to remain in the settlement for the next two months, at the end of -which period the schooner might be expected to return. Lieut. Gallegos -strongly urged me to accompany him back to Punta Arena, painting in -strong colours the tedium and discomfort of a winter at Santa Cruz. But -it was plain that the opportunity of cultivating the acquaintance and -securing the confidence of Orkeke would thus be thrown away, and with it -the prospect of traversing the country. Gallegos believed that this plan -was fraught with danger, and indeed almost certain destruction; but as -I was immovable, we took an affectionate farewell of each other. He -and all his party had treated me, an utter stranger, with the greatest -kindness, and I bade adieu to them as true comrades. They departed on -their return journey, taking with them the four prisoners, who, however, -are destined to appear again in these pages. These men had undergone -much hardship to obtain the liberty of which they seemed again deprived; -three of them had managed to secure a horse, and walking and riding in -turns had found their way to the Indians. Two of them, Olate and Rosa, -the latter, though a mere boy, with a thoroughly evil and murderous -countenance, were incurably bad; but Mena, a youth of nineteen, -attracted one's sympathy by his handsome frank face and cleanly smart -appearance; the fourth, Arica, had made his way on foot from Punta Arena -to Santa Cruz, without any knowledge of the country, and only guided by -a vague notion of the existence of the settlement to the north. He had -for twenty-seven days followed the line of the sea-coast, subsisting on -shell fish and sea-birds' eggs; the toil and hardships thus undergone -must have been indescribable, and his eventual safe arrival was a -miracle of patient endurance. He brought in news of the loss of a tender -to the schooner, a decked launch, in which Captain Warren and three men -had sailed from Staten Land and been no more heard of; of their fate -there was now little doubt, as he had found her dingy cast up on the -beach, and a piece of the mainsail out of which he had supplied himself -with clothes. - -The promising _eleve_ of the mission, Sam Slick, also accompanied -the party. Before his departure he offered to give a specimen of his -education by singing a hymn, with a broad hint that grog was a fitting -accompaniment; but as none was forthcoming, we lost the chance of being -edified by his performance. - -We watched the cavalcade till it disappeared in the distance on the -upper plains, and then returned to the station, where I settled -myself to pass the ensuing three months of the Patagonian winter. The -settlement or trading station of Santa Cruz consists of only three -houses, built on an island called 'Pabon,' marked as Middle Island, in -Islet Reach, in Fitzroy's chart. It is owned by Don Luiz P. Buena, who -holds by virtue of a grant from the Argentine Government, which has also -conferred on him the commission of captain in the navy, with power -to prevent all foreign sealers from trespassing on the valuable seal -fisheries on the coast. The island is about a mile and a half long, and -has an average breadth of some 350 yards. Access is obtained from the -south shore by a ford, about fifty yards across, only passable at low -water. The northern channel is wider and deeper, and the swiftness of -the current renders it impassable save by a boat, which is moored ready -to ferry over Indians desirous of trading, and is also useful for -bringing wood for fuel, which is not obtainable on the island. About a -hundred yards from the ford stands the principal house, substantially -built of bricks, with tiled roof, containing three rooms, and a sort of -porch to shelter a nine-pounder, commanding the entrance. It is further -defended by a stockade, over which floats the Argentine flag, and -beyond it a fosse, which is filled with water by the spring tides. The -object of these fortifications is to afford protection in case of the -Indians proving troublesome when under the influence of rum. Though -Mr. Clarke narrated some queer scenes he had witnessed, his excellent -management had hitherto obviated any danger, and the fairness of his -dealings with them had secured their friendship, a regular tariff with -equitable prices having been fixed, and scrupulously adhered to, by -which their barter of ostrich feathers and peltries was regulated; and -although they are keen bargainers, often spending two or three hours in -debating the price to be given, they appreciated the fairness with which -they were treated. A second house was situated about fifty yards off, -and being generally used as a store, bore the name of the Almacen: at -this time being empty, one room served as a sleeping-place for some -of the men, and the other had been given up for the accommodation of -Casimiro and his family. A third house, which stood at the eastern end -of the island, was unoccupied. Near it a small plot had been tilled, and -potatoes, turnips, and other vegetables had been successfully raised. -At the time of my visit no corn had been tried, but a subsequent -experimental sowing of one and a half fanegas[2] gave a field, though -little pains were bestowed on the crop, of twenty fanegas. As the lower -part of the island is liable to be overflowed at high springs, a ditch -had been cut across to drain off the water, and there was consequently -no lack of irrigation. The ground was covered with stunted bushes, and -the small spike-thorn round thistle, and coarse grass. The few sheep -appeared to thrive well, but decreased very sensibly in number during -the winter, as on days when game was scarce one fell a victim to the -ravenous appetite engendered by the keen air of Patagonia. A numerous -troop of horses grazed on the mainland, in a tract below the Southern -Barranca, called the 'Potrero,' where the grass, though coarse, grew in -rank luxuriance. When wanted for hunting, the entire stud was brought -across the river in the morning and driven into the corral; but -ordinarily one alone was kept on the island ready for emergencies. - - [2] A fanega contains 100 lbs. - -[Illustration: STATION ON PABON ISLAND, RIO SANTA CRUZ.] - -It should be mentioned that a small stock of cattle, and also some pigs, -had been imported; these, however, being necessarily left to graze on -the mainland, had wandered, and become wild; the cattle probably falling -victims to the Indian hunters; but the pigs will no doubt multiply, -and become the founders of a race of hogs, destined hereafter to -add pig-sticking to the amusements of the future settlers or of the -wandering Tehuelches. - -Above the island of Pabon there are several smaller islets, but as they -are liable to be overflowed by the highest tides, they cannot, without -artificial drainage, be made available for tillage. From one which had -been occupied and tilled with root-crops, we obtained a quantity of -well-grown turnips. It was a singular mistake of the Spaniards to form a -settlement at Port St. Julian and overlook the far superior advantages -presented by Santa Cruz. The plains and islands of the latter present -good grazing grounds and tillage lands, as well as a site for a town -secure from sudden Indian surprises; and as regards fitness for a -shipping station, there is no comparison between the two localities, -as ships can be beached at Santa Cruz in a sheltered place with the -flood-tide; while the timber, in search of which Viedma made his -expedition, was to be had in abundance by ascending the river. At the -present time the knowledge of the navigation of the Straits would make -it much easier and cheaper to import timber from Punta Arena than to -send lumberers into the Cordillera and raft the timber down to Santa -Cruz. - -Near the potrero, on the southern shore, there is a natural salt lake or -salina, which must have been overlooked by the Beagle expedition, as Mr. -Darwin fixes the southern limits of salinas at Port St. Julian. In the -summer, and until the winter rains and snow set in, an inexhaustible -supply of excellent salt can be obtained. It is at present worked only -to furnish, besides the salt for home use, what is required for the -annual sealing fishery; but if labour were more abundant, the salt -would be found to be a valuable article of export to the Falkland -Islands; the salina being situated less than half a mile from the beach, -where there is good anchorage. - -The river also yields abundant supplies of fish--a species of bass and -others--which when cured keep well: some which had been cured over -a year proved excellent. These might be profitably exported to Rio -Janeiro, &c., where cured fish are always in demand. - -Notwithstanding these natural advantages, Santa Cruz could hardly at -this period be considered a settlement. Subsequently to my visit, two -Frenchmen from Buenos Ayres proposed to try sheep farming in the valley, -but with what result I have not heard. As already mentioned, the station -existed as a depot for sealing, and as a trading post, to which the -Tehuelches resorted to exchange their ostrich feathers, and puma, -guanaco, and ostrich skins, for tobacco, sugar, ammunition, and above -all, rum. There was little or no trade going on during the absence of -the schooner, as all the stores had been exhausted; but after the summer -campaign some of the Tehuelches invariably resort thither, and the -vicinity has always been a favourite winter quarters. The missionaries, -Messrs. Schmid and Hart, endeavoured to avail themselves of this -opportunity for essaying the conversion and civilisation of the Indians. -They resided for some time in 1863 at a spot near Weddell Bluff, -about ten miles from the mouth of the river. To quote Mr. Sterling's -description, the station was at the mouth of a valley which 'retreats -towards the south-west for a considerable distance inland; a stream of -pure water flows perennially through it, and a broad belt of grass, -offering fine pasture for cattle, gives a cheerful, fertile aspect to -the low land; the hills on either side are intersected with ravines, or -lift up their bronzed faces out of some intervening dale, and refresh -the air with the aroma of shrubs and plants growing everywhere about -them.' - -This was written after a visit in the summer month of January, and -the picture drawn presents the landscape in its fairest colours; very -different from its bleak aspect as viewed by myself in the winter. This -valley still bears the name of Los Misionarios, but this is the only -existing trace of their settlement. Mr. Schmid, however, during his -sojourn and journeys with a party of the Indians, compiled a vocabulary -of the Tsoneca language, as spoken by the southern Tehuelches. Their -plan for establishing trade at Santa Cruz, in order to secure the -regular visits of the Indians, was not approved of by the managers -of the mission, and they were obliged to abandon the scene of their -praiseworthy but unsuccessful efforts--to instruct at least 'the little -bright-faced Patagonian children,' of whom they speak in their journals -with warm affection. - -The counter attractions of rum supplied by a trader who visited the -river were felt by Mr. Schmid to be very destructive of his influence, -but it cannot be doubted that their store, if established, would have -had no chance against any rival that supplied rum to his customers; for -though there are many exceptions, the Indians too eagerly expend the -spoils of their hunting and industry in liquor. Their wives, however, -when they accompany them, take care to manage their business with -discretion, and reserve sufficient stock to barter for more useful and -innocent luxuries as well as necessaries. There is no doubt that in -the event of the future development of this settlement, it might serve -as a _point d'appui_ to raise the Tehuelches to the level of a more -cultivated and settled mode of existence; but speculations on this point -are not within my province, and it is time to introduce the members -of the party with whom my winter was agreeably spent on the island of -Pabon. With Don Luiz P. Buena and his amiable and accomplished senora -I subsequently made acquaintance, which ripened into friendship; but -though his guest, I was at present personally unknown to him. In his -absence, his representative, Mr. Clarke, who, as already mentioned, was -an old acquaintance, did all he could to make me feel at home. He was a -handsome young fellow of twenty-five, and an excellent specimen of -the versatile and cosmopolitan New Englander, 'raised' in Salem, -Massachusetts, where he had been brought up as a builder, though he -afterwards 'shipped himself on board of a ship.' In his nautical life he -had been mate of the Snow Squall, in a homeward voyage from Shanghai, -when she was chased off the Cape of Good Hope by the Alabama, and but -for the pluck of the captain and crew, and the wonderful sailing powers -of the craft, another item would have been added to Mr. Adams's 'little -bill.' As it was, the beautiful vessel fairly outsailed the swift -steamer. The steadiness of the crew, and their well-deserved attachment -to the captain, were most strongly proved on this occasion. As there was -no alternative between putting in for water at St. Helena--where it was -too probable the Alabama would pounce upon the prize--and running home -upon half a pint per diem each man, the captain left it to the crew to -decide, and they chose the latter course. - -Mr. Clarke had spent three months travelling and hunting in company -with the Tehuelches, which had made him a most expert hand with lazo -or bolas, and well acquainted with the Indian character; and it was -pleasant to hear that he entertained a very high opinion of their -intelligence and generous dispositions. He treated them with fairness -and considerate kindness, and they repaid him by confidence and -friendship. - -Five other _employes_ made up the rest of our party. No social -distinctions, however, prevailed, and the inhabitants of Pabon lived -in pleasant equality. The charge of the dogs and horses, and the duty -of supplying meat, devolved on two: Gonzalez, a gaucho, a native -of Patagones, who was as much at home in the schooner on a sealing -excursion, as in the saddle balling an ostrich; and Juan Isidoro, a -swarthy little man whose sparkling black eyes told of his Indian blood, -a native of Santiago del Estero; he had been sent as a soldier to -Rio Negro, whence he had managed to desert, and make his way with -Orkeke's Indians to the settlement. Next comes Juan Chileno, a bright, -fresh-complexioned youth of nineteen years, to look at whom was -refreshing, after the swarthy and weather-beaten physiognomies of the -others. Then Antonio, a Portuguese, by turns gaucho, whaler, or sealer, -always ready with a song or a merry jest, and on occasion equally quick -with his knife. Holstein furnished the last, but by no means least -important; a strong-built, good-natured, rather stupid fellow, generally -selected as the butt of the rest, who always styled him 'El Cooke,' a -sobriquet earned by his many voyages in that capacity on board various -ships. Curiously enough he proved to possess information on a topic to -me of great interest, as he had been one of a party which, about a year -previous to my visit, had ascended the river Santa Cruz to its source. -The expedition was organised by an American well acquainted with the -Californian mining, who proposed to explore the mineral resources of the -valley. Unfortunately, during the ascent of the river, a quarrel broke -out, and the American left the others, and found his way alone to the -Indians, thence returning to Santa Cruz. The loss of the only man -capable of scientific observation rendered their journey almost useless; -still the party proceeded, and about midsummer reached the lake, near -which they remained some days, but were unable to penetrate the thick -forests beyond its shores. In the valley they found meat tins and other -traces of Fitzroy's expedition. El Cooke described the river as running -from the lake in many small streams, and flowing over a rocky bed. -The lake, which was covered with wild fowl, had floating ice upon it, -and large glaciers were visible in the neighbouring mountains, while -the weather experienced was cold, with continuous drizzling rain. -His account confirmed my own conjectures as to the cause of the great -difference between the periods of the highest floods in the Rio -Gallegos, which is at its height in December and January, and the Santa -Cruz, which is then at its lowest. This is owing to the lateness of the -period at which the ice breaks up in the lake Viedma, situated, as it -probably is, on a high plateau. About the lake the explorers found -traces of herds of large deer, and always in close proximity those of a -large fox or wolf, but they did not succeed in killing any. A specimen -of the only mineral brought back appeared to be iron pyrites embedded in -quartz. The journey from the lake to the settlement would require eleven -days for baggage horses, but could be performed by horsemen within four. -Of course the information was not too clear or reliable, but El Cooke, -though not brilliant, seemed to possess the Northern quality of telling -the truth, by the absence of which the Southern and Indian natures are, -to say the least of it, often characterised. El Cooke was fond of hard -work, and his greatest enjoyment was to set out in search of fuel, and -lay on with his axe in a way that would have done honour to a Canadian -lumberer, but was sadly thrown away on the incense bushes of Santa Cruz. - -All these men, who had drifted together from various quarters, and, if -truth be told, had all 'run,' for obvious reasons, from their own homes, -worked by turns at hunting, trading, sealing, and raising salt from -the Salina. They received a fixed salary, which, however, generally -proved to be balanced by an account with the store for clothes, &c. In -sealing expeditions all went shares, like our own mackerel and herring -fishermen; while for working at the Salina, extra pay was given and well -earned, especially at this time, since it involved sleeping out in the -open for several successive nights, and that in a Patagonian May. Such -were the companions of my residence at Pabon, besides whom more than -a score of dogs of all sorts slept anyhow and anywhere, and followed -anybody, giving their masters the preference. - -A short time after our arrival, Mr. Clarke took stock of the stores -of provision, which could not be replenished until the return of the -schooner. The result was that the amount of biscuits and sugar was -found to be about equal to a month's consumption. These articles were -accordingly divided into equal portions, and each man received his -share, to husband or improvidently use, according to his bent. There was -abundance of coffee, black beans, tobacco, and maize, which accordingly -were used at discretion. The next thing was to accumulate a good stock -of fuel before the snow should render it difficult, if not impossible, -to transport it. - -Every Sunday all hands except one--the cook of the week--left on guard, -went hunting, and, as occasion required, during the week, the gauchos -would proceed to supply the larder with guanaco or ostrich, the -latter being, however, rare. Idleness was unknown; when not hunting, -wood-cutting, or salt-raising, manufactures were the order of the day. -We picked stones and worked them round for bolas, and covered them -with the hide stripped from the hock of the guanaco, the soga or thong -connecting the balls being made from the skin of the neck, the method -of obtaining it being as follows:--The head having been cut off, and an -incision made just above the shoulder, the skin is dragged off in one -piece; and after the wool has been picked off, is softened by hand and -carefully cut into strips, which are closely plaited. Of this leather we -also made serviceable bridles, lazos, stirrup-leathers, and, in fact, -horse-gear generally. Sometimes we would have a fit of making pipes, -and all hands would be busy sawing out wood or hard at work boring the -bowls; at others, spurs were the rage, made by the simple Indian method -of sticking sharpened nails into two pieces of wood, secured together -by thongs fastened under the foot and round the leg; or again, we would -work silver, and come out with our knife-sheaths glittering with studs. -On non-hunting days, I invariably practised the use of the bolas, and -caught almost every shrub on the island. - -The evenings were passed in playing the American game of brag. Cash -being unknown, and no one being disposed to risk the loss of his gear, -the stakes were simply so many black beans to a box of matches; and -as much excitement prevailed as if each bean or perota had been a -five-dollar piece. - -Both in our hunting parties and in the house which he had been -allowed to occupy, though he occasionally visited the camp on the -Chico, I sedulously cultivated the acquaintance of Casimiro. Both the -missionaries and Her Majesty's surveyors have made frequent, and often -by no means honourable, mention of this Indian, who has always evinced a -wish to conciliate the friendship of the English visitors to Patagonia. -His history, as I learned it from himself, was a very curious one, and -aptly illustrates the conflicting claims of Chilians and Argentines, and -the confused politics of the Indians themselves, his father having been -killed in an engagement with the Araucanian or Manzaneros Indians. His -mother was a Tehuelche: being an inveterate drunkard, whilst visiting -the settlements of Rio Negro she bartered the child for a cask of rum to -the governor of the fort, a Frenchman named Viba, who was connected -with the slave-trade, for at that period Indians seem to have been made -slaves of as well as blacks. Viba had Casimiro christened--whence his -name Casimiro Viba--and brought up at the Estancia, or sheep-farm, where -he learnt to speak Spanish fluently. When thirteen years old he ran away -and rejoined the Tehuelches Indians, with whom he remained in obscurity -for some years, until being in the Southern district, near the Chilian -colony of Port Famine, he gained the friendship of one Santorin, a -native of Patagones, who had been taken captive by the Indians, but -having adopted their manners and customs, and marrying one of the tribe, -had risen to the position of a chief. Together these two performed -a voyage to Chili, to negotiate with the Government in some matters -regarding the protection of Port Famine from Indian raids. Santorin died -during the voyage, but Casimiro was well received at Santiago by the -then President, Senor Bulnes,[3] loaded with honours, and given the -rank, pay, and rations of captain in the army. He then returned to Port -Famine, where he resided, off and on, for some time. By his own account, -he was absent on a hunting excursion when the _emeute_ took place which -resulted in the destruction of the colony. The old wandering habits -appeared to have taken possession of him, for he subsequently returned -to the Rio Negro, and having entered the service of the Buenos Ayrean -Government, again proceeded to the South. During this time he resided -occasionally with the missionaries, during their journey in the South, -and at their station at Santa Cruz, and entrusted to them his two sons -for the purpose of education. The missionaries soon discovered that his -objects were purely selfish, and that he had no idea of allowing others -to participate in the advantages they could offer; and I am afraid that -the labour and cost bestowed on the boys were thrown away, as neither -of them appeared to have profited much by their chances. Sam, indeed, -could still sing a hymn if there were grog to the fore, and had a lively -recollection of material advantages, often saying, 'He was good man, -give me gun,' &c. But the youngest, 'Graviel,' who also understood -a little English, was one of the laziest of the lazy, and had very -undefined notions as to _meum_ and _tuum_, as personal experience -taught me. - - [3] Casimiro gave the name as 'Bourne.' - -In 1865 Casimiro made a voyage to Buenos Ayres, where the Government -on this occasion recognised him as head chief of the Tehuelches, and -assigned him the rank and pay of Lieut.-Colonel in the Argentine Army. -He was then despatched, in company with an Argentine named Mendoza, to -form a settlement at Gregorio Bay. They travelled by land as far as -Santa Cruz, at which place Mendoza disappeared, being supposed to have -lost himself, but in reality having been killed by an Indian, jealousy -being, I believe, the cause of the murder. With his right-hand man gone, -Casimiro abandoned himself to drinking, a habit which, as Mr. Cunningham -mentions, he had before acquired--perhaps by hereditary development--and -ultimately became reduced to the state of poverty in which I found him, -owning but two horses for himself, his wife, daughter, and son, with -hardly any gear. Indeed, he would have been reduced to great straits but -for the kindness of Don Luiz and Mr. Clarke, who, for old acquaintance -sake, helped him as much as possible; though his habitual drunkenness -made it useless to give him anything valuable whilst there was liquor to -be had, as he would exchange anything for drink. As it was my object to -have a friend in camp, I made friends with him, and tried to induce him -to go north to the Rio Negro, which he at length agreed to do, although -he was in great fear of getting into trouble about the loss or death of -Mendoza. This man when sober was quick and intelligent, and a shrewd -politician. His extensive connections by marriage with all the chiefs, -including Rouke and Calficura, gave him considerable influence. He was -also an expert worker in various Indian arts, such as making saddles, -pipes, spurs, lazos, and other gear. He was a powerfully built man, -standing fully six feet in his potro boots, with a not unpleasing -expression of face, although he had a scar or two which did not add -to his beauty. Of his personal bravery ample proof will afterwards be -given; but, like all drunkards, he was uncertain and not to be depended -on. This veritable old Blue Beard informed me that he had been married -six times; certainly, if all his wives were of the appearance and -disposition of his last venture, it is not to be wondered at if he -disposed of the former ones; for an uglier, dirtier, more contumacious -old hag never burdened the earth with her weight, owing probably to -which latter quality, or quantity, she never, if she could possibly help -it, quitted her room. Early in June an Indian, known in Santa Cruz as El -Sourdo, or the left-handed man, came across the river and pitched his -toldo on the island. He was the husband of two wives, who lived together -in perfect felicity and took care of one another's children. This Indian -was, as most of them are, very ingenious in working wood and silver, and -was a good addition to our hunting parties; he also quickly learned to -play at brag. Casimiro would never descend from his lofty pinnacle of -self-importance so far as to enter the kitchen when the general revels -were held, but occasionally joined Mr. Clarke and myself at supper and -sat telling stories for an hour or two. - - * * * * * - -The sketch of our life at Pabon would be very incomplete without asking -the reader to accompany us on a hunting excursion; so I will describe -one which took place after El Sourdo had arrived on the island. Game had -become very scarce in our immediate vicinity, and our only farinaceous -food was black beans varied by maize, which was too troublesome in the -preparation to be much used. The meat went wonderfully quickly, so we -determined to extend the sphere of the hunting a little more a-field. -Accordingly, one fine frosty morning at daylight, the horses were -brought up, caught, and saddled; mantles and spurs donned, and eight of -us, including the two Indians, Casimiro and El Sourdo, set off to make a -circle, i.e. enclose and drive an area of land on the southern shore of -the river, finishing at the Missionaries' Valley. Casimiro and Gonzalez -accordingly started, and the remainder followed in turn. During our -drive down, one guanaco was captured by El Sourdo and Isidoro, and on -our arrival near the valley of Los Misionarios I chased a guanaco, but, -being without dogs and a tyro with the bolas, failed to capture him. -However, on rejoining my companions, who had now finished the circle, -I found that they had only killed one ostrich, which, through the -carelessness of some of the party, the dogs had mauled to such an extent -as to render the greater part of the meat unserviceable. The day had -been unusually warm, without any wind. Though a bank of white clouds on -the horizon seemed to threaten snow, it was agreed to camp out and try -our chance of getting a good supply of meat on the following day; so we -proceeded to a sheltered place in the valley, and bivouacked under the -lee of a big incense bush, while the horses were turned loose, and a -fire was made, on which the remains of the ostrich were soon cooking -under the master hand of Casimiro. After supper, which was rather -stinted in quantity, we smoked a pipe and lay down to sleep. About three -I woke up, feeling, as I thought, a heavy weight pressing on my mantle, -and found that above two inches of snow had fallen and that it was still -snowing. At daylight it came on to rain, but quickly changed to snow -again; so we made a fire and waited for an hour to see if the weather -would clear. At last, on a gleam of sickly sunshine appearing, we -proceeded to arrange the circle, Casimiro starting first. Emerging from -the valley and ascending to the high pampa, we met a terrific gale of -wind from the south, driving before it small snow in freezing blasts; -but two ostriches jumped up from behind a bush, and Mr. Clarke balled -one of them with great dexterity. This was very cheering, as we were all -very hungry. But, as it was impossible to face the driving sleet and -wind, which prevented us from seeing ten yards before us, we adjourned -to the valley, leaving Casimiro, who was not visible, to his own -pursuits. Suddenly El Sourdo discovered smoke behind a clump of trees, -and, to our great delight, there was our friend before a good fire, -nicely sheltered from snow and wind, within an arbour neatly cut out -of a bush. We adjourned to the fire and had breakfast; invigorated by -which, and encouraged by a lull in the storm, we started off to renew -the chase, but soon got separated by the thick snow-storm. Mr. Clarke, -El Sourdo, Gonzalez, and myself, who were together, came close upon a -herd of guanaco, making for the coast to escape the gale. The dogs gave -chase and killed some, others were balled; in fact a regular slaughter -took place, and eight or ten carcases were soon lying on the plain. Now -came the tedious job of cutting up. I found myself standing alone by a -dead guanaco, none of the others being visible, though not fifty yards -distant. I proceeded as best I could to arrange the meat, and was about -half through the task, with fingers nearly frozen, when I discovered Mr. -Clarke and El Sourdo, and shortly after it cleared up, and the remainder -of our party, all loaded with meat, arrived. Thus supplied, we turned -our faces homewards, and arrived at Santa Cruz a little before sundown, -where a steaming kettle of coffee soon dispelled our cold and put us -into good spirits. - -Mr. Darwin and Admiral Fitzroy have thoroughly described the -configuration of the Valley of Santa Cruz and its surroundings, so -that a lengthened attempt to portray it is not necessary. I would -particularly refer the reader to the accurate and picturesque -description by the former of the bench formation which causes the -western part of the environs of the river to present the appearance of -the shores of former successive estuaries--of a vast river or fiord. - -Near the settlement the ascent of the Southern Barranca immediately -leads to a level plain extending for the space of a couple of miles; -then there is another rise of perhaps fifty feet, and another plain, -which extends for about the space of a league to a range of successive -ridges, which we called the Blue Hills from their peculiar appearance on -clear days. These, eastwards, lose their elevations, and merge into the -undulations of the high Pampa and a rolling cheerless waste of stones, -coarse grass, and incense bushes; its uneven surface often traversed by -ravines running in various directions. Amongst these hills there is a -large lagoon which Casimiro informed me he used to visit whilst residing -with the missionaries for the purpose of procuring wild fowl, of which -there were then great numbers, but they had latterly given up this -resort. There are other lagoons scattered at intervals in the -before-mentioned plains, which, during the winter, were frozen, and -the beautifully smooth ice often caused Mr. Clarke and myself to long -for a pair of skates; indeed, we tried to manufacture a pair, but -without success. - -Towards the sea coast from the Blue Hills the slope appears gradual, -until nearing the coast, when the plain is intersected by gullies and -deep fertile valleys, which render hunting very tedious work, as it is -necessary to trust almost entirely to the dogs. Game abounds in this -direction, especially during the winter. We made numerous excursions up -river, generally staying away from the settlement three or four days, -our favourite rendezvous being a place about sixty miles distant, called -'Chickrookaik,' marked by Fitzroy as an Indian Ford or Pass of the river -Santa Cruz, which statement both El Sourdo and Casimiro confirmed. At -this point the river narrows considerably, and on the south side there -are steep cliffs almost overhanging the water, a cave in which cliffs -was always a sure find for a puma. Both above and below this point are -large wide plains extending from the 'banks' or cliffs to the river, -which may easily be encircled; and the game being hemmed in between the -horsemen and the river are readily captured. Sometimes the ostriches -take to the water, but in the winter this saves trouble, as their legs -get frozen, and on landing they are unable to move. We made an excursion -on one occasion some miles higher up the river, and found abundance of -game. We had previously on our road had good luck, but, as is often the -custom, left the slain animals concealed in bushes, with a poncho or -something over them. During the interval of our absence severe weather -set in, and on returning to examine our _caches_ the foxes and birds -of prey had accounted for the meat. The foxes are a great trouble to -the hunters, as, frequently, whilst they are encircling the herds of -guanaco, and taking the greatest care to keep out of sight, one of these -brutes will jump up, the dogs give chase, and then good-bye to all -chance of sport. Fitzroy remarked the number of guanaco bones found in -his ascent of the river Santa Cruz, which appear to have puzzled him, -but the cause is not far to seek. During the very severe winters which -occur I believe about once in three years, these animals, finding no -pasture on the high lands, which are covered with snow, are necessarily -driven down to the plains fringing the river, where they die from -starvation. There is also a disease prevalent amongst them something -similar to scab in sheep. On one occasion a hunting party killed ten -guanacos, all of which were scabby, or, as we called it, 'sanoso;' and, -consequently, unfit for food. Mr. Clarke told me that after one severe -winter he found ostriches lying in heaps, dead under the bushes, and -also guanacos. The difficulty of getting the horses across the swift and -deep stream, with its banks encumbered by ice, prevented us from making -frequent excursions to the northern side of the river. A level plain -extends from the banks for about a mile, bounded by a chain of irregular -hills; near the foot of these I picked up many specimens of a spiral -shell, apparently a Turritella, which appeared to have been vitrified; -and some were as translucent as glass, and of different colours. Beyond -these hills rolled a succession of uneven plains diversified by ridges -and hills; the general slope of the ground being apparently from west to -east, and the hills towards the west often assumed the form of abrupt -lofty cliffs. Near a laguna at the foot of a cliff a hundred feet high -I found boulders incrusted with sulphate of iron, such as had been -pointed out to me in the Falklands, and numerous oyster shells and other -marine shells occurred in various localities. There are no streams, but -frequent lagoons in the hollows, and surrounded by a luxuriant growth of -incense bushes. The unbroken plains abound in round thistle, califate, -and the curious shrub called 'ratstail,' from the appearance of its -twigs when the thick bark is pulled off. When burned it emits a dense -black resinous smoke. To the north the horizon is bounded by a lofty -range of hills which form the barrier of the valley of the Rio Chico, -about sixty miles distant. These northern hills abounded with puma, some -of which, killed in our hunts, were of unusual size, measuring fully six -feet exclusive of the tail, which is generally half the length of the -body. They are, of course, most numerous where the herds of guanaco and -the ostriches abound; in the southern part of Patagonia their colour is -more of a greyish-brown than that of the species found in the Argentine -Provinces. These 'Leones,' as they are universally called in South -America, always appeared to me to be the most cat-like of all the -felidae. They are very timid, always running from a man on horseback, -and, by day at least, from a pedestrian; they run for a short distance -in a series of long bounds, at great speed, but soon tire and stand at -bay behind or in the midst of a bush, and sitting upon their haunches, -spit and swear just like a monstrous tabby; sometimes endeavouring -to scratch with their formidable claws, but rarely springing at the -pursuer. Mr. Clarke on one occasion had his mantle torn off in this -manner. At another time, when hunting in the vicinity of Santa Cruz, -I observed from a distance Gonzalez hacking with his knife at a big -incense bush, and, on reaching the spot, found him occupied in clearing -away branches to allow him to knock a huge puma on the head with his -bolas. He was dismounted and attended by his dogs, which bayed the -animal. Still, had the puma not been a cur, he could doubtless have -sprung out and killed or severely wounded the gaucho. The Indians affirm -that the puma will attack a single man alone and on foot, and, indeed, -subsequently, an example of this came under my notice; however, if a -person should be benighted or lost, he has only to take the precaution -of lighting a fire, which these animals will never approach. They are -most savage in the early part of the spring or breeding season, when, -according to my experience, they are found roaming over the country in -an unsettled manner; they are then also thinner than at other times, -but, like the wild horse, they are generally pretty fat at all times of -the year. The females I saw were sometimes accompanied by two cubs, but -never more. The meat of the puma resembles pork, and is good eating, -though better boiled than roasted, but one or two Indians of my -acquaintance would not touch the meat. The hide is useful either for -saddle-cloths or to make mantles of; and owing to its greasy nature it -can be softened with less trouble than that of the guanaco. In Santa -Cruz one of the men had a pair of trousers made of lion's skin, which -worn with the hair side out was impervious to wet. From the hock and -lower part of the hind legs boots may be constructed similar to those -made from horse hide, and in common use amongst the Indians and also -the gauchos of Plata. These, however, are only made from pumas of large -size, and they wear out very quickly. To kill a puma with a gun is -rather a difficult matter, as, unless the ball enters his skull, or -strikes near the region of the heart, he has as many lives as his -relation the cat. I once put three revolver bullets into one, and -ultimately had recourse to the bolas as a more effective weapon. When -wounded they become very savage, but they are at all times bad customers -for dogs, which they maul in a shocking manner. The Indian dogs are -trained to stand off and bay them, keeping out of range of the claws; -nevertheless they not unfrequently get killed. Perhaps the simplest way -of taking the pumas is to throw a lazo over them, as directly they feel -the noose they lie down as if dead, and are easily despatched. I was -particularly struck, as are all hunters, with their eyes, large, brown, -and beautifully bright, but with a fierce glare that does not appeal to -any feelings of compassion. I shall never forget the expression in -the eyes of one puma, best described by the remark made by one of the -Indians as he reined back his horse, expecting a spring: 'Mira los ojos -del diablo!' ('Look, what devil's eyes!') - -One expedition on the northern shore was long remembered and talked of -over the fire; and, indeed, might easily have had a very disastrous -conclusion. - -Towards the latter end of July I proposed to Mr. Clarke that we should -proceed on foot, and investigate more closely the bed of fossil shells -mentioned as situated on the hills about a mile from the north bank of -the river. Accordingly, one morning we prepared to cross the river, -and the remainder of the men, hearing of our intentions, volunteered, -together with El Sourdo, to accompany us, and, after having visited the -hills, to organise a hunting circle on foot: we started about sunrise -and crossed the river to the north side, where we secured the boat above -high-water mark; we then all proceeded to the hills, investigated the -beds of fossil shells, and gathered many beautiful specimens. The hunt -was then formed, so many dogs being apportioned to each person, and -the circle being directed to close on a point on the bank of the river -about three or four miles west of the settlement. The ground was very -favourable for our operations, as the dips, or slightly-depressed -valleys, hid us from the view of the game. On emerging on the plain at -different points we saw several guanacos and some ostriches; and those -nearest them slipped their hounds, following on foot at their topmost -speed. Mr. Clarke, Isidoro, El Sourdo, and myself were in the centre, -and killed amongst us two guanacos and an ostrich. Antonio, who was -pointsman, disappeared to the westward with El Cooke, following their -dogs in full chase of a herd of guanacos. Our party lit a fire, ate the -ostrich, and conveyed what meat we thought advisable to take back with -us towards the boat, following the river bank, which was strewn in -many places with cornelians and flint-agates, and occasionally with -fossilised shells. On our arrival at the boat we launched her down the -beach, and, as the wind had by this time risen to a severe gale and the -tide was rapidly ebbing, watched anxiously for the return of the two -defaulters; for the navigation of the river is at no time very easy, -and when the tide is low, even in daylight, nearly impracticable. At -length, after dark, when the squalls of bitterly-cold wind had become -very violent, we saw fires in the distance, and, almost half an hour -afterwards, our missing men appeared, each with a load of meat on his -shoulders. They arrived considerably exhausted, so we gave them a rest, -and then dogs and all got into the boat and we shoved off, Mr. Clarke -steering. We proceeded all right for a few yards, and then stuck on a -bank; after several ineffectual efforts to shove the boat off, we all -jumped into the water and fairly hove her over the bank until the water -was up nearly to our shoulders, and then got in and pulled across. Owing -to the violence of the wind and the strength of the current, we only -succeeded in landing fully three-quarters of a mile from the house; -here we secured the boat, and ran up as fast as we could to get our -now frozen clothes off and a drink of hot coffee. We all agreed that -on another expedition it would be advisable either to encamp on the -northern shore until daylight, or come back early enough to be able -to get across while it was possible to see the banks. But the general -conclusion was, not to go again at all. - -The weather in July was intensely cold, the lowest reading of the -thermometer, which was duly examined every morning, being 8 deg. Washing -our clothes became impossible, as during the process the water froze -and the garments became stiff as boards. When crossing the ford, if the -potro boots of the rider happened, as was not unfrequently the case, to -get filled with water, in a few minutes not only were the boots coated -with ice, but the inside resembled an ice-pail. The effect of the river -ice piled up on the shore by the tides was very striking. Huge floes -had accumulated to the height of fifteen feet and upwards, and, besides -rendering the passage difficult, had buried the carefully-stacked -wood-pile under a small mountain of ice. This was in the comparatively -sheltered valley. On the Pampas, when the fierce south wind blew, as -it almost invariably did, it seemed impossible to face it and live. -One attempt made nearly resulted in Gonzalez being overcome by the -sleep which is a forerunner of death, and the horses of all the party -absolutely could not advance. The snow lay eighteen inches deep, and we -had flattered ourselves that the guanaco and ostrich would prove an easy -prey. _They_ could not run--but _we_ could not chase, and were thankful -to make our way, slowly and laboriously, down from the desolate and -storm-swept Pampas. - -The Indians from the Rio Chico occasionally visited us, and Orkeke's -objections to my company were gradually giving way. He had probably -feared that an English Senor would require a considerable amount of -attention, and give constant trouble; but during our intercourse he -found that the stranger could (and did) groom his own horse, and wait -on himself generally, as well as take his part in whatever was being -done, even to sleeping out with no shelter but the ample guanaco mantle. -Casimiro also, according to promise, visited the camp, and argued in my -favour, finally obtaining from the chief a somewhat reluctant permission -for me to join his party. Towards the end of July some of his Indians -had come to the settlement to inform us that the scarcity of game in -their vicinity had compelled them to shift their quarters to a place -higher up the Rio Chico. They anxiously enquired if the schooner had -arrived; we were as eagerly looking for her, but day after day passed, -and the looked-for boat did not appear. - -On the 24th of July everybody had gone hunting, except Juan Chileno (who -was cook for the week), and myself, whom a hurt received in my foot -had compelled to remain quiet. I was employed reading a book, 'Charles -Dashwood,' for perhaps the twentieth time, when Juan came in to say that -the hunting party had returned. As it was only ten o'clock, my first -idea was that the schooner had arrived with Don Luiz. However, this was -dispelled by Juan, who had gone out to reconnoitre, rushing in with the -news that ten Chilians had arrived on the south side with twenty-one -horses. Shortly afterwards Mr. Clarke himself came in and corroborated -the intelligence. These men proved to be deserters, who had escaped by -night from Punta Arena, taking with them nearly all the horses in the -corral. They had left on the 2nd of July at 2 A.M. Four of the number -were those previously recaptured in Santa Cruz, who had been kept in -irons and closely confined at night; but by a supreme effort they had -broken their chains, and, together with the others who had everything -arranged outside the cuartel, had effected their escape. The sufferings -these men must have undergone during the twenty-two days' journey over -the Pampas, exposed without shelter to the fierce winds, and sometimes -with the snow up to their horses' girths, must have been something -frightful, and many of them were frost bitten. It was out of the -question for us to receive them, as our own supplies were failing, and -in truth we congratulated ourselves on the horses being secured in the -corral, and anxiously watched the movements of the new comers. The party -during the afternoon succeeded in crossing the river to the north side, -swimming their horses; and disappeared in the direction of the Rio -Chico. - -By this time even the kind companionship of Mr. Clarke failed to -reconcile me to the tedious monotony of our life. The game also became -scarcer and scarcer, and the chance of the schooner's coming appeared so -indefinite, that at the beginning of August I began to think it would -be better and more amusing to migrate to the Indian camp, where, at any -rate, plenty of meat was procurable. Accordingly, when the Indians came -over again on a visit on the 7th of August, I bought a horse, or rather -changed away a revolver for one (a three year old, newly broken), and -started in company with Orkeke, Campan, Cayuke, and Tankelow, four -Indians, all of whom were previous acquaintances. Casimiro followed with -his family, taking one of the horses from Santa Cruz to assist in the -transport of his household. This horse was one I had been accustomed to -ride in Santa Cruz, and on arriving at the Indian camp was lent me as -a second horse. Shortly after passing the first hills on the northern -side, our party not being burdened with women and children, started off -at a hand canter, which was kept up until a puma suddenly sprang out of -a bush, when chase was immediately given; he, however, got into a thick -tangle of incense bushes, from which we tried in vain to dislodge him, -and although pelted with stones he lay there spitting like a great cat. -Cayuke wished to fire the bush, but Orkeke would not waste time, so we -mounted and proceeded on our journey. We continued riding over plains -and ridges until about 4 P.M., when we reached a large laguna, close to -which grew some high coarse grass and shrubs; here several ostriches -were started, and one killed by Orkeke. On reaching the range of hills -before described as the southern barrier of the valley of the Rio Chico, -we halted, and shortly had the ostrich cooking on a good fire. We looked -back for Casimiro, but could not see him, so after supper and a smoke -pursued our journey by the soft light of a young moon. As I pointed -it out to my companions they all saluted it by putting their hands to -their heads, at the same time muttering some unintelligible words. This -reminded me of the English custom of turning money at first seeing the -new moon. We rode on until about 9 P.M., when we reached the Indian -encampment. We had been previously puzzled by seeing fires burning a -considerable distance up the valley, and found that our chief, Camillo, -had already marched in that direction. One of the first persons who -accosted me was Arica, and I shortly discovered that all the Chilians -were installed with the Indians in different toldos, which was rather -an unpleasant surprise. I was ushered into Orkeke's toldo with due -ceremony, and we took our seats by the fire. I had brought a bag of -coffee with me, so we set to work and roasted some, after which one of -the Chilians was given the task of pounding it between stones, and we -all drank what the Indians not inappropriately term 'potwater.' Many -Indians crowded in to have a look at us, and amongst others that I -noticed was a remarkably pretty little girl of about thirteen years of -age, a niece of Orkeke's, who took some coffee when offered in a shy -and bashful manner which was delightful to contemplate. In due time we -all retired to rest, and a little before daylight I was woke up by the -melodious singing of an Indian in the next toldo. Shortly afterwards -Orkeke went out and harangued the inmates of the remaining toldos, and -presently the horses were brought up, and most of the men started for -the chase. Snow had fallen during the night, a biting cold wind was -blowing, and Orkeke told me there were very few animals about. I -took this as a hint not to ask for a horse, so contented myself with -sauntering round and examining the encampment. Some of the men were -playing cards, one or two sleeping, whilst the women were almost -universally employed in sewing guanaco mantles. About 3 P.M. Casimiro -arrived with his family, and proceeded to the tent of a southern Indian, -named Crime, and shortly afterwards the hunting party returned by twos -and threes, but the chase had not been attended with much success. We -passed the evening pleasantly enough, making acquaintance with each -other, and Keoken, the little girl, instructed me in the Indian names of -the various objects about the place. Next morning the order was suddenly -given to march. As this was totally unexpected, and I was not prepared -for departure, I made up my mind to return at once to Santa Cruz, and -fetch my clothes and other small articles; also to take back a colt, -promised by an Indian called 'Tchang' to Mr. Clarke. After some little -difficulty, as the Indians did not wish me to go alone for fear of -getting lost, or any other mischance befalling me, Graviel, the youngest -son of Casimiro, started with me. We had to take the colt, what a sailor -would term, in tow, that is, drag it for some distance with a lazo. As -Graviel's horse was shy, this work fell to my share. Shortly after the -start, rain, or rather sleet, came on, and the contrariness of the brute -at the end of the lazo claiming all my attention, I could not manage to -keep my mantle tight round my shoulders, and getting thoroughly wet, and -losing one of my knives, cursed Tchang, colt and all, freely. After a -short time, however, when well out of sight of the Indians, I cast off -the towing line, and we drove our 'bete noire' before us. We returned by -a different route to the one travelled on the outward journey, guided -a good deal by my pocket compass. Towards nightfall, deceived by the -appearance of a hill, I flattered myself that we were near Santa Cruz. -But, alas! it was still miles away, and we got into fresh difficulties -with our charge, which, being tired, absolutely refused to go down the -hill, and had to be taken 'in tow' again and dragged along, and it must -have been nine or ten before we reached the banks of the river. Here, -after unsaddling our horses, we vainly attempted to kindle a fire, but -everything, like ourselves, was so saturated with snow and wet that -all attempts were fruitless; so, fairly tired out, and without fire or -supper, we laid down under a bush, and, ensconced under our mantles, -were soon in the land of dreams. - -Next morning Graviel acted like a dutiful boy for once in his life, and -left in search of the horses. Meanwhile the boat came over, and I was -anxious to expedite matters; so, after splashing barefooted through -several yards of sharp-edged ice on my way to the boat, which had -grounded some distance from the shore, I got over to the island, where -I was not sorry to get something to eat and a fire to warm my frozen -limbs. I packed up my few things, ready for a start later on; but when -the flood-tide made, a heavy gale of wind sprang up, and it was with -great difficulty that the boat could bring over Graviel and the colt. -The cheerful news also awaited me that my horse was missing, and that -Graviel and El Cooke had seen a large puma on the river bank, which had -probably watched in close proximity to us whilst sleeping the night -before. Owing to the gale, it was impossible to cross that evening, so -we made up our minds to stop and sleep on the island. - -Next day, my horse not appearing, Mr. Clarke lent me one, sending -Isidoro to bring the horse back, in the event of our not meeting with -the missing steed. About 4 P.M. I bid adieu to my friend, whose kindness -during my stay had proved him a friend indeed. Having shaken hands with -the remainder of the boys, who one and all heartily wished me luck, we -started; and after vainly searching for the missing horse, rode on till -about 10 P.M., when we halted and bivouacked by the side of a laguna. -Next morning early we arrived at the Rio Chico, which we crossed on the -ice, and about 2 P.M. reached the toldos. The men were away hunting, the -smoke of their fires being visible, rising from the higher plains to the -northward. As we had eaten nothing since our supper the night before, -which was furnished by a small skunk (which, though very palatable, was -unfortunately very thin), we were in urgent need of something to eat, -and Arica hastened to cook some guanaco meat on the asador or iron spit. - -When the hunters arrived, Orkeke gruffly asked Isidoro what he had -come for, and seemed, naturally enough, the reverse of pleased at the -information of the loss of his horse; and, altogether, the old chief's -behaviour did not seem auspicious; but, without appearing to notice it, -I made myself at home in the toldo, and took up my quarters as one of -the family. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE RIO CHICO. - - Breaking up of the Camp. -- An Idle Day. -- A Rash Start. -- A - Dilemma. -- Alone on the Pampa. -- Reunion. -- The Kau or - Toldo. -- The Domestic Interior. -- The Indian Tribes. -- Three - Races. -- Order of the March. -- The Hunt. -- Indian Game Law. - -- Tehuelche Cookery. -- Basaltic Hills. -- An Indian Festival. - -- My First Tehuelche Ball. -- Mrs. Orkeke's Spill. -- Fording - Rio Chico. -- A Battle. -- Death of Cuastro. -- Dangerous - Times. -- Chilian Conspiracy. -- Obsidian Plain and Pass. -- - First Ostrich Eggs. -- Amakaken. -- Lifting the Boulder. -- The - Devil's Country. -- God's Hill. -- Condors and Dinner. -- - Sunrise on the Cordillera. -- The Plague Herald. -- Gelgel Aik. - -- Escape from Matrimony. -- Tele. -- Eyes of the Desert. -- - Preparations for War. -- Another Fight. -- Water Tigers. -- - Indian Bravoes. -- Iron Ores. -- Ship Rock. -- Perch Fishing. - -- Appley-kaik. -- Casimiro's Escape. -- Arrival at Henno. - - -The morning after we had rejoined the Indian camp was marked by a -general breaking up of the party. Camillo and some others had already -left, and by this time were several marches in advance; Orkeke and -Isidoro started off to Santa Cruz, in search of the lost horse, and -charged with some little commissions for me. Finally, Casimiro and all -the rest broke up their encampment and started, intending to overtake -Camillo. Before leaving, Casimiro came to me, and affecting great -interest in my welfare, confidentially urged me to accompany himself and -live as an inmate of his (or rather Crime's) toldo, adding that he had -been informed that Orkeke had no real intention of marching northward, -but designed to keep me in his toldo until, by some means or other, he -could possess himself of my arms and ammunition. As I saw no reason to -believe this story, I declined to comply with the proposal of Casimiro, -who, having consoled himself by begging a little coffee, took his -departure, and the encampment was reduced to the toldo, of which I was -to consider myself an inmate, and another, belonging to the only Indians -who remained--Tankelow, Orkeke's brother, and his son, a youth of about -eighteen. Besides these, there were three of the Chilian deserters -who as narrated had escaped from Punta Arena; one was attached to the -household of Tankelow, and the other two to that of Orkeke. One of these -was Arica, already mentioned, who being a very clever worker in hide, -had employed himself in adorning saddles and bridles for the Indians, by -which he had acquired a pretty good stock of gear. The condition of all -three was, however, not enviable. They had lowered themselves at first -by volunteering to discharge the drudgery of fetching wood and water, -and by this time were little better than slaves, obliged to perform -the menial offices, which before had been the task of the women. -These fair creatures, headed by Mrs. Orkeke--a young woman almost six -feet in height, and displaying a corresponding breadth across the -shoulders--employed themselves in cutting out and sewing guanaco -mantles, weaving fillets for the head, and chattering. Tankelow and his -son presently started for a hunt; but as I was not offered a mount, and -deemed it more reasonable to give my only charger a good rest and feed, -I could only accompany them to the river, the frozen surface of which -they crossed, and disappeared up a canyon that led up the Barranca, on -the northern limit of the valley, to the Upper Pampa. Having wistfully -watched them, I reconnoitred the valley of the Rio Chico. Behind me, to -the south-east, the river wound through plains covered with withered -coarse grass, some eighteen inches high, extending on either bank for -several miles till terminated by the rising barranca. Snow lay here -and there in patches on some of the higher ground, and increased the -dreariness of the prospect. About two leagues below the river divided -into two branches, which reunited beyond an island of some extent. -Looking up river in a north-westerly direction, the valley soon narrowed -in, the southern barranca sloping down to within a couple of miles of -our camp; and the view was closed by two remarkable hills resembling -fortresses, which seemed to stand on guard on either side. I made a -slight sketch of the outlines of the view, which forms the background of -the hunting scene.[4] Having strolled back to the toldo, I was greeted -by the women with the usual demand, 'Mon aniwee'--Anglice, 'Lend us the -pipe,' which was duly charged and handed round. We then sat and watched -the proceedings of Keoken, Tankelow's pretty little daughter, just -budding into womanhood, and a small boy to whom I gave the name of -Captain John, who were amusing themselves by catching and riding some of -the horses which were tamer than the others. The urchins soon grew tired -of their equestrian feats; and, prompted by the spirit of mischief, -which seems ever to haunt children, and especially Indian boys, came -and begged a match of me. Not suspecting their purpose, I gave them the -coveted prize, with which they hurried off in high delight, and in -a very few minutes had set fire to the rank, withered herbage, some -distance off the toldo, but to the windward. The conflagration was at -first unnoticed by us; but at dusk, when Tankelow returned from hunting, -with a supply of meat, it was palpably dangerous. So all hands had to -set to work, and by dint of tearing up the grass, with great trouble we -stopped its progress, which if aided by a breeze in the night would very -probably otherwise have consumed the toldo and endangered the inmates. -Of the culprits no notice was taken, the occurrence being apparently -regarded as all in the day's work. After our supper off guanaco meat, -and a smoke, I turned in, and slept soundly on my Tehuelche bed of hides -and bolsters which had been carefully arranged by the tall hostess. - - [4] Frontispiece. - -The next day was got through by having a thorough 'wash' of my clothes, -and cultivating a closer acquaintance with the Chilian Arica, from whom -I obtained a dog in exchange for an old guanaco mantle. But as on the -third day no signs of the return of Orkeke appeared, the inaction became -insupportable, so after the departure on a hunting excursion of Tankelow -and his son, Arica and myself determined to start in pursuit of Casimiro -and his party. As Arica had no horse, it would be necessary for us to -ride and tie; but even thus we could make quick travelling. Accordingly -at 2 P.M. we started, much to the astonishment of the ladies, who -protested that we were certain to lose our way or be killed by the -pumas. One old lady, Orkeke's sister, after trying in vain to dissuade -us, presented me with a slice of charqui, which with a few handfuls of -coffee formed our stock of provisions. That day we did not get very far; -but in the next march, as the track of the Indians was plain, we had -made thirty miles by the time we halted, at nightfall, at a place where -another valley from the northward joined that of the Rio Chico. Our -charqui had barely sufficed for an evening meal, so this day we -satisfied our appetites with a supply of the tuberous roots of a -plant which grows in great quantities in most parts of Patagonia. - -[Illustration: HUNTING GUANACO AND OSTRICH, VALLEY OF RIO CHICO.] - -The plant, which in its growth resembles very closely the balsam bog -of the Falkland Islands, and might be easily taken for it but for the -absence of the gum, which perhaps was attributable to the quality of the -soil or the season of the year, is easily recognisable by its mass of -tiny green leaflets, and presents the appearance of a small hillock of -earth crowned with delicate moss. By digging down into the heap, one -large and several small tuberous roots are found, which when roasted in -the ashes prove sufficiently palatable to hungry men. - -We went to sleep in the open air, rolled up in our guanaco mantles, but -awoke to find that a heavy fall of snow had covered everything a foot -deep, and totally hidden all trail of the Indians. In this dilemma, -quite uncertain which of the two valleys to ascend, and feeling -extremely cold, we first looked out for a place of shelter. This was -afforded us by a little dell or recess in the side of the barranca, -which was thickly overgrown with incense bushes. Betaking ourselves -thither, we speedily had a blazing fire kindled, and while warming our -chilled limbs held a council. It was decided that I should mount, and -proceed to hunt for some food; and then, if the weather moderated, we -could proceed. Arica was left in charge of the fire, with a strong -caution from me to keep it up, and to make as much smoke as possible, -by way of signal to the Indians. After a good deal of difficulty my -horse, which was only half broken, and had a playful way of rearing up -and striking with his forefeet, was curbed with the leathern thong which -forms the Indian bit. I then proceeded to scale the barranca bordering -the river valley, and soon reached the desolate undulations of the -higher Pampa. As a necessary precaution against losing my way, I was -careful to take two or three bearings of conspicuous hills, visible in -the northern limits of the valley; for the monotonous and dreary waste -of the Pampa, strewn with boulders and shingle, alternated with tufts of -grass, presents no track or landmark to guide the wanderer. It was not -long before two or three herds of guanaco were sighted; but the dog, -which had probably during the night foraged for himself, and found some -half-eaten carcase, would not run, and a gallop of some twelve miles -proved fruitless. Just as I was about giving up in despair, I observed a -herd in a hollow, which I was able to approach unobserved. Knowing that -our chance of food for the day depended on success, I warily approached, -and then charged, and to my delight succeeded in entangling one with -the bolas. He was soon despatched; and while I was busily cutting off a -supply of meat, to my sudden surprise an Indian came galloping up. The -newcomer proved to be Tankelow, who was in search of me. He brought word -that Orkeke had found the strayed horse, and had returned; and that the -party were marching as fast as they could to overtake Casimiro. He had -been detached, partly to hunt and partly to find us. In reply to my -inquiries about Arica, he assured me that he was all right, and as there -seemed no reason for disbelieving the statement, we speedily rode back -to the party, and rejoined them on the march; being received with shouts -of laughter by the ladies; but as Arica was nowhere to be seen, I -expressed my determination to ride back in search of him. This, however, -they would not allow, but despatched a mounted Indian and spare horse -to bring him in, and a good piece of meat for his refreshment. We then -proceeded at a brisk rate, and by nightfall reached the camp. Orkeke -at first seemed rather to resent my having started off alone, as if it -argued a want of confidence in him; but his delight at having recovered -his horse assisted him to recover his good humour. Mr. Clarke had sent -me by him some powder, which he _said_ he had lost, and some articles, -such as linen and tobacco, and my presenting them all to him quite did -away with any traces of ill feeling. - -The several detachments were all now reunited, and the party mustered -altogether, besides the Chilians and myself, eighteen able-bodied -Tehuelche or Patagonian men, with a proportionate number of women and -children. The most important among the Indians were Orkeke, the actual -cacique, and his brother Tankelow, who possessed the greater number of -horses; Casimiro, whose leadership was still rather _in posse_; Camillo, -Crime, Cuastro, Cayuke, &c. One more must be mentioned by name, Waki; a -perfect Hercules in bodily frame, and a thoroughly good-natured fellow, -with whom I became great friends. Of all these men, who were in the camp -by the Rio Chico on August 15, but eight survived to reach the Rio Negro -in the following May; the rest had, at one time or another, been killed -or had died. The secret feuds, which were before long to endanger the -safety of us all, were as yet concealed, and all appeared to be good -friends. The whole were housed in five toldos--by which Spanish name the -Indian kau, or tents, strongly resembling those of our own gipsies, are -known. They were pitched in a sheltered hollow, with their fronts facing -the east, to avoid the bitter violence of the prevalent westerly winds. - -Fitzroy has given an excellent description of the toldo; but to -those readers who are unacquainted with it a brief sketch will not be -unacceptable. A row of forked posts about three feet high is driven into -the ground in a slightly slanting position, and a ridge pole laid across -them; in front of these, at a distance of about seven feet, a second -row, six feet high, with a ridge pole; and at the same distance from -them a third row, eight feet high, each slanting a little, but not -at the same angle. A covering made of from forty to fifty full grown -guanaco skins, smeared with a mixture of grease and red ochre, is drawn -over from the rear, and the great drag of the heavy covering straightens -the poles; it is then secured by thongs to the front poles, while hide -curtains fastened between the inner poles partition off the sleeping -places, and the baggage piled round the sides of the tent excludes the -cold blast which penetrates under the edge of the covering. The fire is -kindled in the fore part, or 'mouth of the tent.' In very bad weather, -or when encamped for the winter, an additional covering is secured -to the front poles and brought down over an extra row of short posts, -making all snug. It is a common arrangement for relatives or friends to -combine their toldos, when, instead of bringing down the coverings to -the ground at the side, they are made to overlap, and thus one tent roof -will cover two or three distinct domestic interiors. - -The furniture of the toldos consists of one or two bolsters and a horse -hide or two to each sleeping compartment, one to act as a curtain and -the other for bedding. The bolsters are made of old ponchos, or lechus, -otherwise called mandils, woven blankets obtained from the Araucanos, -who are famous for their manufacture, stuffed with guanaco wool and sewn -up with ostrich or guanaco sinews. The bolsters do duty as pillows or as -seats, and help to form the women's saddles on the march. Besides these, -the women all own mandils for their beds. The men occasionally use the -cloths worn under the saddles for seats when the ground is damp, but as -a rule all the inmates of the toldo squat upon Nature's carpet, which -has the advantage of being easily cleaned, for the Tehuelches are very -particular about the cleanliness of the interior of their dwellings, -and a patch of sod accidentally befouled is at once cut out and thrown -outside by the women. - -The cooking utensils are simple, consisting of an asador, or iron spit, -for roasting meat, and an occasional iron pot, which serves for boiling -and also for trying out ostrich grease and marrow, which is employed -both for cooking and for mixing with the paint with which the faces of -both sexes are adorned. To these, wooden platters and armadillo shells, -to serve broth in, are sometimes added. The duty of pitching and -arranging the toldos on the halt and striking them for the march, -as well as loading the poles, covering, and furniture on the horses, -devolves entirely upon the women, who display great strength and -dexterity in the work. - -About the toldos were innumerable dogs of all sizes and breeds, and -Mrs. Orkeke rejoiced in the possession of two fowls brought from the -settlement, and the all important possession of the Indians, horses, -completed the bustling liveliness of the scene. There were not less than -150 belonging to the various members of the party, Orkeke and Tankelow -owning about forty, besides mares and skittish colts of all ages, which -ran about so that they could not be counted. The reader can imagine what -a scene the march and encampment of such a party presents, and the care -with which the Indians must select their route so as to be sure of game -for themselves and pasture for their animals. Of the dogs and horses in -use by the Tehuelches a fuller description will be given hereafter. - -But, to convey a clear understanding of the relations between the tribes -which will be mentioned in the ensuing pages, it is as well here briefly -to distinguish them. In the various maps and accounts of Patagonia -extant, numerous tribes, with different names, are marked and recorded. -These accounts, so far as my observations enabled me to judge, have -arisen from the custom of parties of the tribe combining to travel or -fight under the leadership of a particular chief, and being described by -themselves, when met with, by his name. I have been enabled to recognise -thus the Moluches, who were so called from Malechou, a hereditary chief -of that name; and the celebrated chief Lenketrou united under his -leadership men of several tribes, and is said to have commanded 1,500 -men in his great raid on the Rio Negro settlements. There are now -between the Rio Negro and the Straits about 500 fighting men, giving -at a rough estimate a population of about 3,000. The Tehuelches, -or Patagonians proper, exclusive of the Foot Indians of Tierra del -Fuego--who are distinct, though they may be of the same original -stock--are divided into two great tribes, the Northern and Southern. -They speak the same language, but are distinguishable by difference of -accent, and the Southern men appear to be, on an average, taller and -finer men, and are more expert hunters with the bolas. The Northern -range chiefly over the district between the Cordillera and the sea; from -the Rio Negro on the north to the Chupat, occasionally descending as -far as the Santa Cruz River. The Southern occupy the country south of -the Santa Cruz, and migrate as far as Punta Arena. The two divisions, -however, are much intermixed and frequently intermarry; always, -notwithstanding, preserving their clannish division, and taking opposite -sides in the frequent quarrels. Our party was composed in almost equal -parts of both Northern and Southern, and one inmate of our toldo was a -Southern named Hummums, a brother of Mrs. Orkeke. From the Rio Negro as -far as the Chupat, another tribe, speaking a different language, is met -with, having their head-quarters at the Salinas, north of the Rio Negro. -These are the Pampas, called by the Tehuelches 'Penck,' whence I believe -the name Pehuelche has been corrupted. Several clans of this nation -extend over the plains north of Rio Negro, and make frequent inroads -into the Argentine settlements as far as the province of Santa Fe, and -even, I believe, to Cordova and Mendoza. The Pampas of the north of -Patagonia sometimes keep cattle and sheep, but generally subsist by the -chase. A third tribe appear, by their language and physique, to be a -branch of the Araucanos of Chili. These are the people called by the -Tehuelches Chenna, and also the Warriors; they are otherwise known as -Manzaneros, from their head-quarters Las Manzanas, so named from the -groves of apple trees; once a station of the early Jesuit missionaries, -who vainly endeavoured to convert and civilise these tribes. They are -less migratory and more civilised in their habits than the Tehuelches, -and are said to keep herds of cattle and sheep in the sheltered valleys -of the Cordillera, and sometimes till a little maize. I do not know -whether the Jesuit Fathers taught their disciples the art or no, but -from the apples of Las Manzanas these Indians brew a very tolerable -cider, besides making an intoxicating liquor from the beans of the -algarroba. The Tehuelches altogether depend for their stimulants on -the chance supplies of rum procured in trade at the settlements, and -this and disease, small-pox especially, are rapidly diminishing their -numbers. - -We remained in our encampment by the Rio Chico for one day, during which -the missing Arica arrived. He was received with very black looks by -Orkeke, who from this time, although still allowing him a place in his -toldo, and a horse to ride, seemed to have conceived a violent aversion -to him, which argued badly for the Chilian's future safety. It appeared -that during my absence he had given way to the desire of providing -something to eat, and had left the fire to burn out, while he foraged -for roots. On returning he saw a huge puma couched by the extinct ashes -of the fire. Just, however, as Arica was about to fire the revolver -which I had lent him, the beast bounded away into the bushes. But as he -was convinced that the puma was close at hand waiting for an opportunity -to attack, he spent several hours on the watch with his revolver ready. -His delight may be imagined when, worn out with want of food and rest, -he was relieved by the arrival of the Indian with the meat and a horse -for him to ride. - -The next day we made a short march up the river valley, the caravan of -women and horses, as usual, proceeding along the track, while the men -hunted in the adjacent plains. I was fortunate enough in the hunt to -kill a guanaco and an ostrich, and duly shared them with Casimiro. The -order of march and method of hunting which constitute the daily routine -are as follows: the Cacique, who has the ordering of the marching and -hunting, comes out of his toldo at daylight, sometimes indeed before, -and delivers a loud oration, describing the order of march, the -appointed place of hunting, and the general programme; he then exhorts -the young men to catch and bring up the horses, and be alert and active -in the hunt, enforcing his admonition, by way of a wind up, with a -boastful relation of his own deeds of prowess when he was young. -Sometimes the women, while the chief is haranguing, rekindle or blow -up the embers of the fire and prepare a slight breakfast, but not -invariably. Some cold meat is also occasionally reserved from the -evening meal, and placed in a hide bag to be carried with them on the -march, to be given to the children when they are hungry. But the general -custom for the men is to wait until the day's hunt has supplied fresh -meat. When the Cacique's 'oration'--which is very little attended to--is -over, the young men and boys lazo and bring up the horses, and the women -place on their backs the bolsters of reeds, tied with hide thongs, -mantles, and coloured blankets, which form their saddles; others are -strapping their belts on, or putting their babies into wicker-work -cradles, or rolling up the skins that form the coverings of the toldos, -and placing them and the poles on the baggage-horses; last of all the -small breakers, which are carried on the march, are filled with water. -The women mount by means of a sling round the horses' necks, and sit -astride of their bolster-saddles; their babies--if they possess any--and -their pet dogs are hoisted up, the babies being stowed in the cradles -behind them; then they take their baggage-horses in tow and start off in -single file. The men, who generally wait until all are ready, then drive -the spare horses for a short distance, and having handed them over to -the charge of their wives or daughters, retire to a neighbouring bush, -where a fire is kindled, pipes are lighted, and the hunt commenced in -the following manner:--Two men start off and ride at a gallop round a -certain area of country, varying according to the number of the party, -lighting fires at intervals to mark their track. After the lapse of a -few minutes two others are despatched, and so on until only a few are -left with the cacique. These spread themselves out in a crescent, -closing in and narrowing the circle on a point where those first started -have by this time arrived. The crescent rests on a baseline formed by -the slowly-proceeding line of women, children, and baggage-horses. The -ostriches and herds of guanaco run from the advancing party, but are -checked by the pointsmen, and when the circle is well closed in are -attacked with the bolas, two men frequently chasing the same animal from -different sides. The dogs also assist in the chase, but the Indians are -so quick and expert with the bolas that unless their horses are tired, -or they happen to have gambled away their bolas, the dogs are not much -called into use. Puma are very frequently found in the circles, and -quickly despatched by a blow on the head from a ball. On one occasion I -saw Waki completely crush, by a single blow, the skull of an unusually -large one. The Indian law of division of the game prevents all disputes, -and is as follows: The man who balls the ostrich leaves it for the -other, who has been chasing with him, to carry or take charge of, and at -the end of the hunt it is divided; the feathers and body from the head -to the breast-bone and one leg belonging to the captor, the remainder to -the assistant. In the case of guanaco, the first takes the best half -in the same manner; the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and the fat and -marrow bones are sometimes eaten raw. The Tehuelches also cut out the -fat over the eyes, and the gristly fat between the thigh joints, which -they eat with great gusto, as also the heart and blood of the ostrich. -Owing to the entire absence of farinaceous food, fat becomes a necessary -article of diet, and can be consumed in much larger quantities than -in more civilised countries. That this is not merely owing to the -inclemency of the climate is proved by the appetite for fat which the -gauchos in the Argentine provinces acquire. When the hunt is finished, -and the birds cut up and divided, fires are kindled, and whilst stones -are heating the ostrich is plucked, the wing feathers being carefully -tied together with a piece of sinew. The bird is then laid on its back -and drawn; the legs are carefully skinned down, and the bone taken out, -leaving the skin; the carcase is then separated into two halves, and the -backbone having been extracted from the lower half, and the meat sliced -so as to admit the heated stones laid in between the sections, it is -tied up like a bag, secured by the skin of the legs, with a small bone -thrust through to keep all taut; this is placed on the live embers -of the fire, a light blaze being kindled when it is nearly done to -perfectly roast the outside meat. During the process of cooking it has -to be turned frequently to ensure all parts being thoroughly cooked. -When ready it is taken off the fire, and the top part being cut off and -the stones extracted, the broth and meat are found deliciously cooked. -The party, generally consisting of twos or fours, sit round the dish and -eat the meat, sopping it in the broth. The back part, which consists -nearly altogether of fat (when the ostrich is in good condition), is -then divided, pieces being given to each, and reserved as tid bits for -the women and children. When the head and breast half are to be cooked, -the bone is not extracted, but the wings turned inside and the breast -cavity filled with heated stones, and tied up with half of the skin of -the legs, which have been divided, additional pieces of meat from the -legs having been placed in the breast cavity. The fat of the breast -is divided amongst the party at the fireside, the owner in all cases -reserving none or a very small piece for himself, as the others who -are cooking at the same fire are sure to give him plenty. The cacique -generally receives the largest share, or if he is not present, the -greatest friends of the owner. The wing feathers are carefully taken to -the toldos and stored with others for future trade. The ostrich is most -thoroughly eaten; the gizzard, which is large enough to fill both hands, -being carefully cooked by the insertion of a hot stone and roasted; the -eyes, too, are sucked, and the tripe devoured; but when the birds are -thin they are simply skinned, and the carcase left to the pumas. After -the meal, concluding the hunt, is finished, a pipe is handed round, -saddles are re-adjusted, and the game placed on them, and the party -adjourn to the toldos, which by this time have been pitched and arranged -by the women. - -Guanaco are not much killed, unless a long stay in a place is intended, -or an Indian feels inclined for blood, or ostriches, which are always -eaten in preference, are scarce. The meat of the guanaco is, however, -excellent; the haunches are generally what is termed in Spanish -'charqueared,' which means that the meat is cut off in thin slices, -and, after a little salt has been sprinkled over it, is dried in the -sun. When thoroughly dried it is roasted in the ashes, pounded between -two stones, and mixed with ostrich or other grease; this preparation, -like pemmican, is very useful for a man going a long journey, as it -can be carried in a small compass, and a mere handful satisfies the -appetite. - -[Illustration: START FROM THE CAMP AT MOWAISH OR WINDOW HILL.] - -It would be tedious to describe every day's march, and the routine of -hunting, as we made our way slowly up the valley of the Rio Chico, which -was still frozen over. The weather was cold, and occasional showers of -snow accompanied the strong piercing westerly winds which blew every -day. The valley sometimes opened out into wide grass-covered plains, -dotted with incense-bushes, then rose again in huge bare ridge and -furrow-like undulations. Occasionally there occurred patches of swampy -ground with frozen lagoons, and here and there open springs, the resort -of numerous waterfowl. The hills on the northern side appeared bare -and rugged, rising abruptly out of irregular forms, while the southern -heights were lower, and presented more of the steep declivities known -as barrancas, interrupted at intervals by high rugged hills of basalt, -often assuming the appearance of ruined castles, closing in at the bends -of the winding river. To one of these--a remarkable hill under which we -were encamped on August 23, about 120 miles from Santa Cruz--I gave the -name of Sierra Ventana, from a window-like opening through its peak; the -Indians called it Mowaish. (See Illustration.) In many places the bases -of these hills were formed entirely of a description of lava, and one -of the Chilians informed me that whilst passing over a ridge, he had -observed several large masses of pure iron: this, however, I was -inclined to disbelieve, as although farther up the country iron ore -exists in large quantities, I only observed in this part a species of -ore similar to that common at Drobak, in Norway. - -On one occasion, while marching, we observed smoke in our rear, -which was thought to be caused either by a messenger in search of us -announcing the arrival of the schooner, or else by a party of the -Southern Indians who had some idea of marching north. However, no scout -was sent back to discover the truth, so we remained in ignorance. On the -26th we halted, and encamped by the side of the river in a broad opening -of the valley; here there was a lagoon, not completely frozen, in which -grew a description of flag, of which the root, or rather lower stem, is -eaten by the Indians, and is succulent and juicy, with a pleasant taste. -The boys and girls soon brought a large supply into the toldos. The day -after our arrival in this place, the attainment of the age of puberty -of one of the girls was celebrated according to custom. Early in the -morning the father of the child informed the cacique of the event, the -cacique thereupon officially communicated the intelligence to the acting -doctor or medicine-man, and a considerable shouting was set up, while -the doctor adorned himself with white paint and was bled in the forehead -and arms with a sharp bodkin. The women immediately set to work to sew -a number of 'mandils' together. When the patchwork was finished, it was -taken with pomp and ceremony by a band of young men, who marched round -the poles--already fixed to form a temporary toldo--singing, whilst the -women joined in with the most dismal incantations and howlings. After -marching round several times, the covering was drawn over the poles, and -lances were stuck in front, adorned with bells, streamers, and brass -plates that shook and rattled in the breeze, the whole thing when -erected presenting a very gay appearance (its Indian name literally -meaning 'The pretty house'). The girl was then placed in an inner part -of the tent, where nobody was admitted. After this everybody mounted, -and some were selected to bring up the horses, out of which certain -mares and fillies were chosen, and brought up in front of the showy -toldo, where they were knocked on the head by a ball--thus saving the -blood (which was secured in pots) to be cooked, being considered a great -delicacy. It is a rule amongst the Indians that anyone assisting to take -off the hide of a slaughtered mare is entitled to a piece of meat, but -the flesh was on this occasion distributed pretty equally all round. -Whilst the meat was cooking, Casimiro, who was ruler of the feast, -sent a message for me to come to Crime's toldo, where I found him busy -working at a saddle, in the construction of which he was, by the way, an -adept. His wife had a large iron pot bubbling on the fire, containing -some of the blood mixed with grease. When the mess was nearly cooked, -we added a little pepper and salt, and commenced the feast. Previous to -this I had felt a sort of repugnance to eating horse, as perhaps most -Englishmen--except, indeed, the professed hippophagists--have; but -hunger overcame all scruples, and I soon acquired quite a taste for this -meat. On this occasion everybody ate where they liked, in their own -toldos. Casimiro informed me, after the meal was concluded, that -there would be a dance in the evening. I looked forward with great -anticipation to this 'small and early,' and shortly saw some of the -women proceed to collect a considerable quantity of firewood, which was -placed outside the tent. Presently, towards dusk, a fire was made, first -outside the sacred precincts. The women all sat down on the grass round -about, but at some distance from the men, who were all seated on the -grass, except four and the musicians. The orchestra consisted of a drum -made by stretching a piece of hide over a bowl, also a sort of wind -instrument formed of the thigh-bone of a guanaco, with holes bored in -it, which is placed to the mouth and played, or with a short bow having -a horsehair string. When all was ready, some of the old hags all the -time singing in their melodious way, the band struck up, and four -Indians, muffled up in blankets, so that their eyes only were visible, -and their heads adorned with ostrich plumes, marched into the ring, and -commenced pacing slowly round the fire, keeping time to the music. After -two or three promenades, the time gradually quickened, until they went -at a sort of trot; and about the fifth round, dancing fast to the music, -they threw away their mantles, and exhibited themselves adorned with -white paint daubed all over their bodies, and each having a girdle of -bells extending from the shoulder to the hip, which jingled in tune to -their steps. The first four consisted of the chiefs Casimiro, Orkeke, -Crime, and Camillo, who, after dancing with great action (just avoiding -stepping into the fire), and bowing their plumed heads grotesquely on -either side to the beats of the drum, retired for a short time to rest -themselves, after which they appeared again and danced a different -step. When that was over four more appeared, and so on, until everyone, -including the boys, had had a fling. Sometimes, to give greater effect, -the performers carried a bunch of rushes in one hand. About 9 P.M., -everybody having had enough, Casimiro gave the sign. The band stopped -playing, and all retired to bed. The dancing was not ungraceful, but was -rendered grotesque by the absurd motions of the head. It was strictly -confined to the men, the women being only allowed to look on. - -On the second day's march from the scene of my first Indian ball we -crossed a rocky ridge abounding with a description of vesicular lava; -the ridge ran out from the southern limits of the valley and terminated -in precipitous cliffs, round the base of which wound the river. The -surface of the ridge was fissured in many places with deep chasms like -Alpine crevasses, on the brink of one of which my horse stopped just in -time to escape a fall. The caravan had gone a more circuitous route to -take advantage of the lowest and easiest crest. On the other side of the -ridge the valley suddenly spread out to the extent of several miles, and -on the western horizon a line of snowy peaks was visible, their summits -capped with clouds: this was our first view of the Cordillera. The low -ground was cut up by streams and small lakelets of water, formed by the -overflow of a small fork of the river, which glistening in the afternoon -sunshine presented a beautiful silvery appearance, very refreshing -to the eye wearied with alternate gazing on withered grass and black -volcanic rocks. However beautiful to look at, this scene would clearly -prove difficult travelling, so a halt was called, and our course debated -on; ultimately it was resolved to cross the river and encamp on the -northern bank, where the ground was higher and free from floods, so -loads were carefully adjusted, and children transferred to the arms -of the men, to give the women more freedom of action; baggage-horses -were also taken in tow by the young men, and Casimiro and another -volunteering to lead the van and act as pilots, we proceeded to make our -way to the river-bank, which rose by a gradual elevation from the lower -inundated plain. After much floundering about in water-holes, and -various spills, which caused great merriment, especially when Mrs. -Orkeke and all her gear came down by the run, an iron kettle of which -she was very proud clattering down so as to frighten several of the -horses into what threatened to become a general stampede, the bank -was safely reached; the river was swollen high, and its rapid current -running six or seven miles an hour, was bringing down huge sharp-edged -masses of ice. It seemed almost impossible for the women and baggage -animals to cross. However, Orkeke, taking a long pole to sound with, led -the way, and by watching their opportunity to dodge the floating ice, -which cut the horses' and riders' legs cruelly, all got safely over. A -wilder scene could hardly be imagined--dogs howling on the bank fearing -to pass, women singing out to their various friends and relations, and -here and there an adventurous Indian, who scorned to go by the ford -with the rest, disappearing for a second in the river, horse and all, -but ultimately emerging some distance down the stream. The water was -bitterly cold, as may be imagined, and the piercing wind benumbed our -dripping bodies; so on arriving at the north bank, where there were some -small sandy hillocks, we kindled a large fire, and had a warm and a -smoke whilst the women were employed pitching the toldos. It had been -decided to remain here some days and then proceed to the vicinity of the -Cordillera for the purpose of catching wild horses. But, as will be -seen shortly, 'l'homme propose et Dieu dispose.' Looking up towards the -Cordillera from our encampment, the valley appeared to expand a few -miles up into one immense plain, and the Indians informed me that before -reaching the mountains there is a great drop or basin where the wild -horses are found. This was probably, at the period of our visit, a vast -sheet of water from the melting snows. Lake Viedma lies some miles to -the southward from the head of the valley, and I should be inclined to -think that the course of the Rio Chico, which undoubtedly flows from it, -would be found to come from the south to north, and bend easterly at the -head of the valley, where it unites the numerous streams as described by -Viedma in his journey in 1580. I am also inclined to think that Viedma -being taken twice across the Rio Chico mistook the river at the second -crossing for another, which he has marked as the Chalia, a name, by the -way, unknown to the Indians, save as applied to an unsavoury parasite -only too common among them. The following morning, September 2, we were -sitting quietly round the fire discussing a breakfast of boiled ostrich -prepared by the lady of the house, when suddenly the clash of knives was -heard, and we saw two Indians, destitute of mantles, with naked swords -in their hands, run across from Camillo's to Crime's toldo. In a minute -everything was in an uproar; arms were produced, guns and revolvers -loaded, and some of the Indians equipped themselves in coats of mail, -and others, with the assistance of the women, padded themselves about -the chest and upper part of the body with thick blankets and corconillas -or saddle-cloths. Knowing what was about to happen, the women, and with -them all the Chilian deserters except one, beat a retreat to a safe -distance from the toldos. Having assumed my arms, and feeling thoroughly -mystified as to the real cause of this excitement, I went to Camillo's -toldo, where the scene explained itself. He was lying on his bed dead, -with a frightful gash in his side, having been murdered by Cuastro, one -of the Indians whom we had seen running to Crime's tents. On issuing -from the toldo Casimiro met me, and asked for a revolver, as he had no -firearms, and I lent him one accordingly. The Indians showed by their -changed countenances all the fury of fight; their very complexions -seemed ghastly, and their eyes glared and rolled, seeming to see blood. -The two opposing parties, the Southern Indians--friends of Crime, who -was a cousin of Cuastro--and Orkeke's and Casimiro's people or the -Northern party, were soon ranged in open line at some twenty yards -distance from each other. Cuastro was conspicuous by his tunic or 'buff -coat' of hide studded with silver, while his only weapon was a single -sword or rapier. The fight commenced with an irregular discharge of guns -and revolvers, which lasted a few minutes, till some of the Northern or -Orkeke's Indians, led by Casimiro, closed up, and a hand to hand contest -with swords and lances took place, resulting in the death of Cuastro and -the severe wounding of two or three Southern Indians. The Northerns then -drew off to reload, and were about to renew the action, when Tankelow -proposed a truce, which was accepted on the understanding that both -parties were to march at once in the same direction. The women and -children were then recalled from the bushes whither they had retired, -the horses brought up, and the dead buried. The Tehuelches' lance is -entirely different to that of the Araucanos or Pampas, and is only used -when fighting on foot; it consists of a heavy shaft eighteen feet in -length, at the extremity of which a blade is fixed about eighteen inches -long, constituting a most formidable weapon in the hands of an expert -Indian. Cayuke, whom I have before mentioned, in this fight was armed -with the lance, and ran Cuastro through the body, although protected by -his mail and endeavouring to parry the point with a sword. This Cuastro -was a brave man; when dying, with several bullets in his body, and -several lance thrusts, he sprang up to his full height and called out, -'I die as I have lived--no cacique orders me;' his wife then rushed up -to him crying and sobbing, but he fell down dead at the same moment. -Casimiro had a narrow escape; he parried a blow of a sword with what may -be termed the slack part of his mantle, but if the blow had caught him -on the head, as intended, it would have ended his career then and there. -The casualties were a wound in Crime's leg, and a lance thrust clean -through the thigh of Hummums, a young Indian, who seemed to care very -little about it. The fight originated out of a vendetta between Cuastro -and Camillo, the latter having some years before caused the death of -a member of the family of the former, who had on a previous occasion -endeavoured to avenge it on Camillo, and he had only attached himself -to our party, in company with Crime, in order to obtain an opportunity -of assassinating Camillo. This Cuastro had been suspected on good -grounds of making away with Mendoza, the Argentine sent from Buenos -Ayres in company with Casimiro, and who mysteriously disappeared; and he -had certainly, when under the influence of rum, at Santa Cruz, murdered -his own wife Juana, a daughter of Casimiro, so that brave as he was he -had richly deserved the fate he met with. - -After the obsequies of the dead had been hurriedly performed--a -description of which is reserved for another place--the tents were -struck, and all marched off, the men remaining armed, and each party -travelling separately. Cayuke was sent back some miles to ascertain -if there were any signs of the other Southern Indians, who were half -expected to overtake us; but he returned some hours later with no -intelligence. We marched a few miles up the valley, rather coasting the -northern hills, and encamped by a most beautiful circular spring, the -water bubbling up through pure white sand and forming a tiny brook, -while little fishes darted across in the basin. The Indians still -remained with arms ready to hand--were very silent and ate nothing. -Several of the Northerns came into our toldo towards evening, and -remained a long time conversing by the embers of the fire, and ever -and anon one of the widows of the deceased would break out into a wail -of lamentation, sobbing in the most dismal and melancholy manner, the -lament at times being taken up by some of the older hags. - -On the following day Crime sent for me to dress his leg, imagining, of -course, that I understood surgery; so I washed the wound and bandaged it -with cold water bandages, which appeared to be successful, as in a few -days it inconvenienced him but little. Thence proceeding to Casimiro's -toldo--the smallest I ever saw--I got him to cover my saddle with a -guanaco skin I had obtained on the road. The children appeared to be the -only members of the party unaffected by the prevailing gloom. They had -found a snow-bank in a nook, and amused themselves sliding down it on a -bit of wood _a la Russe_. This evening things looked very black again. -A consultation was held in Orkeke's toldo, and although it was carried -on in a low tone, and I was little conversant with the Tehuelche tongue, -I heard my name frequently mentioned in connection with a revolver, and -also the Chilians. I was much puzzled at what was going on, but as Mrs. -Orkeke brought me some supper in the most gracious and smiling manner, -did not trouble myself more than to overhaul my arms quietly, and see -they were ready for use. I subsequently found out that a plot had been -set on foot amongst the Chilians to rise, rob, and murder the Indians, -and escape with the horses. Some, however, my informant among the -number, refused to join. The Indians, who are naturally quick-sighted, -had conceived a suspicion that all was not right, and were debating -whether it would not be better to kill the Chilians at once, before they -became more troublesome; but Casimiro prevailed on them to let them -remain until they did something to necessitate their destruction; and -so they escaped for the present. - -September 5th, at an early hour, we were awoke by Orkeke's marching -harangue; and after coasting the hills bordering the valley for a few -miles, bade adieu to the valley of the Rio Chico, and struck into a -gorge of the northern hills, leading into an uneven valley lying between -low irregular hills of decomposed lava, which we followed, passing -several small lagoons in the lower hollows, around which there was -invariably a yellow description of clay. The hills were everywhere -covered with scrub, and presented a wild, bleak appearance, the grey -rocks only appearing now and then. After some hours' travelling through -this dismal district in a north-west course, we emerged on a large -plain at the western side, bounded by a range of hills 1,000 feet -high, forming a spur of the Cordillera. The weather was stormy, and we -could only catch occasional glimpses, through the driving clouds and -snow-storms, of the loftier peaks of the more distant mountains. Our -expedition in search of wild horses was, of course, after the recent -troubles, abandoned; and forced marches, to escape the Southern Indians, -in the event of their following from Santa Cruz, were the order of -the day. Hunting, however, was resumed by the unwounded, and several -ostriches were caught during the day. Towards evening the encampment was -fixed near a lagoon, the environs of which were barren, and destitute of -anything except a small low shrub which served for firewood. Although -the wind was northerly, it was bitterly cold; and as I had for some days -past adopted the native costume--keeping my 'store clothes' stowed away -under charge of Mrs. Orkeke--I felt it exceedingly. The 6th, 7th, and -8th of September were occupied in making forced marches northward, -accompanied by the usual hunting; and although both parties continued -armed, and appeared to be rather suspicious of each other, things went -on pretty smoothly. The country traversed on the 6th and 7th was a -large arid plain, dotted with a few stunted shrubs, enclosed by the -before-mentioned spur of the Cordillera on the western side, and on the -east by a low range of sandy-looking hills. The whole of this plain was -strewn with small pebbles of porphyry, quartz, silica, and obsidian; -also with small pieces of silicified wood. On the 8th we crossed the -spur by a pass walled on either hand with rocks of vesicular lava. Here -we halted for a quarter of an hour, and everyone broke off pieces of -stone suitable for making hand-balls for bolas. The descent on the -western side was no easy matter, the declivity being strewn with large -masses of rock and loose boulders, and the wind blowing bitterly cold, -and with such force that some of the women's horses could hardly face -it. Ultimately all managed to reach a spacious elevated pampa, on the -western side of which, some fifteen leagues off, rose the Cordillera of -the Andes. In the pass I observed several large pieces of obsidian, -so clear and peculiarly round-shaped that I at first imagined that a -demijohn had been carried thither by some previous party and broken. Of -this the women gathered some pieces, to serve as scrapers for cleaning -guanaco skins. We traversed the usual barren high pampa--interspersed -with low shrubs, coarse grass, and here and there an incense bush of -considerable size, which afforded a moment's shelter from the cutting -wind--for some distance, till we at length reached a cliff, below which -lay a grassy plain, watered by a small, rapid stream. About thirty miles -in the background were visible the lofty mountains of the Cordillera. -The inviting appearance of the pasture determined us to remain for a -couple of days to rest the horses, after the unusually long marches of -the preceding days. The following day was occupied chiefly in making -hand-balls for bolas from the soft porous stone obtained in the rocky -pass. Towards noon a frightful gale of wind sprang up, which blew down -most of the toldos; but ours, thanks to the strength of arm of Mrs. -Orkeke, who had securely fixed the poles, remained firm, only one or -two of the poles being broken. The river, here flowing in an eastward -direction, was the first stream met with since leaving the valley of -the Rio Chico. In the descent to it, the bench formation, although -recognisable, was not so much marked as in many of the other rivers. -After two days' rest, we resumed our journey; and having traversed the -grassy valley for, perhaps, a mile, ascended a slight ridge to a higher -plain of the usual sterile nature, in which the first ostrich eggs met -with were found. Our course was directed nearly north-west, to a range -of hills 800 feet in height; on their summit was a plateau strewn with -large stones and rocks. - -We formed another hunt, in which numerous ostriches and several pumas -were killed. From the western side of the plateau we overlooked a large -plain, extending to the immediate vicinity of the mountains, but near -the side of which there appeared to be a cutting or steep descent, just -like a railway embankment. As it had been announced in the cacique's -address that we were to encamp near a spring on the eastern side, and I -had killed an ostrich, which, after giving a sharp run of half a mile, -had been turned by the cavalcade of women, I proceeded in company with -Casimiro and another to have some dinner. We accordingly selected a -bush, cooked, and ate our bird, and at the conclusion of our meal -mounted and proceeded to where we expected to find the encampment. -But, arriving at the spot, we found nobody, and looking over the plain -caught a glimpse of a belated woman just vanishing down the cutting -above mentioned. We accordingly followed, and an hour's gallop brought -us up with the remainder. The sun had set, but the light of a young moon -enabled us to make our way to the second bench. I may say the formation -altogether much resembled that of the river Cuheyli; but the river which -flowed in this valley was of small size, although, as we found, the -banks were boggy and almost impracticable. The moon had by this time -set, and after a considerable deal of confusion in the dark, all got -across, and night being far advanced encamped about a mile to the -northward. When daylight enabled us to examine the locality, we found -ourselves in a valley, walled in by lofty abrupt cliffs on both sides, -while a stream--bordered by marshes, containing numerous snipe and -teal--flowed swiftly down the centre of the glen. To the north the -valley appeared to bend westwards, so having nothing to do, I strolled -up to the turn and found that the high cliffs ceased, and were replaced -by the ordinary steep barrancas, covered from the top to the bottom with -incense bushes. The valley nowhere exceeded a mile in width, and the -gloom and oppressive effect of the prison-like walls of cliff rendered -it by no means a desirable place of abode, but the pasture skirting the -marsh was green and luxuriantly tender. While I was endeavouring to -secure some ducks and teal with the bolas, two of the Chilians came up -searching for firewood. They bitterly bewailed their lot in having -to work and slave for a parcel of savages, but finally forgot their -grievances in a slumber under a bush. Not caring to be supposed to have -been in their company, I returned to the camp, and examined the rocks, -which were different to those previously observed, showing in many -places granite, with schistose veins, and what appeared to be a species -of grey marble. A stay was made in this place of some four days, and -would have been longer, but that on the third day some of the party, -chiefly boys, who had strolled away a short distance, balling small -birds, came in with the news that Indians were coming from the south. A -scout was immediately sent out, horses brought up, and arms got ready. -Casimiro came to me for a supply of cartridges for the revolver, saying, -'Now we shall have to fight; for if those Southern Indians beat us, -they will spare neither man, woman, nor child.' This was cheering news, -seeing that the odds were likely to be about ten to one against our -side. However, just as we were mounting, the scout returned with the -news that he had found no traces of Indians; the supposed enemy being -only a troop of guanaco coming down to water. Cayuke, on its being -ascertained that there was really no danger, had one of his horses -killed as a thank offering; the meat of course being distributed for -food amongst his friends. There is in this place, which is called by the -Indians 'Amakaken,' a large spherical boulder of marble, which it is -the custom of the Indians to try their strength by lifting. Casimiro -informed me that this stone had been there for many years, and the -custom was very old. It was so large and heavy that I was just able to -grasp it with both arms, and raise it to the level of my knees, but -some of the Indians managed to lift it to their shoulders. The night -subsequent to the false alarm, snow fell heavily, notwithstanding which -on the following day the Indians, who did not appear to feel secure, -marched again in a northerly direction. Before quitting this valley, I -was fortunate enough to find an ostrich nest with four eggs in it, -which we devoured later on, cooked in the ashes by the simple method -of placing the egg upright, with a hole broken in the upper surface, -through which a piece of stick is inserted to stir round the yolk and -white, a little salt being thrown in, and the egg turned to ensure all -sides being equally done; the result being an omelette in the shell of -most appetising flavour, but a novice in this cookery is apt to burn his -fingers in turning the egg. Towards night we entered a dark and gloomy -gorge, winding amongst fantastic and confused cliffs and peaked hills, -thrown together in utterly chaotic confusion, which appeared to form a -barrier east and west. But it was impossible accurately to distinguish -the line, so inextricably were the heights jumbled together. My powers -of description are utterly inadequate to convey the idea of the -formless irregularity of this region of rocky hills. - -At a late hour we encamped in a glen, or corrie, apparently without -a second outlet, and walled in by frowning cliffs, down the midst of -which a torrent foamed in a rocky channel. All the next day our march -continued through a barren desert of rocks, frequently intersected by -deep ravines with precipitous cliffs, the faces of which in many places -displayed beds of red and yellow ochre, visible at a great distance. -From some of these the women, after a scramble, replenished their -supplies of paint. The whole face of this district was torn and tossed, -as if by tremendous explosive force; and, except in some deep-lying clay -bottoms, where an occasional shallow lagoon was to be met with, the -track was waterless; snow lay on the heights and in some places on the -ground traversed by our march, in the course of which a number of the -large ibises, called in Chili bandurria (Theristicus melanopis), were -seen. The nature of the country rendered hunting laborious and useless. -Tankelow, however, found an ostrich and nest, the eggs from which, about -thirty in number, he, according to Indian custom, divided among those -who came up before they were removed from the nest; among these lucky -individuals was myself; for, seeing him make to the spot, and the male -bird get up, and being, moreover, well mounted and exceedingly hungry, -I was among the first arrivals. Far away to the right of our track, -extending thirty or forty miles eastwards, lies a district called by the -Indians 'The Devil's Country,' which, they assured me, is never entered, -probably from the barren and impracticable nature of the surface, which -seems, from description, to be even worse than the wilderness traversed -by us. Beyond this district there is a practicable track, sometimes -followed by the Indians, leading northward, probably used as a route to -the Chupat; but from that line to the sea the country is so impassable -that the Indians say it would require two years to proceed by the -sea-coast from Santa Cruz to the Rio Negro. The existence of such tracks -as these, and the desolate Travisias encountered near the coast, have -probably caused Patagonia to be described as an arid, almost waterless -country; but, in reality, after passing the coast barrier most of the -interior abounds in lagoons, springs, and frequent streams; and, even -in the Travisias, the numerous wild animals met with show that water -exists. - -Towards evening we left the snow behind us; and descending a lofty hill, -which had bounded our view all day, came to a large swelling down, from -which the prospect was far more encouraging. Rolling plains extended to -the north and north-east, whilst the Cordillera rose like a wall on the -western side. This hill is called by the Indians 'God's Hill;' and the -tradition, as communicated by Casimiro, relates that from this spot the -Great Spirit dispersed the animals which he had made in the caverns. -But some of the animals must have remained behind, as, out on the lower -slope of the downs, two pumas were chased and killed. An hour's ride -over a sandy plain brought us to a valley with a stream flowing through -beautifully green pasture. This was the spot chosen for our encamping, -and some of the women were already busy planting the poles that form the -skeleton of the toldos; so, turning my horse adrift, I started down to -the stream, and, after the luxury of a bath, lay down and smoked until -the toldos were thoroughly arranged. The following day a short march was -made, in a north-west direction, to a valley containing better pasture; -here it was intended to give the horses much-needed repose. Meanwhile, -however, meat fell short, so a circle was organised; my horse was too -tired; but Orkeke, seeing me standing unprepared, said, 'Ask Ako (his -pet dog, and adopted child, and in virtue of his office the owner of -several horses) to lend you a horse.' As Ako had no objection I was soon -mounted, and started for the chase in high spirits. On our previous -journey we had remarked numerous tracks of what appeared to be ostrich -near the ground where our present circle was to be formed (viz., in -the direction of the Cordillera), and all expected to find plenty of -game. The circle was formed, myself going as one pointsman; and, after -arriving at the point, I watched anxiously for some time, but the only -animal that appeared was a male guanaco, which, as he did not see -me crouched behind an incense-bush, until he came within shot, I -successfully balled and killed. After waiting a little longer, and the -Indians being moderately near at hand, I changed my position a few -hundred yards, to a more likely spot; but no animals appeared, so I -proceeded in search of Orkeke, whom I shortly discovered smoking on the -top of a small eminence. After the pipe had been passed in silence, I -asked him what he had killed. 'Nothing,' was the answer; 'let's wait -and see; perhaps some other Indian has an ostrich.' A careful survey, -however, failed to discover anyone so lucky, although several had killed -guanaco. So we retired to where my dead guanaco lay uncovered: at our -approach two or three condors rose heavily up; and shortly about twenty -or thirty more spread their huge wings, sailed away, and perched on a -neighbouring rock. As for the guanaco, in the short half hour of my -absence it had been literally torn to pieces; so, after extracting and -eating the marrow-bones, we returned to camp, on our way capturing two -armadillos. During the past day or two the temperature had considerably -risen, the wind, though westerly, was mild and genial, and the Indians -affirmed that farther north it would be so warm that I should require -some covering for the head. We found on our return that Arica during our -absence had gone off somewhere on foot. As he had that morning asked and -obtained some tobacco from me, it seemed probable that he had determined -to attempt to make his way alone to reach civilisation at some point or -other. During our stay in this valley Casimiro requested me to write a -letter for him to the commandante at the Rio Negro, inquiring whether -the Argentine Government still allowed him his ration and pay as -lieut.-colonel in their service. I also wrote some letters to my -friends, but without much hope of their being 'mailed;' though Casimiro -assured me that when we joined the Northern Indians they would forward -them to the Araucanos, whence they _might_ go on by the people who went -to Rio Negro to fetch the chief's allowance of cattle; remote, however, -as were all these contingencies, still it was a pleasure to write. We -quitted the valley after three days' rest, during which Arica had not -appeared, and he was concluded either to have fallen a prey to a puma, -or to have gone off on his own account. We journeyed all day over -a rough hilly country, encumbered with large stones and occasional -patches of scrub of considerable height; ostriches abounded, and large -quantities of eggs were found. During a long march of about thirty miles -no water was seen until we reached the camp at sunset, situated in a -canyon; but along the route an occasional patch of snow sufficed to -quench our thirst. As I rode along in company with an Indian, named -'Tchang,' he began asking me questions: first, 'Who is cacique of the -English?' I explained to him that it was Her Gracious Majesty. 'Is she -married?' 'She is a widow.' 'Has she any children, and how many? Has she -lots of horses and mares and silver ornaments?' And so on, until I had -satisfied him; after which he rode along, repeating, 'A woman cacique! -A woman cacique! Four sons and five daughters! Lots of horses, mares, -sheep, and cattle! 'On the 22nd of September we left the encampment in -the canyon about sunrise, and, mounting the ridge on the north side, -halted close to the grave of an Indian; the broad and high cairn -of stones erected over it denoting him to have been a cacique of -importance, which fact was communicated to me in a low whisper by Waki. -Here a fire was made, and a few stones added to the pile. Whilst the -Indians were warming themselves the sun rose, and the view of the -Cordillera, seen through the clear atmosphere, with the sun's first -rays illuminating the snowy mountain summits with a roseate flush, -was magnificent. We pursued our route over sandy plains, crossed at -intervals by shallow streams of water, and halted near some lagoons in -a place called by the Indians 'Kinck.' - -The following day we marched again, hunting as usual on the way. A fat -ostrich at this time of the year was a rarity, but eggs abounded, and -formed the main staple of food; and the armadillos were also getting -into condition, and assisted to furnish a repast at the camp fire. On -the 27th we arrived at a place named 'Gelgel,' situated on the banks of -a rapid river, probably that debouching at Port Desire. This was the -point of divergence from the northern route to Patagones for any party -proceeding to hunt in the western plains. During our stay in Gelgel we -hunted in the surrounding country, and on several occasions observed -columns of smoke to the south, as if made by a party approaching. These -at last appeared nearer, and as no distinct answer was made to our -signal fires, scouts were sent out, but returned with no information, -one, however, asserting that he had found the tracks of many horses, -but his known character as an incorrigible liar made his statement -valueless. Still everybody became at last convinced that the Northern -Indians were at war with the Araucanos, and consequently preparations to -fight were commenced. After a watchful night, all fires out, and silence -strictly observed, all armed, and mounting their best horses, sallied -out. After a while the cause of the whole disturbance turned out to be -Arica, who had wandered for eleven days on foot, following our track, -subsisting on birds' eggs, and narrowly escaping the pumas, though he -had been more than once attacked by them in broad daylight, and had -killed one with his knife, his story being vouched for by the boots he -had contrived to manufacture out of his deceased enemy's skin. He looked -worn and haggard, his feet were sore, and he told me that another night -would have finished him. The Indians, who--owing to his desertion and -subsequent pursuit of us--had been kept on the alert all night, without -fire, and prohibited from conversing, were naturally indignant, and -wanted to kill him. But Casimiro and Orkeke interceded for him, and -he was brought back to the toldos behind another horseman. Casimiro, -_apropos_ of these signal fires, related to me a curious story, as -follows:--'Many years ago, when I was quite young, I was travelling -a few leagues to the northward, under my mother's charge. The party -encamped near a large lagoon not far from the Sengel river, and were -occupied in hunting in the neighbourhood. On several days in succession -smoke was observed in different directions, which approached nearer and -nearer each time. Being naturally supposed to be caused by the Indians, -it was answered, and scouts were at last sent to ascertain the cause, as -no messengers appeared. They returned, however, stating that they could -discover nothing. At the end of four days an Indian, tall, gaunt, and -emaciated, mounted on a very thin _mule_, arrived in the camp, and -asked for a chief whose name was unknown. The stranger was taken, as is -customary, to the chief's toldo, and his mule turned loose; but, strange -to say, it never moved from the spot where it was unsaddled, and the -Indian during the time he remained in the toldo neither ate nor drank. -At the end of three days he mounted his mule, which appeared as fresh as -when he arrived, and rode away to the northward. On the following day, -whilst hunting, a sickness struck the Indians--some falling dead from -their horses, while others, though able to return home, only survived a -short time. As is usual when disease breaks out, the toldos were removed -to some distance from each other, to escape infection, but many men, -women, and children died.' Of the fact that a plague or sickness did -cause the deaths of many Indians within a few days at some encampment -in these plains, I received further and reliable confirmation, my -informant, who was in the party, stating that the Pampa tribe was -decimated. - -In the cliffs above the river on the eastern side of our encampment I -observed many balls of sandstone of various sizes. On breaking one in -two, a piece of what seemed to be ironstone formed a nucleus, around -which layers of sand appeared to have been aggregated. By what process -these balls could have been formed was to me a mystery; but they proved -very handy for bolas, only requiring to be slightly reduced in size. -Hunting to the westward from the encampment, we came across several -muddy, or rather clayey bogs, into one of which, when in full pursuit -of an ostrich, I rode, and my horse sank deep, throwing his rider a -complete summersault; and with much ado I first picked up myself, and -then with greater difficulty extricated my horse from the tenacious -morass. - -After Arica's return, the Chilians manifested a restless spirit, and -frequently asked me the direction of the Chupat settlement. I replied -that it lay about 150 leagues to the E.N.E. from this point, as far as -I could judge; but that it would be better for them to remain with the -Indians, and do the women's work of providing wood and water, &c., than -to start off into a wild and dreary pampa, where they would inevitably -starve without a knowledge of the route or guides. - -During our stay here I nearly fell a victim to a matrimonial -entanglement. A fair young Indian, whose hair cut across the forehead -denoted widowhood, moreover having several mares and considerable -possessions, to whom I had perhaps paid some slight attention, proposed -that I should set up toldo with her. This was quite out of my programme -of the journey, but inasmuch as the alliance might prove useful, as -well as agreeable, and feeling lonely in the absence of any particular -friend, I half agreed; so a go-between was despatched to arrange the -dowry, and it was settled that I should give a revolver in exchange -for two horses to be provided by the fair one's friends. However, the -evening before the happy day on which we were to have been united, the -alarm came, and as she belonged to the Southern Indians, I thought -better of giving up my arms; so I assigned as a reason for withdrawing -from the bargain, that I did not wish to leave my friend Orkeke's toldo. -I have no doubt that her people, desiring the help of my firearms, had -suggested the match to secure me to support their side. The lady at -first was rather disgusted, but soon got over it, and we remained on -our former friendly terms. - -In this encampment two disagreements occurred between Indians and their -wives, which were the only matrimonial squabbles that came under my -notice during my wanderings in their company. One occurred between -Tankelow and his spouse in our toldo. It began by Tankelow's striking -his daughter, which his wife angrily resented; from words they came to -blows, and the squaw was getting rather the best of it, when Mrs. -Orkeke interposed with a strong arm, and forcibly put a stop to the -disturbance. - -The following day Tankelow drove his horses off separately, but towards -evening a reconciliation was effected. On the 3rd of October we left -Gelgel-aik and marched west in the face of a bitterly cold wind. In the -hunt not less than seven pumas were killed, which were, as usual at this -time, very fat, and were duly boiled in the iron pots, furnishing an -excellent supper, the meat closely resembling boiled pork. During the -day seven of the Chilians were missed, and on our arrival at the toldos, -it transpired that they had determined to try and find their own way -to the Chupat settlement; and as they had left in an underhand manner, -which the Indians look upon as tantamount to a declaration of war, some -of the people wished to pursue and kill them, but this proposition was -overruled by Orkeke and Casimiro. The encampment was sheltered by a hill -named 'Tele,' close to a large lagoon, covered with waterfowl, into -which flowed a beautiful spring issuing from the hill; along the margin -of the clear pure water grew a profusion of a sort of green cress, -and at sunset flights of flamingoes (Phoenicopterus tgnipallo) and -rose-coloured spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) came to the lagoon to feed. -One day's hunting was done in the surrounding plain, which to the west -presents several of the remarkable drops or basin-like formations -described by Darwin as existing on the eastern side of the Cordillera. -On October 5th we broke up the camp and marched in a northerly -direction, until a stream of considerable size was arrived at; this -some of us crossed at once, although it was deep and the banks rotten -and unsound. The women and remainder of the party diverged to a ford, -old Orkeke sending one of the Chilians to take care that his little dog -(on whom he lavished his paternal affections) did not get wet. In half -an hour's time the whole party--Ako included--had crossed in safety, and -the camp was pitched on a peninsula between this river and another which -joined it lower down. The united streams may or may not form a tributary -of the Chupat, as the Indians disagreed on this point, some averring it -to be so, others stating that the river flowed into a large lagoon. The -weather had changed to drizzling rain, and the wet and sloppy state of -the toldos was very disagreeable. It did not, however, much affect our -clothing, as it is easy to dry a guanaco mantle by the fire, but care -must be taken only to expose the furred side to the heat, otherwise the -hide will become dried and apt to tear easily. Whilst in this encampment -lookouts were posted, and one came in stating that he had seen smoke in -a northerly direction. Consequently, on October 9, having rested our -jaded horses, which were rapidly improving in condition, from grazing on -the young green grass now springing abundantly in all the valleys, we -crossed a barren, clayey pampa, interspersed with bogs and marshes at -intervals, and on the 10th arrived at a small range of hills, running -east and west, under one of which the toldos were pitched, near to -another of those beautiful circular springs which frequently occur in -Patagonia; from the centre of the smooth white sand which formed the -bottom, the water bubbled up like liquid crystal, and silvery fishes -could be seen darting about in the circular basin. The Indians delight -in laving their hands and feet in the springs, and will sit there for -a long time admiring the beauty of these 'eyes of the desert.' As, on -our arrival, the women had not yet completed the domestic arrangements, -after throwing the spoils of the chase off our saddles, a party of us -ascended an adjacent hill to have a look round. The day was magnificent, -and the sun, just setting, bathed the whole country in a flood of red -tints. To the N.E. we observed three distinct columns of smoke which -the Indians averred to be caused by the five Chilian deserters, and -were very bitter against them, as they were supposed to have lost their -way, and to be desirous of returning again to the toldos. In this place -I found my compass would not act, owing, as I supposed, to having -been disabled; but as it subsequently behaved properly, its temporary -derangement must have been due to some local attraction. To the -northward, as well as I could guess the bearings, ran a long range of -hills, terminating in a peculiarly-peaked mountain, below which the -Indians pointed out the trees which fringed a river--according to their -statements, a tributary of the Chupat. To the west extended rolling -plains, which appeared to stretch away into the distance, interrupting -the chain of the Cordillera, as though there were a depression or break -in the mountains, no hills of large size being visible on the horizon. -Whilst lying down smoking on this hill, I picked up several pieces -of opal and cacholong combined, and as I was idly forming them into -different patterns on the ground, and had arranged a circle resembling -a miniature Indian grave, one of my companions observing what I was -doing, grew very angry and said, 'That will bring ill luck,' evidently -believing that I was mentally compassing the death of some one by -witchcraft. As I had no wish to be killed by way of prevention of any -imaginary spells, I quickly gathered up the specimens, many of which -were afterwards lost in the ensuing journey. The Indian name for this -place is Yaiken-Kaimak, signifying that it is the hill whence they espy -the signal smoke denoting the approach of the Indians from the north. - -We remained five days in this encampment, a general uneasiness -prevailing, and arms being kept ready to hand. In addition to the -usual hunting, under the orders of the cacique, we were engaged in -performing exercises on horseback; this mounted drill being intended as -a preparation in case we should find the northern Tehuelches at war with -the Araucanos or Manzaneros Indians. The plains to the westward abounded -with guanaco, some thousands being enclosed in the circle at one time. -One day that I had not accompanied the hunting party, I was strolling -across the camp, having volunteered to occupy the post of the vidette -on an adjacent hill, when I observed a guanaco, very tired, coming -towards me; so, hiding behind a bush, I waited till he unsuspiciously -approached, and then rushing out, balled him with a pair of ostrich -bolas. As he was so close to me, his forelegs were perfectly tied up, -and I had not much difficulty in despatching him with a blow on the -head from another set of bolas. By this time I had attained tolerable -dexterity in the use of the bolas, and it was my invariable custom when -not otherwise employed to stroll about and practise. Besides their -use, my practical training had enabled me soon to acquire the art of -manufacturing them, and our many idle hours were employed in plaiting -ostrich sinews, so that I contrived to fit up an extensive assortment, -some of which I used to barter for tobacco. The weather during our stay -here became worse, rain, sleet, and gales of wind prevailing; and the -toldos, from the continuous rain and the marshy nature of the ground, -became so wet and wretched as to be almost uninhabitable, so that we -marched on the 16th over a level pampa--smoke to the eastward being -observed and duly answered during the journey. We encamped at night on -the north side of a small rapid stream, in a place called 'Pelwecken,' -situated a league from the wooded river, the trees of which were visible -from the encampment. I here saw a new game played by the Indians which -resembled that known amongst schoolboys as 'knucklebones,' being played -with small stones in lieu of the bones, and heavy stakes were lost and -won on the chances. On Sunday, the 17th, the Indians started to hunt in -the vicinity of the wooded river, and Casimiro proposed that I should -accompany him to the woods to cut poles for the toldos, and timber -for working saddles. Orkeke, however, for some reason or another, -recommended me to stay quietly in the toldos; and, as advice is -sometimes almost the same as a command, I acquiesced, although longing -to enjoy a close view of a tree again after so much wandering over the -treeless pampas. As the day was warm and fine, I strolled down the river -in search of the eggs of the upland goose (Chloephaga magellanica), -yellow-billed goose (Cygnus coscoroba), and other water fowl, -and returned about 2 P.M. with plenty of spoil. The women were -superintending the cooking of some of these, when one of them rushed -into the toldo and cried out that the Indians were returning and a fight -had taken place. A glance at the coming horsemen was at once sufficient -to convince us that she was right. They came galloping back by twos and -threes, swords drawn, mantles hanging off their shoulders, and their -faces glowing with fury. They at once proceeded to get their guns and -revolvers to renew the fight. Orkeke, however, arrived and made a -long speech, and ultimately quiet was restored. One man--a brother -of Camillo--had been killed and left on the pampa. The sister of the -deceased was frantic at his death, and, arming herself with a knife, -attempted to avenge him; but she was soon stopped, disarmed and quieted. -The deceased was armed with a six-shooter, and his assailant had only a -sword; one shot missed him and the next barrel missed fire, whereupon he -closed and ran his adversary through the body. Casimiro returned shortly -after the remainder, and when he heard of the fight and the result, was -for some time eager to renew it and avenge the slain man, who was a -relation of his own, but at last yielded to Orkeke's arguments. The -following day the smoke to the east appeared pretty close, and, when we -had marched on a little, two young men were despatched in its direction -with private instructions from Orkeke, and we proceeded to the wooded -river, where we luxuriated for a short time under the shade of a -description of birch tree and then forded the stream, which is of -considerable width and very rapid. The Indians declared that it was -impossible for any man to swim across the river in the deeper portion -below the ford, on account of some ferocious beasts which they termed -water tigers--'Tigres de l'agua'--which would certainly attack and -devour anyone in the water. They described them as yellow quadrupeds, -larger than puma. It is certain that two ostriches which, being too poor -for use, had been left on the bank, were found by us next day in the -shallow water, torn and half devoured, and the tracks of an animal -resembling those of a large puma were plainly visible leading down to -the water; but a puma invariably drags its prey to a bush; and, though -jaguar will take the water readily, I have never known one devour its -prey except on land, nor, as far as I know, are they found so far -south. The animal may be a species of the large brown otter with -orange-coloured fur on the breast, found in the Parana; but the Indians' -account is curious as bearing on the name of the lake--'Nahuel Huapi,' -or Tigers' Island. It is possible that the aguarra found in the valley -of the Rio Negro may also haunt these districts. They further told me -that stags had been seen on the banks of the river, but none were heard -of during our stay in the neighbourhood. A few miles below the ford the -belt of trees ceases, and on the southern side there is a peculiar group -of what seem to be square-shaped rocks, which at a distance have very -much the appearance of a small town regularly built and walled. This -is called by the Indians 'Sengel,' and was the scene of a great fight -between the Tehuelches and Araucanos many years ago, relics of which in -the shape of bones and skulls still whiten the plain. After crossing the -river, the young men who had been sent back returned, bringing with them -three horses belonging to the Chilians and one man of their party, who, -incredible as it seems, had assisted the Indians to dismount and disable -his companions. The particulars of the fate of the others were not -divulged, though a story was current that some of them had managed to -reach the Chupat. I asked no questions, but the blood-stained knife of -one of the young men told its own story. This day all the Indians rode -on in silence, the last two days' events having roused all their bad -passions. I rode alone, feeling that there was danger in the air, and -near our halting place joined Orkeke and two others at a fireside -for the purpose of cooking some ostrich eggs, which we were busily -discussing when a messenger came to say that Casimiro was waiting to see -me at a spot which he indicated. I mounted and rode off accordingly, but -had not gone far before the two bravos who had been commissioned to do -for the Chilians galloped up, one from either side, one brandishing his -sword and the other swinging his bolas. I at once put spurs to my horse, -and my mantle flying back discovered two revolvers belted round my waist -underneath it. They checked their career and sang out, 'Stop! Where are -you going?' But, without making any reply, I galloped on, being not -further interfered with, and soon joined my old friend. He then informed -me that, being utterly disgusted with the late proceedings and general -anarchy, he had determined to push forward by himself to meet the -Northern Indians, leaving his wife and children under the charge of -Cayuke. He therefore wanted the letters which I had written for him, -and my own, which he undertook to forward at the same time. So I rode -back to the toldos for the letters, which I carried to Casimiro without -anyone attempting to stop my way. - -Having returned to the fire under the bush, I dismounted, and whilst -cooking another egg, gave Orkeke a piece of my mind; quietly hinting -that I carried ten lives about me. He assured me it was all a mistake, -and had happened without any orders from him, the young fellows only -wishing to try my mettle by way of joke. I replied that jokes of that -sort were sometimes dangerous, and the subject was mutually dropped. - -We encamped by the side of a stream, into which many of us soon plunged -to take a refreshing bath, always a favourite enjoyment with the -Tehuelches, who are powerful swimmers, and dive well. While resting -here and sporting in the water a better state of feeling arose, and the -mutual suspicion and discord which had so long prevailed was gradually -forgotten. Casimiro had left, taking one of the Chilians; and his spouse -told me, amid a torrent of abuse of her better half, that he had gone -through fear, the other Indians having determined to kill him; and she -added that he had the heart of a skunk, a vulture, and an armadillo. -These combined would make a very nice mixture. That he was right in -making his escape at this particular juncture was very evident, for -the next day two young men were sent out, ostensibly as chasquis or -messengers, to look for the Northern Indians, but in reality to try and -overtake Casimiro and dispose of him; however, they returned without any -tidings of the wily old chief. - -In the range of hills described as visible from Kaimak, there is a mine -or vein of iron ore, about a mile due west from the brook, and marked -by a large mass of white quartz. This is used by the Indians in the -manufacture of bolas, and an excursion was made to it. We brought -back numerous pieces, some of which, now in my possession, have been -examined, and pronounced to be brown and magnetic iron ore. The Indians -also told me that some leagues to the east of this spot a mass of iron, -having, as well as could be gathered from their account, the shape of a -bar-shot, lies in the middle of a barren plain, and is regarded by -them with superstitious awe. Whether this be an aerolite, or has any -connection with the ore on the hill side, it was not in my power to -determine, for in the critical state of feeling then prevalent a visit -of inspection was impracticable. - -On the 22nd of October we marched a few miles, always following the -line of hills, and in a northerly course. Ostrich eggs still formed the -main staple of food, and furnished a diet sufficiently nutritious, but -producing all the effects of a course of 'Banting.' Fortunately this -day two of us killed fat pumas, some steaks off which broiled, by way -of variety, were an acceptable addition to the evening meal; but from -experience I should advise all travellers to boil their puma. We -encamped in a small gorge in the hills, directly under a peculiarly -pointed rock, which is called Yowlel, or Ship Rock, from its resemblance -to a ship under sail, and is regarded with superstition by the Indians, -who believe that all who endeavour to ascend it in the calmest weather -will, on arriving at the summit, have their mantles blown to pieces by -furious gusts of wind. - -The next day--a glorious morning, after a night's rain--we proceeded -in the same direction; and while waiting for the heavy baggage, in the -shape of the women and children, several of us repaired to a regular -racecourse--a beaten track six feet wide, extending for almost three -miles, level and free from stones, though rather sandy. Here we had -trials of the speed of our horses to while away the interval; and when -the women appeared, proceeded to the chase, over a pampa formed by a -bend in the range of hills. During the hunt we found the carcase of a -guanaco, which had been killed by a puma, carefully covered up in grass -and scrub. It was a fat animal, such as the puma always singles out, -although I have read in some accounts that he follows the herds and -picks up the weakly ones. That this is not the case was proved on -various occasions, by finding the carcases left by these cats, which -were always those of animals in good condition. Early in the afternoon -we arrived at the encampment, by the side of a small river, flowing in -an easterly direction from the hills. The women, with the exception of -one or two, were not present, and might be seen about two miles off, -grubbing up a description of potato which grew in the neighbouring hill -side. The day was warm, and Orkeke invited me to go to the top of one -of the hills to see if any smoke or signs of Indians were visible. We -accordingly crossed the stream, and while riding along the northern bank -I observed fish swimming lazily on the top of the water. After crossing -a marshy patch of ground, we ascended the hills, and dismounting near a -bank of blue earth, climbed on foot to the summit, which was composed -of a description of quartz, with crystalline veins running through it. -Scrambling up this formation, we arrived at the top, whence we had a -beautiful view of the encampment and the green pasture bordering the -stream. To the northward the view was rather shut in by hills rising to -a considerable elevation. Just below us lay a valley, in which several -guanaco and ostriches were taking their evening meal. We remained here -for some time smoking and enjoying the face of nature generally, but -could discern no smoke or signs of Indians. Orkeke remarked that the -pasture had a fresher appearance lower down the course of the stream, -and proposed that we should inspect it. We accordingly descended from -our elevated position, mounted, and proceeded to the valley below; in -our descent being lucky enough to kill a fat male ostrich, which was -sitting on a nest of twenty-four eggs. We investigated the grass, which -was of good quality; and after an _al fresco_ meal, in which we were -joined by Tchang, returned to the toldos, where the women had just -arrived with a considerable supply of potatoes. I again, on our way -back, observed fish in the stream, so, turning my horse adrift, -proceeded to extract my hooks and line from the baggage under the -charge of Mrs. Orkeke. After a little delay all was ready; a piece of -meat supplied the place of fly as bait; and dropping it gently into the -pool, I soon had a bite, and pulled out a fish about two pounds weight, -of the perch class, similar to that called dorado in the River Plate. -After half-an-hour's fishing I landed several others as large, and as -it was nearly dark, returned to supper off fried fish and boiled -potatoes. - -I had no opportunity of seeing the plants which produced these tubers, -but they exactly resembled those I afterwards obtained in the northern -country from a plant, the feathery fern-like leaf of which springs from -a long slender stem. The following day we shifted camp down river, to -the neighbourhood of the green pasture, and found large quantities of -the eggs of the upland geese, ducks, &c. In the neighbourhood one lonely -tree grew by the side of the stream, although the banks were lined -with driftwood, probably carried down from the wooded slopes of the -Cordillera, ten miles farther west, during floods. This day, smoke -having been distinctly seen to the northward, Hummums was despatched to -ascertain whether it were a signal from the much-looked-for Northern -Indians. Three days subsequently, about nine in the evening, whilst I -was lying dreaming of home, and had just--in dreamland--taken a glass -of sherry, Orkeke woke me up with the intelligence that fires were to -be seen to the north, which were no doubt caused by the 'chasqui' or -messenger previously despatched. In about three hours' time--somewhere -about midnight--Casimiro, Hummums, and another Indian rode into the -camp, and our toldo was soon crowded to hear the news from our chasqui, -who stated that the Northern Indians were in the wild cattle district, -where they had killed several animals; they were also well provided -with tobacco and other necessaries from the Rio Negro, where they had -been for trading purposes in August, and they would welcome our party, -provided that they came in a friendly spirit. The following morning we -had a great consultation in Crime's toldo, at which it was determined -that all quarrels should be forgotten, and that we should march at once -to effect a junction with the other Indians. This having been resolved -on, all marched in an easterly direction to an encampment situated -on the borders of the same stream, and under a range of hills called -'Appleykaik.' Here we remained three days; and smoke not previously -accounted for having been observed to the east, two scouts were sent -out to ascertain the cause, but returned without intelligence. We spent -our time, as usual, in hunting, or bathing in the river; and on October -31 marched again, and had not gone very far, in a north-east direction, -before Tankelow--who had started earlier than the rest, and constituted -himself a _corps d'observation_--appeared, with a strange Indian of the -Pampa tribe, who stated that his companions were on their way to join -the Northern Indians. They had come from the neighbourhood of the -Chupat colony, and were, as far as I could make out, mixed Pampas and -Tehuelches. It was agreed that they should join us and the others at a -place called 'Henno,' to which we were at present marching. We continued -our route after this slight interruption, and encamped for the night -near the banks of a small stream. The weather had entirely changed, the -wind blowing bitterly from the south-west, with squalls of sleet, hail, -and snow; and but few of the party found it agreeable to take the -evening bath. Casimiro was in high spirits, as many of the Northern -Indians were relations of his, and he was to be invested with the -supreme command--in prospect of which he had already received presents -of horses, and was looking forward to the consultation of the chief, -which, he assured me, would have to be conducted with great pomp. During -our talk, Casimiro narrated all his adventures after quitting the -toldos. He had travelled so fast, knowing that he would probably be -pursued, that on the fifth day his horse broke down, as for two days -previous he had seen smoke from some encampment to which he was by this -time close, though he was uncertain whether it was that of his friends -or not. He left his Chilian companion, and proceeded to an eminence -to reconnoitre. During his absence the Chilian fell asleep; the grass -caught fire and surrounded the sleeping man. The Indians--Hinchel's -people--attracted by the smoke, came down and rescued him, all his -clothes having been burned off and his body severely scorched. Having -heard his story, Hinchel at once sent a party to search for Casimiro. -When the latter saw the five mounted Indians approaching, wrapped in -their ponchos, he was uncertain if they were Araucanos or Tehuelches, -and drew his revolver, prepared to pick them off in detail; but soon, to -his great relief, he recognised in the leader a relation of his own. He -also told me that when Hummums, our chasqui, arrived, he was entertained -by some friend of his own, to whom, in the evening, he boasted that he -and his friends had killed all the Christians in their camp. This story -was at once carried to Hinchel and Casimiro, who inquired if 'Muster' -had also been killed; to which the tale-bearer unhesitatingly replied -that he had. Hinchel, who had previously heard all about the English -visitor from Casimiro, was furious at what he considered a grave breach -of hospitality, and issued orders forthwith to apprehend the chasqui, -and to mount and make ready to avenge my supposed death by killing -Orkeke and all his party. Hummums, however, when interrogated as a -prisoner, in great terror declared that 'Muster' was safe, and that no -one had any idea of killing him, and then the storm blew over. But this -account, which was confirmed by the report of the chasqui, accidentally -overheard by myself, prepared me to meet Hinchel with feelings of -friendliness towards a chief who had evinced so keen a sense of the -care to be taken of a stranger who had confided himself to Indian -hospitality; and the impression of this chief's character then formed, -was fully confirmed on further acquaintance with him. - -The two following days our route lay through a succession of rather -barren valleys, bordered by ranges of high hills, everywhere strewn -with rocks and boulders, and having a very gaunt and weird appearance. -The valleys generally contained good pasture on either the northern or -southern side of the streams which flowed down every one; but away from -the vicinity of the water the soil was sandy, with low bushes scattered -here and there. - -On November 2nd, about 2 P.M., we arrived at a pass or gorge above the -rendezvous at Henno. The view of the valley below was very refreshing; -green grassy plains stretched for some miles, with a beautiful silvery -stream running down the centre. But, much to our disappointment, no -signs of Indians were visible; so we descended, and after bathing in a -pool, and waiting until the toldos were pitched, lighted a big signal -fire, which was shortly answered to the westward, and a messenger -was immediately despatched who returned towards nightfall with the -intelligence that the expected people would arrive next day; and we -had to reconcile ourselves to another night of anxiety, being not at -all certain as to the reception to be expected from the newcomers. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -HENNOKAIK TO TECKEL. - - Ceremonial of Welcome. -- Hinchel's Indians. -- Tehuelches - and Araucanos. -- Jackechan and the Chupat Tribe. -- My - Examination. -- Encampment at Henno. -- Peaceful Occupations. - -- The Oldest Inhabitant. -- Chiriq. -- The Hidden Cities. -- - Modern Legends. -- Mysteries of the Cordillera. -- Los Cesares. - -- La Ciudad Encantada. -- Its Whereabouts. -- The Indian - Cesares. -- The Guanaco. -- The Patagonian Ostrich. -- - Neighbourhood of Chiriq. -- Horseracing. -- Indian Horses. -- - Indian Dogs. -- Dog and Lover. -- Plaiting Sinews. -- Windy - Hill. -- Surrounded by Fire. -- Young Guanaco. -- Arrival of - Grog. -- News from Santa Cruz. -- Gisk. -- Romantic Scenery. -- - A Pleasant Neighbourhood. -- Fairy Glen. -- Breaking a Horse. - -- Female Curiosity. -- The Wild Cattle Country. -- The Forests - of the Cordillera. -- The Watershed. -- Among the Mountains. -- - Wild Flowers. -- A Bull Fight. -- The Bull Victorious. -- No - Christmas Beef. -- Teckel. -- Change of Quarters. - - -As we were whiling away the next forenoon in fishing and disporting -ourselves generally in the water, smoke was descried at various points -to the westward, and about 2 P.M. the head of the heavy column of women, -children, and innumerable horses came into view on the northern side of -the valley. All instantly repaired to the toldos, accoutred ourselves, -and got up the horses in preparation for the arrival of the visitors; -the meeting of any number of Indians after a separation being recognised -as an affair of considerable importance. Shortly after our horses were -caught and saddled, and, indeed, before some of our party were ready, -the men who had been hunting _en route_ appeared, and the ceremonial of -welcome was duly observed. - -Both parties, fully armed, dressed in their best, and mounted on their -best horses, formed into opposite lines. - -The Northern Indians presented the gayest appearance, displaying flannel -shirts, ponchos, and a great show of silver spurs and ornamental -bridles. The chiefs then rode up and down, dressing the ranks and -haranguing their men, who kept up a continual shouting of 'Wap, Wap, -Wap.' I fell in as a private, though Casimiro had vainly endeavoured -to induce me to act as 'Capitanejo' or officer of a party. The Buenos -Ayrean colours were proudly displayed on our side, while the Northerns -carried a white weft, their ranks presenting a much better drilled -aspect than our ill-disciplined forces. Messengers or hostages were then -exchanged, each side deputing a son or brother of the chief for that -purpose; and the new comers advanced, formed into columns of threes, -and rode round our ranks, firing their guns and revolvers, shouting and -brandishing their swords and bolas. After galloping round at full speed -two or three times, they opened ranks, and charged out as if attacking -an enemy, shouting 'Koue' at every blow or thrust. The object of attack -was supposed to be the 'Gualichu' or demon, and certainly the demon -of discord had need to be exorcised. Hinchel's party then halted -and reformed their line, while we, in our turn, executed the same -manoeuvres. Afterwards the Caciques advanced and formally shook hands, -making, each in turn, long and complimentary speeches. This was repeated -several times, the etiquette being to answer only 'Ahon' or Yes, until -the third repetition, when all begin to talk, and formality is gradually -laid aside. It was rather a surprise to find etiquette so rigorously -insisted on, but these so-called savages are as punctilious in observing -the proper forms as if they were Spanish courtiers. - -These Northern Tehuelches, under the command of Hinchel, usually -frequent the country lying between the Rio Negro and the River Sengel, -and once a year, about July, visit the settlement of Patagones, where -their stay is generally short, only sufficient for them to barter their -furs and feathers, and for the chiefs at the same time to receive their -rations of mares, cattle, ponchos, yerba, tobacco, &c., allowed by the -Government of Buenos Ayres. By the time we met them in November they had -little to show of the gains of their August visit to Rio Negro except -a few mares and gay-coloured ponchos. Hinchel, however, owned two or -three head of cattle which were said to have been caught at the head of -the Chupat valley, being supposed to be stray cattle belonging to the -Welsh settlers. Some of the Indians had still also a little yerba left, -and tobacco in plenty; and on the occasion of the welcome many were -dressed in coloured ponchos, chiripas, and some in leathern boots. With -arms they were passably well provided, guns and revolvers being in -proportion of about one to four men. During the time that we were -occupied in the ceremony the women of the newly-arrived party busied -themselves in pitching their toldos; and shortly after we had returned -to our camp, which was a little apart from that of the new comers, and -appeared very small and insignificant when contrasted with theirs, the -Cacique came over, and presented mares, horses, and other gifts to the -chiefs of our party; and a grand feast was celebrated in our toldos. -Many of the new comers rode over, two or sometimes three mounted on one -horse, and would, if not acquainted with the inmates, stop in front -of a toldo and look in for a few minutes, then ride on to another, -and so on. As these were mostly young men, their real object was -probably to reconnoitre the young ladies. One, however, who, though -undistinguishable from the Indians in appearance, and who looked like -an Araucano, but was really by birth a Spaniard, having been carried off -in his childhood from a settlement, brought over a pack of cards, and -some of our party were soon deep in a game of siete, at which the -stranger being a proficient, soon cleared them out completely. - -[Illustration: CEREMONY OF WELCOME (TEHUELCHES AND ARAUCANIANS).] - -Next day I paid a visit to Hinchel. He spoke no Spanish, but he managed -to converse, and he asked me if the Southern Tehuelches were not a queer -lot, for he had heard that they killed men as readily as they would -guanaco. From what Casimiro had reported, I was already inclined to -respect this Cacique, who had expressed such readiness to protect or -avenge a guest of the Indians, and closer acquaintance only strengthened -my regard for him. He was a fine-looking man, with a pleasant, -intelligent countenance, which was not belied by his disposition. -He never, to my knowledge, exceeded sobriety, and was good-humoured -and self-possessed; though if once roused to fight, his resolute and -determined courage was well known. He was skilled at all sorts of -handicraft, and was always busily employed. He was generous to a -fault--ready to give away everything if asked for it, and often without -the asking. His great weakness was an inveterate fondness for gambling, -which, together with his lavish good nature, eventually impoverished him -greatly. At his request, I informed Casimiro and Orkeke that he desired -to hold a parlemento. Accordingly, the chiefs all proceeded to a place -agreed upon between the two camps, where they took their seats in a -circle on the grass. After various harangues from Hinchel and others, -it was resolved that Casimiro should be elected chief in command of the -Tehuelches; and that after the expiration of the young guanaco season, -all present, together with those expected from the neighbourhood of the -Chupat, should proceed to a place called Teckel, and thence march to Las -Manzanas, to unite there with the Araucanian Indians, some of whom had -already communicated with us, and had promised to forward my letters, -_via_ Las Manzanas, to Rio Negro. - -The relations between the Tehuelches or Tsonecas of Patagonia and the -Araucanian Indians of Las Manzanas had been previously by no means of -a pacific nature. It has been already mentioned that near the Sengel we -passed the scene of a fierce battle between them. Tankelow bore still -the scars of seven lance wounds received in a battle when he was left -for dead on the field. On the same occasion Orkeke was taken prisoner, -but, although mutilated, succeeded eventually in effecting his escape. -Casimiro's father also became a prisoner in an unsuccessful assault -on an Araucanian stronghold. After two or three years' captivity he -succeeded, with two of his comrades, in escaping, and while hurrying to -rejoin the Tehuelches in the vicinity of Geylum, met with a solitary -Araucanian. He seeing a fire, approached unsuspicious of danger, and was -welcomed and invited to smoke; they then seized him, stripped and bound -him hand and foot, and left him lying on the pampa, a helpless prey to -the condors and pumas. The two fugitives, having thus gratified their -desire for vengeance, succeeded in rejoining their own people, and -organised an attack on the Araucanos, in which Casimiro's father was -killed. Some wonderful feats of valour were described to me as having -been achieved by the Tehuelches; but in fact the Manzaneros proved -themselves the superior warriors, and even at the time of our visit to -them had Tehuelche slaves. The powerful cacique Lenquetrou succeeded in -healing the old feuds, and united all the Indians under his leadership. -He was treacherously killed by an Argentine officer at Bahia Blanca -during the peace between the Indians and the Christians, and after his -death the old quarrels broke out afresh. Casimiro's diplomacy, however, -succeeded during the time of my visit in conciliating all parties, -and the result appeared in the amicable arrangements concluded at the -Parlemento, and afterwards successfully carried out. Had it not been for -this, my journey to Las Manzanas, and thence to the Rio Negro, would -have been dangerous, if not altogether impossible. - -Two days after the arrival of the Northern party the Indians from -the Chupat came in, and were duly welcomed by our united forces, the -ceremonial on this occasion presenting a very animated scene. They -numbered between seventy and eighty men, with women and children, -occupying about twenty toldos. Most of them were young men of Pampa, or -mixed Pampa and Tehuelche blood, but there were a few pure Tehuelches in -their ranks, their chief being a Pampa named 'Jackechan,' or Juan. As I -watched them drawn up, or careering round us during the welcome, they -appeared to present a different type from that of my first friends, -being generally shorter, though as muscular, and even apparently more -broadly built, with complexions lighter, and their dress and persons -smarter and cleaner. They were all well armed with lances and firearms, -and were evidently kept well in hand by the chief. Their range of -country lay between the same limits as that of Hinchel's people, but -they habitually seemed to have kept more to the sea-coast, where many -of them had been accustomed to visit the Welsh colony at the Chupat for -trade, and in their opinion, as afterwards expressed to me, the honest -Welsh colonists were much pleasanter and safer to deal with than 'the -Christians' of the Rio Negro. They seemed to have been especially -impressed with the size and excellence of the home-made loaves, one of -which would be given in return for half a guanaco, and Jackechan often -expatiated on the liberality of the colonists and the goodness of their -bread. These men also felt strongly the kindness with which an Indian, -if overtaken with rum, would be covered up or carried into an outhouse -by the Chupat people; whereas at the Rio Negro the only attention -paid to him would be to strip and plunder him completely. During the -afternoon the chief, Jackechan, sent a request to the 'Englishman' -to pay him a visit, so I repaired to his toldo, and was courteously -received by him. He wore a beautifully-wrought silver chain, with a -medallion of the Madonna suspended to it, of which he seemed pardonably -proud. Having been invited to take a seat, and the pipe having been duly -passed round, it became evident that I was to be tested as to my real -claims to the character of an Englishman. Jackechan, during his visits -to the Chupat, had become acquainted with Mr. Lewis Jones, the Director -of the colony, and so had learned the name of the Queen of England, &c., -and he proceeded to interrogate me accordingly. I found him to be a most -intelligent Indian, speaking Spanish, Pampa, and Tehuelche fluently; and -our acquaintance thus commenced ripened into a strong mutual friendship. -My answers proving quite satisfactory, he was evidently much pleased, -and ordered his wife to produce coffee, a little of which he had still -remaining from his store procured at Chupat. Whilst discussing this -luxury, we had a long conversation on various topics, and he produced -a photograph of Mr. Jones and some letters, one being an order for a -ration of animals, mares and cattle, from the Argentine Government. He -stated that he had not visited Patagones for some years, on account of a -fight that had taken place, but would perhaps now accompany our party. -Whilst conversing, his son, a boy of some twelve years of age, came in -and startled me by his unlikeness to the other Indian boys, for his -brown hair and eyes and fair complexion might easily have caused one -to take him for an English boy. His mother was not present, as, for -domestic reasons, Jackechan had parted with her; but I subsequently saw -her, and she, although a handsome woman, had no European traits about -her except that of having quarrelled with her husband. The following day -was spent in a second parlemento--or, as the Indians call it, 'aix'--and -all agreed to place themselves under the orders of Casimiro, for the -purpose of protecting Patagones in the possible event of an invasion -by the Indians of Rouke, or 'Calficura,' from the country north of Rio -Negro. All present saw the importance of protecting Patagones, as, if -that town should be destroyed, there would be no market for their furs, -&c. - -Our encampment was situated in a large grassy valley watered by a stream -flowing to the eastward, which was finally lost in a large marsh. The -valley, which may have been about twelve miles in length and perhaps -four in width at its broadest part, was confined by hills which, -closing, narrowed it in at the eastern and western extremities. To the -N.W. and N. the hills--which almost merited the name of mountains--were -peculiarly rugged, more especially towards their summits. About N.N.E. -by compass from our camp, there was a pass formed by a dip or break in -the range leading north, and through the mouth of the pass we could see -the smoke of the hunting parties of the Araucanian Indians, who were, -however, many leagues distant. Throughout Patagonia smoke is always -visible at a great distance, and the practised eyes of the Indians can -distinguish it from the clouds, when ordinary persons would be unable to -discern it unless pointed out to them. On the southern and eastern sides -of the valley lay a range of hills, the rugged summits of which rose -from lower slopes of more regular swell, and presenting more even -and down-like surfaces than those on the western and northern sides. -Immediately above our encampment the hill of Henno, from which the -valley is named, rose from the plain. Near the summit of this hill -Orkeke and myself, who for amusement had ridden up to it, one day -came across the bleached skeleton of a man, perhaps one of two young -Argentines who, as I was subsequently informed, had travelled thus far -in company with the Indians, and had been for some--or no--reason killed -by them near this spot. In the surrounding hills red porphyry frequently -cropped out, and also veins of a red agate, unlike the flint agate so -common in all the plains of Patagonia. The rocks near the summits of the -hills were generally of igneous formation, and on the slopes of these -hills frequent springs gushed out, easily discoverable from a distance -by the vivid green of the grass growing round them. As we gazed down -from the height of Henno, the valley lay before us like a picture; our -few toldos were situated in a group to the east, on the south side of -the stream; about a quarter of a mile to the north the thirty or forty -toldos of the Northern Indians were pitched, and opposite to them, on -the north side of the stream, those of the party commanded by Jackechan -or Juan. The scene was animated but peaceful: here might be seen a party -of young men playing at ball, in another a man breaking a colt, and down -by the side of the stream groups of girls bathing, or wandering in the -swamps picking the wild spinach which grew all along the margin of the -water in great quantities. One day I went on an excursion with the -children to pluck spinach and plunder the nests of wild ducks and upland -geese, from which we returned laden with spoil, and in the evening a -stew, _a la_ Tehuelche, was made with ostrich grease, spinach, and eggs, -which combination was universally approved of. Another day we went -fishing, and after catching several with a hook and line, voted it slow -work, so contrived a net by sewing two ponchos together, and wading -into the stream dragged the shallow parts, and, notwithstanding the -duck weed, which rather impeded us, made several good hauls, the take -consisting of the perch-like fish and a black species of cat-fish: the -Indians, however, except Casimiro, would not eat the fish, and evidently -regarded my enjoyment of them much as an Englishman would at first view -their appreciation of blood. Another day we went on an expedition to -dig up a species of root somewhat resembling a parsnip, but although we -grubbed about for an hour our efforts were only scantily rewarded by -a few small roots, which were given to the children. One roasted in -the ashes, at Mrs. Orkeke's invitation I tasted, and found it rather -tasteless and insipid. - -During our stay in this pleasant resting-place the weather was bright -and sunny, and on calm days warm, and the absence of rain almost made it -appear like summer; but whenever the west wind blew, the piercing cold -dispelled the passing illusion. The long delay which was necessary to -recruit our horses, in anticipation of a campaign against the young -guanaco and the wild cattle, was most acceptable to all the members of -our party; and after the two preceding months of quarrels, real and -suspected dangers, and forced marches, our present peaceable existence, -though devoid of adventure, was thoroughly enjoyable. An occasional -hunting party, interchange of visits and card parties with the recent -arrivals, fishing, foraging for birds' eggs, spinach, &c., with some -flirting, and, by way of business, a parlemento or two, made our time -pass merrily enough at Henno. - -Our hunting parties were under the direction of 'the oldest inhabitant,' -an aged cacique called Guenalto, with venerable white hair, and who had -been crippled by a lance-thrust, received, to his honour be it said, -while endeavouring to mediate between two of his friends. His great age -and amiable character commanded universal respect; and on a hunting -morning he would sit under a bush and speechify for half an hour, -recounting old deeds of prowess, and exhorting us to do our best. The -old man was a frequent and welcome visitor at our toldo, where he was -encouraged to indulge to his heart's content in long-winded stories. My -compass greatly excited his curiosity, and he took it into his head that -it possessed a magical power which could effect the restoration of the -use of his arm. He accordingly begged to be allowed to hold it in his -hand; and sat patiently, with an air of awe and faith combined, for an -hour, afterwards declaring that the operation had done him much good. -We greatly pleased him by repairing his coat of mail, a complete tunic -of heavy iron chains, of unknown antiquity, bound together by strips of -hide, and weighing over a hundredweight. This he informed me he only put -on to defend himself from 'foolish Indians.' - -His use of my compass was rivalled by the custom of other friends, who -were wont to borrow it when engaged in a game of cards; their belief -being that the magic instrument gave luck to the happy possessor for -the time being; and I often thought that it was fortunate I had brought -no other instrument, as 'shooting the sun' would have been certainly -regarded as a piece of sorcery, and any death or accident happening -afterwards would have been visited on the head of the magician. As it -was, my taking notes was often regarded with suspicious curiosity, and -inquiries made as to what there could possibly be in that place to write -about, as although the Tehuelche mind can comprehend writing letters to -friends or officials, it by no means understands keeping a journal; and -'some untutored Indian' might probably, if suspicious that 'i'faith -he'll prent it,' instead of waiting to cut up the book, anticipate all -reviewers by cutting up the intended author himself. - -On the 18th of November the camp at Henno was broken up, and all marched -a few leagues to the west, crossing successive rocky ridges running -parallel to the Cordillera, and divided by well-watered valleys, and -encamped near a valley watered by the same river, which between this -place and Henno makes a considerable bend. This station was named -'Chiriq,' from a description of bush, with a leaf somewhat resembling -that of the sloe, which grows abundantly on the banks of the stream. The -wood of this shrub is soft and of little value, but burns well when dry. -At this time neither flower nor fruit was visible, but it was described -to me as bearing a berry resembling the currant. Since our departure -from the wooded river Sengel, a description of cactus, or, as the -Spaniards call it, tuna, bearing a tasteless fruit something like the -ordinary prickly pear, had been met with occasionally, and found very -troublesome, for as it grows close to the ground its spines are very apt -to lame the horses if not carefully avoided in the chase. From Chiriq a -large plain appeared to extend for some leagues to the westward, bounded -north and south by a wooded range of hills, and extending apparently -to the bases of the lofty snow-covered peaks of the Cordillera, which -appeared to form a complete barrier. - -During our stay here an incident occurred which led to the collection -and comparison of the traditions concerning the hidden or enchanted city -which still are current and believed among the Indians and Chilotes. - -One day while hunting we were startled by a loud report, as of the -discharge of a cannon, and looking to the west saw a black cloud of -smoke hanging above the peaks of the Cordillera. My companion Jackechan -told me that on several previous visits to this station the Indians had -observed similar columns of smoke in the same direction. On one occasion -so convinced were they that it was caused by human agency, that a party -set out to endeavour to penetrate the forests and reach the dwellings of -the unknown residents, which the smoke was believed to point out. They -proceeded some distance into the recesses of the mountain forests, but -the extreme difficulties of travelling compelled them at last to abandon -their purpose and retrace their steps. It is of course most probable -that both the explosion and the smoke proceeded from some unknown active -volcano in the range; but the Indians firmly believe in the existence -either of an unknown tribe, or of an enchanted or hidden city. The -Araucanians when met with farther north had a story current amongst them -of having discovered a settlement of white people, who spoke an unknown -tongue, in the recesses of the mountains in the same vicinity. The -Chilotes and Chilians from the western side fondly cherish the belief -in the existence of La Ciudad Encantada, and the mythical people Los -Cesares, to the discovery of which, according to De Angelis--to whose -research is due the collection of all the records on the subject--the -attention of Buenos Ayres, Lima, and Chili was so long directed. A -Chilote or Valdivian, named Juan Antonio, narrated to me that he knew a -man who was acquainted with another who had heard from a third that the -last-named deponent was one of a party who visited the coast opposite to -Chiloe for the purpose of wood cutting. They ascended in their boat a -river, which as described was probably that the upper course of which -we afterwards struck in the Cordillera. Having reached the woods, they -separated to cut timber. One of their number was missing at the evening -camp-fire; his comrades, however, waited for him, but gave him up at -last, and were already preparing to return, when he rejoined them, and -recounted a strange adventure. Deep in the forest he had come upon a -path, which he followed for some distance, till he heard the sound of a -bell, and saw clearings, by which he knew himself to be near a town or -settlement. He soon met some white men, who made him prisoner, and after -questioning him as to the cause of his being there, blindfolded him, and -led him away to an exceedingly rich city, where he was detained prisoner -for several days. At last he was brought back, still blindfolded, -and when the bandage was removed found himself near the place of his -capture, whence he made his way back to his comrades. Juan Antonio, the -narrator, and Mena, one of the Chilian deserters who was present, fully -believed this story, which, however, bears a suspicious resemblance -to one told a hundred years before; and both declared that it was all -caused by witchcraft or enchantment. - -Another curious story was related to me, the hero of which was a -mischievous imp of twelve years old, who was afterwards attached to my -service as page, and for impudence and uselessness might have been a -page of the court of Louis Quatorze. He had been in company with Foyel's -tribe of Indians and Valdivians in the neighbourhood of the Cordillera. -One day the hopeful boy was missed, and although careful search was -made, no traces of him were discoverable. Three months afterwards he -turned up again, dressed in the same clothes and in remarkably good -condition, his spirits and impudence undiminished. My friend Ventura -Delgado, a white Valdivian, who was in the camp at the time of his -absence and return, vouched from personal observation for so much of the -story. When questioned as to his whereabouts and with whom he had been, -he answered with confidence, 'With the man on the island in the lake.' -There was no known lake nearer than Nahuel-huapi, thirty miles distant, -though a chain of lakes must from old accounts exist within the -Cordillera; and it certainly was strange how, if he had wandered in -the forests for so long a period, subsisting on roots, strawberries, -and the plant named talka, he should have preserved his well-fed -condition; it was equally puzzling to imagine why if made a captive -by strangers he should have been allowed to return. - -Another curious fable was told by my guide J'aria, when we were -travelling from Punta Arena, _apropos_ of the wild animals in Patagonia, -on which Lieut. Gallegos was enlarging. J'aria asked if I had ever head -of the Tranco, or Trauco, which the Chilotes aver inhabits the western -forests of the Cordillera. Gallegos declared that there was no doubt of -its existence, and described it as possessing the form of a wild man, -covered with a fell of coarse shaggy hair. This nondescript--a specimen -of which would no doubt be invaluable to, though not met with on those -coasts by Mr. Darwin--is said to descend from the impenetrable forests -and attack the cattle, on which it preys. This is possibly a pure -invention, emanating from the aguardiente muddled brain of a Chilian, -but it seems to have a certain relation to the vague stories of unknown -wild tribes dwelling in the unexplored and wooded mountain regions. -It is hard to convey the sense of mysterious space and undiscoverable -dwelling-places impressed on the spectator by the vast solitudes of the -mountains and forests of the Cordillera. The inexplicable sounds of -crashing rocks, or explosions from unknown volcanoes, and the still -stranger tones which resemble bells and voices, all suggest to the -ignorant and superstitious natives confirmation of the strange -circumstantial stories handed down for several generations; and it is -hard for anyone, even with the assistance of educated reason, to resist -the powerful spell of the legends told in sight of these mysterious -mountains. My readers will perhaps laugh at the narration of these -vagaries of imagination, or will inquire what is the legend of the -Cesares, and of the enchanted city. If they have read the delightful -pages of 'Westward Ho,' they will not be unacquainted with the shifting -mirage of that rich city; which, from Mexico to the Magdalena, mocked -the search of so many eager adventurers. The Gran Quivira of New Mexico, -the fabled Iximaya, the El Dorado of Guyana, and El Gran Paytiti of -Brazil, the baseless fabrics of many a golden vision, are found repeated -with change of place and circumstances in this city of Los Cesares. -There is a curious combination of three distinct strands of legends in -the chain which connects the marvellous stories of the Northern Indians -and Chilotes with the accounts so circumstantially deposed to, and -firmly believed by, the Spaniards of the last century. The first is the -conquest of Los Cesares in 1539. Sebastian Cabot, from his settlement -of Carcaranal on the Parana, sent his pilot Cesar with 120 soldiers -to explore the river, 60 being left to garrison the fort;[5] this -expedition proceeded as far as the junction of the Parana and Paraguay, -which latter river they ascended to the Laguna Sta. Anna, on the way -defeating the hostile Indians. They reached the boundaries of the -Guaranis, with whom they made friendship and returned. They next set out -to proceed overland to Peru, and crossed the Cordillera. After making -their way against incredible difficulties, they reached a province, the -inhabitants of which were rich in cattle, vicunas, and gold and silver. -The ruler of the province, 'a great lord,' at whose capital they at last -arrived, received his Spanish visitors kindly, and entertained them -with all honour, until at their own choice they were allowed to return -enriched with presents of gold and precious stuffs. The Spaniards -regained their fort on the Parana only to find it a deserted ruin; the -Indians having surprised and massacred the garrison. Cesar thereupon led -his party to the settlements, and thence started on another expedition, -in which he again crossed the Cordillera, and from a height beheld, as -he imagined, the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic on either hand, -probably mistaking some large lagoon for the distant Atlantic. He then -made his way up the coast to Atacama, and thence to Cuzco, at which -city he joined the conquerors just at the period of the capture of the -ill-fated Inca Atahuallpa. - - [5] Fte. S. Espiritu. - -This marvellous traverse of all the country was spoken of ever after as -the conquest of Los Cesares, and the whole account was set forth by Ruy -Diaz Guzman in 1612, whose authority was one of the Conquistadores of -Peru, named Arzon, who had learned all the particulars from Don Cesar -himself in Cuzco. It does not seem, however, that more than this name, -and perhaps the tradition of the rich Indian city, were preserved in -the romantic rumours that began to obtain currency in the seventeenth -century, and continued to gain credit till 1781, when the Fiscal of -Chili, having been charged to make inquiry, summed up in an elaborate -state paper all the evidence in favour of the existence of a rich and -strong city, situated somewhere between 45 deg. and 56 deg. south, and urged -the Spanish Government to authorise an expedition to discover and take -possession of it. The city was described by various veracious (?) -authorities as 'defended by walls, ditches, and ravelins, the only -entrance being protected by a draw-bridge, besides which cautious -sentries were always stationed on an adjoining hill to detect intrusive -strangers. The buildings were sumptuously constructed, the houses being -of wrought stone with azotea roofs; and the churches were covered with -glittering roofs of silver, and gorgeously furnished within. Of silver, -too, were all utensils, knives, and even ploughshares made; and the -inhabitants used golden stools and seats. They were light complexioned, -with blue eyes and thick beards, and spoke a language unintelligible -to both Spaniards and Indians. They wore jackets of blue cloth, yellow -capes, and blue wadmal drawers and loose silk trousers, with large boots -and small three-cornered hats! They possessed numerous cattle, marked -with brands similar to those of the Spanish colonists; but their -principal article of cultivation was pepper, in which they traded with -their neighbours, maintaining withal a complete system of exclusive -isolation.' By one account the population was composed of the -descendants of the crews of several ships which had been wrecked in -the Straits of Magellan from 1523 to 1539, the survivors of which had -made their way overland and founded a settlement. A wandering padre -was said to have received the news of its existence from some Indians, -accompanied by a knife as a token, which was recognised as having -belonged to the captain of a stranded vessel. The padre set out to -discover his countrymen, but lost his life on the road. Another more -precise tradition declared that the surviving inhabitants of Osorno, -after having maintained a heroic defence against the Araucanians, under -the victorious chief Caupolican, in 1539, made good their escape with -their families and cattle to a peninsula in a great lagoon thirty miles -long and seven or eight wide, situate near Reloncavi, or the volcano -called Osorno, where they built a city strongly defended on the landward -side by a fosse and drawbridge raised every night. This lagoon was by -others said to be that of Payeque, near a rapid stream named Llanqueco. -An explorer named Roxas, in 1714, who started from Buenos Ayres, and -whose route lay south-west from Tandil and the Volcan, gives most -precise distances and landmarks to define the position of the Cesares. -He mentions especially a river with a ford only passable during one -period of the year, and a hill on which is found much magnetic iron ore. -These landmarks, and the rest of his description, point to the locale of -that remarkable rock formation mentioned in p. 100, which, seen from a -distance, might well cheat a traveller into the belief that he beheld a -fortified town. Waki pointed it out to me, and said, jokingly, 'Perhaps -Christians live there.' The 'Indians of veracity,' so frequently quoted -in these accounts, who were, however, all bound to keep secret the -access to the city, doubtless confused their recollections of different -settlements visited in their migrations, and the Spaniards, prepared to -receive any new wonder, wove into the marvellous tale all the stories -told them, and regarded the joint fiction as undoubted fact. But two -more remarkable phases of this legend, and then we return to practical -Indian life. A military party, who set out in 1777 from Rio Bueno, and -marched to Lake Llanquechue, crossed the passes of the Cordillera under -Osorno, and passed the night near the snow line. They heard distant -artillery, and beheld the head of a great Laguna on the eastern side; -they brought back the astounding intelligence that two distinct towns -existed, one peopled by a race of Spanish origin, the Auca-Huincas, at -war with the Pehuelches; and the other by Englishmen, or Moro-Huincas, -who lived in amity with the Indians. And the Fiscal of Chili, in -his report, insisted strongly on the necessity of rooting out these -audacious islanders who had dared to plant themselves in the dominions -of 'our Lord the King.' Just as the jealous fear of the encroaching -English was thus mixed up in the Spanish version of the mysterious -Cesares, so the Indians connected them with the traditionary glories of -the great Inca race, and spoke of the Indian Cesares; and the potency -of the fable was shown by a proclamation put forth by the heroic and -ill-starred Tupac Amaru, who headed the unsuccessful rebellion against -the tyrant Christians in 1781, styling himself 'Inca, Senor de los -Cesares y Amazonas, con dominio en el Gran Paytiti.' But success mocked -his grasp, and he perished by the hand of the executioner, just as the -rich and coveted city whose lordship he claimed has eluded many an -explorer who has sacrificed his life in the hopeless search. But the -patient reader is probably weary of enchanted cities, and glad to return -to the daily routine of our Indian life, though it was at this time -butcherly enough. It was the all-important season of young guanaco -hunting; and though the chase afforded plenty of riding, it could hardly -be said to offer sport; but to the Indians it was a matter of business, -as their clothing and stock of skins to trade with depended on the -number of young guanaco killed at this time. Some notes of the habits of -the guanaco and rhea, or ostrich, which furnish the Patagonian Indians -with food and clothing, may not be out of place, though all critics -are warned that they are not those of a naturalist, but simply the -observations of a lover of birds and beasts. - -The guanaco, known to the Indians as 'Nou,' is from three to four feet -in height, and from four to five in length, measured from the point of -the nostrils to the tail. The coat is woolly, but decreases in thickness -of wool, or rather becomes hairy, about the head and legs. Its colour is -of a yellowish red, intermixed with white in various parts of the body; -more especially under the abdomen, down the inside of the legs, and -round the lips and cheeks: the white also extends up the inside of the -neck and throat. The shoulder is slightly arched; the tail short, and -when the animal is in motion slightly elevated. The guanaco abounds over -a vast range of country, extending from Peru all down the regions east -of the range of the Cordillera of the Andes, over the vast plains from -Mendoza to the Straits of Magellan, and even to Tierra del Fuego. As a -rule, one male guanaco herds with a troop of about a hundred females, -and in the event of their being disturbed he will take up his position -on some neighbouring pinnacle of rock, and commence neighing something -after the fashion of a horse, keeping himself between the danger and -his wives. At the breeding season, however, the males go in flocks by -themselves, as do the females. Although it is stated in Monsieur Gay's -admirable book on the Zoology of Chili, that the females sometimes bear -three fawns, yet this must be a rare case: while we were hunting and -killing the young guanaco, the mothers invariably became separated, the -young ones lagging behind so as to prevent any appropriation of them to -their dams. However, during the time employed in killing the mothers -for the purpose of extracting the unborn young from the womb, I never -saw or heard of more than one foetus being found. The guanacos are -excessively swift of foot, indeed almost unapproachable by horse or dog, -as a few buck leaps take them away far beyond the speed of a horse. They -frequently wait to allow a pursuer to approach close, and then bound -off, and speedily distance him. Their means of defence consist chiefly -in the savate, or use of the feet, more especially the fore ones, -although they also bite at times, and with their two peculiar canine -teeth could inflict a severe wound.[6] I have seen places where a puma -and a guanaco have evidently had a severe struggle, always, however, -resulting in the victory of the puma, as, on seeing these marks, we -invariably searched for and found the body near, carefully covered -over by the 'leon.' The flesh of the guanaco is excellent, something -resembling mutton; the young guanaco being more like very tender veal. -That their wool might be turned to account for mercantile purposes is -undoubted, as it is of very fine texture, and is at the present time of -value in Chili, where it is woven into ponchos, which are highly prized. -Up to the present time few have been domesticated, but they become very -tame, and might at a future date be found useful as beasts of burden, -as they are similar in most respects to the lama. There is one very -remarkable point about the guanaco: at certain times of the year a sort -of secretion, condensed into a hard substance like stone, is found in -round pieces, varying from 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter, in the stomach. -To these stones some of the Indians attribute medicinal virtues. The -guanaco is of use to the Indians in every way. The skin of the adult -is used to make the coverings of the toldos, and that of the unborn or -young ones to make mantles for clothes; the sinews of the back furnish -them with thread; the skin of the neck, which is particularly tough and -durable, with lazos or thongs for bolas, bridles, &c., &c. The skin of -the hock supplies them with shoes or coverings for the bolas; from the -thigh bone they also cut out dice, or make a musical instrument. On -attaining the age of about two months, the coat of the young guanaco -begins to become woolly, and the skin is then useless for mantles, but -makes sufficiently good saddle cloths. The animal at this early age is -very swift of foot, and will give a good chase. They attain their full -size the second or third year after birth, and the adult male cannot be -better described than as apostrophised by Lieut. Gallegos. As we watched -a solitary guanaco standing on a hill above us, and every now and then -uttering its shrill warning neigh, 'Ah,' said Gallegos, 'you are a queer -animal; you have the neigh of a horse, the wool of a sheep, the neck of -a camel, the feet of a deer, and the swiftness of the devil.' The Rhea -Darwinii, called by the Indians 'Mekyush,' and by the Spaniards Avestrus -or Ostrich, which name is universally applied to it, is peculiar to -Patagonia, few being met with north of Rio Negro, and none being found -that I am aware of in any other part of the globe; with the exception, -perhaps, of the more northern and plain-like parts of Tierra del Fuego, -opposite the country extending from Cape Virgin to Oazy Harbour. It is -a variety of the Rhea Americana, common in the Argentine provinces of -Entre Rios and Santa Fe, also scattered over the Republic of the Banda -Oriental, and extending, I believe, as far north as Rio Grande do Sul -and the southern Brazilian province. They exist also in Chili, on the -plains at the foot of the Cordillera of the Andes. The chief difference -between these two species is that the Patagonian Rhea Darwinii is -smaller and of lighter colour than the American Rhea. The Patagonian -ostriches are very swift of foot, and run with their wings closed, while -the other species invariably spread theirs. The former birds also always -run in a straight line, except when leaving the nest, when probably, to -avoid being tracked, they run in a circuitous manner. Their plumage, -that is to say the wing feathers, are an object of commerce, and fetch -at present about a dollar a pound in Buenos Ayres. The marrow from -the leg bones is also, I believe, of use for making pomade, and was -formerly, if not at present, highly prized in Buenos Ayres. To the -Indian this bird is invaluable in many ways. Besides furnishing their -most favourite food, from the sinews of the leg thongs for bolas are -constructed; the neck is used as a pouch for salt or tobacco; the -feathers are exchanged for tobacco and other necessaries; the grease -from the breast and back is tried out and secured in bags formed of the -skin (taken off during the spring season, when the females, like all -the Patagonian animals except the puma, are thin); the meat is more -nourishing and more relished by the Indians than that of any other -animal in the country, and the eggs form a staple commodity of food -during the months of September, October, and November. The male bird -stands about 21/2 feet high, and is to be distinguished from the female by -its being of a slightly darker colour, and of greater size and strength; -nevertheless, it requires a practised eye to detect the difference at -any distance. The male bird is also swifter. Their usual food consists -of short grass and the seeds of various shrubs, but more especially of -tender grass, which I have on several occasions watched them plucking, -from a convenient rock which hid me from their sight. On being alarmed -they immediately set off at a great speed; they possess great powers -of eyesight. If met or obstructed by horsemen in their line of flight, -they not unfrequently squat so closely that they can scarcely be -distinguished from the surrounding rocks, as the greyish colour of their -plumage so closely resembles the almost universal aspect of the Pampas -of Patagonia. These birds, though not web-footed, can swim sufficiently -well to pass a river. In the winter season it is not unfrequent for the -Indians to drive them into the water, where, their legs getting numbed -with cold, they are drifted to the shore by the current, and easily -captured, being unable to move. In snowy weather they are also easily -taken, as their eyes appear to be affected by the glare of the white -snow, and their saturated plumage doubtless becomes heavier. They are -polygamous, one male bird consorting with five or six hens, which -lay their eggs in the same nest--a hole about two feet six inches in -diameter, scooped out of the earth. They begin to lay in the early part -of September, the number of eggs in each nest varying from twenty to -as many as forty, or more. In the early part of the laying season -extraneous eggs were found scattered in different parts of the plain, -some of which were of diminutive size. Contrary to the usual rule -amongst birds, the male sits on the eggs, and when the chickens are -hatched assumes the charge of the brood. The young run immediately, or -shortly after emerging from the shell, and are covered with a down of -greyish black colour on the back, and whitish on the breast and neck. -Their cry resembles the syllables pi, pi, pi, uttered in a sharp, quick -manner. The old male, when any dangers appear, feigns to be hurt, like -other birds endeavouring to distract the attention of the hunter, in -order that his brood may escape by hiding in the grass. After the -male has sat for some time on the nest (I should place the period of -incubation at about three weeks), he gets thin, and the grass closely -surrounding the nest is found eaten quite bare. The females by this time -are beginning to pick up flesh, which is a fortunate provision of nature -for the Indians, who cannot subsist on lean meat. Whilst the females are -thin they are killed and skinned, the meat being left, and the skins -sewn into mantles for sale at the settlements. These birds at that -period are much afflicted with vermin, which invade the toldos and -guanaco mantles of the Indians, and cause them infinite annoyance. -(A useful hint occurs to me for future travellers amongst the -Patagonians--never allow the squaw of the establishment to place -ostrich mantles under your sleeping hides.) The young Rhea does not -attain its full plumage or size until the second year after its birth, -and is never pursued by the Indians unless food is really scarce. The -eggs are eaten in all stages, fresh or stale; the Indian not recognising -much difference between the unhatched chicken and the unborn guanaco. -The inveterate destroyers of these birds are, besides their human -enemies, the puma and foxes, the former of which will surprise and kill -the sitting bird, which he carefully hides, and then proceeds to eat the -eggs with great gusto. We not unfrequently found the eggs broken and -scattered by these animals, whilst the bird was generally discovered -hard by. The foxes, I think, content themselves with sucking the eggs; -but I was assured that near Geylum, where wild cats are common, these -latter will kill the bird on the nest, like their relatives the puma. -Besides these there are the condors, eagles, and hawks, which no -doubt commit extensive ravages on the young broods. With all these -difficulties to contend with, the Rhea Darwinii exists in great numbers, -and if not kept down to a certain extent by the Indians and other -enemies would overrun the whole country. We were, while at Chiriq, -busily engaged in the destruction of both guanaco and ostrich, the high -rugged range of hills that bounded Chiriq on the eastern side literally -swarming with guanaco; and as the females, heavy with young, could -not keep up their speed for a long distance, one man not unfrequently -captured and killed five and six, or even eight; extracting the young -and taking its skin for mantles and the carcase for food, while the hide -of the mother served, if needed, to repair the toldo. The marrow bones -also were taken as a dainty, but the meat was left for the condors, -puma, and foxes. We hunted almost every day, and traversed nearly all -the surrounding country. The plains lying to the west afforded beautiful -ground to ride over, covered with soft grass, but a few leagues from the -Cordillera a sudden dip occurs, which forms a huge basin, lying about 50 -feet below the level of the plain, like the bed of a lake, and extending -to the mountains; the surface of this was chiefly covered with grass, -but in some parts the yellow clay and beds of stones were visible. -On the higher ground, before reaching this basin, numerous lagoons -occurred, round one of which there was a large gull-rookery, and the -inhabitants made themselves audible at a long distance. Here also I -noticed many of the teru-tero, a spur-winged lapwing, common near Buenos -Ayres. I had encountered them even as low as Santa Cruz, but never in -such large numbers. Our hunts on the plain were not so successful as -those on the hilly range, although in the previous year the Indians -asserted that the reverse had been the case. Perhaps the guanaco had -gained in experience, and felt themselves safer in the rocky heights -where riders were likely to get bad falls. The Northern Indians rode -most recklessly, going at full speed down the most precipitous places, -and, strange to say, although one or two accidents did occur resulting -in broken limbs, they were not numerous. This speaks volumes for the -sure footedness of their horses. It is their custom, when hunting -in rocky places, to place hide shoes on the horse's fore feet as a -safeguard against sharp stones. After hunting, it was the rule every -evening for those owning spare horses (and indeed for those who did not) -to repair to the race-course a little before sunset, and train or run -their horses, or look on at the others, and if there was a race, make -bets. The manner of racing is something similar to that in vogue amongst -the Gauchos in the provinces of Rio de la Plata, except that it is -generally conducted on principles of fair play. The stakes are always -deposited before the race comes off: if horses, they are tied out handy; -if ornaments, bolas, &c., &c., they are placed in a heap, the winners -removing them directly the race is decided. The horses are run -bare-backed, the two riders starting themselves after cantering side -by side for a few yards. Owing to the great care taken in training the -horses, very few false starts ever occur. The races are very often for -long distances, four miles or a league being the average, although, of -course, with young horses the distance is shorter. The Indian manner of -breaking colts is similar to that of the Gauchos; they are, however, -more gentle with their horses, and consequently break them better. One -rarely sees a horse amongst the Indians that is not perfectly quiet; -indeed, the smallest children are nearly always mounted on the racers -and best horses, although if a white man approaches or attempts to catch -them they show signs of fear and temper. Indeed, there appears to be a -sort of instinctive mutual bond between the Indians and their horses. -For lameness the cure most prevalent is bleeding in the fetlock with -an awl; sometimes the incision is made higher up the leg, and the awl -forced nearly through the horse's leg; he is then tied up for a short -time, and then let go, and the cure is generally certain. Of course -before the bleeding he is tied up several hours without water. The cure -for sore backs, which, though rare, sometimes occur owing to an ill-made -saddle, is a species of aluminous earth, applied to the wound after it -has been cleansed with a knife. This earth is only found in the southern -parts of the country, and it is very difficult to obtain any of this -much-prized medicine from the Indians. One deposit of it is found in a -cliff near Lake Viedma, so high that it can only be got at by throwing -stones at the face of the cliff, and so dislodging the earth. - - [6] The skull of a guanaco is well figured in Mr. Cunningham's work. - -A few lines will suffice to gratify any 'horsey-doggy' friends who may -be curious as to the horse flesh and dog shows of the Indians. The -horses in use amongst the Southern Indians are, as a rule, of a hardier -race than those found amongst the Northern, Araucanian, and Pampas -Indians. Their general size is about fifteen hands, or indeed perhaps -less, but nevertheless they are of great speed and endurance; when one -takes into consideration that the weight of their riders is frequently -over fourteen stone, it appears extraordinary that they should be -enabled to carry them in the way they do. The horses are, of course, all -of Spanish origin, but time, climate, and the different nature of the -country have altered them to a considerable degree from the original -race. The horses found amongst the Northern Tehuelches are, as a rule, -larger than those previously mentioned, with finer heads and smaller -legs; they are also extremely swift, and being bred frequently from -captured wild mares, are admirably adapted for hunting purposes. The -horse, however, most valued is the wild horse captured and tamed; these -differ from the others in being, as a rule, of larger size and superior -speed. This, I think, only applies to Northern Patagonia, as I have -in other parts seen wild horses which in no way equalled those in -captivity. The horses vary in colour, those captured from the wild herds -generally being a dark bay, black, or brown. Near Port San Julian, I am -informed that there are numbers of wild ponies, about the size and make -of a shelty, which the children play with. The horses are entirely grass -fed, and in consequence of the dry nature of the pasture in the winter -season, and the subsequent hard treatment, they generally get very thin -in the spring time of the year, but soon pick up condition when given -a few days' rest, and allowed to feed on the fresh pasture. The dogs -generally in use amongst the Patagonian Indians vary considerably both -in size and species. First of all comes a sort of lurcher (smooth -haired), bred by the Indians from some obtained in the Rio Negro, the -mothers being a description of mastiff, with the muzzle, however, much -sharper than that of a mastiff proper; they are also very swift, and -have longer and lower bodies. Our chief, Orkeke, kept his breed of -this dog, which probably had been derived from the earlier Spanish -settlements, pure; and they were, for hunting purposes, the best I -saw, running both by scent and view. - -Another description of dog observed had long woolly hair, and indeed -much resembled an ordinary sheep dog. These were passably common amongst -the Indians, but most of the dogs used in the chase--which are nearly -all castrated--are so mixed in race as to defy specification. I heard of -a dog captured from some Fuegians, which was very swift, and answered -perfectly to our description of harrier. These Fuegians are probably -those known as the 'Foot' Indians, who, by those who have descended on -their coasts, have been observed to use dogs for hunting purposes. - -Casimiro informed me that Quintuhual's people formerly hunted on foot, -with a large sort of dog, which, from his description, must have -resembled a deer hound. The dogs are rarely fed, being allowed generally -to satiate themselves in the chase. The hounds belonging to Orkeke, and -one or two others, were exceptions to this rule, being fed with cooked -meat when it was plentiful. The women keep pet lap dogs of various -descriptions, generally a sort of terrier, some of them much resembling -the Scotch terrier. 'Ako,' for instance, was to all appearance a -thoroughbred dog of that breed. These little lap dogs are the torment -of one's life in camp: at the least sound they rush out yelping, and set -all the big dogs off; and in an Indian encampment at night, when there -is anything stirring, a continual concert of bow-wows is kept up. The -dogs are fierce towards strangers, but generally content themselves with -surrounding them, showing their teeth and barking, unless set on. That -they are ugly customers at night an amusing instance will prove. One -morning a dog was found dead near its owner's toldo, which had evidently -been knocked on the head with a bola, and finished with a knife; -the owner made a great outcry, but no explanation could be had. It -subsequently became known to me that a young gallant had sought -admission to the toldo of his innamorata by the accustomed method of -cautiously lifting the back tent cover from the ground, and dexterously -crawling underneath; when half through, he felt his leg seized in a pair -of powerful jaws. The lady was highly amused at the predicament of her -lover, who, however, extricated himself by a mighty and well-directed -kick with his foot in the muzzle of his assailant. When returning from -his 'rendezvous' he met his active enemy, and vindictively knocked him -on the head, and, to make sure work, cut his throat; but his leg carried -after all a deeper scar than his heart as a token of the love-adventure, -and when the story was told, and, as may be supposed, excited roars of -laughter, it recalled forcibly to my mind, - - 'He jests at scars who never felt a wound.' - -Our camp at Chiriq presented quite the appearance of a town of toldos, -and fresh arrivals were still expected from the S.W.; but the Indians -of the latter party, with whom we had not yet made acquaintance, sent a -chasqui with an invitation to Crime to join their party, and a message -that they would ultimately meet us at Teckel. Accordingly, Crime, who -was now rich in horses and gear, having received many presents, bid -us adieu, and set off with an imposing cavalcade. Poor fellow! he had -better have remained with us, as the sequel will show. - -The weather during the first weeks of our stay in Chiriq was warm and -fine, but latterly the wind veered round to the west, and it changed to -sleet and cold rain, and the normal Patagonian climate. The humour of -the Indians seemed as variable, for old Orkeke grew exceedingly jealous. -Jackechan often used to lend me a horse on the hunting excursions, and -Orkeke one day asked me in a sullen manner whether I wished to change my -toldo, and go with my friend. My reply that I had no wish to do so at -present quieted him for the time, and he immediately offered me one of -his best horses for the next day, which was a real treat. I am afraid I -rather abused his generosity, as we had a great day chasing large herds -of guanaco, and with a racer for a mount, one was induced to ride -furiously. On the 20th of November it was decided to break up the camp -and divide into two parties to hunt, it being considered that our united -numbers were too great for successful hunting in one place. When all -were packing up and preparing to start, a row nearly broke out between -two of our old party: indeed it was with the greatest difficulty, and -only through the intervention of Casimiro, Hinchel, and two or three -more, that blood was not spilt. Of course, if the fight had commenced -between these two, such is the excitability of the Indians that it would -soon have become a general battle. This, and a heavy shower of rain -coming, prevented our march, so the women unpacked, and horses were let -go again. Some few Indians started to hunt, but came back shortly almost -empty handed, fairly beaten by the driving sleet and snow. During our -stay most of us had refitted all our gear, and were well provided with -bolas; many were the necks of guanaco stripped to obtain the hide for -them, and for making 'maneos' (straps for securing horses' legs), whips, -cinctas (girths), lazos, &c., &c. The work that I preferred was plaiting -ostrich sinews for thongs for the ostrich bolas. The ostrich sinews are -abstracted by dislocating the lower joint of the leg, the first sinew is -then pulled out by hand, and the others drawn out by main force, using -the leg bone as a handle. This bone is then separated from the foot, and -the sinews left adhering to the foot; they are slightly dried in the -sun, after which the extracted bone is used to separate the fibres by -drawing it sharply up the sinews. When sufficiently separated they are -cut off from the foot, split into equal sizes and lengths, and laid in a -moist place to soften; when sufficiently soft they are made into thongs, -cooked brains being used to make them more pliable, and lie better in -the plaits. These thongs are plaited in four plaits (round sinnet) well -known to every sailor, but the ends are doubled in a peculiar manner, -which requires practice to manage well. Before leaving Chiriq another -disturbance was nearly taking place, caused by one of the Chilians -quitting Tchang's toldo, and joining that of a man commonly called -Santa Cruz, an Indian well known at Patagones, and allowed a ration -of mares from the Government. Tchang, immediately on hearing of his -departure, put on his revolver and collared the Chilian's horse. To this -Santa Cruz objected, but Tchang kept the horse, and, revolver in hand, -defied anybody's claim to it. After this little incident the camp was -broken up, and the two parties divided--Hinchel marching S.W. and our -party to the N.W. - -After a very cold and hungry march in the face of a bitterly piercing -wind, we encamped on the shores of a lagoon of some extent, called -'Hoshelkaik,' which signifies 'Windy-hill,' and certainly is worthy of -its name; for during our stay a succession of S.W. winds blew with great -violence. After our arrival a small boy cut his finger, and, according -to custom, a mare was killed. Some of the meat sent to our toldo was -thankfully received, as we were all half starved. Having strolled -through the camp and visited Cayuke's toldo, I found that Casimiro -had not arrived, having started, to my great disgust, with the party -travelling to the S.W., and taken with him a specially good horse, which -he had given me in exchange for a revolver. I was, however, glad to find -that Jackechan, the Pampa chief, was there, and we had a confabulation -and smoke together. On the 23rd, the previous day having been too rough, -the Indians started to hunt the enclosing grassy basin before mentioned -as existing at the foot of the mountains. Immense herds of guanaco -were driven down, and being encircled by men and fires the sport soon -commenced. The Tehuelches had for some reason set light to the grass in -every available part, and the wind rising to a furious gale, the fires -soon spread and joined in an advancing line. Jackechan, myself, and -several other Indians were in the centre of the circle, each employed in -skinning the guanaco we had already killed, when suddenly we found that -we were encircled in flame and smoke, and that if we did not want to -be well scorched we had better look out for means of exit. Leaving our -game, we galloped at the spot where the smoke appeared thinnest, but -after riding three or four minutes with our faces covered up, found an -impassable barrier of flame; so, half-maddened with the hot sand dashed -in our eyes by the gale, and nearly suffocated with smoke, we galloped -down the line of flame to a spot where, the grass being stunted, we -managed to get through without injury, although our horses' legs were -singed a little. We were very thankful to breathe pure air, though -the atmosphere was still thick with smoke, and nothing could be -distinguished of valley or anything else. Jackechan, with unerring -Indian instinct, led the way to a stream of water, where we were able to -drink and wash some of the hot sand out of our eyes. After a quarter of -an hour's rest and a smoke, as the flames had passed on, we determined -to ride back over the still smoking ground, and endeavour to discover -the bodies of our guanaco. We accordingly emerged from the hollow, where -we had sheltered ourselves, and once more plunged into the thick of the -driving smoke and heated sand: holding our mantles over our eyes, we -penetrated the murky atmosphere till Jackechan discovered two of his -animals; but as they were both roasted, or rather burned, and ourselves -and horses were nearly suffocated, we beat a hasty retreat. I was very -thankful when at length, ascending a steep declivity, we emerged at the -top into the pure air. 'Ah!' said Jackechan, looking down on the plains -still full of smoke, 'it has been a rough time, but "we are men, not -women," though we were fools to remain to the last.' I fully agreed with -him in this, as my eyes still smarted very painfully. How he found his -way through the smoke was perfectly inexplicable to me: if I had been -alone, my travels would have been concluded then and there. Towards the -evening of this eventful day the wind abated in violence, and during the -night snow fell, and all the ensuing day there were passing squalls of -white water or snow, and furious blasts of wind. About this time I came -to the conclusion that summer was unknown in these regions, and that -the Patagonian year consisted of two seasons--a hard winter and a bad -spring. The Indians, however, declared that the climate had grown -colder during the last two years. On the 28th of November we broke up -camp and marched to a valley situated under one spur of the wooded -hills, previously mentioned as bounding the northern side of the -valley--killing some young guanaco by the way. I was astonished on -galloping up to two to find they did not run away at first, although -their mothers had already gone, and taken up a position on a rocky -eminence some distance off. Whilst watching them, however, and -meditating on the necessity and cruelty of killing them, the two little -things started off; so, as my mantle was fast losing its beautiful -appearance, I put compunction on one side, and shortly killed them with -a blow on the head. On arriving at the fire where some of the Indians -were collected eating ostriches, I was proceeding to take the skins off, -when Tankelow, who presided, stopped me, saying that we would skin -them in the toldos, where the blood would be a treat to the women and -children. We accordingly reserved the luxury, and after a feed crossed a -small stream and piece of marsh, beyond which lay the encampment, where -the women soon verified Tankelow's words. Though the flesh of the young -guanaco is rather tasteless and soft, the blood has a sweeter taste than -that of the adult. The rennet, or milk, which is found curdled into a -sort of cheese in the intestines, is also eaten with gusto. The most -laborious part of young guanaco hunting consists in taking off the skin, -which, after the necessary incisions have been made with a knife, has to -be taken off by hand, the thumb being used to separate the hide from -the body. The calves, when three days old, run at about the speed of a -horse's hand gallop, but sometimes give longer chases. The Indian plan -is to kill them with a blow on the head from a ball, and then pass on to -another, and so on, afterwards returning to collect them in a heap and -skin them. After the hide is taken off it is necessary to expose it to -the air for a few minutes before folding it up, otherwise it is liable -to get heated, and will tear easily in the subsequent processes. We -hunted in the neighbourhood of Jeroshaik, or 'Bad Hill,' several times, -with varying success, sometimes proceeding up into the wooded hills, -where the timber in some places grew in clumps, as if planted by the -hand of man; in others filled up the rocky dells, until the main -forests were reached, which appeared to extend far into the Cordillera. -Most of the trees were of a species of beech, on which were many small -edible fungi, some of which we gathered for use; and traces of red deer -were frequently seen, and a few were chased by the Indians, but owing -to the thickness of the wood they escaped. Some of the Indians took the -opportunity to cut fresh poles for the toldos. The sight of woods and -trees was so refreshing that I spent several days consecutively amongst -them, very often alone, or with one companion. Nobody, except a sailor -after months on the sea, can imagine the pleasure of wandering under -trees to one who had passed so long a time in the barren and monotonous -plains. The weather, however, still continued wet and inclement. On -the 5th of December, some of us wandering on the heights above, made -out smoke to the N.E., and Campan went off at speed on horseback to -reconnoitre. He returned towards nightfall very drunk, and riding -straight to our toldo, proclaimed that El Sourdo, the Indian left -behind in Santa Cruz, had arrived at a place close to us, bringing -grog in two small barrels, and letters for me: when he had delivered -his news, he, with some difficulty, dismounted without coming on his -head; then produced a bottle half full of rum from under his mantle, -which he dispensed to the attendant company. - -Our toldo was soon crowded, and it was proposed that on the following -day we should march and meet the visitor, all being eager for a drink. -Accordingly, on the morrow we started, in a storm of sleet and rain, and -prepared to hunt _en route_. While hunting, just after Jackechan and -myself had killed an ostrich, the former perceived a single toldo, which -he knew must be El Sourdo's, so we galloped towards it, accompanied by -two other Indians, and were received with open arms by El Sourdo and his -two wives, Jackechan being a very old friend. We were made to sit down, -and the olla, or boiling-pot, was brought out by the two wives, who -acted as Hebes by producing the rum, with which our host filled the pot, -and dispensed the liquor in a pannikin. One of the wives then produced -my letters, which proved to be from Mr. Clarke and Don Luiz P. B., the -schooner having arrived on October 5, all safe. El Sourdo then gave me -all the news verbatim--how a fight had taken place at the settlement -between Gonzalez and Antonio, in which the latter had been killed or -mortally wounded, and the former had escaped to the Pampas, but had -subsequently been captured and taken as a prisoner in the schooner to -Buenos Ayres; and other news of trivial importance. Meanwhile the grog -was fast disappearing, and the pot had to be replenished. This in turn -was about half-emptied by the time the other Indians and women arrived, -and Jackechan, very inebriated, was vowing eternal friendship to me, -while Tchang was howling in my other ear a lovely Tehuelche ditty. As I -had drunk in moderation, I thought it about time to clear, so, on the -plea of looking after my horse, retired and re-read my letters, which -anyone may imagine, although not coming from my relations, were of great -interest. After my departure no more liquor was given away, El Sourdo -selling two bottles for a young horse or a silver-sheathed knife, so -that he soon found himself a rich man. By midnight all the liquor -was exhausted and many drunk, but no disturbances occurred worthy of -mention, all arms having previously been stowed away safely. I was -roused from my first sleep by a lady from a neighbouring toldo, who -wished to embrace me, and, with feminine curiosity, wanted to know the -contents of my letters. She was, I am sorry to say, in an advanced stage -of intoxication, so after giving her a smoke, Orkeke, who had roused -up and was dying of laughter, politely showed her the door. Most of -the party went out hunting in the morning, the ride no doubt proving -beneficial to those suffering from headache, though little game was -killed; but the Sourdo, whom I had joined in a morning bowl of coffee, -remained at home, as his horses were very much used up, one of his boys -going on a friend's mount to procure meat. For four days after this -drinking bout we did nothing but slaughter and eat mares, somebody's -child having been slightly hurt in some manner. Although I have read in -various books that the Indians have a religious festival at which mares -are slaughtered as a sacrifice to the Deity at a certain time of the -year, I never saw anything of it. Whenever this sort of sacrificial -feast took place, there was always a special occasion for it--either a -death, or a child hurt, or some escape from a danger, when the animals -are killed as a thank-offering. Rather tired of remaining so long in one -place, on the 12th we marched due north across the plain, which was -called 'Gisk,' and encamped under a hill covered with trees, and the -sides furrowed with small gullies, densely filled with vegetation -and shrubs of two or three species. Here there were plants of the -description of potatoes before mentioned, but growing very deep in such -unfavourable ground that few were extracted. On the hill sides a plant -bearing a yellow flower grew in abundance, the leaf of which, the -Chilians informed me, was an excellent remedy for wounds and bruises, -and much used in Chili. Four days' hunting took place here, at the end -of which Orkeke, who had some story that the Pampas had been stealing -a march by hunting at night, and was rather disgusted at his continual -ill-success, proposed that we should separate, and in company with the -toldos of Tchang, go westward to a plain below the higher mountains, -which he stated to be abounding in guanaco. He also proposed a trip into -the Cordillera in search of wild cattle. This plan was eagerly approved, -as I anticipated persuading him, if possible, to penetrate to the -Chilian shores of the Pacific. We accordingly set out on our travels, -but had not gone far before a frightful storm of wind, sleet, and rain -set in, which wetted us all completely. We huddled for shelter under a -bush for some time, but as it continued there was nothing for it but to -push on, and about 3 P.M. the weather cleared up; we then entered a glen -with a wooded stream running down it, expanding higher up into an open -plain. A short distance up the valley the intended camping-ground lay, -so a small circle was made, in which some ostriches and guanaco were -killed. We then adjourned across the river under the trees, and soon -had a roaring fire blazing, by the side of which we dried ourselves and -cooked our dinner. A more romantic-looking spot than this I was never -in. On the other side of the stream was a mass of grey rocks, half hid -by shrubs, from amongst which here and there a dead tree stood up. On -one side the grass was beautifully green, and the trees were growing in -scattered round clumps a few yards apart; doves were cooing in their -branches, and young ostriches were running about. These, I am sorry to -say, were caught by the horsemen, who jumped down and secured them: -hunger had no scruples, and two furnished a good meal for each wet -and starving traveller. Despite our ducking, we were soon all in high -spirits, and some of us, before going back to the toldos, proceeded to -search for wild potatoes, a few of which we brought back. The following -morning the sun rose bright, with a clear sky, so we continued our march -in a westerly direction, arriving about mid-day at a gorge amongst the -wooded hills, where I hoped that we were going to encamp; the women, -however, diverged to the northward, and proceeding up a ravine or canyon -in the barranca of the high pampa, pitched the toldos in a gloomy, -prison-like spot. Melancholy as it seemed to me, it afforded abundant -pasture for the horses, which between the hills was scarce, so that they -were inclined to wander into the woods and be hard to find when wanted, -which undoubtedly was the reason of our taking the canyon in preference -to the wooded valley. This canyon, a little beyond our camp, divided into -two, in one of which was a laguna frequented by avocets. The stream, -which in spring poured down the glen, presented only an occasional pool -and a dry bed, in which were numbers of rounded white stones of chalky -substance, supplying capital materials for bolas, easily reduced to the -suitable form: it also occurred to me that the chips pounded to powder -might have the curative effects of chalk mixture, as diarrhoea had -affected some of the party, and the result of the medicinal experiment -was satisfactory, though it was impossible to prevail on the Indians to -try the remedy. Whilst the women were pitching toldos, the men, eight -in number, started to hunt again. Riding to the west, where the plain -was still open, we came upon another of the huge basins previously -described, on the western side of which, beyond a lagoon stocked with -waterfowl, flowed a broad winding stream fringed with trees. At a short -distance from the other side of the stream open glades extended for the -space of perhaps a mile to the verge of the interminable forests, rising -high up on the lofty sides of mountains, some of whose summits were -still partially snow-clad. To the south were two or three round detached -hummocks, hardly deserving the name of hills, crowned with trees. In -the foreground were immense herds of guanaco, and on the northern side -frowned a high range of arid-looking hills, forming a great contrast to -the deliciously-refreshing green aspect of the other points of view. -Whilst waiting concealed behind a bush for the coming herd, which had -been cunningly encircled by Tchang and another Indian, and were to be -driven in our direction, we gazed long at the beautiful view before us, -and Orkeke pointed out a mountain some distance to the north, underneath -which, he said, was the entrance to the scene of our future campaign -against the wild cattle. Towards evening we returned to the toldos, -pretty well loaded with skins. On another occasion, when hunting, we -made a circle, finishing off in the wooded district near the banks -of the river. On our return we hunted over a park-like country, with -alternate open glades and woods. Here we killed a doe red deer and a -large description of fox, apparently identical with the Falkland Island -species (Lupus antarcticus). In the vicinity of the woods, the velvety -sward was carpeted with the wild strawberry plants, which, however, were -only in bloom. On this occasion our enjoyment was marred by one of the -party getting a severe fall, which laid him up for a day or two. Before -we reached the toldos rain set in heavily, which during the night turned -to snow, and the morning sun shone on a white landscape. During our stay -the women went to the woods to cut fresh poles for the toldos, and the -men brought back from the wooded country a description of fungus, which, -when dried, forms an excellent tinder, of considerable value amongst -the Indians, as there are only a few spots where it is to be obtained. -After some days spent in this pleasant neighbourhood, as the supply of -guanaco was failing, we marched over the barren range of hills, and -passing a lagoon of considerable extent below the hills, encamped on -the other side of them, by the side of a smaller one, in a place called -'Gogomenykaik.' - -During the hunt I had singled out a guanaco, and was in full chase -across the upper pampa, which was covered with stunted bushes and tufts -of grass, when the quarry suddenly disappeared, as if the earth had -swallowed him. The next moment my horse halted in mid-gallop, with -its fore feet on the edge of a precipitous descent which shelved away -without any warning. Below was a long beautiful glen, with a pool of -water glistening among the trees which filled it, but did not rear their -topmost boughs above the level of the pampa. Here the guanaco had taken -refuge, and as the descent was impracticable for a horse, I could only -gaze longingly down into the fairy-like scene, and turn away to join the -circle, remembering that it was only too easy to lose oneself by delay. -Of this an instance occurred the same day, for one of the Chilians did -not appear at the fireside when the hunting was completed. At first -no heed was bestowed on him, as it was natural to suppose that he had -chased a herd of guanaco to some distance, and was detained taking off -the skins; but when at sunset he was still missing, some dry grass was -fired, for the purpose of directing him to our camp. The following -morning he had not appeared when we started to hunt, myself going as -pointsman with Orkeke. We galloped for some distance over the plain, -and halted in a hollow, where we came on six young skunks outside their -parental burrow, into which they quickly vanished on our dismounting; -but as their burrows do not penetrate far, Orkeke soon grubbed out a -couple. As they were too small to kill for the value of their skins, and -too much trouble to carry home as pets for the children, we set them -free again, and I proceeded, leaving Orkeke to pursue his way slowly. A -slight rise brought me in front of a rocky hill, on the other side of -which was a river with wooded banks, across the valley of which river -lay my route. I at first considered it to be the same as that seen in -the previous encampment, but on reflection it was plainly another, this -flowing north-east, whilst the other took a south-west course. Our hunt -progressed very fairly. On closing the circle, one of the Chilians, who -was running a guanaco with me, and not expert in the use of the bolas, -entangled his horse and himself instead of the chase, which lost him his -spoils, and caused much merriment amongst the remainder of the party; -although I may as well state here that when a horse gets a ball round -his legs or under his tail, it is not much of a joking matter for the -rider. On our way back to camp, halting by a spring, we found large -quantities of wild celery; nettles were also common--the real old -English white-flowering one being prevalent. Although my bare legs got -considerably stung, I forgot to swear in Tehuelche, and forgave the -plant for old acquaintance sake. At the toldos we found the Chilian, who -had arrived recently, having run a herd some distance and lost his way, -but had been safely directed by our signal fires. In the afternoon some -of the party were occupied in breaking their horses, while others were -sitting at home lazily watching the performance. Conde's step-father, -generally known as 'Paliki,' had a three-year-old iron grey, with a -white star, and a very fine animal, tied up ready to be mounted for the -first time. Paliki entered our toldo to borrow my cincta, or girth, and -chaffed me, asking if I would venture to 'domar' him. Orkeke seconded -the proposal, and accordingly, having stripped off mantle and boots, I -proceeded to take the lazo and reins and mount. The instant he felt the -unwonted incumbrance he buck-jumped for several yards, finally jumping -into the middle of the brook and nearly losing his footing. I spurred -him out, and once on the bank he commenced to whirl round and round -like a teetotum. At last I got his head straight, and after a few more -buck-jumps he went off at racing speed, urged by whip and spur. After a -stretching gallop of three miles, I rode him quietly back, now and again -turning him to accustom him to the bridle-thong, but not venturing to -feel his mouth, and then brought him up to the toldo amidst the shouts -of the spectators. Orkeke expressed great surprise, and wanted to know -where I had learned to 'domar'; and the gratified owner insisted on -presenting me with a piece of tobacco. This was most welcome, as my -store was almost exhausted, though it had been replenished occasionally -by the possessors of guns and revolvers in return for my services in -putting the locks to rights; and the fear of being left tobaccoless--the -agony of which all smokers will appreciate--was becoming unpleasantly -strong. The following day we bade adieu to the lagoon, which, as usual, -was covered with swans and other wild fowl, which we never molested, -husbanding our powder in the event of future disturbances with other -Indians. We marched a few miles, and encamped near the river--indeed, on -its very banks, under the shadows of the trees. Here we passed our time -away hunting, bathing in the stream, smoking, and lying in the shade for -three days. One of my horses being lame, I could not hunt every day, so -frequently passed hours under the trees by the river, scrubbing my one -remaining shirt for future use, and working hide, &c. As writing in -the toldo was made almost impossible by the curiosity of the children, -crowding round me and asking questions, I generally used to take my -note-book to my retreat; here, however, I was often interrupted by the -girls, who came on the pretence of bathing, and evinced great playful -curiosity as to the contents of my book--for here, too, I used to peruse -and re-peruse my library, namely, half of the delightful 'Elsie Venner,' -which Crime had picked up on board some ship to serve as wadding for his -guns, and sold to me for a little powder. To enable the reader to follow -our somewhat devious course and the intricacies of these hills and -frequent rivers, the sketch map at page 156 will be found useful; it -does not pretend to be exact, but gives a very fair idea of the line of -country traversed and of our migrations between Henno and Teckel. - -On the 23rd, Indians having been seen to the north and guanaco hunting -proving a failure, Orkeke, to my great delight, proposed a visit to the -wild cattle country. The camp was accordingly struck, and following more -or less the valley of the river, which flowed after one turn nearly due -east, we shortly came out into an open plain running up between the -mountains, at the head of which we encamped by some tall beeches on the -banks of the stream. The whole of the latter part of the plain traversed -was literally carpeted with strawberry plants all in blossom, the soil -being of a dark peaty nature. Young ostriches were now numerous, and -every hunt some were captured and formed a welcome addition to our -dinner. The children had several alive as pets, which they used to -let loose and then catch with miniature bolas, generally ending in -killing them. Our programme was to leave all the women, toldos, and -other encumbrances in this spot, named 'Weekel,' or Chaykash--a -regular station, and which Hinchel's party had occupied a few weeks -previously--and proceed ourselves into the interior in search of cattle. -The following morning at daylight horses were caught and saddled, and, -after receiving the good wishes of the women, who adjured us to bring -back plenty of fat beef, we started off just as the sun was rising -behind the hills to the eastward. The air was most invigorating, and we -trotted along for some distance up a slightly irregular and sandy slope, -halting after an hour or two by the side of a deliciously clear brook, -flowing east, where we smoked. We had previously passed guanaco and -ostrich, but no notice was taken of them, the Indians having larger game -in view. After passing this brook, the head water of the river near -which we had left the toldos, we skirted a large basin-like plain of -beautiful green pasture, and after galloping for some time entered the -forest, travelling along a path which only permitted us to proceed in -Indian file. The trees were in many places dead, not blackened by fire, -but standing up like ghostly bleached and bare skeletons. It is a -remarkable fact that all the forests on the eastern side are skirted by -a belt of dead trees. At length, however, just as we came in sight of -a curiously pointed rock which in the distance resembled the spire of -a church, we entered the forest of live trees; the undergrowth was -composed of currant, bay, and other bushes, whilst here and there were -beds of yellow violets, and the inevitable strawberry plants everywhere. -After crossing a stream which, flowing from the north, afterwards -took a westerly course, thus proving that we had passed the watershed, -we proceeded, under cover of a huge rock, to reconnoitre the hunting -ground. The scenery was beautiful: a valley, about a mile wide, -stretched directly under us; on the southern verge a silver line marked -the easterly river, and another on the northern the one debouching in -the Pacific; whilst above, on both sides, rose high mountains covered -with vegetation and almost impenetrable forests. On the western side of -the valley a solitary bull was leisurely taking his breakfast, and above -our look-out rock a huge condor lazily flapped his wings. These were -the only specimens of animal life in view. Pursuing our way in perfect -silence, as from the first entrance into the forests speaking had been -prohibited, we followed the leader along the narrow cattle path, passing -here and there the remains of a dead bull or cow that had met their fate -by the Indians' lazo, and at length descended to the plain. It was about -mid-day, and the day was warm, so we halted, changed horses, looked to -our girths, got lazos ready for use, and then started on. As we were -proceeding we observed two or three animals amongst the woods on the -opposite side, but knowing that it would be useless to follow, pursued -our course up the valley. Having crossed the western stream, we at once -entered a thicket where the path was scarcely distinguishable from the -cover, but our leader never faltered, and led the way through open -glades alternating with thick woods, on every side of which were cattle -marks, many being holes stamped out by the bulls, or wallowing places. -The glades soon terminated in forests, which seemed to stretch unbroken -on either side. We had expected before reaching this point to have found -cattle in considerable numbers, but the warmth of the day had probably -driven them into the thickets to seek shelter. We now commenced to -ascend over a dangerous path, encumbered here and there with loose -boulders and entangled in dense thickets, whilst we could hear and catch -occasional glimpses of the river foaming down a ravine on our left, and -presently arrived at the top of a ridge where the forests became more -uniformly dense, and we could with great difficulty pursue our way. It -was a mystery to me how Orkeke, who acted as guide, knew where we were, -as on one occasion the slightly-marked paths diverged in different -directions, and on another we literally found ourselves amongst fallen -trees in a forest so dense that the light of day scarcely penetrated its -shades. Our leader, however, never hesitated, but led us onwards in all -confidence. Whilst brushing along, if I may be allowed the term, trying -to keep the leader in sight, I heard something tapping on a tree, and -looking up, saw close above me a most beautifully marked red crested -woodpecker. We at length commenced to descend, and, after passing many -channels of rivulets issuing from springs, where a slip of the horse's -foot on the wet and mossy stones would have occasioned something worse -than broken bones, as they were situated on the edge of a deep ravine, -finally emerged from the woods and found ourselves on a hill of some -three hundred feet in height, whence we looked down on a broad plain in -the form of a triangle, bounded by the river flowing through the ravine -on the north side, and on the southern by another coming from the south, -which two streams united in one large river at the western apex, at -a distance of about perhaps a league. Above and around, on all sides -excepting to the west and the ravines through which the rivers flowed, -rose the unbroken wall of the lofty mountains of the Cordillera, many of -their peaks snow-clad. No sound was to be heard except the rushing of -the river in the ravine, and no animal life to be seen except a condor -or two floating high above us in the clear sky. The scene was sublime, -and I viewed it in silence for some minutes, till the pipe, being handed -to me, dispelled all nascent poetic tendencies. The Indians remained -silent and looked disgusted, as a herd of cattle had been expected to be -viewed on the plain below. We descended to the flats, and crossed the -river, on the banks of which 'Paja' or Pampa grass grew in abundance, -as well as the bamboo-like canes from which Araucanian Indians make -their lance shafts, and a plant called by the Chilians 'Talka,' the -stalk of which, resembling rhubarb, is refreshing and juicy. On the -northern edges and slope of the ravine behind us towered graceful pines -60 feet high, which, though an impassable barrier of rock prevented -close inspection, appeared to be a species of Araucaria: the bark was -imbricated, and the stems rose bare of branches for two-thirds of their -height, like those figured by M. Gay. Many had been carried down by -landslips, and lay tossed and entangled on the sides of the ravine. -The increase of temperature after passing the watershed was sensibly -great, amounting to from 7 to 10 degrees, and the vegetation far more -luxuriant, the plants presenting many new forms unknown at the eastern -side. After leaving the plain and crossing the shallow stream, we left -our mantles, and girthed up near a tree in a thicket festooned with a -beautiful creeper, having a bell-shaped flower of violet radiated with -brown. The variety of flowers made an Eden of this lovely spot: climbing -clusters of sweet peas, vetches, and rich golden flowers resembling -gorgeous marigolds, and many another blossom, filled the air with -perfume and delighted the eye with their beauty. Proceeding still -westward we entered a valley with alternate clumps of trees and green -pastures, and after riding about a mile I espied from a ridge on one -side of the valley two bulls on the other side, just clear of the thick -woods bordering the ascent of the mountains. The word was passed in -whispers to the cacique, and a halt being called under cover of some -bushes, a plan of attack was arranged in the following manner. Two men -were sent round to endeavour to drive the animals to a clearing, where -it would be possible to use the lazo, the remainder of the party -proceeding down towards the open ground with lazos, ready to chase -if the bulls should come that way. For a few minutes we remained -stationary, picking the strawberries, which in this spot were ripe, -although the plants previously met with were only in flower. At the end -of five minutes spent in anxiously hoping that our plan would prove -successful, a yell from the other side put us on the alert, and we had -the gratification to see one of the animals coming straight towards our -cover. Alas! just as we were preparing to dash out, he turned on the -edge of the plain, and after charging furiously at his pursuer dashed -into a thicket, where he stood at bay. We immediately closed round him, -and dismounting, I advanced on foot to try and bring him down with the -revolver; just as I had got within half-a-dozen paces of him, and behind -a bush was quietly taking aim at his shoulder, the Indians, eager for -beef, and safe on their horses at a considerable distance off, shouted, -'Nearer! Nearer!' I accordingly stepped from my cover, but had hardly -moved a pace forward when my spur caught in a root: at the same moment -'El Toro' charged. Entangled with the root, I could not jump on one side -as he came on; so when within a yard I fired a shot in his face, hoping -to turn him, and wheeled my body at the same instant to prevent his -horns from catching me, as the sailors say, 'broadside on.' The shot did -not stop him, so I was knocked down, and, galloping over me, he passed -on with my handkerchief, which fell from my head, triumphantly borne on -his horns, and stopped a few yards off under another bush. Having picked -myself up and found my arms and legs all right, I gave him another shot, -which, as my hand was rather unsteady, only took effect in the flank. -My cartridges being exhausted, I returned to my horse and found that, -besides being considerably shaken, two of my ribs had been broken by the -encounter. - -[Illustration: A WILD BULL IN THE CORDILLERA.] - -The Indians closed round me, and evinced great anxiety to know whether I -was much hurt. One more courageous than the rest, despite the warnings -of the cacique, swore that he would try and lazo the brute, and -accordingly approached the infuriated animal, who for a moment or two -showed no signs of stirring: just, however, as the Indian was about to -throw his lazo it caught in a branch, and before he could extricate it -the bull was on him. We saw the horse give two or three vicious kicks -as the bull gored him: at length he was lifted clean up, the fore legs -alone remaining on the ground, and overthrown, the rider alighting on -his head in a bush. We closed up and attracted the bull in another -direction, then went to look for the corpse of our comrade, who, -however, to our surprise, issued safe from the bush, where he had lain -quiet and unhurt, though the horse was killed. This little incident cast -a gloom over our day's pleasure, and lost us our Christmas dinner, as -Orkeke ordered a retreat to the spot where we had left our mantles, -although we tried to persuade him to attack the beast again, or, at any -rate, remain and eat some of the dead horse, and try our luck next day, -but he was inflexible. So having regained our spare horses we prepared -to return home, hoping to be able to pass through the forests before -nightfall. On our way across the plain previously described, wild cattle -were seen and one chased; but he, although balled by Orkeke, contrived -to slip the bolas, and escaping to cover stood to bay, where he was -left master of the field. This bull would have been taken had the other -Indians showed any degree of alacrity when Orkeke balled him; but they -were dispirited by the previous failure. As evening was coming on I -noticed a cormorant on the river: this and the increase of temperature -led me to believe that had we penetrated a few miles farther west we -should have reached the shores of the Pacific. Pursuing our track -homewards, after the second unsuccessful engagement, we managed to pass -the thick forest before dark, and descending to the eastern valley -saw numerous cows and bulls at intervals. A short time after dark -we encamped for the night under the shelter of some trees near to -the head waters of the western river, and after a pipe--by way of -supper--wrapping ourselves in our mantles were soon fast asleep. At -daylight we mounted and continued our journey, arriving about 2 P.M. -pretty considerably hungry, having eaten nothing barring strawberries -and talka, and a few unripe currants, since our last evening in the -toldos. The women were naturally disappointed at our ill-luck, but -uttered no complaints or reproaches, and hastened to pound some charqui -for our refreshment. Next day, all except myself and my companion in -the overthrow, who complained of headache, went out hunting and returned -at night with young guanaco, and an ostrich or two. Some of the women -had seen cattle near the encampment, and Orkeke informed me that in -former years they used to occupy the plains below us in large herds, but -that the Indians had driven them into the interior by excessive hunting: -he also stated that on one occasion he spent some months in this spot, -and caught and tamed a considerable number. His accurate knowledge of -the country made his statement credible, and he also showed me a sort -of corral that had been made to enclose the wild animals. For my own -part the name of the Cordillera recalls the most hungry Christmas time -of my life: to parody the 'Ancient Mariner,' it was 'Cattle, cattle -everywhere, and never a bit of beef.' The following day was spent in the -toldos, and some of the Indians were desirous, or pretended to be, of -going once more in search of cattle. Orkeke would not hear of it, so on -the 28th we marched, following the course of the river in a more or less -north-east direction. The weather was beautiful, and after leaving the -plain we rode along the winding valley, now and then starting a herd -of guanaco or a solitary ostrich. Towards evening we encamped on the -banks of the river, and the women, after pitching the toldos, employed -themselves in grubbing up potatoes. This day we saw smoke to the north, -caused by the hunting parties of the other Indians, and also some at a -greater distance, which Orkeke said was that of the Araucanian Indians, -whom it was expected that we should shortly meet with. - -On the 29th we were preparing to march, and while the women were -engaged in lading the horses some of us were picking the berries of -the 'Califata,' or barberry (Berberis buccifolia), or looking for -strawberries, when a boy, from a party of other Indians occupying the -toldos near at hand, rode up as if despatched as a chasqui, and stated -that his party had communicated with the Araucanians, amongst whom -there had been a row in a drinking bout, resulting in the death of -the cacique. This story was fully believed, and Orkeke was rather -perplexed, as perhaps the new cacique might not be friendly disposed -towards the Tehuelches. Without hunting, we rode quietly down to the -next encampment, where the two strange toldos had already arrived. -On our near approach one of the Indians came to meet us, and whilst -discussing a pipe, after the observance of the usual ceremonial -prescribed by etiquette (as we had not seen the man before), we asked -him about the row amongst the Araucanos, which turned out to be all a -hoax on the part of the promising youth who had visited us. After a -while we adjourned to the toldos, situated on a bend of the river near -a ford or pass. We had now arrived at the camp agreed on as a general -rendezvous at Henno, previous to the dispersion of the Indians. This -valley is called Teckel, and is a favourite resting place after the -young guanaco season, both for the purpose of refreshing the horses -and manufacturing the young guanaco skins into mantles, previous to -proceeding to trade either at the Rio Negro or with the Indians of Las -Manzanas. The encampment is usually situated on the ground occupied at -this time, viz., on the west side of the river, about a mile from a -large barren hill which shuts out the view of the Cordillera. On the -east side the valley extends some three miles, and continues open to the -north for perhaps six miles. It is all fertile, but the best grazing -ground is at the north-east end. The banks of the river, which are -destitute of trees, are in many places high, and formed under the -surface earth of various stratified clays--blue, white, and red. In the -bottom of the stream, which is singularly free from stones, thick beds -of clay are of frequent occurrence, almost approaching to the tufa found -in the Parana and other confluents of La Plata, and in some spots there -are beds of black sand, probably auriferous; fish are procurable in any -eddy or pool, and crayfish abound and form the most tempting bait for -the others. Out of some of the finest clay I was enabled to manufacture -a pipe by the simple process of shaping it in the hand and then baking -it in the ashes, but it did not last long. Shortly after our arrival one -of the small children, whilst playing with bolas formed out of the foot -and sinews of an ostrich, hurt himself, and in consequence a slaughter -of mares took place, which opportunely enabled us to dispense with -hunting and rest our horses, which by this time stood in sore need of -some bye days; though, as there was a good race-course, we frequently -indulged in a race just to keep the horses in exercise. After we had -been about a week settled here, the women being all hard at work making -up mantles--which will be described in the next chapter--the Indians -began to arrive, and the hunting was resumed; only, however, when -absolutely necessary. Some of the new arrivals proceeded to the wild -cattle district, and managed to kill a bull, although--as before--an -accident occurred. As my lazo was used to capture the bull, I came in -for a share of the meat, which was divided amongst the people in our -toldo; but it proved very tough, and rather nasty. Perhaps the palate, -having been so long accustomed to guanaco, ostrich, or horse, could not -relish meat of a coarser description; but the hide was invaluable for -making maneos and other horse-gear. On January 7 a messenger arrived -from Casimiro requesting me to send him some information, and stating -that he was distant some three marches, and wished to wait some time to -refresh his horses, &c. After consulting with Orkeke and Jackechan, -we sent back a messenger to say that, 'As game was scarce now in the -vicinity of Teckel, and all were more or less desirous of pushing -forward, he had better make haste and join us, otherwise we should -continue our march towards Las Manzanas.' This message had the desired -effect, as on the 11th he made his appearance, with several other -toldos, a few only remaining in the rear with Crime, who was reported -to be unwell. - -On Casimiro's arrival, as he now possessed a good toldo, I changed my -quarters to his residence, as agreed on at the outset of the journey. -I was sorry to leave Orkeke, and the old man was very much grieved, a -present of a revolver only troubling him the more, as he informed me -that he had nothing to offer in exchange; however, my assurance that I -did not give him a present expecting an exchange, as is customary with -Indians, appeared to console him. The usual consultation of the chiefs -took place, in which all the preceding arrangements were agreed to, and -we remained stationary in Teckel until January 20. As I had by this -time become well acquainted with the mode of life and usages of the -Tehuelches, and was looked upon as one of themselves--and in fact had -acquired a position and influence among them--it may be as well to call -a halt, and devote a chapter to a description of the manners and customs -of the Tsonecas, as Tehuelches or Patagonians call themselves. - -[Illustration: SKETCH MAP FROM RIO SENGEL TO TECKEL.] - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE TEHUELCHES. - - Patagonian Giants. -- A Long Walk. -- Strength and Good Humour. - -- Heads of Hair. -- Tehuelche Coquettes. -- Dress of Men and - Women. -- Ornaments and Cosmetics. -- Toilette and Bath. -- - Arms and Implements. -- Ancient Bolas and Arrows. -- Saddles - and Bridles. -- Silversmiths. -- Manufacture of Mantles. -- - Women's Work. -- Diet and Cookery. -- Smoking. -- Card Playing. - -- Game of Ball. -- Ceremonies at Birth. -- Childhood. -- - Marriage. -- Funeral Rites. -- Religion. -- Demons and Doctors. - -- Witchcraft and Omens. -- Medical Skill. -- Population and - Politics. -- Etiquette. -- Tehuelche Character. -- Natural - Affection. -- Advice to Travellers. - - -The first question asked about the Patagonians by curious English -friends has invariably had reference to their traditionary stature. Are -they giants or not? Whether the ancestors of the Tehuelches--to whom -alone, by the way, the name Patagonians properly applies--were taller -than the present race is uncertain; though tales of gigantic skeletons -found in Tehuelche graves are current in Punta Arenas and Santa Cruz. -The average height of the Tehuelche male members of the party with which -I travelled was rather over than under 5 feet 10 inches.[7] Of course -no other means of measurement besides comparing my own height were -available; but this result, noted at the time, coincides with that -independently arrived at by Mr. Cunningham. Two others, who were -measured carefully by Mr. Clarke, stood 6 feet 4 inches each. After -joining the Northern Tehuelches, although the Southerners proved -generally to be the tallest, I found no reason to alter this average, -as any smaller men that were met with in their company were not pure -Tehuelches, but half-bred Pampas. The extraordinary muscular development -of the arms and chest is in all particularly striking, and as a rule -they are well-proportioned throughout. This fact calls for especial -mention, as others have stated that the development and strength of the -legs is inferior to that of the arms. Even Mr. Cunningham alleges this -to be the case, but I cannot at all agree with him. Besides the frequent -opportunities afforded me of scrutinising the young men engaged in the -game of ball, in which great strength and activity are displayed, or -when enjoying the almost daily bath and swimming or diving, I judged -of the muscular size of their legs by trying on their boots, which, in -nearly all cases, were far too large for me, although the feet, on the -other hand, were frequently smaller than mine. The height of their -insteps is also worthy of remark, one example of which may suffice. -Having negotiated an exchange of an excellent pair of high boots, -manufactured by Messrs. Thomas, for some necessary article, with a -Tehuelche, the bargain fell through because he was unable to get his -foot into the boot, the high arched instep proving an insuperable -obstacle to further progress. - - [7] _Vide_ Appendix B. - -An instance of the walking powers of the Tehuelches came under my -particular notice. On my first arrival at Santa Cruz, it will be -remembered that the schooner was lying in the mouth of the river waiting -for a fair wind. Two Tehuelches, named Tchang and Getchkook, had -embarked in order to proceed to the Rio Negro, but their patience -becoming exhausted by the delay, they asked to be put ashore, and walked -back to the settlement--a distance of over forty miles--in about twelve -hours, without food. I saw them on their arrival, and they did not -appear in any way distressed, merely remarking that it had been 'a long -walk.' - -Their powers of abstaining from food are also very remarkable. When the -disturbances and fighting were going on they rarely ate anything: also -when travelling as 'chasquis,' or messengers, they will not unfrequently -go for two, and even three, days without tasting food. In our expedition -into the Cordillera we remained over forty-eight hours without food, -except wild fruit, and, although I at first suffered from hunger, my -companions did not appear to be in any way inconvenienced. As a Chilian -deserter remarked on one occasion, it was all very well for them to go -on without eating; 'but we can't--we've not so much fat.' Their strength -of arm is very great, and the distance to which they can throw the -ostrich bola is truly astonishing: thus I have seen Crime and some -others ball an ostrich over seventy yards distant. When cutting wood -in the Cordillera with Hinchel, a Chilian deserter and myself had cut -a tree through, and, having fastened a lazo to the top branch, were -endeavouring to drag it down, but its branches became entangled in -another tree and we could not stir it. Hinchel, seeing our difficulty, -came up, and with one well-directed, vigorous tug cleared it from the -branches and brought it to the ground. - -Mr. Clarke also informed me that when he was ill with fever, and had to -be removed from the Almacen to the lower house on the island, on account -of the noise made by the drunken Indians, Waki mounted, and, taking -him in his arms, rode down seemingly unencumbered by the burden. Their -faces, of course, vary in expression, but are ordinarily bright and -good-humoured, though when in the settlements they assume a sober, -and even sullen, demeanour. Waki and Cayuke, two friends of mine, are -particularly present to my recollection as having always had a smile on -their faces. Their ever ready laughter displays universally good teeth, -which they keep white and clean by chewing 'maki,' a gum which exudes -from the incense bush, and is carefully gathered by the women and -children. It has a rather pleasant taste and is a most excellent -dentifrice, worthy to rival Odonto or Floriline, and it is used simply -as such, and not, as Monsr. Guinnard[8] says, because their greediness -is so great that they must chew something. Their eyes are bright and -intelligent, and their noses--though, of course, presenting different -types--are as a rule aquiline and well-formed, and devoid of the breadth -of nostril proper to the ordinary ideal of savage tribes. The peculiar -prominence over the eyebrows has been noticed by all observers, and -retreating foreheads, though observable, are exceptional. The thick -masses of hair, and the obvious risk, which would deter the most zealous -craniologist from endeavouring to measure their heads, must be deemed -sufficient excuse for my not being able to state whether they are -dolichokephalic or brachykephalic; a point, however, which I confess did -not particularly attract my observation; but, for the partial comfort of -anthropologists, be it noted that both Chilians and myself interchanged -hats with some Tehuelches, especially Orkeke and Hinchel, without -finding misfits. The complexion of the men is reddish brown, that is -to say when cleansed from paint, and, like an old picture, restored to -their pristine tint, which is not quite so deep as to warrant Fitzroy's -comparison of it to the colour of a Devon cow. - - [8] Three Years' Slavery, p. 233. - -The scanty natural growth of beard, moustaches, and even eyebrows, is -carefully eradicated by means of a pair of silver tweezers, and I was -often urged to part with my beard, and undergo this painful operation, -but I naturally objected to comply with the request. The men's heads -are covered with thick, flowing masses of long hair, of which they take -great care, making their wives, or other female relatives, brush it out -carefully at least once a day. Very few appeared to have grey hair; -though there were a few exceptions, one very old man's hair being of a -snowy whiteness, which contrasted strangely with his tawny face. The -women have, as far as I could judge, an average height of about 5 feet -6: they are very strong in the arms, but seldom walk beyond fetching -the supplies of wood and water, all their journeys being performed on -horseback. Their hair, which is of no great length, scarcely indeed -equalling that of the men, and very coarse, is worn in two plaited -tails, which on gala days are artificially lengthened, probably with -horse-hair interwoven with blue beads, the ends being garnished with -silver pendants. This practice, however, is confined, I think, to the -unmarried ladies. - -Being an admirer of long hair, on my first joining the Indians I greatly -admired Tchang's daughter for her 'head of hair,' two immensely long -tails beautifully embellished, which I naturally thought was all her -own. But, meeting her by chance on the following morning returning -to the toldo with water, to my great disappointment I found that she -had taken her spare hair off, and her natural locks were the reverse -of long. The young women are frequently good-looking, displaying -healthy, ruddy cheeks when not disguised with paint. They are modest in -behaviour, though very coquettish, and as skilled in flirtation as if -they had been taught in more civilised society. The fair widow who so -nearly _hooked_ the Englishman could on occasions appeal as prettily for -help as a young lady in imaginary difficulties over a country stile. -Thus, when at Orkeke's request I led the way through a river--half way -across the channel suddenly deepened, with muddy bottom, and an abrupt -bank to land on--I heard a plaintive appeal, 'Muster, help me! my horse -is too small.' Exposure and work do not age them as soon as might be -expected, but when old they become most hideous beldames, and the most -weird-like witches imagined by Dore would be surpassed by a trio of -Tehuelche grandames. The dress of the men consists of a chiripa, or -under garment round the loins, made of a poncho, a piece of cloth, or -even of a guanaco mantle: but, whatever the material, this article of -dress is indispensable and scrupulously worn, their sense of decency -being very strong. All other garments are supplied by the capacious and -warm skin mantle, which, worn with the fur inside and the painted side -out, will keep the wearer dry for a considerable time in the wettest -weather. This is often dispensed with in the chase, but, if worn when -riding, is secured at the waist by a belt of hide or leather if it can -be obtained. When in camp the belt is not used, and the garment is worn -loose, something after the fashion of the 'melodramatic assassin's' -cloak. When sitting by the fireside, or even when walking about, the -furred part of the mantle is generally kept up over the mouth--as -the Tehuelches aver that the cold wind causes sore gums--a habit -which assists in rendering their guttural, and at all times rather -unintelligible, language more difficult of comprehension to the novice. - -Their potro boots (fig. 5) or buskins are made from the skin of horse's -hock, and occasionally from the leg of a large puma, drawn on up to the -knee and fastened round the foot. It is thus worn for a day or two until -the boot has taken the shape of the foot, when the leather is cut at the -toes and sewn up to fit. When the sole is worn, or in very wet or snowy -weather, hide overshoes are worn besides, and the footprints thus made -are really large enough to convey the idea of giants' feet, and partly -explain the term 'Patagon,' or large feet, applied to these Indians -by the Spanish discoverers. The boots are rarely put on in camp for -economical reasons, though turning out barefoot in the frozen grass at -daylight is unpleasant even to a Tehuelche. But the material of the boot -would soon wear out if used for walking. In riding they are secured by -garters, either gay coloured woven bands, or, which is _de rigueur_ -for chiefs, of hide, with massive silver buckles. Although the usual -head-dress of the men is simply a coloured fillet to confine the hair, -yet sometimes, and especially on state occasions, hats, if procurable, -are indulged in. Old Orkeke frequently wore a felt wideawake, which was, -on returning from hunting, carefully put up by his thoughtful spouse. - -The women's dress consists of a mantle similar to that worn by the men, -but secured at the throat by a large silver pin with a broad disc, or -a nail, or thorn, according to the wealth or poverty of the wearer; -and under this is a loose calico or stuff sacque, extending from the -shoulders to the ankle. When travelling the mantle is secured at the -waist by a broad belt ornamented with blue beads, and silver or brass -studs. The boots worn by the women are similar to those described, with -the exception that in their preparation the hair is left on the hide, -while it is carefully removed from those of the men. The children are -dressed in small mantles, but are more frequently allowed to run about -naked up to the age of six or eight; their little boots are made from -the skin taken from the fore-legs of the guanaco, softened in the hand. -The small children generally remonstrated strongly and effectually -against wearing this article of clothing; and whatever the severity -of the weather, preferred running about barefoot. The cradles for the -babies are formed of strips of wicker-work interlaced with hide thongs, -fitted with a cover to keep sun and rain off, and made of a convenient -shape to rest on the saddle gear of the mother when on the march. They -are ornamented, if the parents are wealthy, with little bells, brass -or even silver plates. The women are fond of ornaments, wearing huge -earrings of square shape, suspended to small rings passing through the -lobe of the ear; also silver or blue bead necklaces. The men also wear -these necklaces, and adorn their belts, pipes, knives, sheaths, and -horse-gear with silver. Those who can afford it also indulge in silver -spurs and stirrups; most of their ornaments, except the beads, are -home-made, being beaten out of dollars obtained by commerce in the -settlements. Both sexes smear their faces, and occasionally their -bodies, with paint, the Indians alleging as the reason for using this -cosmetic, that it is a protection against the effect of the winds; and I -found from personal experience that it proved a complete preservative -from excoriation or chapped skin. It proved equally effective against -the sun, which in Henno peeled my face completely until I resumed the -paint--which I had left off--not wishing to appear as a noble savage to -the newcomers. The paint for the face is composed of either red ochre or -black earth mixed with grease obtained from the marrow bones of the game -killed in the chase, all of which are carefully husbanded by the women, -and when opportunity offers pounded and boiled in the large pots; the -grease and gelatine being carefully skimmed off and secured. On state -occasions, such as a birth feast, and for a dance, the men further adorn -themselves with white paint, or powdered gypsum, which they moisten and -rub on their hands, and make five white finger-marks over their chests, -arms, and legs. The usual morning toilette is simple; after the plunge -in the river, which is almost always the first thing, except of course -when circumstances prevent it, indulged in by both sexes, who bathe -scrupulously apart, and generally before daylight. The men's hair is -dressed by their wives, daughters, or sweethearts, who take the greatest -care to burn any hairs that may be brushed out, as they fully believe -that spells may be wrought by evil-intentioned persons who can obtain a -piece of their hair. From the same idea, after cutting their nails, the -parings are carefully committed to the flames. After the hairbrushing, -which is performed by means of a rude hand brush, the women adorn the -men's faces with paint; if in mourning they put on black paint, and if -going to fight, sometimes put a little white paint under the eyes, which -assists in contrast to the other in giving a savage expression. The -women paint each other's faces, or if possessed, as sometimes occurs, of -a fragment of looking-glass, paint their own. Both sexes tattoo on the -forearm, by the simple process of puncturing the skin with a bodkin, and -inserting a mixture of blue earth with a piece of dry glass: the usual -patterns consist of a series of parallel lines, and sometimes a single -triangle, or a double triangle, the upper one resting on the apex of the -lower. I myself had one line tattooed by a fair enslaver, and confess -that the process was rather painful. - -Indians have a good deal of regard for personal cleanliness, and besides -the morning ablutions enjoy bathing when encamped near a river, swimming -and diving for hours together. They also are scrupulously careful as -to the cleanliness of their toldos and utensils, and will, if they -can obtain soap, wash up every thing they may be possessed of. -Notwithstanding these precautions they are very much afflicted by -vermin, which effect a firm lodgment in the wool of their mantles. This -may be attributed to their mode of life, and their food, as well as to -the materials of their clothing; and any traveller who wishes to sojourn -with the Indians must make up his mind to subject himself to these -inflictions, to which, however (_experto crede_), he will soon become -inured. Their method of hunting and of cooking the meat obtained by the -chase has been fully described in a previous chapter. Among the arms -and implements figured in the illustration will be found (figs. 9 and -10) the weapons chiefly employed in the pursuit of game, namely, the -bolas fitted with two balls called 'Chume,' for capturing the ostrich, -and those with three called 'yachiko,' for guanaco hunting, which are -similar to those used by the Gauchos in the Argentine Provinces. The -balls are generally of stone, but sometimes white metal or copper balls -are employed, procured in the settlements, which require no covering, -and are more and more coming into fashion of late years; iron balls -also, or iron ore, obtained and hammered into the requisite shape by the -Tehuelches themselves, are common; these are for the round striking ball -or balls: but the oval shaped hand ball, which is grasped in the hand, -and is necessarily lighter by at least one-third than the other, is -generally made of the soft vesicular lava which abounds in so many -districts. The tough light thong for swinging balls round the head is -generally made, as previously described, of ostrich or guanaco sinews -plaited in four plaits, the length of which should be between seven and -eight feet. It is always best to ball a quarry when galloping in an -exact line, as the necks of guanaco and ostrich are always aimed at; -entangling the hind legs of the quadruped being useless, though cattle -and horses are always balled round the hind legs. A shot at a bird or -beast bounding or running across is almost sure to miss; of course -misses are frequent, as fifty to seventy yards is often the distance of -a shot delivered from a horse's back at full gallop; and the balls whirr -through the air with their peculiar sound, only perhaps to fall into -a tangled bush. Then it is that the advantage of the bright material -becomes evident, for the horseman does not stop, but gallops on and -throws another pair, returning afterwards to pick up the dropped -weapons, frequently very hard to find on the pebble-strewn, grass-grown, -or shrub-covered surface. I generally threw down a handkerchief or some -such thing, easily seen, to mark the spot; but the metal bolas are so -much preferred on account of being easily seen, that a pair are worth a -horse. In addition to the bolas, a lazo is used when hunting cattle or -horses, and sometimes for the pumas, although the ordinary method is to -kill them by first stunning them with a blow on the head. The arms of -the Tehuelches consist of gun or revolver, sword or dagger, a long heavy -lance, used only by dismounted Indians, and altogether different to the -light lance of Araucanian and Pampa horsemen, and the bola perdida or -single ball, so called because once thrown it is not picked up again: -this weapon is quickly constructed; a sharp-pointed stone is taken, -covered with hide except the point, which is left out, and a thong of -raw hide about a yard long is attached, with a knot made in the end to -prevent it slipping from the hand whilst whirling it round previous to -throwing it at an enemy. Before the introduction of firearms the bola -perdida was the original weapon of the Tehuelches, and is even at the -present day a most deadly missile in their hands. (See fig. 11.) - -I am aware that Pigafetta, the historian of Magellan's voyage, describes -the ancestors of these Indians as using bows and arrows, but I am -inclined to think that this must have applied either to a tribe of -Fuegians or a party of Pampas living in the valley of the Rio Negro. It -is certain that no ancient flint arrowheads are met with south of the -Rio Negro, where they abound; also that there is but little, if any, -wood nearer than the Cordillera suitable for bows, and it is reasonable -to suppose that previous to the introduction of horses the Indian -migrations were confined to a smaller area; besides, although no -arrowheads are found in the interior of Patagonia proper, ancient bolas -are not unfrequently met with. These are highly valued by the Indians, -and differ from those in present use by having grooves cut round them, -and by their larger size and greater weight. The introduction and -diffusion of firearms has almost superseded the use of defensive armour; -but chain suits, and hide surcoats studded thickly with silver, are -still--as instances before given show--possessed and employed: and -before going into battle the warriors are often padded like cricketers, -corconillas or saddle-cloths, and ponchos being employed to form a -covering, the folds of which will turn a sword cut or lance thrust. - -[Illustration: TEHUELCHE ARMS AND IMPLEMENTS - -1. Saddle. 2. Bridle. 3. Girth. 4. Spurs. 5. Boot. 6. Adze. 7. Scraper. -8. Musical instrument. 9. Ostrich bola. 10. Guanaco bola. 11. Bola -perdida. 12. Pipe.] - -During our long sojourn at Teckel, as hunting was avoided as much as -possible, in order to rest the horses, the men occupied themselves in -Indian arts and manufactures, some account of which may be deemed -interesting. - -As the horse is the mainstay of the Indian, let the saddle-gear take -precedence. (See figs. 1, 2, 3, 4.) - -The saddles are constructed in the following manner. A piece of timber -is split in two, and reduced, by means of a small hand-adze, to the -requisite size and thickness to form the side boards or flaps, skilfully -adapted to the shape of the horse's back; in these boards holes are -bored at each end, and the saddle-trees, which are chosen from angular -limbs of trees, like knees for boat building, and reduced to the -requisite size, are lashed on by hide. Over this fresh guanaco hide, -divested of its woolly coat and carefully cut to the proper shape, -is sewn with sinew, serving, as it dries, to bind the whole securely -together. Casimiro was the most skilful workman of the party, and made a -saddle for me which, although through having to start in a hurry it was -not smoothed down or covered with hide, I used for about five weeks -without any chafing of the horse's back. Underneath the saddle a thick -mandil, or poncho, is placed; and over the saddle a corconilla, or -housing, of puma or yearling guanaco skin, or, which is always preferred -if obtainable, a black sheepskin. The Araucanians weave corconillas of -most beautiful texture and brilliant blue colour, which are sold for as -much as 5_l._ in the settlements. The girths are made of thirteen or -fourteen ties of twisted hide from the neck of the guanaco, and fitted -with two rings connected by a leather thong. The stirrups are suspended -by strips of hide from the holes bored in the foremost saddle-trees. -They are generally made of a piece of hard wood fixed into a raw hide -thong, or sometimes of wood bent into a triangular shape. The swells, of -course, sport silver stirrups, but they are frequently not used at all. -The saddle is also taken off when the hunting circle is being closed -and the horses ridden bare-backed, but it is replaced to carry the meat -back to the toldos. Sometimes it occurs that an Indian loses his saddle -at play, when he is perforce obliged to ride bare-backed, and it never -appears to inconvenience them. The bridles are made of either plaited or -twisted hide. The bits used vary, but the more general is a simple bar -of either wood or iron, covered at either end with two flaps of stout -hide, from which two thongs extend under the horse's jaw, forming an -effectual curb, the reins being also secured to the hide-flaps. The bar -is frequently omitted, and a simple thong is placed in the horse's mouth -and rove through the piece of hide, which is secured to the bridle and -tied under the jaw. I used this simple bit the whole of the journey, and -never had reason to find fault with it. The spurs are made of two pieces -of hard wood, with nails filed to a sharp point fixed in the ends, for -which I once tried to substitute bone spikes, but they required constant -sharpening and broke quickly. The spurs are secured to the feet by -thongs. Head-stalls for breaking horses are made either of plain or -plaited hide, with a ring underneath for the Maneador. - -Lazos are made either of twisted or plaited hide, similar to those in -use among the Gauchos. The only other articles of horse-gear worthy of -mention are the 'maneos,' called by the Indians 'caligi,' or straps for -securing the horse's legs, in order to teach him to stand when the rider -has dismounted; but the horses soon learn to await the return of the -rider. Since my return a hunting friend, hearing the chase described, -eagerly inquired, 'But who held your horse?' The well-trained Tehuelche -hunters hold themselves, and no boy or man is available to render this -service to anyone unlucky enough to be mounted on an uneducated steed. -Our breakers might take a useful lesson from the 'savages.' - -Another branch of general industry is the manufacture of pipe-bowls, -which are peculiar in shape, as may be seen in the plate (fig. 12). They -are made of either wood or stone, fitted with a silver or metal tube, -and frequently ornamented with silver. The greatest pains is taken to -keep them free from tobacco juice by constant cleaning with an ostrich -feather. - -Wooden platters are sometimes made, for containing meat or grease; and -I have seen wooden or horn spoons constructed, but these articles are -rare. Casimiro's toldo rejoiced in one of the latter, and it rather -resembled a shoe-horn. The men are many of them skilful workers in -silver, made from dollars obtained in the settlements, and tempered -until they become sufficiently malleable to be beaten out into the -requisite shapes, either for buckles, garters, plates, beads, or -studs for embossing belts or armour with. These 'cups,' or studs, are -generally hollowed out in a suitable cavity, worked in a stone; they are -then pierced at the edges with a bodkin, and sewn on to the hide with -sinew. The anvils and hammers for working silver are generally stone -implements; flints, however, are only used by the men for procuring -fire. The Tehuelches are also very handy workers in iron, and will -fashion a knife, or even an adze, out of any piece of metal procured by -theft, commerce in the colonies, or from wrecks on the coast. One of the -knives frequently used in the latter part of my journey was formed out -of one blade of an old pair of scissors forged for me by Hinchel. - -Their tools for working silver, iron, wood, &c., consist of files, -known by the expressive name of 'Khikerikikh,' or perhaps a rasp, an -occasional saw, an axe, the inevitable small adze (fig. 6), a pair -of scissors, or an old chisel. Many of these have been obtained from -shipwrecks on the coast, others by barter in the settlements. - -The women's most important occupation in camp was the making up of skin -mantles, which merits a full description. - -The skins are first dried in the sun, being pegged down with thorns of -the algarroba tree. When dry they are taken up, and scraped with pieces -of flint, agate, obsidian, or sometimes glass, fixed into a branch -naturally bent so as to form a handle (fig. 7). They are then smeared -over with grease and liver kneaded into pulp, after which they are -softened in the hand until quite pliable, when they are placed on the -ground and cut with a small, very sharp knife into pieces, dovetailed -so as to fit one into the other, in order to secure strength of -seam, and parcelled out amongst a party of four or six women, with a -corresponding quantity of needles and thread, consisting of bodkins -formed out of sharpened nails, and dried sinews from the back of the -adult guanaco. A whole mantle is never sewn together at once, but when -one half is finished it is pegged out and the paint applied to it thus. -The surface is slightly damped, and each woman takes a cake or piece of -red ochre, if the ground is to be red, and, keeping it damp, lays the -paint on with great care. When the ground is finished, the pattern of -small black spots and blue and yellow lines is painted with the greatest -exactness, the women working all day with the most assiduous industry. -When completed it is left for a night to dry, and the other half -and wings, which serve in lieu of sleeves, are duly completed, and -subsequently all are joined together, presenting, when finished, an -unbroken surface of fur. The most favourite pattern (except when the -wearer is in mourning) is a red ground with small black crosses and blue -and yellow longitudinal lines for borders, or with a zigzag of white, -blue, and red. The untiring energy with which the women work, and the -rapidity with which they sew, are astonishing. When a man is married, -his wife, or wives, of course manufacture his mantles, assisted by their -friends, whom they help in their turn; but should he be a bachelor, as -in my unfortunate case, he gives out his skins to a fair lady, who works -like other people I have heard of--on half-profits, and the hunter -generally loses by the bargain; at least such was my experience, some -thirty or forty skins only producing a mantle containing about one-third -their number. Besides the guanaco mantles which are most generally worn, -others are made from the skins of the fox, puma, wild cat, cavy, and -skunk; the fur of the latter and of the wild cat are the most valuable, -but, like the others, are generally intended only for barter. The women, -besides making mantles, weave the fillets for the head previously -mentioned, from threads of unravelled stuff obtained in barter at the -settlements, or from their Araucanian neighbours. They work on the -same principle as that on which a sailor constructs a sword mat. -Besides these fillets, they occasionally weave scarves for the waist, -and garters. Many of them also work in the minor details of silver -ornaments, such as hollowing out or bending the studs, boring the holes, -and stitching them on to the belts or armour, as the case may be. They -also sew the skins together for the coverings of the toldos, which is -very laborious work. They scrape and dress horse-hides for the furniture -of the bed places, painting them in various patterns; make the bolsters -of reeds (often also ornamented with silver) to place as a protection -for their high saddles, cook the food, smash the marrow-bones and -extract the grease; take care of the children, and fetch wood, water, -and do all the 'chores,' as the Americans say. As may be seen, they are -pretty nearly always occupied; nevertheless, they occasionally find time -to play cards, and sometimes to squabble and talk scandal. - -The children generally employ themselves in imitating their elders. The -boys play with miniature bolas, and catch the dogs with small lazos, and -the girls construct miniature toldos and sit in them; for this purpose -they carry off unchecked anything that may seem suitable. Frequently -when about to join the chase I had to interfere with these latter -games, and recover my saddle gear, which had been appropriated by the -juveniles. - -The musical instruments of the Tehuelches have been previously -described. In Teckel, besides the native orchestra (fig. 8) and -harmonies, to which one had become accustomed, we furthermore rejoiced -in a cornet, with music from which Jackechan's brother frequently -enlivened our evenings. Many amongst the Tehuelches could blow the -ordinary bugle calls which they had been accustomed to hear when in the -Rio Negro or at Punta Arenas; and most of them appeared to possess a -good ear for music. Their songs, however, are not melodious, and are -mere repetitions of words devoid of all sense or meaning. Casimiro -informed me that formerly the old men were in the habit of singing the -traditions of the tribe and also some sort of prayer. It is much to be -regretted that these customs have fallen into disuse. I tried on various -occasions to obtain information about their ancestors, but all my -efforts were fruitless. When I asked them how their people travelled -before horses came into the country, they could not realise the fact -that such was ever the case. - -There is little to add to the details already given of the cookery and -diet of the Tehuelches, which is necessarily almost confined to meat, -which, however, they _do not_ devour raw, as so constantly asserted. Fat -is largely consumed, both fresh and preserved; the need of this being, -as before said, attributable to the want of farinaceous food. Still -they are very fond of all sorts of wild fruits and vegetables, when -procurable; and besides the indigenous tuberous roots, and the -ever-present dandelion plants, which the girls gather for their friends -and relations, and which are eaten in a crude state, they will when in -the settlements barter their wares for potatoes, turnips, and other -vegetables. They are also extremely fond of biscuit and flour, which -they mix with water into dampers, and bake them in the ashes. Previous -to my sojourn amongst them, pepper was, I believe, unknown, but having a -small store in my possession, I induced old Orkeke and his dame to try -it, and they and others soon acquired a taste for it. Sugar, or anything -sweet, they are especially fond of. Salt is a very necessary commodity -with them, and when passing one of the numerous salinas that occur in -the country the stores are replenished. It sometimes happens, however, -if making a long stay in one place, or travelling in parts where salinas -are scarce, they have to go without it; and this is probably the cause -of a skin disease that at times occurs amongst them. Salt is carried as -a rule by the men when hunting, both to mix with the blood, which is -seldom eaten without it, and to season the guanaco or ostrich meat. - -I think that as a rule the Indians, far from being gluttonous -gormandisers, eat less than civilised people. They never eat at stated -times, but when their appetite warns them; and on this point an Indian -once made the remark to me: 'The Chilians eat at regular hours, which -is foolish; we don't eat unless we are hungry.' I believe that I, as a -single individual, generally consumed more victuals than any Indian, -with the exception of my friend Cayuke, who was certainly a great -gourmand. He was also a great smoker; and whenever I met him invariably -said the few English words I had taught him, 'Load and light the -pipe--smoke.' The general manner of smoking is as follows. The smoker -lights his pipe, and then lies prone on the ground, and after puffing -a portion of smoke to each cardinal point and muttering a prayer, he -swallows several mouthfuls of tobacco smoke, which produces intoxication -and partial insensibility, lasting perhaps for the space of two minutes. -During this time his companions carefully avoid disturbing him in any -way. When it has passed off, he gets up, takes a drink of water, and -resumes his conversation or occupation. I have sometimes observed this -intoxication accompanied by convulsions, but only in rare cases. The -tobacco used for smoking (for they never chew) is generally obtained -from the settlements, but failing this a herb substitute is procured -from the Araucanians. This is never smoked pure, being invariably mixed -with either wood chopped up small or 'yerba' (Paraguay tea) stalks, if -obtainable. The mixture with dung mentioned by M. Guinnard is unknown -among the Tehuelches. - -The women sometimes are smokers, but the custom is not universal, -being generally confined to the old ladies. Most of the men smoke, but -there are exceptions. I was very much astonished, however, by seeing -El Sourdo on more than one occasion give his pipe to his boy--a -precocious three-year-old--who whiffed his 'bacca' with apparently -great satisfaction to himself and his fond father. - -[Illustration: THE "PRETTY HOUSE" AND DANCE.] - -The chief amusements amongst the Indians (for hunting is a matter of -business and not pleasure) consist in horse-racing, card-playing, -gambling with dice made by themselves with mathematical exactness from -bones, and thrown from the hand, or with small stones, and playing a -game of ball. The horse-racing has been already described. The cards -used are sometimes the Spanish pack, obtained in the settlements, but -very frequently constructed by the Indians themselves of hide. These, -like the ordinary Spanish cards, are marked with the Spanish numerals up -to seven; but the court cards are entirely different, having, instead -of figures or pictures, monograms of native origin, the original -significance of which, if any, was undiscoverable. The ace, however, -is marked somewhat similarly to our own. The usual games played are -'Panturga,' 'Primero,' 'Siete,' and 'Yaik,' or fire, a sort of 'beggar -my neighbour.' The players sit down in a circle, with a poncho or -saddle-cloth to represent the board of green cloth; their markers -consist of pieces of sticks or grass, and their system of marking -is complicated. I generally--if I did indulge in the luxury of a -gamble--played in partnership with another who took charge of the -marking, but my invariable good luck rendered me unwilling to respond to -the invitation to take a hand. When stakes are lost, whether a horse, -troop of mares, saddle, lazo, or what not, the winner simply sends a -friend for them, or goes himself and takes them; all debts of honour -being scrupulously paid at once. Frequently large stakes are lost and -won. On one occasion I had negotiated the purchase of a horse from -an Indian possessed of a goodly troop, and having given earnest, had -started hunting on the animal to test his staying powers. My friend -the owner, who remained in camp playing, came to me on my return, and -implored me to consider the bargain as nil, as during my absence he -had lost nearly all his horses, and some of the articles of his wife's -dowry. I of course gave up the bargain, duly receiving back the earnest, -and he subsequently won back his horses and riches. The game played with -small stones is similar to that in vogue among schoolboys, and known -by the name of 'knucklebones.' It is generally played by the boys, but -their elders will not unfrequently join. The women play at cards, and -also at this game amongst themselves, staking their mandils, hides, -and saddle-gear on the results. Mrs. Orkeke was very fond of play, and -on one occasion I have reason to believe that she lost some of her -husband's tobacco, and laid the blame on one of the Chilians, who she -averred had stolen it. The man nearly lost his life in consequence, and -his tears and abject supplications showed the terror he was in, but -happily he on this occasion escaped. Strange to say, I was in no way -suspected, although I knew where the tobacco was kept, which I doubt if -the deserter did. - -The game of ball is confined to the young men, and is played as follows: -A lazo is laid on the ground so as to form a ring about four yards in -diameter; the players, generally eight in number, step into the circle -naked, with the exception of the waistcloth. A ball composed of hide -stuffed with feathers, about the size of or larger than a tennis-ball, -is used by each party, who throw it up from under the thigh, and strike -it with the hand at the adversaries', each hit counting a point. Great -dexterity and activity are shown by the young men, and although I never -joined in any of their regular matches I frequently watched the parties -occupied in the game, in which their splendid muscular development was -brought out conspicuously. Besides these amusements, the Indians, when -ammunition is plentiful, occasionally fire at a mark; but as their -bullets are frequently hammered round with stones, the practice is at -times erratic, and the guns are also sometimes more dangerous to the -marksman than the mark. - -The daily routine of occupations and amusements is varied sometimes by a -fight, and more pleasantly by some one or other of the ceremonials which -mark--as in all nations--the principal epochs of Tsoneca life, from the -cradle to the grave. On the birth of a child, if the parents are rich, -i.e. own plenty of mares and horses, and silver ornaments, notice is -immediately given to the doctor or wizard of the tribe, and to the -cacique and relations. The doctor, after bleeding himself with bodkins -in the temple, fore-arm, or leg, gives the order for the erection of -a mandil tent, or pretty house as the Indians call it, and mares are -slaughtered, and a feast and dance follow, such as described in Chapter -III., p. 76 as having taken place in the valley of the Rio Chico. The -child, shortly after birth, is smeared over with damp gypsum. The -mothers are able to travel on horseback the same, or, certainly, the -subsequent day, with the infant carried in a wicker cradle, and most -tenderly cared for by both parents. - -To every child in its infancy horses and gear are allotted, which are -considered thenceforth as the personal property of the boy or girl, and -cannot be resumed or disposed of by the parents. No ceremonial attends -the naming a child, nor, as far as I could see, is there any fixed time -for doing so. The names most commonly used are taken, I think, from -places--from the place of birth. Patronymics or hereditary names--except -in rare instances, which appeared to be imitations of Spanish usage--are -unknown, but nicknames are universal, and parents are frequently known -by the name of a child, which usurps the place of their own. - -The boys soon learn the use of the weapons, and both boys and girls ride -almost before they can walk: the sons rarely accompany the father to the -chase before ten or twelve years of age, and do not join in fights till -they are about sixteen years old, but there is no fixed period and -no ceremonial to mark their admission to the state of manhood. The -attainment of puberty by the girls is celebrated as described in p. 76. -From the age of nine or ten they are accustomed to help in household -duties and manufactures, and about sixteen are eligible for the married -life, though they often remain for several years spinsters. Marriages -are always those of inclination, and if the damsel does not like the -suitor for her hand, her parents never force her to comply with their -wishes, although the match may be an advantageous one. - -The usual custom is for the bridegroom, after he has secured the consent -of his damsel, to send either a brother or an intimate friend to the -parents, offering so many mares, horses, or silver ornaments for the -bride. If the parents consider the match desirable, as soon after as -circumstances will permit, the bridegroom, dressed in his best, and -mounted on his best horse, decorated with silver ornaments--if he -possesses any--proceeds to the toldo of his intended, and hands over the -gifts. The parents of the bride then return gifts of an equal value, -which, however, in the event of a separation (a rare event), become -the property of the bride. After this the bride is escorted by the -bridegroom to his toldo, amidst the cheers of his friends and the -singing of the women. Mares are usually then slaughtered and eaten on -the spot; great care being taken that the dogs do not touch any of the -meat or offal, as it is considered unlucky. The head, backbone, tail, -together with the heart and liver, are taken up to the top of a -neighbouring hill, as an offering to the Gualichu, or evil spirit. An -Indian is allowed to have as many wives as he can support, but it is -rare to find a man with more than two, and they generally only have one. - -On the death of a Tehuelche all his horses, dogs, and other animals are -killed, his ponchos, ornaments, bolas, and all other personal belongings -are placed in a heap and burned, the widow and other womankind keeping -up a dismal wailing, and crying out loud in the most melancholy manner. -The meat of the horses is distributed amongst the relations on both -sides; and the widow, who cuts her hair short in front and assumes black -paint, repairs, bag and baggage, to the toldo of her relations, or if -she has none in the party, to the toldo of the chief. - -The body is sewn up in a mantle, poncho, or coat of mail, if the -deceased possessed one, and is taken away by some of the relations and -buried in a sitting posture, its face to the east, a cairn of stones -being erected over the place, varying in size according to the wealth -and influence of the deceased. I have never seen any of the graves -described in Mr. Wood's work, but as my travels as a rule were confined -to the interior, they may exist in some part of the sea-coast; nor did -the exhumation and removal of the body ever come under my notice, and I -should be inclined to doubt its being ever practised by the Tehuelches, -inasmuch as it is a rule amongst them never to mention the name of, and -to avoid all allusion to, the deceased, their idea being that the dead -should be utterly forgotten, though they will add a stone in passing -to the cairn of a distinguished chief or hero. The death of a child is -marked by a display of sincere grief on the part of the parents. The -horse it has been accustomed to travel on during the march is brought -up, the gear placed on it, even to the cradle, and the horse, thus -fully caparisoned, is strangled by means of lazos, whereas in all other -ceremonies where horses are killed they are knocked on the head with -bolas. The saddle gear, cradle, and all belonging to the child are -burned, the women crying and singing. The parents moreover throw their -own valuables into the fire to express their grief. These things some of -the women who cry are allowed to snatch out, as a recompense for their -services, but they seldom benefit much. On the occasion of the death -of an only child of rich parents, fourteen horses and mares were -slaughtered in addition to the one it had been accustomed to travel on. -Towards evening of the day of the event, previous to the burial of the -corpse, a select party of old women marched in procession round and -round the camp, crying and wailing. Gifts were also sent to the bereaved -parents by the chiefs and relations, as a well-meant effort to divert -their minds from dwelling on their loss. - -The religion of the Tehuelches is distinguished from that of the Pampas -and Araucanians by an absence of any trace of sun-worship, although the -new moon is saluted, the respectful gesture being accompanied by some -low muttered words which I never could manage to hear. They believe -in a great and good Spirit, who according to the tradition related by -Casimiro at the place, created the Indians and animals, and dispersed -them from 'God's-hill,' as he explained the Indian name of the down (p. -89). I am not at all certain that this was not a confused combination -of the story of the Creation, as told by the missionaries, with his own -ideas. There is a great tendency in the Indian mind thus to combine the -marvels told them, or even to cap what they consider one legend with -another; but there is no doubt that they do believe in a good Spirit, -though they think he lives 'careless of mankind.' They have no idols -or objects of worship, nor--if a year's experience can enable one to -judge--do they observe any periodical religious festival, on which -either the good or evil Spirit is adored. The mention of this by other -travellers can only be explained by confused accounts which have -attributed Araucanian customs to the totally distinct Patagonians. The -belief which prompts all their religious acts is that in the existence -of many active and malicious evil spirits or demons, of whom the -principal one is always on the watch to cause mischief. To propitiate -or drive away this spirit is the function of the wizard, or doctor, or -medicine man, who combines the medical and magical arts, though not -possessed of an exclusive faculty for either. All sacrifices of mares -and horses, not at stated times, but as occasion requires, such as a -birth, death, &c., are intended to propitiate the Gualichu. When a -child hurts itself, the slaughter of mares seems to partake at once -of the nature of a thank-offering that the hurt was no worse, and a -propitiation to avert further harm. - -In camp the Gualichu takes up his position outside the back of the -toldo, watching for an opportunity to molest the inmates, and is -supposed to be kept quiet by the spells of the doctor, who is not only -gifted with the power of laying the devil, but can even detect him by -sight. I inquired of one of the doctors what he was like, but received -an evasive answer; on which I informed him that my devil took all sorts -of shapes--sometimes appearing as a guanaco, ostrich, puma, skunk, or -vulture, at which the medical man was intensely amused. This household -devil is, as far as I could ascertain, supposed to enter into the -different parts of the bodies of people, and cause sickness which the -doctor is appealed to to cure. The treatment in the case of headache, -for instance, is very simple: the doctor takes the patient's head -between his knees, and performing a short ceremony of incantation, -shouts in his ear, exhorting the devil to come out. Mr. Clarke, when -travelling with the Indians south of Santa Cruz, was treated in this -fashion when suffering from feverish headache, and said that at the time -it relieved him. - -Besides this Gualichu there are many others which are supposed to -inhabit subterranean dwellings, underneath certain woods and rivers and -peculiarly-shaped rocks. I was very much surprised at seeing the Indians -salute these objects by placing the hand to the head and muttering an -incantation; and for a long time held to the belief that they were only -expressing admiration for the Creator's handiwork; but subsequently I -learned that they sought thus to conciliate the spirits of these places, -reputed to be the spirits of deceased members of the faculty. These -devils' powers, however, are confined to the districts contiguous to -their habitations. - -On one occasion, a horse about to run a match was taken up to a -neighbouring hill before daylight by the owner, and some secret ceremony -was performed by the wizard. Previous to the race the owner (Waki) came -to me and advised me to put my stakes on his horse, as he had been made -safe to win by mysterious incantations which had secured the favour -of the local Gualichu; and, strange to say, the horse, which by his -appearance was much inferior to the other, did win, thereby establishing -a reputation for the wizard and the Gualichu. - -I remember on one occasion when riding with Hinchel we came in sight of -a peculiarly-pointed rock, which he saluted. I did the same, at which -he appeared much pleased; and on our subsequently arriving at a salina, -where we found good salt, much needed at the time, he explained to -me that the spirit of the place had led us in that direction. In the -meeting of Indians the devils are supposed to be driven away by the -horsemen chasing at full speed round and round, and firing off their -guns. - -The office of wizard is not hereditary; indeed those I met with were -unmarried. A boy or a girl, if what we should call odd, as in the case -of Cayuke's daughter, an old-fashioned and eccentric girl of thirteen, -is considered to be marked out as a wizard; but the functions, so far as -directing ceremonies, are sometimes performed by an ordinary member of -the party. The stock in trade of the regular wizard consists of a few -fetishes, or charms, carried in a bag, carefully concealed from public -gaze, and exhibited to his colleagues alone. In addition to these they -seem to possess a real knowledge of simples, although this is not -confined to them. Their professional operations are never accompanied -by epileptic seizures and real or simulated convulsions. They, of -course, are expected to prognosticate the success or failure of -undertakings, and the issue of sickness, and foretell the future -generally; and their position in this respect is a dangerous one, as a -failure of their predictions is frequently punished with death; but, to -make up for this risk, they are universally received with honour and -hospitably entertained, and are usually enriched by the accumulation of -presents. The power of witchcraft is by no means believed to be confined -to them; any person may be suspected of this crime, and it is not an -uncommon occurrence for people when dying to lay their death to the -charge of some person by name. All the missionaries' instructions did -not prevent Casimiro, after the death of either his mother or one of -his wives, from sending an agent to kill a woman who, as the deceased -averred, had bewitched her. Certain signs and omens are superstitiously -regarded; one particularly dreaded is the cry of the nightjar, common on -the slopes of the Cordillera, which, if uttered over a camp or toldo, -betokens sickness or death to some of the inmates. They hold this bird -in great veneration, and object to its being injured in any manner. -Another animal supposed to be possessed of magical powers is a flat -toad-like lizard, which is believed to lame horses by mysterious -agency, and is killed whenever met with. Another superstition is that -a two-headed guanaco exists in the south, the appearance of which is -a forerunner of sickness. According to my informant, after its last -appearance measles, or a similar disease, decimated the Southern tribe, -the disease having been propagated by communication with Punta Arenas, -where it was at that time rife. Any unfamiliar object that they do not -comprehend, as for instance, a compass or a watch, is regarded with -suspicion as being tenanted by an evil spirit. Sometimes these objects -are supposed to bring luck at play, and are eagerly sought for. One of -my companions was possessed of a watch, obtained in Punta Arenas, and, -before playing cards, he would often ask me to set it going, the ticking -being regarded as the voice of the hidden Gualichu. My compass was -also in constant demand, but the privilege of temporary possession was -necessarily restricted to a few favoured friends. I explained, to the -best of my power, the use of this instrument, which was comprehended by -many of them; and they became very fond of asking me to point out the -precise direction of various points known to them, and were greatly -delighted at the correctness with which their inquiries were generally -satisfied. A locket, worn by me round my neck, was also regarded as a -talisman, securing the wearer from death. - -With all this superstition, regard for omens, and belief in demons, they -by no means accord implicit faith and respect to the wizards. Nor do -they trust to their spells alone in case of disease; many possess an -acquaintance with medicinal herbs, and apply them with good effect. -Besides being good farriers, they practise blood-letting, not only on -the sick, but, like our grandfathers, at regular seasons have themselves -blooded, believing it to be beneficial. Casimiro declared that the -superior health of the Tehuelches, compared with that of the colonists -or Christians, was attributable to this practice. They also understand -and sometimes employ poisons, not to envenom their weapons, but for -secretly taking off an enemy. Such cases are rare, but in one, which -came under my own observation, beyond all doubt, death was caused by -poisoning the inside of a potro boot, the wearer of which had a slight -wound on the leg. - -Inquirers into the Tsoneca language are referred to the vocabulary in -the Appendix; but it is needful to state most distinctly that it is -altogether different from either Pampa or Araucanian. Though able to -converse in Tehuelche, I could not at all understand the Pampas; and -this is noted with reference to statements made in M. Guinnard's -work, which, coupled with other internal evidences already alluded to, -compel me to doubt that the author was ever in the hands of the real -Patagonians, his captors and masters being Pampas or Araucanos, whose -customs are well described by him. - -As distinguished from these Indians, the number of the pure Tehuelches, -both northern and southern, in Patagonia does not exceed 1,500 men, -women, and children, according to the returns of effective warriors -given at the time when the union of all the various parties, combined -during my journey for political purposes, enabled me to compute -them with exactness. Beyond the two great divisions into northern -and southern, the subdivisions of tribes, so frequently given, are -imaginary, or arise out of names of temporary leaders. Nor is the term -clan very appropriate to the nomad parties, combined by custom or often -by chance. The population is steadily and rapidly decreasing, and the -inroads of disease and ill effects of liquor are, as usual, doing the -work of extirpation of this race. - -As to their organisation, it must be distinctly understood that these -Indians owe no manner of allegiance to any head cacique, such as -Calficura, or any other, though they may agree to obey one chief, -as, for instance, Casimiro; nor are they, except by intermarriage -or voluntary association, politically united with either Pampas -or Araucanians. Their natural bias is to independence, and rather -insubordinate ideas of 'one man being as good as another.' Cuastro's -dying words, 'I die as I have lived--no cacique orders me,' aptly -express the prevalent feeling on this subject. Nevertheless, all -'parties,' however small, are, when travelling, under the command of -a cacique or 'gownok,' who is sometimes also designated by the more -endearing epithet of 'yank,' or father; but his influence is very -frequently confined to ordering the march and chase. Some of the chiefs -are hereditary, but it is not invariably the rule; and amongst the -northern Indians there are many petty chiefs, who are men that, having -become possessed of a few mares and horses, assume the title of cacique. -Great etiquette is observed between them; one chief being prohibited -by custom from entering the toldo of another unless presents have -previously been interchanged. Another curious point of etiquette is, -that a man is not allowed to look towards his father-in-law when -in conversation with him; this is, however, not confined to the -aristocracy, but also applies to the common herd. When two parties -of Indians are approaching one another, and sufficiently near to -distinguish the smoke of the hunting-fires, a signal-fire is lighted, -and a chasqui--called by the Tehuelches coeto--generally some relative -of the chiefs, is despatched from either side. On meeting they repair -to the camp of the most powerful, and, on arriving near, more horsemen -sally out and escort them to the toldo of the chief. On arrival the new -comer dismounts, his horses and gear are taken charge of, and he is -shown, with great formality, to a seat, where he patiently remains, -sometimes for an hour, answering, with grave face, all questions; and -then delivers any message he may be entrusted with. Although he may be -wearied, tired, and hungry, he never moves until the formalities are -concluded; he is then provided with the best food and accommodation his -host is possessed of. - -It is to be hoped that the narrated actual life in the toldos will have -enabled the reader to form an idea of the character of the Tehuelches -more favourable than that which--except by the missionaries, Messrs. -Hunziker and Schmid--has usually been assigned to them. They certainly -do not deserve the epithets of ferocious savages, brigands of the -desert, &c. They are kindly, good tempered, impulsive children of -nature, taking great likes or dislikes, becoming firm friends or equally -confirmed enemies. They are very naturally suspicious of strangers, but -especially those of Spanish origin, or, as they term them, Cristianos. -Nor, considering the treatment, treacherous cruelty and knavish -robbery, experienced by them at the hands of the invaders and colonists -alternately, is this to be wondered at. - -In the southern part of the country, their frequent intercourse with -sealers on the coast has rendered them favourably disposed towards -Englishmen. This remark, of course, does not extend to the northern -Tehuelches, who have not the same opportunities. - -In my dealings with them I was always treated with fairness and -consideration, and my few belongings--although borrowed at times, -according to their mutual way of acting towards one another--were taken -the greatest care of; thus an Indian would frequently ask to look at -my arms, and, after examining them, would carefully return them to me. -During my whole stay amongst them I only lost two articles: the first, -a flint and steel, was, I have reason to believe, stolen by one of the -Chilians; the second was a pair of ostrich balls, which were abstracted -from the toldo. The Indians, although honest enough as regards each -other, will, nevertheless, not scruple to steal from any one not -belonging to their party. Thus, when they enter the colonies for trade, -they will pick up a stray horse in the most natural manner; and in -Santa Cruz, Graviel and others constantly pilfered iron nails and small -articles. With regard to their truthfulness, my experience was as -follows. In minor affairs they nearly always lie, and will invent -stories for sheer amusement; thus, Mrs. Orkeke came to me whilst in -Teckel with the news that Casimiro's wife was dead. My remark was, 'And -a good riddance too!' which was received with a burst of laughter, and -the information that she was as alive as ever, only her eyes were bad. I -could cite many other similar instances of romancing on the part of the -Indians. Old Orkeke I never caught out in a direct lie, and he always, -when informing me about any subject, added, 'I do not lie.' In anything -of importance, however, such as guaranteeing the safety of a person, -they were very truthful, as long as faith was kept with them. After a -time, when they ascertained that I invariably avoided deviating in any -way from the truth, they left off lying to me even in minor matters. -This will serve to show that they are not of the treacherous nature -assigned to them by some ignorant writers. Nor are they habitually -cruel, even to slaves or captives. The Chilian deserters were always -well housed and fed, and lent horses to ride; and nothing but their -incurably bad dispositions and constant plots brought on them a fate -which, in truth, could hardly be thought ill-deserved, whereas the few -good ones of the party rose into high favour. - -For my own part, I felt far safer amongst the Tehuelches, as long as -they had no drink or no fights, than I subsequently did in the Rio -Negro. Of course when they are drunk their passions become unbridled; -they remember old feuds, and at times will fight for mere fighting's -sake. It is not necessary, however, to go so far as Patagonia to observe -this. The finest trait, perhaps, in their character is their love -for their wives and children; matrimonial disputes are rare, and -wife-beating unknown; and the intense grief with which the loss of a -wife is mourned is certainly not 'civilised,' for the widower will -destroy all his stock and burn all his possessions: thus Paliki, before -the death of his wife, was a wealthy Indian; but when I knew him he -was poor and reckless, having destroyed all his property, and taken to -gambling and drinking in despair at his loss. Casimiro even declared -that his son Sam--whom I certainly should not have suspected of -disinterested affection for any human being--had ruined himself, and -become careless of his life, after his wife's death. - -The children are indulged in every way, ride the best horses, and are -not corrected for any misbehaviour. I was always astonished that the -youths and young men did not grow up more headstrong and wilful, as a -result of want of training. People who have no children of their own -sometimes adopt a little dog, on which they lavish their affections, and -bestow horses and other valuables, which are destroyed in case of the -owner's death. - -It has always been a matter of surprise to me that the missionaries -should have been so unsuccessful in their efforts to teach these -children of nature to read and write, for they are naturally very -intelligent (though of course there are exceptions). As a proof of their -quickness in imitations, with very little trouble I taught Hinchel's -son to write his father's name and those of two other Indians in a -very short time. I also used to draw ships on a board with a piece of -charcoal for the children's amusement, and they readily copied them. -Hinchel himself, wishing to explain a part of the course of the Rio -Negro, drew out a rough chart on the board, showing the bends of the -river, which I afterwards found to be perfectly correct. - -Whilst in their native wilds, I observed little immorality amongst the -Indians; in the settlements, however, when debased by intoxication, -they are, no doubt, depraved and loose in their ideas. But it must be -recorded that, on the entry of the Indians into the settlements of the -Rio Negro, at a subsequent period, most of the young women and girls -were left with the toldos in Valchita, outside the Travesia, to be out -of the way of temptations. There are many Tehuelche youths now growing -up who have the greatest abhorrence of liquor; and I hope that in time -this abstinence will spread further among them, for they possess no -intoxicants of their own, and the rum is an import from the Christians, -the ill effects of which they are well able to discern. - -One word of advice to the future traveller may conclude this imperfect -sketch. Never show distrust of the Indians; be as free with your goods -and chattels as they are to each other. Don't ever want anything done -for you; always catch and saddle your own horse. Don't give yourself -airs of superiority, as they do not understand it--unless you can prove -yourself better in some distinct way. Always be first, as you are not -likely to be encumbered by a wife or gear, in crossing rivers, or any -other difficulties; they will learn by degrees to respect you; in a -word, as you treat them so they will treat you. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -TECKEL TO GEYLUM. - - Casimiro's Household. -- Carge-kaik. -- Quintuhual's Son. -- - Woolkein. -- Partridges. -- Meeting with the Araucanians. -- - The Cacique Quintuhual. -- Esgel-kaik. -- Araucanian Belles. -- - Communication with Chupat Colony. -- Diplaik. -- Calficura's - Declaration of War. -- Tehuelches learn Fishing. -- My Indian - Relatives. -- Woodland Rambles. -- An Indian Paradise. -- The - Upper Chupat. -- Cushamon. -- Losing Horses. -- Official - Functions. -- Message from Las Manzanas. -- Blessing the - Liquor. -- Casimiro Intoxicated. -- Foyel's Encampment. -- - Great Parlemento. -- Foyel's Ideas. -- Gatchen-kaik. -- Arrival - at Geylum. - - -On January 21 the word was given to march, and all the united forces of -the Tehuelches, numbering 200 men, with the usual allowance of women and -children, prepared to advance to join the Araucanos. Ten toldos, forming -Crime's party, lingered behind, in consequence of the continued sickness -of this caciquillo, who, however, sent word that he would follow in our -rear. - -All the horses were in excellent condition, and it was with great -delight that I saw the immense cavalcade set out. Our family party in -Casimiro's toldo included, besides the chief and his wife, sons, and -little daughter Chingook, an old brother-in-law, Kai, nicknamed Chileno, -and his wife and son Macho; and an old deaf and dumb woman of most -repulsive aspect. The only good feature in Casimiro's character was his -charity. He was always ready to afford an asylum to any destitute or -infirm people, and his toldo was never without some such object of his -pity. My honourable position as secretary and general referee next in -rank to the cacique, scarcely reconciled me to the exchange of the -orderly comfort of Mrs. Orkeke's household for the dignified discomfort -of my present quarters. They were also shared by Mena, whose good -qualities had raised him above his fellow Chilians. Their number had -been reduced to four, Arica having disappeared whilst hunting near -Teckel: without doubt his quarrelsome disposition had occasioned his -death at the hands of some one whom he had insulted or offended. The -route followed led northwards through a valley on both sides of which we -hunted, and arrived in the afternoon at an encampment called Carge-kaik, -or Four Hills. There was nothing remarkable in the scenery: the -hill-sides on either hand were covered with scrub, and the summits -presented masses of rocks, and in some places loose boulders, amongst -which numerous armadillos were basking in the sun. They are easily -captured, as they are very slow; but if they once get into their burrow -it is difficult to extract them, owing to the tenacity with which they -hold fast to the soil. They are very good eating, and are usually cooked -in the shell on the fire, the entrails, &c., being taken out, and the -cavity filled with heated stones. When they are in their best condition, -one leg is sufficient for a man, as there is about an inch of yellow fat -on them. Of the shells the women make work-baskets, to contain their -bodkins, sinews, &c., when sewing, or to serve as colour-boxes for the -different colours when painting. - -The day following our arrival, Tankelow and another Indian were -despatched as messengers to the party of Araucanian Indians, or -Manzaneros, supposed to be encamped a few marches distant. During that -night a child was born, the parents of which were rich, and accordingly -a great slaughter of mares took place, the mandil tent was erected, and -a feast and dance announced. - -Meanwhile, about 4 P.M., the chasquis returned, bringing with them an -Araucanian Indian, who was escorted to our toldo in due form amidst a -curious crowd, all eager to look at him, while he preserved a grave and -stolid demeanour. After the usual ceremonious formalities he sat down, -and by means of an interpreter stated himself to be a son of Quintuhual, -a chief residing at present about four marches to the north. His father -had with much pleasure received the courteous message sent by Casimiro, -and it would give him equal gratification to welcome the Tehuelches; -but he signified a desire first to meet Casimiro alone. This the latter -monarch did not appear to see in the same light--if I may be allowed the -expression--as it seemed to forebode no good intentions; but he replied -evasively, and thus the colloquy terminated. - -This Indian was about the middle height, dressed in coloured ponchos, -with a silk handkerchief round his head. His features were regular, with -restless sparkling black eyes, and complexion about the same as that of -the Gauchos of the Rio de la Plata. He wore his hair cut short, and his -general cleanly appearance afforded a strong contrast to the flowing -locks and paint-bedaubed bodies of the Tehuelches. - -Giving up my sleeping place to him, we soon made him at home, and after -he had had some dinner we proceeded in company to watch the dancers, who -were vigorously stepping out round the fire in front of the mandil tent. -Here we were joined by Jackechan, whose knowledge of the Araucanian -language enabled us to maintain a conversation. Presently, by particular -request, I joined Golwin (White) and two others in the dance, coming out -in full costume of ostrich feathers and girdle of bells, and properly -painted, to the great delight of the Indians. My performance elicited -general applause; and at last all retired for the night, myself taking -my saddle-gear and sleeping under a bush near the toldo. - -After a delicious breakfast of fried fish, cooked most skilfully by -Mena, we prepared to march again, the chasqui bidding us farewell for -the present, and by 9 A.M. the whole cavalcade of women and children -were in motion, and the circle formed for the hunt. - -Several shallow streams, fringed with dwarf beeches, were crossed, -flowing into lagoons or into the Teckel River, the course of which lay -north east of our line, and the cavalcade of women struck the valley -occasionally in the march. Of the hills dividing these streams, the -southern side consisted of gradual slopes covered with coarse grass, -while the northern counterslopes were precipitous, and covered with -loose rocks and stones. Orkeke, in the previous marches, had often -informed me that the Araucanos' country was very stony, and that there -were a great many armadillos, but little other game; and this day -guanaco were rarely seen, but ostriches were numerous and armadillo -abounded. - -After crossing several ridges and glens, we at length traversed a -hillocky plain, of the usual scrub-covered aspect, and strewn with -flint, agate, and other pebbles, and encamped for the night in a place -called 'Woolkein,' situated by the side of a water-course which was now -nearly dry, the water only remaining in the deep holes. We had left the -canyon or valley of the river Teckel a few miles east, from which point -it appeared to give a sharp turn in an easterly direction. - -To the west the mountains of the Cordillera were visible about twenty -miles distant, while on the south were the rocky abrupt hills already -passed over, and on the north a range of rather peaked hills running -west, and appearing to slope at their western extremity towards the -plains beneath the Cordillera. Next morning, before the rime was off the -pasture, we were again en route, and after a rocky descent of perhaps -fifty feet reached a second plain, everywhere strewn with stones, which -rendered galloping very difficult; nevertheless a large herd of guanaco -were enclosed and numbers killed, while ostrich, on the contrary, -appeared to be very scarce. To my great surprise, whilst running some -guanaco, two large partridges got up from close to my horse's feet, and -flying a short distance settled again. Partridges had been described to -me in the neighbourhood of Santa Cruz, but I had never seen one, and -these were the first met with in the country. Towards three in the -afternoon we emerged from the stony district to a plain covered with -sand and scrub, and after refreshing ourselves at a rivulet, travelled -westward, with the Cordillera in full front, till we turned a high -cliff which jutted out from the grassy slopes in which the hills fell -gradually down to the plains, and beyond it, turning again northward, -entered a level plain, at the far extremity of which we observed with -great contentment the answering smoke from the toldos of the Araucanian -Indians. On the south-west edge of this valley the high beetling cliff -obscured the view of the wooded mountains, which, however, showed out -between the hills shutting in the valley we had traversed up to this -point. On the eastern side rose a range of hills, barren and desolate, -with here and there a single guanaco in solitary majesty, cropping -the stunted grass. In front of us, directly to the north, lay a large -lagoon, in which numerous swans and flamingoes were wading and swimming -about. Beyond it were visible the toldos of the Araucanians, ten in -number. - -We halted near the head of the lagoon, under shelter of some thick -bushes, to collect our forces, don our best ponchos and silver -ornaments, and change our horses, and then proceeded slowly to within -about a quarter of a mile of the toldos. To our great surprise nobody -appeared to receive us; but at length a woman arrived with the -intelligence that all the men were away hunting, but had been sent -for, and would arrive shortly. - -Our women meanwhile erected the toldos on a green sward, carpeted with -strawberry plants, near to a small stream which divided our camp from -that of the Araucanos. All dismounted and rested after the long journey -of fully forty miles from the previous station; and in about half an -hour the Araucanos appeared, galloping like demons. Their women having -previously brought up their fresh horses, they were in almost less time -than it takes to write it in the saddle, and formed into excellent line, -lances in hand, waiting for us to go through the ceremony of welcome. -In about five minutes our ranks were dressed, and the usual galloping, -shouting, and ceremonious greetings gone through. I was particularly -struck with the bold, honest bearing of the young men of this party, -who, dressed in gay-coloured ponchos, with clean linen drawers and white -flannel vests underneath, presented a most civilised appearance. More -noticeable than the remainder, who numbered but twenty-seven in all, -were four brothers, particularly handsome, robust men, with florid -complexions, who at a distance, where the colour of their eyes could not -be distinguished, looked almost like Europeans; which remark made to El -Sourdo, who was my right-hand man during the performance, called forth -the reply in a low voice, 'Very much devil these Indians; perhaps -fight.' That he could have entertained the idea when we were at least -ten times their number, speaks volumes for the Araucanian character for -bravery. - -However, all passed off quietly, and a council was fixed for the -following day. As we were returning to the toldos we observed some -of the Araucanians bringing up a flock of sheep, and others a herd -of cattle, from some woods bordering the stream, which flowed to the -northward. On the eastern side of the valley some four or five hundred -horses and mares were grazing on the green pasture; and Hinchel pointed -out to me with great glee the horses and mares--about a hundred -head--owned by his eldest son, who had married an Araucanian woman, -and resided with them; and the proud father declared that we should not -want for food, as he likewise owned cattle and sheep. - -Casimiro informed me that many years ago whilst travelling northwards he -met these same Indians on foot. Their custom was to hunt with large dogs -that they kept expressly for the chase, and dividing the meat equally, -carry it back on their shoulders to the toldos. They also when on the -march loaded themselves with their household gear, leaving bags of -grease hung up in the trees for future use. He left them a couple of -mares, from which part of their present stock is sprung. This story, -however, should be taken with reservation, although it is perfectly -possible that in some fight their horses were taken from them, and -that subsequently, when all the Indians were joined together under the -Cacique Lenketrou to invade the settlements, they received a share of -the spoils, and have since added to their stock by trade. - -The day following our arrival a council was held, and an interchange -of presents took place. Here I made the acquaintance of the old -chief Quintuhual, and presented him with a dagger. He was a short, -heavily-built man, with a grave and indeed solemn expression; but he -had a bad name for getting intoxicated and using knife or revolver -freely--in fact, running a-muck. He was of course a relation--nephew, it -was said--of Casimiro; but notwithstanding, he at first received me with -great suspicion, and when, in answer to his inquiries as to what I was -and why I came, he was informed that I was in the service of the Cacique -of England, who wished the Indians well, but that I had visited these -parts for my own pleasure, he replied that he was not a boy to be -humbugged easily; but having instituted private inquiries, he soon -changed his tone, showing me the greatest civility, and was never tired -of asking questions about England and Englishmen. - -Here the letters forwarded some time previously, which we had thought -were by this time arrived at Patagones, were handed back to us. They had -been forwarded to Foyel's[9] people, but owing to those sent by me for -England being written on pink note-paper they were returned, the Indians -considering the colour of the paper to denote war. - - [9] Also called Poyel. - -Quintuhual had with him a Valdivian or Chilote named Juan Antonio, who -acted as interpreter. This little man, who had originally come from what -he called his 'Pago,' somewhere in the vicinity of Porto Montt, bringing -liquor to trade with the Indians, had concluded to remain with them, -esteeming himself to be better off as a poor man in the Pampas in -company with Indians, than in the like station in the settlements. He -of course spoke the Araucanian language, which is generally used in -Valdivia, but was conversant with the Spanish tongue. Off his horse -he was a miserable little specimen of a man, and though tolerated -by Quintuhual, was looked upon as what Spaniards term 'Infeliz,' or -unfortunate one. - -After a while the council broke up, but Crime arriving with the ten -expected toldos, was resumed the following day; Quintuhual finally -agreeing to unite his party with the Tehuelches, and proceed under -Casimiro's banner to Las Manzanas. - -The Chilote Juan Antonio paid us a visit in the evening, and informed us -that the toldos had been several months in this place, which was named -Esgel-kaik; the men having been absent hunting, first the young guanaco, -and afterwards catching and taming cattle in the Cordillera. - -By his account these Indians were great adepts with the lazo, and would -gallop through the forests in chase of animals in the most wonderful -manner; one man only being required to catch and secure an animal, and -then proceeding to capture another. How different from our dreadful -failure, where seven men could not lazo one animal! - -He further stated that with Foyel's Indians, who were distant a few -marches to the north, eight Valdivians had for the last two years been -employed catching cattle, and having now succeeded in getting together -a herd of about eighty head, intended shortly to return to Valdivia. - -The third day after our arrival I visited the toldos of our new allies; -and while talking to one of the principal Indians, named Malakou, who -could speak a little Spanish, was asked if I could repair firearms, and -one or two very antique specimens of flint pistols and blunderbusses -were produced, the locks of which were wood-bound. Half an hour served -to set these to rights, at which the owners were much delighted, and -offered me tobacco, &c., which however I refused, taking instead a hide -to make a small lazo. - -After bidding, not adieu, but _au revoir_, to my new friends, whilst -strolling back I was called into a toldo where four women were sitting -sewing mantles. One, who appeared to be of the Pampa tribe, old and -ugly, spoke Spanish, and stated that she was formerly in the Rio Negro -with the cacique Chingoli. She acted as spokeswoman for the others, -three tall, buxom lasses, daughters of a brother of Quintuhual, who was -Capitanejo of the party. They were gaily dressed in variegated ponchos, -with silk handkerchiefs bound round their fine glossy hair, which was -plaited into two long tails, and set off their clear, fresh complexions -charmingly. The first question they asked me was where I came from. On -answering 'From the direction in which the sun rises,' they asked if it -wasn't very hot there. They then asked if I had ever been above in the -sky; if I had not been dead one time and come to life again; whether -Casimiro had not been dead and come back again, and various other -questions of the same description. - -After satisfying their curiosity to the best of my ability, and smoking -a pipe, I received a message by Juan Antonio that Quintuhual wanted to -see me in his toldo. Proceeding thither, I was shown to a seat on a -poncho, and discoursed with the old chief for half an hour; at the end -of which he made me a present of a 'jurga,' or, as the Tehuelches term -it, 'lechu,' a sort of blanket made by their women, similar to the -poncho, except, instead of two parts with an opening for the head to -pass through, it consists of an entire piece. It was perfectly new, -having been just completed by his daughters. - -After a good dinner we adjourned to see the races, a great match being -on between the two tribes. The course was about four miles; and the race -resulted in a victory for the Tehuelches. Both sides had backed their -favourites heavily; and as on this occasion the ladies took a prominent -share in the betting, the Tehuelches were in great glee, having won from -the fair Araucanians many valuable mandils and lechus. In the evening a -grand feast took place, with a mandil tent and dance. - -Near this place grew a quantity of the wild potatoes, and the women used -to start early in the morning and come back towards evening with their -horses loaded. The tubers were the largest I had seen, and closely -resembled the sweet potato in flavour. The usual way of cooking them was -boiling in a pot, a sod of earth being placed over all to keep the steam -in. - -We made a stay of eight days in Esgel-kaik, amusing ourselves by racing, -visiting the Araucanos, and passing a very pleasant time, the only -drawback being the illness of Crime, who grew gradually worse. - -The day before our departure Jackechan and El Sourdo intimated that, as -they feared a disturbance, and wished to keep clear of any fight, they -would not accompany us to Las Manzanas, but purposed to proceed in the -direction of Chupat, and send in a messenger to the Welsh colony. So I -at once took the opportunity of forwarding a letter to Mr. Lewis Jones, -requesting certain supplies of yerba, tobacco, and sugar. - -On February 5th the whole camp broke up, Jackechan and two toldos -marching to the north-east, and the remainder, who now formed an -extensive train, marching almost due north. Before leaving Jackechan -sent one of his wives and his youngest son, who was remarkably attached -to me, to our toldo, to be under the charge of her father, Kai Chileno. -El Sourdo had pressed me to go with their small party, and for some time -I wavered, but thought it best to stick to Casimiro, and pay a visit to -Cheoeque, and the much-praised Manzanas, where the Indians anticipated -finding plenty of fruit and plenty of drink. After leaving Esgel the -character of the country changed. We were no longer traversing Pampas, -with their dreary monotony, but journeyed through level valleys of two -or three miles in extent, watered by rivulets fringed with stunted -trees, and abounding with game. The general line of the dividing -hills--which were round downs and occasionally broken and waterworn -cliffs--was from east to west, seeming as if they were thrown off as -spurs from the Cordillera, from which, however, their western bases -were divided by a valley often narrowing to a glen, down which flowed -a stream in a northward course. Towards evening a halt was made at the -side of a stream where there was sufficient pasture for the horses, and -it was an amusing sight to watch the long line of women winding down the -hills in the distance, like a flock of ants; the Araucanians driving -their cattle and mares separate from our party, and their sheep bringing -up the rear by slow marches under charge of some lads. - -Early the following morning the camp was struck, and after crossing a -hill directly above the encampment, which was covered with rank high -grass, we descended the northward slope to a wild, barren-looking plain, -at the northern side of which, near to a low range of hills, some -trees and a silver line marked the course of a river flowing from the -Cordillera, the mountains of which rose to a height of 2,000 or 3,000 -feet, wooded nearly to the summits, and their crests glittering with -occasional patches of snow that had defied the power of the summer sun. -Traversing this plain, which was dotted with barberry and other bushes, -and varied here and there by small hummocky ridges, we closed the -hunting circle by the banks of the stream, a few miles distant from the -Cordillera. Here, in different parties, the usual fires were lit, and -the hunting meal discussed, after which we proceeded to the toldos. -The Araucanians had pitched theirs on the southern bank of the river, -amongst some clumps of trees; whilst those of the Tehuelches were -situated on the northern bank, the river dividing the two villages. -Westward from our encampment the barren plain was succeeded by a wide -level of grass, reaching to the base of the mountains, some two miles -distant; but higher up the course of the river, which trended to the -north, the plain appeared to resume its barren and stony aspect, with -here and there a dry lagoon, until the slope of the mountains was -reached, and detached belts of trees formed the commencement of the -forest. On the southern side of the river the pasture was not very -abundant; nevertheless there was sufficient for the horses, cattle, -and sheep of our allies to graze upon. - -After the usual stable drill most of us bathed in the stream, which, -although nowhere of great depth, had pools at intervals suited for -bathing; but the water was icy cold. The day following our arrival at -this camp, which was named Diplaik, a birthday feast took place in the -Araucanian toldos, to which most of us were invited, the usual tent -being erected and a dance held in the evening, and the feast and dance -were kept up for two days and nights, at the end of which a messenger -arrived from Foyel to say that Calficura, the chief of the Indians -encamped at the Salinas north of the Rio Negro, near Bahia Blanca, was -going to make war on Buenos Ayres, the reason assigned being the murder -of one of his relations by the Christians; he therefore desired the -Araucanians and Tehuelches to join with him in the inroad. His literal -message was as follows: 'My horse is ready, my foot is in the stirrup, -my lance is in my hand, and I go to make war against these Christians, -who tire us out with their falseness.' - -A parlemento was called, and the chiefs deliberated for some time, -but in the end determined to have nothing to do with the affair; so a -message was sent to the effect that he might do as he pleased, but that -they wished to maintain peace. - -We remained some days in Diplaik, during which several races were run, -resulting on this occasion in favour of the horses of the Araucanians, -who won many horses and mares from their neighbours. - -The international sports were diversified by a cock fight between -Orkeke's bird and one belonging to an Araucanian. My assistance was -requested to sharpen the spurs, and my friends were much astonished at -my indignant refusal to have anything to do with such a proceeding. The -Araucanian owner of the cock had also a hen which, during the march, sat -upon a clutch of eggs and successfully reared her brood of six chickens, -the hen, nest, and all being carefully transported on horseback, and -Dame Partlet seeming quite as much at home in the saddle as any Indian -mother with her nursling carried in the cradle behind her. - -In the dry lagoons on the western side of the valley the women and, -indeed, sometimes the men, were frequently engaged in grubbing up an -edible root which grew in large quantities. The leaf of the plant -is very minute, and the root, which is found about a foot below the -surface, varies in length from 1 to 3 inches: it is quite white, and -about a quarter of an inch in diameter; when raw its taste resembles -that of a chestnut, but is rather sweeter. The Indians boil it and -drink the water, which is very sweet. During the last two days of our -stay we subsisted entirely on this food and fish caught in the stream, -as meat was not obtainable. Some of the Tehuelches were here induced for -the first time to taste the fish on which Casimiro, Mena, and myself -were regaling, and some of them took a great liking to it, and borrowing -my lines and hooks were soon sitting on the bank waiting patiently for -a bite. They caught several, and towards evening returned with my lines -and a share of the fish for us, which we did not require. As I had -plenty of hooks, these ingenious savages soon made lines for themselves -out of twisted ostrich sinews, and may, for all I know, at the present -time be occupied in fishing. The fact that none of these Tehuelches -would before this touch the fish caught by me, and even expressed great -disgust at the idea, is worthy of note, as it has been stated that on -the coast they catch and eat sea fish, which could only be alleged by -persons ignorant of their real habits of life.[10] - - [10] Cf. Guinnard, 'Three Years' Slavery,' p. 73. - -On the 12th we marched; the cause of our detention for the two extra -days being the continued sickness of Crime, who, however, at length -determined to make an effort and proceed, although barely able to sit -on his horse. The women followed, more or less, the valley of the river, -whilst the hunters ranged over the hills, which on the eastern side were -in most parts free from rock and stones and abounded with ostriches. -During the journey I came suddenly on two wild cats, one of which my -dog attacked and killed, and the other fell a victim to my bolas. These -were of the species common in the provinces of La Plata, and especially -in the islands of the Parana. Towards evening we came on another -small stream flowing into the main river, into the plain of which we -subsequently descended and found the toldos already pitched, literally -'sub tegmine fagi.' During this day's ride, happening to be in the same -part of the circle as the Araucanians, we cooked our dinners in company -and rode home together. On the way Quintuhual's eldest son, with whom -I had always had very friendly relations, said that he desired to -recognise me as his brother. So we accordingly joined hands, and riding -together formally declared that we were as brothers, and would always -remember the duties of our relationship and assist each other, if needs -be, in whatever part of the world we might be placed. All this was very -satisfactory, and it may be interesting to the reader to know that -my sisters and cousins were the good-looking girls who had asked -such curious questions at Esgel, and with whom, though we could not -understand each other's language, I had always kept up a laughing -acquaintance, thereby arousing considerable jealousy in the bosoms of -my Tehuelche friends. The gloriously warm weather which, for a wonder, -continued during our stay at Lilly-haik, as this station was named, -rendered our residence there most enjoyable, and we revelled in the -simple pleasures of the woods; sometimes three or four of us would go -away across the brook, and traversing a plain occupied by the horses and -cattle, search for strawberries amongst the ravines of the neighbouring -mountains, or climb the tall trees and gather the yellow insipid fungus -adhering to the branches, or lie down amongst the wild violets and -enjoy the _dolce far niente_. These Indian children of nature showed -themselves as thoroughly able to appreciate the idleness of gathering -fruit and flowers and roaming in the woods as school children on a -holiday ramble. On one occasion Casimiro and several others proceeded -in search of wood wherewith to construct saddles, and we felled several -fine trees, selecting and cutting off suitable pieces of timber. It was -hard work with blunt axes, but Indians are indefatigable when they -once commence a task. After my spell at the axe I wandered off with a -companion into the thicker forest in search of fungus to make tinder. -Of this we found little, but thirst soon made us seek for water, and -discover a delicious ice-cold rivulet, embowered with currant bushes -bearing ripe fruit. Here we remained a short time smoking and picking -currants, recumbent on the mossy turf, till a shout in the distance -warned us that our companions were returning. On our way home we killed -one of the flat toad-like lizards which the Indians regard as devilish; -we also caught a young skunk, which Casimiro wished to keep as a pet for -the children, but at my instance let it go and enjoy the delights of -freedom. 'Fancy a tame skunk!' some may exclaim; but in Hinchel's toldo -there were two skunks which, perfectly tame and as playful as kittens, -ran about everywhere, never using their offensive powers, and sometimes -getting lost for an hour or two caused a dreadful outcry to be raised by -the children until they were found. - -The hill slopes were a garden of calceolarias, alyssum, tiny wild -geraniums, and other flowers unknown to me. Amongst them were two -magnificent creepers, one resembling a vine, with rich violet -trumpet-shaped flowers, and another displaying gorgeous circular orange -blossoms, with black lines radiating, like the spokes of a wheel, from -the centre. I looked in vain for seeds, but there were none mature, so -contented myself with plucking a flower, which was subsequently lost -with other specimens. - -A disagreeable incident here gave me an opportunity of observing the -disposition of the Araucanians to enslave and illtreat any unhappy -'Cristiano' that they can either kidnap or purchase. One of the -Chilians, after more than once removing from one Tehuelche toldo to -another, listened to the delusive promises of an Araucanian and deserted -his old protectors rather than masters. He soon found that he had -exchanged an easy berth for real slavery. One day he besought me to -interfere to protect him from the cruelty of his master, who was urging -him with his whip to continue his labour of wood felling. He complained -that he was worked all day, and scantily fed, and obliged to sleep -outside the toldo; very different from his life amongst the Patagonians, -when food, shelter, and a horse to ride were always his lot. At my -intercession Quintuhual took him into his service to protect him, for no -Tehuelche would receive him; but he was afterwards reported to have been -killed by his quondam master, as a punishment for his desertion. - -During our stay great gambling with cards was carried on amongst some of -the party; and Casimiro and Hinchel worked most assiduously constructing -saddles, which when finished they were in as great haste to gamble -away. A wedding also varied the proceedings in this place; and another -little incident, in the shape of a separation by mutual consent of an -Araucanian husband and Tehuelche wife, gave the old ladies subject for -gossip; but a reconciliation was soon after effected. - -On the 16th of February we left Lilly-haik, and bid adieu to the -pleasant river and the sylvan delights of this Paradise, as it seemed -to us, with its flowery shades. As we ascended the northern declivity of -the high ground bounding the valley, I halted to take a farewell look; -and nowhere has a more beautiful scene presented itself to my gaze. The -valley narrowed as it curved to the west, and at its head, through a -gigantic cleft, the perpendicular walls of which rose several hundred -feet, the waters of the river issued from their mountain cradle. So deep -was the gloom of this gorge, that it was impenetrable to even Indian -eyes, and the river seemed to flow into the sunlight out of unknown -darkness. Above, on either hand, the precipitous cliffs sloped upwards -into high mountains clothed with a rich mantle of the dark green, -cedarlike foliage of the beech forests; and between their summits might -be discerned the dazzling peaks of far distant loftier mountains crowned -with perpetual snow. - -Turning our backs upon this lovely scene, we crossed a remarkable -succession of barren and stony terraces or benches of curiously -irregular formation, the terraces running in different directions, and -presenting no parallel lines to indicate any uniform action of water; -the regular slopes and level surfaces resembling a complication of -gigantic steps. We at length descended to a plain bordering a river, -which all the Indians agreed in declaring to be the main branch of the -Chupat. The banks on the southern side were remarkable for being fringed -with a species of Pampa grass, while on the northern side grew a few -trees, near which the toldos were pitched. - -The river was about forty yards in width, and easily fordable in most -places, although there were deep reaches where a horse had to swim. -The foremost party of the hunters crossed first, and some, either not -knowing or careless of the fords, enjoyed a bathe, swimming alongside -their horses. By eventide all our party, women and baggage, had arrived. -A few days' halt was occasioned in this place, named Chupatcush, by the -continued illness of the cacique Crime. We hunted in all the surrounding -country, which presented no very remarkable features. Down river, or to -speak more correctly to the eastward, after passing a range of hills of -the usual description, covered with short tufty grass, interspersed with -shrubs, through which the river forces its way in a succession of narrow -gorges, a large plain opened out, which extended for perhaps nine miles -on each side, scantily covered with grass, excepting towards the banks -of the river, where the pasture was luxuriant. - -A subsequent comparison of the observations made by Welsh settlers as to -its lower course with my own, aided by Indian accounts, enables me to -state that the Chupat river is characterised throughout its course by -the narrow gorge-like cuttings alternating with similar wide plains, -all of which are suitable for cultivation. Besides the Sengel, which -is doubtless one of its main feeders, other streams occurring in our -journey had also been described as tributaries of the Chupat, and by -their direction of course it would appear that their waters, if they -reach the sea, must flow into this river; but it seems to me difficult -to understand how, if the Chupat receives the drainage of so large -an area of country, its stream near the mouth, as described both by -Indians and settlers, can be of such small dimensions. It is, therefore, -probable that some, if not most, of the lesser rivers lose themselves -in lagoons or swamps in the central districts, and the reader must be -pleased to remember that the courses of these rivers, as indicated on -the map, are not in all cases laid down from my own observation, but -partly from Indian description and partly from an already existing map, -probably compiled from similar data. - -To the westward plains occur at intervals apparently until the river -debouches from the ravines of the high mountains of the Andes, about -twelve miles from the encampment. At this point the stream flows from -the northward, and the Indians informed me has its source in a large -lake, most probably Nahuel-huapi. The pasture in the immediate vicinity -of the camp was scanty, having apparently been recently burned, but -the soil was of a rich alluvial description. In the chase the most -remarkable thing observed was the abundance of armadillos, one hunter -frequently bringing in two or three. Fish also were abundant in the -river, and averaged a larger size than those previously caught. - -On February 18th smoke was observed to the northward, not far distant, -and towards evening a chasqui arrived, bringing with him a couple of -bottles of liquor for Quintuhual, as well as news that things were going -on well amongst Foyel's people; and on the 21st we again marched over a -high plateau broken by numerous irregular ravines which appeared to have -been swept by an inundation. High isolated cliffs stood up as though -the waters had washed round them and swept away the intervening soil, -leaving their waterworn faces marked with the indelible record of -the floods, as plainly as the torn and blasted rocks in the southern -districts bore the traces of volcanic fires. At last a more unbroken -plain terminated suddenly in a shelving descent of 300 to 400 feet, -the wall of a chasm covered with grass and shrubs interspersed with -scattered boulders, down which we made our way, encamping near the base, -where a beautiful spring gushed from the side. The bottom of the canyon, -which was nearly half a mile in width, contained a watercourse, the bed -of which was dry at this season, except a few pools of stagnant water -unsuitable for drinking. - -It was intended to despatch messengers from this place, which was -called Cushamon, to Foyel, and also Cheoeque, the chief of Las Manzanas, -warning him of our near approach; and accordingly, after our arrival -in camp, I wrote a letter to the said chieftain at the dictation of -Casimiro, which in well-rounded periods and with much complimentary -verbiage explained the fact and reasons of our having united all the -Indians and inviting their co-operation. - -The following morning, after the letter had been read and explained to -the assembled Caciques, the two messengers (sons of Caciques) appeared -with two horses each, and after receiving some verbal injunctions, -started on their journey, amidst the howlings of a few old women and a -blast from the cornet. The remainder of us, who had mounted, to add to -the pomp and ceremony of the occasion, went out hunting, some following -the ravine in an easterly direction, which, penetrating high pampas, -opened into a plain containing a lagoon fed by the waters of the -brook, whilst others encircled the high pampas above. Hinchel, whom I -accompanied on this occasion, pointed out to me several small holes with -little mounds of earth and rubbish at the mouth, which he asserted to -be the abodes of snakes, but no occupants were visible outside. He -described the snakes as dark in colour, about 2 feet 6 inches long, and -perfectly harmless, adding that they would be good to eat, which facts -were subsequently corroborated by Casimiro. - -One of the troubles of pampa life is occasionally losing one's horses, -as was my case in this place, and I spent one entire day in search -before I recovered them, as they had strayed in company with a troop of -mares far up the valley, which here divided into two branches, opening -into watered grassy plains extending to the Cordillera. As there were -horse tracks up both valleys, according to the usual law of contrariety -I took the wrong one at first and had a long gallop for nothing. At any -time it is troublesome to have to look through about two thousand horses -all unmarked and many of the same colour, and perhaps resembling those -belonging to the perplexed searcher. An Indian, however, with his -natural quickness of sight, will distinguish his own horses at a great -distance amongst a hundred others. It has been already said that in this -roving life all must look after their own horses, for Indians do not -understand another person doing it for them, unless he be a son or -relation, and in all cases when preparing for the march everyone is -expected to find and bring up his own. - -During our stay (until the 28th) in this encampment, the cold winds -again set in, and snow fell on one occasion, but not in great quantity, -and we were all very glad at length to get the order to march, and -proceeded in joyous expectation of shortly meeting the chasquis with -news from the other Indians. By this time the young guanaco had grown to -considerable size and afforded a lengthened chase, but their skins were -useless for mantles, the fur having acquired more of the thick woolly -nature of that of the full-grown animal. The next halt was made in a -place called Telck, a valley of considerable width, on one edge of which -the burrow of a Patagonian hare or cavy was pointed out to me, but the -owner was not visible. Here a messenger arrived with an answer to our -letter from Foyel, indited by a Valdivian Indian named Antonio Guaitu, -educated by the missionaries, who filled the post of secretary to the -chief. The Caciques having formed a circle, in which my place was next -the president, Casimiro, the chasquis were introduced and ceremoniously -handed me the letter, written in most peculiar Spanish, which, after -some private study, I was able to decipher and expound to the attentive -assembly. It contained many expressions of good will and hopes of a -speedy meeting, winding up with an apology that, owing to having left -his country north of the Rio Limay and come down into these parts in -order to hunt the young guanaco, he regretted having so few warriors -in his train wherewith to welcome 'the great chief of the south,' -viz., Casimiro. After this function, with my deportment in which, be it -modestly said, all the chiefs were much pleased, as well as gratified by -the amicable contents of the despatch, one of the Araucanian caciques -assuring me with many compliments that his horses were always at my -disposal for a mount, all adjourned to a shooting match, or rather -pistol practice, at which the performances were decidedly moderate, and -the mark seemed to be the safest place. Starting thence on March 3, and -travelling always northwards over the barren upper pampas with scarcely -a shrub on them, the wall-like Cordillera rising on the west, and ranges -of hills bounding the view to the east, about 2 P.M. we arrived at a -marshy plain: there, as we were halting to make a fire, a cloud of smoke -rose suddenly from the opposite side, indicating the near approach of -the chasqui sent to Las Manzanas. Half a dozen of us were immediately -despatched to verify the supposition, and, leaving our dinner for a -future occasion, raced across the valley at full speed, the Indians -firmly believing that the messengers would bring liquor with them, and -every one being ambitious of the first drink. We at length made them -out, and perceiving us in return they halted and dismounted by a small -hillock, where we shortly joined them, Casimiro following sedately, as -became so grand a personage. The Indians were disappointed as to the -advent of liquor, the messengers having brought nothing with them except -a few apples, some of which, distributed to us, proved to be very juicy -and refreshing, equalling any European apple. The only answer to our -letter was a verbal message to the effect that we should be welcome at -Las Manzanas, and that Cheoeque would collect a force to meet us, all -his people being at present busy in the mountains gathering the harvest -of apples and pinones; he also stated that he had received late news -from Patagones, one Mariano Linares, brother of the head chief of the -tame Indians in that settlement, being at present a visitor at Las -Manzanas. Casimiro was rather irritated at not receiving a written -answer, but on my pointing out that it was just possible Cheoeque did -not own a secretary in his suite, the chief was somewhat pacified, -although his dignity was rather hurt, and he recurred again and again -to the subject. - -On our way to the toldos, which, during the interval of our hearing the -news, roasting apples, &c., had been pitched, Casimiro pointed out to -me the scene of a former fight in which a chief and several Indians had -been killed. It was a very desirable place for encampment, but, owing to -these antecedents, was carefully avoided, and instead of it our party -occupied a damp and even sloppy site on the borders of a small stream -that lost itself in a large marsh farther to the east, while the -Araucanians had selected a better spot a little higher up the valley. -The following day we hunted over some hills in the vicinity of the -mountains and killed a great quantity of ostriches, scarcely a man -coming home without a good supply of meat. - -On March 5, early in the morning, whilst most of us were rounding up -our horses, others smoking at the fireside, some men appeared in the -distance with several horses, one of which appeared to be loaded. In a -moment many Indians were away to meet the newcomers, and one came back -at speed to inform us that they were Manzanero Indians bringing liquor -to trade with. They proceeded to Quintuhual's toldo, one of them being -a connection of the chief, and there dismounted, unloading their horse -of two sheepskins filled with rum. Great was the rejoicing amongst the -Indians, and large the crowd that soon collected round Quintuhual's -toldo, carefully keeping at a respectful distance. Casimiro and myself -were shortly sent for, and on riding over were invited to preside at -the commencement of the festival. On our dismounting, in company with -several of the other caciques, four lances were planted in the ground -(one having a white weft or poncho placed on it), and the chiefs, each -taking a horn or pannikin containing a very little rum, marched round -the lances muttering an incantation and sprinkling a little liquor -on the ground, also on the lances as they passed. This ceremony was -repeated twice, a select body of old women attending to sing and cry, to -assist in frightening away the evil spirit. After this my brother, who -appeared to be master of the ceremonies, handed pannikins of grog round, -and all were soon very convivial. After taking a glass or two I retired -in company with Orkeke and Hinchel, neither of whom was inclined to -drink much, owing to the possibility of a disturbance. The rest of the -party then began to buy drink, as the first free allowance was stopped, -and in a short time many were in an advanced stage of intoxication, -amongst whom was our head chief. The terms of barter were a mantle or -unbroken colt for two bottles of villainous Valdivian rum, which was, -as the Tehuelches agreed, a very exorbitant price; but inasmuch as the -dealers left it free for them either to go without or pay up, the liquor -was soon finished and the merchants possessed of some eighteen new -mantles and a good number of mares and colts. The artful Tehuelches, -however, during the ensuing night, stole back a portion of the mantles -and humbugged the Araucanians about the horses, professing not to be -able to catch them. Everything went on quietly until about 3 P.M., when -a fight took place, but the combatants were disarmed. From this up to 8 -P.M. Quintuhual, Orkeke, and many of the people who had kept sober, were -occupied in quelling disturbances, Casimiro being as bad as any, and -sending for his gun wherewith to shoot some imagined enemy, which I -fortunately intercepted, and after plugging up the nipples hid it behind -the toldo. There was little sleep to be obtained till nearly morning, -when the inebriated ones laid down anywhere and everywhere to sleep -off their potations. The following morning Casimiro awoke with a bad -headache and bad temper, and commenced talking about something that had -been said to him the previous day, on which I informed him that he must -have no shame left in him to get so intoxicated, and that no Indians -could respect a chief who was the first to set an evil example by -wishing to create a disturbance, while Quintuhual had remained sober, -taking care of his people as became a chief, and that he (Casimiro) -should have done the same. This raised the ire of the ancient monarch, -who answered in a most impolite manner, so much so, that to avoid a row -I left him to his bad head and quitted the toldo till he should be in a -better frame of mind. Shortly after this little episode we broke up the -camp and marched a few miles to the north. Having been detained by a -missing horse, I did not start with the hunting party, but overtook the -people who had arrived with the grog, returning with their remaining -mantles, horses, colts, &c., and loudly abusing the Tehuelches for a set -of thieving rascals. One of this party was a Valdivian boy who spoke -fluent Spanish, and invited me to accompany him to Los Llanos, whither -he now intended returning. He stated that in seven or eight days he -hoped to reach his destination, and that from thence to the port of -Valdivia was but a day and a half's journey. On arriving at the next -encampment I bade adieu to these people, who continued their march -farther to the north, not liking to trust their property again in the -neighbourhood of our camp. - -Only halting for the night, we resumed our journey shortly after -daylight, mounting a rather steep ascent to a high plateau strewn with -sharp stones and crossed by ridges of rocks at intervals. - -Ostriches and guanaco were numerous, and although chasing them almost -involved the certainty of laming one's horse, many were killed. In this -hunt a male guanaco came racing towards me from the Indians on the -western side of the circle, and on my galloping to intercept him, he -turned and descended a ridge of rocks. I was about to throw the bolas, -being within distance, when he suddenly tripped and, falling on his -head, lay stunned at the bottom of the cliff, where I soon despatched -him with my knife. - -These barren pampas terminated suddenly in a line of cliffs, gradually -but steeply shelving in some places, and in others presenting a -perpendicular descent of 200 feet; at the base lay a large plain watered -by a brook, and enclosed on the southern, eastern, and partially on the -western sides by these cliffs, while the northern and north-western -boundary was formed by hills rising in gentle slopes. In about the -centre of this plain, close to the brook side, were to be distinguished -the toldos of Foyel, to which the women were wending their way, having -descended by a ravine to the east, while some distance to the north-east -on the upper plains were to be distinguished the hunting fires of the -proprietors of the toldos. In due course of time we arrived, but as -the hunting party did not return till late, we saw nothing of Foyel's -people that evening, though letters were exchanged between the chiefs, -felicitating each other on the meeting, and appointing next day for the -ceremony of welcome. - -The following morning, however, day broke with a furious south-west -gale, with passing squalls of snow and sleet, and so bitterly cold and -miserable that Foyel sent a note to state that, 'as the day was rather -frozen,' perhaps it would be better to postpone the ceremony till finer -weather, inasmuch as after it a parlemento would have to be held to -consider matters in general. Casimiro answered, through me, that he -was of the same opinion, but would do himself the honour of paying -a personal visit. Presently we sallied out in the storm, taking the -presents and the necessary number of women to cry, and proceeded to -Foyel's toldo, where we handed over the gifts, the women melodiously -howling during the operation. A short parley then ensued between the -two caciques, neither of whom, be it remembered, could understand the -language of the other. After this ceremonial was concluded, which took -place outside the toldo during a blinding snow storm, we returned to our -home, and shortly after the day cleared up a little, and Foyel's people -were visible bringing up cattle and sheep from distant parts of the -valley to which they had been driven to seek shelter from the storm. -Some headed in our direction, and were driven close to the toldo, over -which the Buenos Ayrean colours proudly waved to designate the dwelling -of the chief. Foyel then arrived and had an interview with Casimiro, -presenting him with cattle which were lazoed by some of the Valdivian -Indians, and a light-haired man dressed in Christian clothes, but with -rather a wild appearance. My first idea was that he was either Scotch or -English, but as he approached me whilst despatching one of the cows, I -asked him in Spanish where he came from, and whether he was not English; -he answered that he was from Chili, but had lived nearly all his life in -Valdivia working cattle, and had for the last two years been in company -with the Valdivians catching cattle in the Cordillera, and making his -head-quarters at Foyel's camp. His name was Ventura Delgado, and he -had visited Patagones the previous year in company with the secretary, -Antonio Guaitu, who took an application for rations for Foyel. As we -were both busy we arranged to meet and have a talk later in the day. A -good deal of eating took place in the forenoon, and to escape the crowd, -and also the persecution of having continually to write some nonsensical -message from Casimiro to Foyel, who about every half hour used to -interchange written messages, although the toldos were not above two -hundred yards apart, I quitted the chief's quarters for a stroll. While -roaming about the camp looking for the toldo in which my new Valdivian -acquaintance put up, I was called into another, where Casimiro's aunt, -one of our domestic circle, and my 'companion of the pipe,' was sitting -by the fire drinking grog, in which she invited me to assist her; -nothing loth, I sat down and we had two or three cheerers together, -after which the owner of the toldo, a brother-in-law of Foyel's, a -Pampa Indian, arrived. He spoke fluent Spanish, having formerly been -for a considerable time near the settlements, and was an intellectual, -fine-looking man; he was very civil and escorted me to Foyel's toldo, -where I spent the afternoon in company with Antonio Guaitu and Ventura -Delgado, the Valdivian. - -On March 8, the day being fine and suitable for the ceremony of welcome, -Casimiro gave orders at an early hour for all to mount and hold -themselves in readiness to go through the necessary evolutions. About -an hour after the orders had been given, most of the Patagonians were -mounted and ready, so all proceeded to the part of the valley where the -united Araucanian Indians, under Quintuhual and Foyel, were already -formed in line, lances in hand, waiting for our motley crowd, who gave -considerable trouble to the chiefs, owing to their loose ideas of -formation: the caciques and adjutant no sooner had got one part of the -line into something like order, than the people at the other extremity -would break up into knots and converse or smoke. Foyel sent several -messages to Casimiro to keep his line properly formed, and at length -the Tehuelches were arrayed in something like order and the ceremony -commenced. After it was concluded a great Parlemento was held, which -lasted until the afternoon; all the previous resolutions were confirmed, -viz., that Casimiro should be recognised the chief of the South, his -jurisdiction extending over all Indians south of the Rio Limay; that -with his people he should guarantee the safety of Patagones, and hold in -check the Pampa Indians of Las Salinas, under the chief Calficura, in -the improbable event of his endeavouring to cross the Rio Limay for the -purpose of making raids into the settlements; 2ndly, that we should, all -united, march to Las Manzanas to visit Cheoeque, and propose to him to -guarantee with his forces the safety of the north bank of the river, -which would effectually bridle Calficura and secure Patagones. After -the Parlemento I proceeded to visit Foyel, and was received by him with -every expression of friendship and regard. During the course of our -interview he asked me to show him my compass, the fame of which had gone -before it. I at once took it off my neck, where I was in the habit of -carrying it, and endeavoured to explain its uses to him. Unlike the -other Indians, although at first regarding it rather with superstitious -awe, Foyel soon understood its uses, though he also hinted that it might -not only be useful for finding the way at night, but perhaps would bring -luck at play as well. I accordingly begged him to accept it, which, -after a little demur, he did with evident delight, wrapping it carefully -up and giving it in charge of his daughter. - -He then commenced a conversation on the subject of Indians and their -relations with white people. He stated that he was in favour of friendly -intercourse both with the Valdivian people on the western side and the -Argentines on the eastern shores. I quote some of his exact words: 'God -has given to us these plains and hills wherein to dwell; he has provided -us with the guanaco, from the skins of which to form our toldos, and -from the young of which we make mantles to clothe ourselves with; also -the ostrich and armadillo for food. Our contact with the Christians of -late years has given us a taste for yerba, sugar, biscuit, flour, and -other luxuries formerly unknown, but which now have become almost -necessary to us. If we have war with the Spaniards, we shall have no -market for our skins, ponchos, feathers, &c., therefore it is for our -own interests to be on good terms with them; besides, there is plenty of -room for all.' He then went on to state that he was endeavouring to find -a route to Valdivia, avoiding Las Manzanas and the Picunche tribe of -Indians, who are against all foreigners; and that if possible he would -get families of Valdivian Indians and endeavour to cultivate some of -the valleys in the neighbourhood of the Rio Limay. - -I was not at that time aware of Mr. Cox's descent from Lake Nahuel-huapi, -or could at once have informed him of that means of communication with -the settlements on the western side; still I doubt the practicability of -that route for women and children carrying with them household goods and -agricultural implements. After some more conversation, and receiving a -general invitation to visit his toldo whenever I felt inclined, and a -hospitable assurance that there would always be food for me if I was -hungry, I retired to Casimiro's, whilst Foyel went away to play cards, -taking with him my compass for luck, and curiously enough he won several -horses, silver stirrups, and other valuables from the Tehuelches. - -The following day a race took place, the Tehuelches first taking their -horse up to the top of a neighbouring hill, where the doctor performed -some magical ceremony to ensure his winning, which he did, though -apparently inferior to his competitor. In this plain, called by the -Indians Gatchen-kaik or Rocky Hills, Crime's illness caused us to remain -encamped until March 21, during the greater part of which time I and -several others were suffering from neuralgia and ulcerations in the -mouth, caused, I think, by the bad water we had to drink, perhaps also -by the want of salt, which had become a very scarce commodity. - -Friendly rivalry was kept up between the tribes in play, hunting, and -other sports, in which fortune varied from one side to the other. Every -other day I visited poor Crime, whose groans might be heard at night -accompanied by the chaunt of some old hag. The sick man always asked me -how long he would live. I at first tried to persuade him that he would -get well, but after a time, as he was really fast sinking, gave him to -understand that he might live a month if he was lucky. I offered to open -his leg and endeavour to cure him, but this he would not allow, stating -that if he died under the operation it would go hard with the doctor, -which was indeed true, so I gave up my intentions of performing a -surgical operation. - -Before we broke up the camp a Valdivian and other Indians arrived from -Cheoeque's, but brought little news, stating that the Manzaneros were -still dispersed amongst the valleys of the Cordillera engaged in -gathering the yearly harvest of apples and pinones: of these we had -already received plenty from Foyel's people, who kept up a constant -communication with their relations near the Rio Limay. - -On the 21st all left the valley and travelled a few leagues through a -diversified country. On the line of march cliffs, which stood out in -the glens in irregular, picturesque manner, were of yellow and red -sandstone, but to the westwards black basaltic heights could be seen -abutting on the plains, while in hunting over the higher ground masses -of ironstone and igneous rock were met with scattered over the surface. -We remained for the night in a valley called Changi, and, proceeding -next day, arrived about noon at a large plain shut in by sandstone -cliffs on the eastern side, at the northern side of which towered a -peculiar pointed rock, perhaps 300 feet in height, standing out alone -on the sloping descent; viewed from the western side it appeared like a -natural column composed of stratified yellow and red and black layers of -sand, and on the summit a condor had his eyry. - -The plain extended for several miles to the west, where it was again -closed in by cliffs, differing from those to the eastward in being -composed of basalt. In this plain, called Geylum, situated, according -to Indian accounts, a few leagues to the eastward of Lake Nahuel-huapi, -and distant sixty miles from the Rio Limay, and seventy-five miles from -Las Manzanas, it was determined to spend the time required for sending -chasquis to give notice of our near approach, prior to all marching in -company for Cheoeque's head-quarters. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -LAS MANZANAS. - - Catching a Thief. -- Miss Foyel. -- Start for Las Manzanas. -- - First View of the Apple Groves. -- Omens of War. -- Inacayal's - Tolderia. -- Crossing the Rio Limay. -- Mr. Cox's Shipwreck. -- - Lenketrou's Raid. -- A Night of Alarm. -- Bravery of my - Cousins. -- The Great Cheoeque. -- A Mounted Parlemento. -- - Apples and Pinones. -- Graviel's Madness. -- Las Manzanas. -- - Cheoeque's Palace. -- The Revels. -- Feuds between the Chiefs. - -- The Picunches and the Passes to Valdivia. -- Trading and - Politics. -- Resolutions of Peace. -- A Grand Banquet. -- Power - of Cheoeque. -- Araucanian Customs. -- Farewell Presents. -- - Invitation to Return. -- Orkeke's Generosity. -- Return to - Geylum. -- Outbreak of an Epidemic. -- My Pretty Page. -- - Departure from Geylum. - - -The day after our arrival at Geylum, Manzaneros or Araucanians arrived -from the north with cider of their own manufacture stored in sheepskins, -apples, and pinones, to trade; and a scene of debauchery ensued, as -usual. At night an attempt, nearly successful, was made to rob our -toldo: one of the women, however, was awake, and heard the thief -endeavouring to get into the back of the sleeping places where some -newly-finished mantles were stored; she gave the alarm to two of the -men, and they endeavoured to catch the would-be intruder, who, hearing -the alarm raised, started off at speed, not without receiving a cut from -a knife which marked him deeply on his shoulder; and, what was worse, -being recognised as he ran off. - -Foyel invited me to drink at his expense, but I merely stayed in his -toldo long enough for the observance of etiquette; then retired to keep -Hinchel, who would not drink, company by his fireside. Whilst chatting -together he related how, many years ago, this place had been the scene -of a great battle between the Tehuelches and Manzaneros, in which he, -though only a boy, was struck down by a bola perdida and wounded with -a lance whilst on the ground; the battle resulting in a victory to the -Tehuelches. - -The day following the drink, meat being scarce, I dined in Foyel's toldo -off a little cornmeal and a dessert of apples and pinones, of which -the honours were done by his daughter, a pretty girl of eighteen, -with long black silky hair, which it was the special duty of her -handmaid--a captive Tehuelche girl--to dress daily. This young lady -never condescended to any menial labour, though she occasionally busied -her delicate fingers with the needle; her dowry of about eighty mares -and the influence of her father made her of course a most desirable -match; but she, up to the time of my departure, had exercised the -privilege of an heiress and refused all offers. This evening she was -in great trouble, having lost a new mantle and some other valuables, -stolen no doubt by the Tehuelches. I promised to set inquiries on foot -through Casimiro, which resulted in the stolen property being given up, -and the thief proved to be the same individual who had endeavoured to -rob our toldo. - -Shortly after this two messengers were despatched to Cheoeque, who -returned on March 25 with intelligence that the said chief would be -ready to receive us on April 2, and 'that we were to bring our arms,' -which latter message was rather ambiguous. I had been given the option -of taking our chief's message to Cheoeque, but owing to one of my horses -being lame, and for other reasons, preferred going with the mass later -on. Mena, the Chilian, was therefore honoured with the despatches in my -place, as he alone was competent to read the Spanish letters written -by myself as secretary, and he returned with glowing accounts of -the civility shown him at Las Manzanas, and the generally civilised -appearance of those Indians. We passed several very hungry and -disagreeable days in Geylum previous to starting; there was little game -in the surrounding country, and the weather was cold and wet, with -occasional snow. For two whole days Casimiro, Mena, and myself, who -were usually messmates, had nothing to eat but an armadillo and a few -fish which I caught in a pool of the stream. Near the Column Rock, -whilst hunting, we discovered a 'cache,' belonging to Foyel's Indians, -which contained something wrapped and lashed up in hides: although the -temptation was great to overhaul its contents, the package was left -unopened, and a quiet warning conveyed to Foyel that others were not -likely to be so scrupulous. This confirmed what Casimiro had said as to -these Indians providently leaving bags of fat and provisions in various -places to which they expected to return at no very distant period. - -On the day fixed in the council, held subsequent to the return of -the chasquis, we all started, fully equipped, on our journey to Las -Manzanas, mustering 250 men of the united Indians, without toldos or -baggage, and in light marching order with a few spare horses. A few -horses were loaded with coverings for toldos, mantles, &c., which the -women hoped to sell to advantage to the Araucanians, and a few of the -women accompanied the expedition to conduct their barter, while a guard -of perhaps forty men remained behind to provide food for the women and -children who were to await our return. - -We crossed the gradually sloping irregular plains covered with stunted -bushes, but scarcely deserving the name of high pampas, which bordered -the northern side of the valley of Geylum, and after passing between two -parallel walls of rocks, forming a sort of natural street, we emerged -into a succession of grassy plains, separated by barren rocky hills -covered with scrub, on attaining the summits of which the wooded -Cordillera on the western side rose into view some few leagues distant. -About 11 A.M., after we had been some four hours on our march, we met -two men, bringing with them a pack horse with a couple of skins of -grog for Foyel's people. They were soon surrounded by Tehuelches, -who proposed to drink there and then, and were much inclined to help -themselves; but a messenger from Foyel's people in the rear arriving, -they were permitted to pass unmolested on their way to Geylum, and we -proceeded on our journey and formed a circle to hunt. The country became -more impracticable for riding as we left the lower plains and mounted -some hills broken by deep gorges and bristling in every part with rocks -sparkling with unusually large plates of mica, which glistened like -glass in the sunshine; these hills were terminated by steep cliffs, over -which the ostriches were driven, a party having previously descended to -look out for them below. It was a curious sight to see the ostriches -dropping down heights varying from 10 to 50 feet, often two or three -together, with outspread wings. They appeared generally to be stunned -for a minute or two on reaching the bottom, and by the time they were on -their legs found themselves hampered by a ball from the unerring hand -of some stalwart Tehuelche, and running a yard or two fell with broken -legs. - -Descending from these cliffs we mounted a range of hills more than 2,000 -feet high, by means of a tolerably practicable track for travelling, and -on arriving at the summit halted for the remainder of the cavalcade. -From this point a most magnificent view presented itself; right below -us, looking quite close, but really some thirty miles distant, lay a -dark line as of a deep cutting, marking the valley of the Rio Limay, -which on the west side was terminated by high wooded mountains with -steep precipitous sides. Away to the N.W. was a very high snow-clad -mountain, on which the rays of the setting sun were shedding a -rose-coloured light. Between this and the line of the river rose -wooded ranges of hills, the real apple groves we had heard so much -about; below these again was a low peaked eminence, at the foot of -which, invisible to our eyes, lay our destination, viz., the toldos of -Cheoeque. For weeks Las Manzanas and Cheoeque had been almost the sole -topic of conversation, and the general excitement, which had been -intense at starting, now culminated at the sight of our distant bourne. -As we halted the Indians all raised their hands to their foreheads, -saluting the distant river, and inviting the Spirit of the locality to -be propitious to our undertaking, as to the issue of which there was -great uncertainty. The night before Casimiro had pointed out the redness -of the setting sun, and declared it to be an omen of war; but without -paying attention to the omen, which indeed was not perceptible to my -eyes, the unprecedented visit of 250 Tehuelches ostensibly for peace -might very possibly be otherwise understood by Cheoeque: indeed, it -afterwards appeared that he, in reality, was by no means assured of our -pacific intentions. - -When all were collected and prepared to descend the mountain, it -transpired that Casimiro, who had been missing since the hunt commenced, -had, in company with several other Tehuelches and Foyel's Indians, -returned to drink. This was very annoying, and all present united in -abusing him for setting such an example when about to enter a part -of the country whither we were going on sufferance, amongst a not -remarkably friendly-disposed set of people. We halted after nightfall in -a valley at the side of a small rapid stream, the banks of which, for a -short distance, were covered with high tussocks of broad-leaved pampa -grass, amidst the shelter of which we bivouacked, although the night was -cold and frosty. Firewood was plentiful, supplied by drift wood brought -down by winter or spring floods, so with blazing fires and under the lee -of the pampa grass we slept warmly enough. It was necessary, however, to -keep a sharp look out on the horses, as pasturage was scanty. Before -daylight, after a slight consultation, Guenalto was given chief command, -and we again started; after following a winding valley for a short -distance and scrambling up a steep slope, we continued to ascend a hill -of considerable height and attained a more open country, the western -side of which was bounded by the Cordillera. In one of the valleys -bordering the mountains we came suddenly upon the Valdivians, driving -their cattle en route to return to their own country, Cheoeque having -sent orders to the Picunches occupying the country near, the only known -passes through the Cordillera, to allow them to traverse their district -unmolested; notwithstanding this precaution, they were by no means -certain that the Picunches would not ease them of the trouble of taking -care of their animals on their arrival in the neighbourhood of the -passes. Clearing this open country we again ascended a slight rise, at -the top of which grew a single apple tree in solitary majesty, but it -had been stripped long since of its fruit. Descending this one-tree -ridge we entered a canyon, and after half an hour's ride a sudden turn -brought the valley of the Rio Limay into view immediately below. Having -passed through the canyon, we halted on a slight eminence immediately -underneath the barranca bordering the southern side of the valley of the -river. From this cliff to the river bank, varying from about a mile to -half a mile in width, extended a grassy plain cut up here and there -by streams, and wooded at intervals. About a league to the west the -barranca blended with the declivities of high precipitous mountains, -and the river appeared to force its way from the south between steep -precipices before trending into the valley. On the northern side the -valley, though dotted here and there with clumps of trees, was more -open, and the distance to the barranca greater than that on the southern -side. Immediately opposite our post was situated the tolderia of some -of Inacayal's Indians, and grazing on the surrounding pastures cattle, -sheep, and numerous horses were visible. The river appeared to be of -very considerable width, but very rapid through the whole course of this -open valley. A mile west of the opening of the canyon three small islands -were descried, which Hinchel pointed out as the pass, or ford if it -deserves the name. We accordingly proceeded in that direction, and -taking off all unnecessary gear, strapping our mantles close up, or -wearing them like plaids over our shoulders, descended through the trees -and soon plunged into the river. - -[Illustration: CROSSING THE RIVER LIMAY.] - -The first part of the ford was deep, but the water then shallowed -on nearing the shore, and the velocity of the noisy stream greatly -increased. Still we arrived easily enough at the first island, but to -pass from that to the smaller one appeared at first to rather daunt even -the Tehuelches. The current was running like a millrace, and the waters -foamed over the uneven bottom with a rush and roar that rendered all -warnings inaudible. It was evident that only strong horses could -cross at all; but one or two bolder spirits dashed in, and although -unacquainted with the pass, reached the second island some distance -down the river in safety, so the remainder shortly followed, the women -crossing behind the men; here and there were places in the ford which -necessitated swimming, and in others were huge boulders, over which the -water swirled in large waves. At last we all reached the bank in safety, -and were met by some of Inacayal's Indians. Being among the lucky first -arrivals, I came in for some apples and other food that some of these -people of Inacayal's had thoughtfully brought with them from the toldos. - -When all were mustered and had resumed their clothes, we started for the -toldos, where we were received by Inacayal, and as it was needful to -await those who had remained behind drinking, we bivouacked by the bank -of the river, and shortly some cattle and mares were brought up and -slaughtered to satisfy the cravings of our hunger. After bathing in the -river, I was sitting by the fireside watching our dinner cooking, when -I received a message to say that I was required in one of the toldos. -In that indicated I found an old Indian, a brother of Quintuhual, who -spoke fluent Spanish; he invited me to sit down, and then narrated that -an Englishman named Cox had formerly descended the river from Lake -Nahuel-huapi in a boat, but in trying to descend under cover of night, -had been wrecked in the rapids at the bend, about a mile above the ford -which we had recently crossed: he then took refuge among these Indians, -by whom he was hospitably received, and subsequently returned to -Valdivia across the mountains, being unable to proceed to Patagones. The -old Indian entertained a most friendly feeling for Mr. Cox, whom he had -known well, as he had remained several days in his toldo. - -After talking some time about this, food was served, and he then -proceeded to ask my opinion as to the treatment the Indians experienced -from what he called the Spaniards, stating that the Chilians were -encroaching on one side and the Argentines on the other, by which means -the Indians must eventually be driven off the face of the earth, or else -fight for their existence. - -After some more conversation I returned to our fireside accompanied by a -half-bred nephew of Inacayal, who had left Patagones some eight months -previously, having been 'wanted' by the Juez de Paz on account of his -having deserted from the army, and having further, in a quarrel, either -killed or wounded a Frenchman. He was anxious to induce me to use my -influence with Casimiro to allow him to join us, which I did not do for -the best of reasons, viz., that he appeared to be a great scoundrel, but -I volunteered to take a message to some of his friends in Patagones. - -About midnight, bugle calls on the opposite side of the river indicated -the approach of the rest of the party, who arrived next day, but -Casimiro was in the bad temper customary with him after a debauch, and -steadily refused to proceed and take advantage of the fine weather; so -another day was spent in loitering about by the side of the river and -eating a great deal of beef. - -My first cousins, who were also nephews of the old man who had formerly -been acquainted with Mr. Cox, started in company with him to procure -some apples and pinones, promising me plenty when they returned. -Meanwhile I made acquaintance with a Pampa Indian named Gravino, who -must have originally been a Christian captive; he himself stated that -his mother formerly resided near the settlements, and described her as -a Pampa Indian; on her death he, being about fifteen years of age, left -the settlements to join the Indians of her tribe, and had got but three -days on his journey when he met the united party of Tehuelches, Pampas, -and Araucanos, or, as he called them, Chilenos, under the cacique -Lenketrou, proceeding to make a raid on the settlements; he had nothing -for it but to turn back, and much against his will proceed to rob people -under whose protection he had formerly been. In the foray he, with -another youth of about his own age, succeeded in driving off a troop -of mixed horses and mares, but being dreadfully tired he laid down to -sleep in a retired place, having secured his riding horse by means of a -lazo attached to his own ancle. At night he was awoke by a stampede of -all the horses; and his own taking fright at the same time dragged him -some yards, until disentangled by his companion, who cut the lazo: they -then tried to secure their animals, but found that the Araucanians had -taken off all the best, so he did not make much by the invasion. He had -since been employed as a 'manso' or tame Indian in the service of the -Argentine Government, but disliking the work had returned to the Pampas -and married a relation of Inacayal's. He was a fine-looking young -fellow, neatly dressed in ponchos made, as he informed me, by his wife. - -On the following day, amidst a storm of wind and rain, we started for -Las Manzanas. After ascending the northern barrancas of the river -valley, we traversed a level plain where a hunting circle was made for -form sake, as the ostriches were very scarce, and I only saw one killed; -and passing below, or rather to the N.E. of the hill before mentioned, -descended into a valley watered by a small stream; this we followed for -some distance, until we arrived at a point where another valley opened -into it, the two united forming one of considerable width. Here, under -the shelter of some trees, we halted and lit fires to warm ourselves, -for the drenching rain had by this time thoroughly forced its way -through our mantles. Whilst conversing and making as merry as possible -under the circumstances, a messenger dashed up, splashed with blood, and -with the effects of drink or furious excitement visible in his face. -All crowded round to hear the news, and he shortly informed us that -the party who had started to obtain apples on the previous day had -met another party of Indians with liquor. A drinking bout ensued, and -a quarrel occurred in which a man was killed; but the rest went on -drinking, leaving the body outside, where the dogs made a meal of -it. This so exasperated one of his comrades that he galloped off to -Cheoeque, to whose tribe the party belonged, and the chief at once sent -twenty-five horsemen to surround my cousins and demand payment for the -death. This they refused to give, so a fight took place, in which four -out of the five brothers and another were left for dead, with lance -thrusts all over them, the youngest escaping on his own or somebody -else's horse, after dropping four of the enemy who tried to intercept -him, with a revolver brought by me from Santa Cruz. This was bad news -for us, as we were bound to protect these people, who belonged to our -united Indians. A consultation took place, in the middle of which -Inacayal dashed up with a party all well armed with lances, in addition -to their other arms. Foyel's people came next, eager for the fray; the -Tehuelches, however, having an eye to business, in the way of bartering -the mantles they had brought with them for trade, overruled the warlike -ideas of these people, saying 'it was better to wait a little.' -Meanwhile guns were loaded and arms got ready, and a party were being -told off to proceed to the scene of the _melee_ and pick up the wounded, -when a messenger arrived from Cheoeque with proposals of a peace. I -and the rest of the relations of those who had been killed, as we then -supposed, were placed under a guard of Tehuelches for a short time until -the party started to find the wounded men. We then all proceeded a short -distance down the valley, and bivouacked in the pampa grass about a mile -and a half from, but out of sight of, the toldos of Cheoeque. Messengers -passed two or three times between the latter's residence and our -bivouac, and ultimately a very old woman came over and made a long -oration on the benefits of peace. This was all very well, but as both -parties were evidently suspicious of each other, a watch was kept in the -event of a surprise; and as we thought it probable that the negotiations -would fall through, we spent the night shivering round the fires and -making bolas perdidas. I assured Quintuhual and Casimiro that there -would be no fight, at which the latter grew very irate, saying he knew -better, that the whole business was a trap to obtain the gear and -firearms of our party, also stating that I did not understand these -Indians, in which I differed from him. Later in the evening news came, -that although fearfully cut about, none of 'my cousins' were dead; the -opposite party, however, had fared worse, losing three killed outright. -For six men to fight against twenty-five seems long odds, but I believe -that Quintuhual's and Foyel's people are the bravest Indians to be met -with in the southern part of America, fully deserving the proud title -of 'the Warrior Indians.' - -The following morning at daylight all mounted their best horses, and -forming into column of six proceeded, with the lancers of the warriors -at our head, towards the toldos situated in a valley running at right -angles to the one we had rested in the previous night. On arriving in -sight of Cheoeque's ancestral halls, we observed the Araucanians or -Manzaneros forming into line and manoeuvring about half a mile -distant; we approached to within 300 yards, and then forming into open -line to display our whole force (my proposal of hiding a reserve behind -an eminence having been overruled), awaited the course of events. Thus -we remained about half an hour watching the Manzaneros, who presented -a fine appearance, dressed in bright-coloured ponchos and armed with -their long lances; they manoeuvred in four squadrons, each with -a leader--from whose lance fluttered a small pennon--moving with -disciplined precision, and forming line, wheeling, and keeping their -distances in a way that would not have discredited regular cavalry. - -At the end of the half hour's suspense hostages were exchanged, and -we went through the ceremony of welcome. The Tehuelches were all very -excited, and being in the middle of the troop, when we formed column and -raced down towards the Manzaneros, I at first thought that we were in -for a general scrimmage. On arriving, however, at the line, our leaders -wheeled sharp round, and we went through the usual routine, with the -unpleasant exception that both sides had their guns and revolvers loaded -with ball, and every now and then a bullet would whistle past one's -ears or close over our heads. After the usual hand-shaking between -the chiefs, the great Cheoeque, an intelligent-looking man of some -thirty-five years of age, well dressed in blue cloth ponchos, a hat, -and leather boots, rode down our line, shaking hands with everybody and -making some remark. When he arrived at my number I felt rather ashamed -of my dress, a simple mantle not in a very good state of repair. He, on -his side, having asked who I was, appeared rather astonished at hearing -I was an Englishman, and having been further informed that I had written -the Spanish letters previously sent to him, which had been translated by -a Valdivian, stopped for some minutes conversing with me. After this -a parlemento took place, during which all remained mounted, and the -discussion lasted till sundown, by which time every one was very hungry. -The conclusions arrived at related chiefly to effecting a firm and -lasting peace amongst the Indians present, on which point a happy -unanimity prevailed. Another day was appointed for the discussion of -Casimiro's proposition for guarding Patagones, and the Chilian war -with the Indians farther north; also to consider Calficura's message -concerning a raid on Bahia Blanca, and the Buenos Ayrean frontier -generally. - -One of the principal persons present at the parlemento was a chief -subordinate to Cheoeque, named Mafulko; a fine-looking old man, -magnificently dressed in ponchos which, as well as his arms, were -profusely ornamented, indeed almost covered, with silver; he was -remarkable for a most stentorian voice, which when raised in discussion -became an absolute roar, as of a bull of Bashan. He afterwards noticed -me particularly and was very courteous, pressing me to come and visit -him in his own country, which lay to the northward of the Snowy -Mountain. - -In his train was a man who accosted me in pure Spanish, stating that he -had read and translated my letter, and warning me that these Indians -hated the name of Spaniard. Before I could make any inquiries he was -called away; but, when in Patagones, questions were asked as to an -unfortunate settler who was a captive and slave amongst the Araucanians, -and the description tallied exactly with that of the poor Spaniard. His -master was, doubtless, fearful of recognition and mediation on my part, -so hastened to interrupt our colloquy. - -We dispersed and bivouacked in the neighbourhood of Cheoeque's toldos, -where animals were lazoed and slain for our immediate wants; and -Manzaneros and Picunche Indians came round bartering pinones, apples, -and now and then a little flour, for knives, bolas, &c. The pinones were -some in husks and some ready husked, the white almond-like kernels, -about the size of dates, being strung on threads; and, whether roasted -like chestnuts in their husks or boiled, proved delicious. The apples -also were deliciously fresh and juicy, and I considered a score of them -fairly purchased for a pair of bolas, although my comrades declared I -had been cheated by the Picunche thieves. - -Towards evening Cheoeque sent over to say that, as it was late and -disturbances might occur, he considered it would be better not to allow -any liquor to be sold until the following day, when all arms might be -stored in a safe place, and anybody who felt disposed to get drunk might -do so with comfort. To this Casimiro agreed, further assuring me, in the -most positive manner, that _he_ would keep sober. Whilst we were sitting -by the fireside, a bird, exactly resembling our well-known nightjar, -flew over our heads, uttering its peculiar grating cry; the Indians all -looked startled, asserting that it was a sign of ill luck, and that -whenever this bird croaked in the vicinity of an assembly of people some -one was sure to fall sick or die. Their superstitious belief in the -ill-omened bird received a confirmation, for in the middle of the night, -while asleep by the fire, I was roused by Graviel, who, shaking my arm -and shouting 'Let us go, let us go!' rushed away from the fire-light -into the dark night. His father and myself followed him, and after a -long chase caught and, with difficulty, mastered him. He was raving mad, -struggling violently, and vociferating incoherent nonsense. When the fit -had passed off, his exhaustion and prostration were so great that all -thought he would die; but he recovered for the time. - -At break of day we were all on the alert; and, as the evening previously -we had been too tired and hungry to observe the scenery, I proceeded -to reconnoitre the locality generally. To my great surprise, the -head-quarters of Cheoeque consisted but of four toldos, belonging to the -chief and his brother-in-law, the men who had received us having come -from distant residences unaccompanied by their wives, and bivouacking, -like ourselves, in the open air. The scene of the encampment was a -valley running east and west, the western end being apparently shut in -by some high mountains, spurs of the Cordillera. A good stream watered -this valley, which was everywhere more or less wooded: away to the -north-west, about four miles distant, the apple-groves might be seen; -these trees had, however, already been stripped of fruit, and it was -necessary to proceed much farther to the north to procure any; but -an expedition to visit that district and to get fruit, planned by -Orkeke, Hinchel, myself, and others, proved impracticable. Beyond the -apple-groves the place was also pointed out where the araucarias grow, -from which the pinones are gathered, just below the snow-clad mountains -we had viewed from the ridge above the Rio Limay, and about thirty miles -distant. - -In our valley the pasture was rather scanty, although there appeared to -be sufficient for the three flocks of small sheep, each owned by one -of Cheoeque's wives, to get into good condition; but sheep will feed -anywhere. Immediately behind the toldos was situated a corral for -enclosing cattle, none of which, however, were visible, having, probably, -been driven off to some secluded valley near at hand, to avoid giving -our people a chance of helping themselves. Round this corral were -grouped the Indians of Cheoeque's tribe, and the Picunches with fruit, -&c. to barter; and between the corral and the river lay the bivouac -of the Tehuelches; our fireside being denoted by Casimiro's flag, the -colours of the Argentine Confederation. Up and down the valley, and even -about the neighbouring hills, were scattered our horses. Proceeding to -inspect the toldos, at which I had given but a cursory glance the night -before, I found that they were all fixed dwellings; that is to say, -not put together so as to be moved in marches, like those of the -Patagonians. They were, indeed, constructed in the same manner, but the -poles were much stouter, and the whole edifice more resembled a house. - -Cheoeque's toldo was quite sixteen feet high, and able to accommodate -forty men; while three fires of huge billets of wood burned in the front -part. It was closed in completely, except a doorway in the corner with -a skin curtain by way of door; and along the front ran a species of -verandah, composed of interwoven branches, forming a pleasant canopy, -under the shade of which we sat and smoked. Inside, the bed-places were -raised on timber; and altogether, what with the sheep, corral, &c., the -place had such an air of civilisation about it that, with a small effort -of imagination, one might have fancied oneself in a frontier estancia of -the settlements. There were other toldos hidden amongst the trees on the -northern side of the valley, but these I did not visit. - -About eight o'clock several loaded horses came in sight, bringing the -liquor which had been stowed away in the valley in which we had encamped -the night after the disturbance. As soon as the jars and skins had been -unloaded in Cheoeque's toldo, an order was passed round for all arms -to be given up, and after some little difficulty they were nearly all -collected and stowed in a safe place. The chiefs were then formally -invited to drink, and subsequently all comers were asked, the liquor -being provided in the most liberal manner by Cheoeque. This chief was -fully conscious of his high position and power; his round, jolly face, -the complexion of which, inherited from his Tehuelche mother, is darker -than that of his subjects, exhibited a lurking cunning, and his frequent -laughter was rather sardonic. He possessed a regally strong head, and -was disposed to despise Casimiro for his inebriety; in fact it was plain -that he regarded himself, and not without reason, as superior to all the -caciques, even though they were not subject to him. - -Hinchel, myself, and many of the Araucanians had remained away; and I -was proceeding to look up the horses, when I was called to the corral -by some of the Picunches. These men presented a cast of countenance -decidedly differing from, and much inferior to, that of the Araucanians, -from whom they were easily distinguished by their darker complexions; -but they were very courteous, asking how I came to be with the -Tehuelches, and what sort of a place my country was; and were pleased -when I told them it was hilly and well wooded, and, referring to -Devonshire, that apples abounded. Of course all our conversation was -carried on by means of an interpreter (a Valdivian). After a few more -questions some rum was produced, and having taken a glass I mounted and -proceeded on my original quest. Hinchel rode a part of the way with me, -as he was bound in search of a former acquaintance, whose toldo was -pitched about four leagues distant, and who was, he said, the best -worker in silver amongst the Indians. I afterwards saw specimens -of his handiwork, in the shape of silver tubes for ornamenting -stirrup-leathers, and the appearance of these and other silver ornaments -made of solid metal in peculiar patterns, evidently of their own -devising, left little doubt in my mind that these Indians or some of -the neighbouring tribes possess the knowledge of the places whence the -precious ore is to be obtained, and smelt it themselves. - -On returning after having counted and driven the troop of horses -belonging to our party down to the best pasture, I found that Cheoeque -had sent several messengers in search of me, so I at once proceeded to -his toldo, where I found him and Mariano Linares sitting on two real -chairs, the latter playing a guitar, Casimiro slightly inebriated and -vowing eternal friendship, and howling Indians, men and women, in -various stages of intoxication, all round. Cheoeque shook hands, invited -me to a seat, and provided me with a glass of grog out of his own -bottle, which it is needless to say was not watered like the remainder. -I then took advantage of a slight confusion occasioned by an Indian -wishing to embrace Cheoeque, and retired, but was intercepted, and had -to drink with various acquaintances before reaching the bivouac. As -our fireside was soon occupied by noisy, half-drunken Indians, amongst -others Hinchel's son, who, very drunk, had come to get his gun for -the purpose of killing the master of the revels, but was fortunately -overthrown and bound down by his father, who opportunely arrived, I -retired to Foyel's bivouac, where Gravino and others were keeping -guard, to be in readiness to look after their chief. He arrived soon -after midnight, much to their relief. - -The jealousy existing between Foyel and Cheoeque, which had broken out -in the disturbance so nearly fatal to my cousins, had existed ever since -the migration of this chief and Quintuhual to the south, and all the -Araucanos of their following kept themselves on this occasion as much -as possible aloof, and abstained from sharing in the jovialities, while -the Tehuelches, who were unconcerned in the matter, enjoyed themselves -freely. - -The next day Foyel and Quintuhual marched off their followers in regular -array, and proceeded homewards followed by many of the Tehuelches, -the great races which it had been settled to hold being abandoned in -consequence of the uneasy state of feeling and the consequent fears of -a quarrel: the fight in that case would have been an obstinate one, -as Cheoeque's forces would not have been much too strong for their -opponents, although outnumbering them. We had been surprised on arriving -not to find more Indians ready to receive us, as we only counted ninety -lances, but it transpired that some were concealed in the woods by -the side of the river, who did not appear; besides these seventy or a -hundred men had gone to Patagones to obtain their chief's ration of -cattle, but 200 more, friends and relations of Foyel, who were on their -march to the rendezvous at Las Manzanas, had turned back on hearing -of the attack made by Cheoeque's party on their friends, my cousins. -Whether they remained away in order to be neutral or to come to the -support of their kinsmen did not appear, but Foyel had frequently -boasted that 200 of Cheoeque's followers would espouse his quarrel. The -Picunches were the original cause of the feud. This tribe, asserted by -Antonio Guaitu, who gave them the name of Chollo, to be a branch of the -Araucanians, are under Cheoeque's dominion, though governed by local -caciques. As already mentioned, they live near the passes of the -Cordillera and plunder all travellers. They had not respected Foyel's -messenger bringing him stores from Valdivia, and at last forcibly -annexed two sheepskins of rum, on which occasion some fighting ensued. -Thereupon Foyel sent Cheoeque a defiant message to the effect that if -any more robberies by his subjects took place, he should make reprisals; -that the latter chief must have imagined that he (Foyel) had forgotten -how to ride and use his lance. All this was subsequently amicably -settled, but in the end Foyel, who was by right under the rule of -Cheoeque, preferred to throw off his allegiance and retire across the -Rio Limay. The chief reason alleged by him was that although Cheoeque -received large rations of cattle from the Buenos Ayrean Government, he -never thought fit to share them with his subordinate chiefs. How far -these stories were true I cannot say; as to the Picunches and their -subjection to Cheoeque, the Valdivians had been detained over a year -waiting for a safe conduct, which was at length obtained on the eve of -our arrival, and as far as could be afterwards ascertained, they passed -unmolested, although probably suffering loss of cattle from the weather, -as it was full late in the year to cross the passes, which during the -winter are obstructed by snow and swollen rivers. - -Antonio and Ventura Delgado assured me they would have to cross one -river seven times owing to its tortuous windings, and on every occasion -be obliged to swim their animals. This I at first fancied to be a branch -of the Rio Limay, but in answer to other inquiries the Valdivians stated -that it flowed to the westward. _Apropos_ of this route, an enterprising -German had some short time previously crossed from Valdivia to trade -with the Indians; he was allowed to pass unmolested with all his -merchandise, and drove a profitable trade, and at last started on his -return journey with a goodly stock of horses and gear, but near the -passes he was stripped of everything and left to make his way homewards -on foot if possible. It was very tantalising to be so near Valdivia and -not to be able to explore the route thither and visit the Picunches, -and indeed Casimiro and myself had planned a trip from Las Manzanas, -but it was abandoned, owing to the lateness of the season and other -circumstances, combined with my own conviction that if the Cacique got -into Valdivia he would not be able to tear himself away from civilised -pleasures for too long a period. - -After the drinking bout and the departure of Foyel's party, a day -devoted to trading intervened, political discussions being postponed in -consequence of the indisposition of Casimiro, who required twenty-four -hours to recover from the effects of Cheoeque's hospitality. Our -Tehuelches, thanks to the profuse generosity of Cheoeque, disposed -of all their wares to advantage, and became the happy possessors of -numerous horses, silver ornaments, and mandils. Had it been necessary -for them to purchase liquor, they would have returned empty-handed and -in bad tempers. The Manzaneros appeared to depend on the Tehuelches for -their supply of toldo coverings, just as the latter in their turn must -procure from them the woven mandils and ponchos. I noticed that the -horses brought up for sale by the Manzaneros more resembled those used -in the Argentine States than the breed common amongst the Tehuelches, -showing finer points and greater speed for racing on flats, but being -inferior in the staying powers requisite for hunting. - -The second parlemento or council, attended by numerous chiefs, was duly -held, in which Mariano Linares, brother of the chief of the Indians in -pay of the Government, participated. He was a connection by marriage of -Cheoeque's, and had been despatched from Patagones to induce him to keep -the peace. The speeches of the Araucanos were made in a peculiar chant, -intoned in fact, in a manner closely resembling that I have since heard -in some churches at home. Cheoeque thus intoned an harangue setting -forth how chiefs had come to him from Araucania proper, soliciting his -aid in the war with Chili. He had at first refused to receive them, but -at last had heard what they had to say, and it was probable that he -might send a small force to assist his countrymen. - -Calficura's message relating to the foray on the settlements had been -forwarded to us already. Many speeches were made, and Linares and -Casimiro pointed out that it was to the Cacique's interest not to -interfere, as he would inevitably lose the valuable supplies of horses -and cattle given him by the Buenos Ayrean Government, and that it was -more profitable to receive the annual rations than plunder and break up -the Rio Negro settlements. Finally, it was unanimously resolved that -a message should be sent to Calficura, desiring him to confine his -hostilities to Bahia Blanca, and that Cheoeque should protect the north -bank of the Rio Negro and guard Patagones on that side, while Casimiro -guaranteed the southern, which arrangement was duly adhered to on both -sides. Accordingly Calficura revenged his real or supposed injuries on -the 'Cristianos' by two destructive inroads into Bahia Blanca, carrying -off plunder and captives. But letters from the Rio Negro have informed -me that peace had been restored, and an exchange or ransom of prisoners -effected. This will be more fully dwelt upon, but it is mentioned here -in order to show that the Indians are fully aware of the advantages of -peace, though they are undoubtedly, the Araucanians especially, jealous -of the encroachments of foreigners, and the traditions of their -past history have caused them to hold the very name of Spaniard or -'Cristiano' in abhorrence. It is also difficult for the superior -caciques in all cases to restrain the petty caciquillos from small -depredations; but a fair and well-arranged system of 'rations' will -prevent them from making forays, and it is much to be regretted that -the well-intentioned and liberal plans of the Buenos Ayrean Government -for the protection of the frontiers are too often thwarted by the -unscrupulous agents who enrich themselves by appropriating the supplies -intended for the Indians. Some may consider the method of keeping the -chiefs quiet by pensions undignified; but it is certainly a more humane -and economical policy than continual wars of reprisals, which in the end -would lead to the extermination either of the Indians or the settlers, -most probably the latter, and the certain impoverishing of the country. - -After the parlemento a grand banquet was given by Cheoeque to all the -assembled caciques and their sons. Over three huge fires in his spacious -toldo, large iron pots were supported on tripods, containing beef, -mutton, and horse flesh. The guests sat down as they could, while -Cheoeque sat, as the Spaniards say, 'on horseback' on a chair in the -middle of the toldo, dressed in a magnificent cat skin mantle, and -holding a 'revengue' or hide whip in his hand, with which he ever and -anon chastised an intrusive dog, or even one of his numerous sons if -they came too near, or made too much noise. - -The small boys were evidently used to it, and showed great agility in -avoiding a blow, and equal unconcern if they received it. The chief's -three wives presided at the fires, and wooden platters loaded with large -portions of meat and a due allowance of fat were handed round for the -first course. Each guest was expected to consume all that was in the -platter, and when cleared it was carried off, washed, and refilled for -another. The second course consisted of apples and pinones, raw or -cooked according to taste, and it was strict etiquette to eat or pocket -all the fruit supplied. Water was handed round after the feed, no other -drink being produced save a private bottle, from which the chief helped -two or three of his most favoured guests. There must have been at least -thirty present at once, and there were ample room and abundant supplies. -And subsequently a succession of guests of less distinction were fed; -all the Tehuelches as well as Araucanos and Picunches being maintained -during their stay by the chief. - -I was very much struck with the obedience and respect evinced by these -people towards their Cacique. His authority extends as far north as -Mendoza, over hundreds of Indians, residing in fixed tolderias, some few -in the valley near Manzanas, but the chief part more to the northward, -near the groves of araucarias. But the power of the chief is absolute, -and his word is law to his most distant subjects. At an order from -him they leave their toldos, wives, and children, and repair mounted, -and ready for any service, to his head-quarters. His wealth is -considerable: besides the numerous flocks and herds, one of the toldos -was used simply as a treasury, where his stores of silver ornaments, -ponchos, mantles, &c., were safely stowed away. - -I was present in his toldo at the arrival of a messenger. The Indian, -who had evidently come from a long distance, did not venture to enter -until commanded to do so, when, with the utmost respect, he took his -seat at a distance from the chief, communicated his message, received -his orders, and retired; when again ready for the road he appeared to -receive final instructions, after which he mounted his horse and rode -off without more ado. - -The subordinate caciques, whose office and rank are hereditary, appeared -to be finer and more intelligent men than the rank and file. Whether -this was owing to a difference of race, or merely to their aristocratic -descent and hereditary refinement of features and bearing, I cannot say; -but their superiority was very marked; whereas among the Tehuelches no -such difference between the caciques and their clansmen is observable. -The superiority of these semi-civilised Araucanos to their southern -neighbours was evident in every way, save only bodily strength. Their -residence in a more fertile country, near the apple and araucaria -groves, gives them great advantages over the nomad Patagonians. They -cultivate wheat, small quantities of which were brought to us for sale; -besides storing the natural harvest of pinones and apples, from which, -as before stated, they brew cider of unusual strength, and also distil -'pulco,' an intoxicating liquor, from the algarroba bean. My intercourse -with both Foyel's people and those at Manzanas was not sufficiently long -to enable me to become conversant with their language and customs, which -have been described by others. The language, of which I learnt a few -words, seemed softer and more melodious, as well as possessing a more -copious vocabulary, than the guttural Tehuelche, and appeared to me -closely akin to the Pampa tongue; but Jackechan, who could speak both, -and Gravino, strongly insisted on the distinction between the two -dialects. Their personal habits were excessively neat and cleanly, the -morning bath never being omitted by men, women, and children, who all -regularly trooped down to the water just before dawn; and their dress -was much more carefully attended to than that of the Patagonians. I had -no opportunity of witnessing their religious ceremonies, but was assured -that they are worshippers of the sun, and there was no vestige of idols -of any sort possessed by them. Their ceremonials on occasions of births, -&c., were very similar to those of the Tehuelches, save that the -'doctor' appeared on such occasions more elaborately adorned with -various colours. - -When Quintuhual's niece was sick, her brother enacted the part of -'wizard,' duly painted and adorned with a head-dress of feathers. -Instead of a mandil tent, a screen of ponchos hung over posts was -erected, and all the finery of the family displayed. I was a guest at -the feast of slaughtered mares, but was not present at the previous -proceedings, as by this time the restraints of dignity as a caciquillo -forbade my wandering about as an idle spectator. - -They were invariably scrupulous not to commence a meal without first -throwing broth or a small piece of meat on the ground, at the same time -muttering a charm to propitiate the Gualichu, and they are generally -more superstitious and more fearful of witchcraft than even the other -Indians. They have some knowledge of precious stones, and seem to -attribute certain virtues to them. Thus Foyel possessed what seemed to -be a magnificent rough turquoise, which he was on the point of bestowing -on me, when his wife and brother-in-law interposed some remark, upon -which he apologised, saying that he did not like to part with it, as -it had been long in the family. They object strongly, however, to any -strangers picking up stones as specimens, or appearing to 'prospect' in -any way, which, being forewarned by Ventura Delgado, I was especially -careful to avoid. Mons. Guinnard has given a description of some of -their games, differing from those in vogue among the Tehuelches, as for -instance gambling with black and white beans. Casimiro is my authority -for stating that this people preserve the singular custom of abduction -in marriage. The intending bridegroom does not trouble himself to obtain -the consent of the bride, but having paid the fixed dowry or price to -her parents, he gallops up, and forcibly seizing the girl carries her -off before him to the bush, whence, after an enforced honeymoon of two -days, they return as man and wife to his dwelling. This, however, is -not the practice in the case of the marriage of a cacique's daughters. -Polygamy is allowable: thus the great Cheoeque possessed three wives, -the chief favourite, whose amiable good-humour deserved the honour, -occupying the central place in the toldo; but all three lived in perfect -harmony and took care of each other's children with impartial affection. - -These Araucanos are, as I have said, apt to kidnap or buy captives, -and I am inclined to suspect that there is a scarcity of women amongst -them, of which the exterminating cruelties practised towards women and -children by the frontier 'Cristianos' is a probable cause. They are -certainly more dangerous to strangers than the Southern Indians, and it -is unsafe to venture amongst them without proper safe conducts from the -cacique. - -To myself Cheoeque offered permission to travel directly north -through the interior of the country as far as the Argentine Provinces, -guaranteeing my safety; and the temptation was only resisted by -reflecting on the necessity of keeping faith with my Tehuelche friends -by proceeding to Patagones. He also gave me a cordial invitation to -return, and an assurance that I should be always welcomed as a friend. -All our business, both commercial and political, being concluded, and -the farewell banquet over, Cheoeque distributed gifts of horses, &c., -among the Tehuelches in return for the numerous presents he had received -from them. As a set-off to a set of gold studs, he presented me with -one of the peculiar lances always used by his people, about fifteen to -eighteen feet long and very light, the shaft being made of a cane, which -grows in the Cordillera forests, strongly resembling a bamboo, and of -the thickness of the butt of a stout pike rod. This present, by the way, -caused me to commit a breach of etiquette. I placed it leaning against -the toldo, and was at once requested to remove it, as it was a sign of -war, though whether it was regarded as a challenge or an omen was not -clear; but I was instructed that the lance must either be laid down on, -or planted upright in the ground. Another lance was also bestowed on -Casimiro, besides numerous horses and other valuables. We took leave of -the powerful Cheoeque, and of Linares, with whom, as it had been settled -that I should proceed as chasqui, I made an agreement to meet in -Patagones, and on the 11th started on our return to the toldos, all in -high satisfaction at the success of our visit. The natural exultation of -Casimiro was much lessened by the continual illness of his son Graviel, -on whom a careful watch had to be kept to restrain him, in the event of -his being attacked by another paroxysm of madness. - -Riding up the valley where we had slept the night previous to arriving -at Cheoeque's, we observed some cattle in the thicket on the borders -of the stream; part of the herd belonging to the chief, which had been -stowed away in various secluded parts of the neighbourhood. We crossed -the barren high pampa, and descended, about one o'clock, to the banks -of the Rio Limay, bivouacking in the same spot as on our journey to Las -Manzanas, close to Inacayal's toldos. Here we found Orkeke and a good -many other Tehuelches; also the four wounded men, two of whom were -already on the high road to recovery. - -We proceeded to Inacayal's toldo at his personal request, where we -remained until evening was drawing on, when cattle were brought up, -caught, and slain, and divided amongst the chiefs. Whilst busy shaving -a piece of hide wherewith to make some gear, I received a message from -Orkeke, whose fire was situated at perhaps a hundred paces from ours, -that he wished to see me when disengaged, and after supper I strolled -down, and found the veteran sitting loading his pipe. After a smoke, -he invited me to accompany him to inspect his newly-acquired troop of -horses, and show him which I considered to be the best. I picked out -a young white animal that had belonged to Cheoeque's own stud. 'Very -well,' he replied; 'take him; he is yours; I never made you any return -for the revolver you gave me in Teckel.' Although I did not require the -horse, it would have been insulting to refuse it, so I walked off with -my racer in tow. This little incident is mentioned to correct the notion -entertained by some that the greed of gain is a predominant feature in -the Indian character. - -The following morning we bid adieu to Inacayal and his people, and -turned our horses' heads for the pass of the river Limay, which was -if possible more swollen and rapid than on the previous occasion; but -we all crossed in safety, although Casimiro's and my horse fell once, -fortunately where the water was shallow. Everybody, however, got -thoroughly wet, and a continual downfall of rain coming on, prevented -all chance of drying our mantles. We marched back by a route lying to -the westward of that we had before followed, passing under and amongst -the high wooded mountains, on the heights of which every now and then we -could perceive a condor sitting in majestic solitude, looking down on us -like a priest from a pulpit. - -About four P.M. the rain cleared off, and we bivouacked in a grassy -valley, with incense and other bushes growing on the sides. Here, -owing to the sickness of Graviel and another of our party, we passed a -miserable time, not even being able to get dry; and in addition to our -previous discomfort, towards evening a frost set in, and when I woke up -about midnight to look round for the horses my mantle was like a board. - -I kindled a fire, as the weather was now clear, and soon all the party -were huddled round it to warm their half-frozen limbs before lying down -again. - -The next morning at daylight, thoroughly chilled and hungry, two of -us started to fetch the horses, some of the new ones having, as we -expected, found their way back to within a few miles of the Rio Limay. -However, by the time the sun had risen to sufficient height to give some -warmth, we had caught up the others of our party, and not sparing our -horses, by two o'clock had passed through the street of rocks and come -in sight of the toldos, where we shortly arrived. - -Before sunset all the Tehuelches had returned to the bosoms of their -families, and all were glad to sleep under the shelter of a toldo once -more, after having passed twelve days and nights in stormy weather -without any covering save our mantles. - -The 14th of April, the morning after our return, a complaint was made -by Foyel's people that the Tehuelche Indians left behind, thinking -it useless to proceed to the plains, some miles distant, to hunt for -the supply of the toldos whilst cattle and sheep were grazing in the -immediate vicinity, had helped themselves in the obscurity of the night. -Mena corroborated the fact; and although he had been away hunting -with the greatest assiduity, he had met with but little success, and -complained bitterly of the hungry times they had endured. - -Soon after our arrival Kai Chileno was seized with illness, and in a few -days several of the more aged and children sickened with headache and -fever, showing all the symptoms of severe influenza. Alarmed lest the -sickness should spread, on the 16th of April most of the Tehuelches -struck toldos and took the road leading to Patagones; but our toldo and -another remained behind on account of the continued illness of Graviel -and the others. Towards evening of the same day we suddenly heard shouts -and cries in the toldos of Foyel, and all except Casimiro, who sat quite -still by the fireside, rushed to seize their arms, naturally thinking -that a party had arrived to fight from Las Manzanas. After a little -suspense we observed a line of men advancing towards our toldos on foot, -shouting, firing, and brandishing their arms. Casimiro, who was having -a quiet laugh at us, then explained that they were only fighting the -sickness. The party advanced to our toldo, beating the back of it with -their lances, to scare away the Gualichu, and then retired. - -We all had a good laugh over this affair; and I was amused to hear Mena, -who was an intelligent youth, arguing that the Indians were quite right, -as sickness never attacked an armed man. - -We lived chiefly on air the last four days of our stay in Geylum, as -no hunting was done; but Foyel, after learning our wants, came to the -rescue, presenting me with a couple of sheep, which I received with -gratitude, and divided amongst the party. - -It had been intended that his party should accompany the Tehuelches -to Patagones, but as it would be necessary to leave their women and -children in Geylum with only a few boys to take care of the flocks and -herds, and they were not confident as to the pacific intentions of the -Manzaneros, he and Quintuhual considered it more advisable to remain -for the present in their camp, and afterwards, by riding in fast, -to overtake our party en route previous to their arrival in the -settlements. - -I bid an affectionate adieu to Miss Foyel, who had always shown me the -greatest kindness, and the natural grace of whose manners would have -adorned a civilised drawing-room. Her parting words were an invitation -to return if possible and pay another visit to the toldo, where I had -been made to feel myself at home. - -Her father asked me to procure him a grinding organ, as Casimiro had -informed him that he had seen music made by turning a handle. I promised -to get one if I could, and after a cordial farewell returned to our -toldo, as we intended going away at daylight on the 17th. - -Accordingly we prepared for a start; and a boy came over from the other -toldos to join us. He was a Tehuelche, whose father had been killed on -suspicion of witchcraft, and being a remote connexion of Casimiro's, had -claimed his protection, which of course was granted, and he (Casimiro) -had agreed to take him with us, informing him that he was to act as my -page, look after my horses, &c., and make himself generally useful. This -was a very fine idea, but one glance at the face and figure of this -illustrious youth was sufficient to show me that I should probably spend -my time in looking after him, and a more mischievous imp I never -saw. When told that he might catch one of my horses to travel on, he -immediately fixed on the wrong one, a horse that I had myself barely -mounted for perhaps six weeks, in order to get it into condition for the -journey into Patagones. - -This horse he caught, and came down to the toldos at full gallop over -rocks, stones, and bushes, with a grin of delight on his face. After -being warned in mild terms that he was not to ride that horse, which I -took from him and turned loose, he proceeded to catch one of Casimiro's, -which he treated in the same manner, but at length got the right one, -and then, without saying 'With your leave, or by your leave,' galloped -off, yelling at the top of his voice, to follow the road which the -Indians had taken the previous day. - -We were about to start ourselves when, at the last moment, Quintuhual -sent to say that he wished to have a council. So Casimiro and myself -remained in the pouring rain squatting on the grass listening to a -repetition of what we had heard the previous day. - -When the council was concluded a sheep was brought up and killed. The -poor beast was lashed to a post with its head looking to the sky, and -the throat being cut, salt was forced into the wound, the lip of which -was compressed _secundum artem_, in order to flavour the blood and -lungs, &c., which formed the repast. All the girls then crowded round, -each preferring a request to us to bring a little yerba, flour, sugar, -&c., from the settlements, till, our horses being ready, mine having -been additionally burdened with the dead mutton by way of provisions for -the road, we extricated ourselves from the crowd, and amidst repeated -injunctions, charges, and affectionate farewells, got away, and towards -4 P.M. started to overtake the now distant cavalcade. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -GEYLUM TO PATAGONES. - - A Sick Camp. -- Oerroe Volcanic Hill. -- Crime's Deathbed. -- - Graviel's Promotion. -- The Burning Ground. -- Hot Springs. -- - Fighting the Gualichu. -- A Real Fight. -- A Soda Lake. -- - Encampment at Telck. -- The Doctor comes to Grief. -- An - Obliging Ostrich. -- Appointed Chasqui. -- Miseries of Pampa - Life. -- A Bad Time. -- The Plains of Margensho. -- Casimiro's - Distrust. -- Doctor and Sick Child. -- Duties of a Messenger. - -- Departure of the Chasquis. -- Travelling Express. -- The - Paved Pampas. -- An Ideal Bandit. -- Letter from the Chupat - Colony. -- Trinita. -- Teneforo's Pampas. -- Champayo's - Generosity. -- A Morning Drink. -- Departure from Trinita. -- - Valchita. -- The Pig's-Road. -- Wild Horses. -- The Travesia. - -- Limit of the Patagonian Fauna and Flora. -- First View of - the Rio Negro. -- Sauce Blanco. -- The Guardia. -- San Xaviel. - -- Approach to Patagones. -- Senor Murga. -- Welsh Hospitality. - -- Among Friends at Last. - - -We were now fairly started on our journey eastward to the Rio Negro, -on my part with contending feelings of regret at quitting my recently -acquired and amiable relatives, and of joyful expectation of reaching -Patagones and finding there that which travellers, amidst all the -excitement of new countries and strange people, still so eagerly long -for--news from home! We galloped forward casting longing looks behind -at the forest-clad slopes and snowy peaks of the Cordillera, the -never-to-be-forgotten beauty of which made the dismal prospect of the -country before us still more dreary. - -My friends had been unanimous in describing the district that intervened -between Geylum and a place spoken of as Margensho, nine marches distant, -as both difficult to travel, and affording scanty pasture for the horses -and little game for the people. The rain which had been falling when -we left, had turned to sleet driven by a strong westerly gale, and my -load of mutton sadly interfered with the management of the sheltering -mantle. Fortunately, as the direction of our route was easterly, we thus -escaped having to face the storm, while the gale in our backs stimulated -both horses and riders to their utmost speed. - -At the entrance of the rock-strewn gorge which formed the eastern -gateway of the valley of Geylum, to the south of which towered the -isolated column of rock, we were suddenly startled by the apparition -of mounted Indians galloping towards us from the direction which our -advanced party had taken. Conjectures as to possible calamity in the -shape of a fight or accident were speedily dispelled, as they proved to -be Tehuelches riding back in search of lost horses, which they averred -had been stolen and craftily concealed by the Araucanians. So we -continued our march through a succession of narrow rocky gorges winding -amongst the hills, till, as the twilight was growing dark, we arrived, -wet and weary, and feeling symptoms of illness, at the encampment -situated in one of the usual grassy valleys. The toldo when reached -proved to be in utter disorder, two of the women and a child having been -attacked with the epidemic; so we set to work ourselves to light a fire, -secure the skin covering of the toldo, and arrange the beds, and after a -time the interior assumed a more ship-shape aspect, although the grass -(our carpet) and everything else were wet. On every side one heard -complaints of some child having fallen sick, and throughout the night -the wailing cry of the women 'Ah gelay loo!' over their darlings -rendered sleep all but impossible. Next morning broke fine and clear, -so it was determined to march onwards in the hope that speedy change -might get rid of the epidemic, but starting was almost as difficult as -staying. - -Of our party Mena had returned to look for a missing horse; Crime was -dying, and Casimiro was attending to him; and what with sick friends and -children all were occupied or distracted, and the business of catching -the horses devolved on myself, single-handed at first. Having secured -the troop, the next task was to catch my newly-acquired steed; the sight -of a lazo was sufficient to make him gallop a league, and as he was -very swift, three hours were spent in ineffectual efforts, but at last, -two or three of my comrades coming up to my assistance, he was caught. -Giving my flibbertigibbet page charge of the remaining horses, I -started, in company with one of my friends, to join the hunting circle, -already in course of formation. - -We rode up a valley in an easterly direction, on our way passing the -invalid Crime, who, groaning with pain, lay stretched out at full length -on a sort of couch composed of blankets on the horse's back, his wife -leading the horse and wailing out loud. But as condolences were of -little use, we passed on in silence, and shortly emerged from the -valley, which sloped up by gradual ascent to a wide plain of sandy soil -and stunted bushes, bounded on the eastern horizon by a line of high -jagged hills, which stretched to the southward as far as the eye could -reach. While sitting under a bush by the fire, I was attacked with -headache and sickness, the premonitory symptoms of the epidemic; -however, I mounted and joined the hunting party, and at the end of -the circle felt much better, although unable to eat. - -The finish brought us to the entrance of a valley which wound among the -precipitous rocky hills of the range seen from the farther verge of -the plain. While watching the cavalcade of women and baggage, I looked -long in vain for my own troop of four horses, but at last descried -them trotting without a guide in the rear of the column, their natural -sagacity or perhaps thirst having induced them to follow their comrades. -The trusty page had left them to take care of themselves, and gone off -hunting on his own account, which behaviour, repeated on a subsequent -occasion, caused the loss of the stud. Towards evening we encamped in -a valley enclosed by three hills, one of which, of decidedly volcanic -aspect, was named 'Oerroe.' The side of this hill was thickly scattered -with fragments of the vesicular lava which furnishes the favourite -material for the hand bolas. As most of us had exchanged our weapons -of the chase for apples, pinones, &c., in Las Manzanas, many were soon -employed picking stones and fashioning bolas. I took very good care -that my page should be unprovided with hunting implements, but, alas! -here he fell sick, or pretended to be, and was just as useless as -before. The day after our arrival Crime's sufferings were terminated. I -received a summons to his death-bed; the Cacique, though wandering, knew -his friends, and called all to witness that his death had been caused by -a Southern Tehuelche whom he named and described, and then, raising -his arm, pointed to a vacant space and cried, 'Look at him, there he -stands.' He then asked me to 'feel his arm,' and as, to please him, I -laid my finger on his pulse it beat slower and slower, till, with a -sudden gasp, he died. According to etiquette we silently retired, and -the toldo resounded with the clamorous crying of the women and the -wailing of his widow. The usual funeral rites were hurriedly gone -through, but most were too absorbed in their own troubles to participate -in them. During the night three children died, and more were at death's -door; and, the supply of horseflesh from the funeral victims being -abundant, all thoughts of marching were abandoned, and the camp -resounded with the lamentations of the women. In our toldo all the -inmates were sick, and the duty of looking after the horses devolved -on myself and Casimiro, who was recovering from his attack. - -We were joined in this place by Hinchel's son with his Araucanian wife, -with whom another man came to look for a girl who had run away from -Foyel's toldo, but his quest proved fruitless, as she remained -invisible, stowed away in some of the toldos. This man brought further -news that Cheoeque's people, renewing the old feud, were arming to fight -now that we had gone; also that a man had been killed in a drunken brawl -since our departure, and that a rumour was current that the Valdivians -had had their cattle taken from them, and various other stories, most of -which were declared to be lies by Orkeke, who, having lost a horse, had -returned to look for it in Geylum; the budget of alarming news thus -proving to be a fresh illustration of the Indians' proneness to invent -if they have nothing of real importance wherewith to astonish their -hearers. Crime's widow took up her abode in our toldo; and as, by this -chief's death, the post of Capitanejo, with the rank of Lieutenant in -the Buenos Ayrean army, and the right of drawing rations, was vacant, -Casimiro consulted me as to his successor. But successive proposals of -those who seemed most fit, beginning with Waki, were objected to by the -Cacique, who at last declared that he should name his almost insane son -Graviel as the chief to be placed by the Argentine Government upon the -list of the Caciques to be conciliated by annual pay! On April 22 a -start was made, but we remained to the last, as four of Casimiro's -horses which I had brought down to the valley the previous evening were -missing, so the chieftain returned to look for them, and the rest of the -toldo pursued their journey. - -After taking a farewell look at the Cordillera, which was presently shut -out from view by the hills, the counterslope of which we descended, a -hurried march led us through a very barren rocky country entangled in -broken irregular hills, with scarcely a bush to shelter under, and -little or no pasture. We encamped, or rather reached the camp after it -was pitched, in a canyon containing a small spring and a very little -green pasture, and went to bed supperless, as, not being in time for the -hunt, and game being very scarce, what we could beg from our neighbours -was naturally given to those recovering from sickness. - -Jackechan's wife and child were still very unwell, and, as the child was -supposed to be dying, the doctor was sent for. He proceeded to cure it -by laying it on the ground, muttering a charm and patting it on the -head; after which he put his mouth close to its chest and shouted to -bring the devil out: he then turned it on its face and repeated the same -process. The child's health mended next day, and it was shortly out of -danger. - -About ten o'clock at night Casimiro returned with his horses, which had -strayed a considerable distance on the road back to Geylum. The next day -a long march of twenty miles brought us to an encampment on the western -verge of a broad plain, watered by a brooklet. During the hunt the -first Patagonian hares, or cavies, were caught. These little animals -live in burrows, but are generally out feeding or sleeping in the grass -during the day. They are excessively swift for perhaps a mile, but, like -the foxes of this country, soon get tired. The chase of these small deer -afforded an agreeable relief to the monotony of the journey. As soon as -we entered a plain or valley where they abounded, as they always were -found in numbers where the pasture was good, all hurried off to 'stop -the earths,' i.e. close up the burrows with bushes; but the cunning -little beasts often evaded us by slipping into a burrow overlooked -by the earth stoppers. It required considerable skill to bring them -down with the bolas, as, if only caught round the legs or body, they -disentangled themselves quickly, but a blow on the head proved at once -fatal. They are good eating, though the flesh is somewhat dry when -roasted. Their skins are made up into mantles, but are of little value, -as the hair soon comes off. - -About a mile below the encampment, where the sandy plain narrowed -and sloped down to a low-lying grassy valley, a singular phenomenon -presented itself. The morning after our arrival, when going out to look -for the horses, a furious easterly gale whirled the dust aloft in dense -clouds, and, to my great surprise, the sand, which was driven into -our faces, was as hot as when the fire so nearly encircled us. Almost -blinded in forcing our way through this curtain of driving sand, we rode -right into a hollow, where the earth appeared to be on fire; as the -horses plunged through the heated surface the hair was burnt off their -fetlocks, and they were nearly maddened with fright, so that it was a -difficult feat for the riders without saddles or stirrups to keep their -seats. Once I was somewhere near my horse's ears, but, more by good luck -than good management, just escaped being thrown as it were into the -fire. After the gale had partially moderated, I proceeded to inspect -this place, and found that, although not, as I at first thought, -absolutely on fire, the ground was smoking as if from internal -combustion. The surface presented a crust of baked yellow clay, which, -yielding to the horses' feet, disclosed a black subsoil; there was -no flame, but a thin white vapour issued from the ground. When I -incautiously ventured a step on the treacherous crust it gave way, but -I managed to extricate myself with no further damage than burning my -potro boots. The Indians stated that the fire had been originally caused -some years previously by their having kindled the pasture higher up -the valley, and that the ground had been burning ever since. It -was impossible to discover whether there was any subjacent bed of -combustible matter which might thus have been ignited; but, as there are -hot wells and springs in the same range not many miles distant to the -south-east, it seems more probably due to volcanic agency. The principal -hot spring was described as a circular basin of about six feet in -diameter, the water, of a temperature not so hot as to scald the hand, -bubbling up through numerous holes in a clay bottom. In many of the -surrounding hills there are lava and pumice of not extremely ancient -formation; some of the hills have also an appearance of having been at a -recent period the outlets of eruptive forces, which have scattered large -shattered masses of rock over the sides of the extinct craters. - -In this encampment I had a serious misunderstanding with our chief, -which all but ended in a downright quarrel; but after consideration we -agreed to make it up, as although on two occasions of danger he had left -me to my fate, I thought it better on the whole to keep friends for the -present. The evening of this quarrel, as a party of three toldos were -starting off to go to the Chupat, and Casimiro was desirous of extending -his fame to the Welsh settlement, I wrote a letter to the authorities -enquiring about some saddles, part of his Argentine rations sent thither -by mistake, which the chief declared to have been intended for him, -but which had been distributed amongst other Indians. The letter was -forwarded by one of the Indians who was supposed to be of English -parentage on one side, although he showed but little traces of English -blood in his type, with the exception perhaps of his hair, which was of -a lighter colour than that usually met with: he was a very good-natured -fellow, and I regretted his departure, as he was one of my adherents, -but being a man of very sober habits he did not wish to be mixed up in -the universal orgie which would probably take place on arriving in the -vicinity of Patagones. With this party the young widow who had made -overtures of marriage to me also departed, after an affectionate -farewell, and receiving a handkerchief as a remembrance. The following -morning we also started, and one of the universal loafers who had -gambled his property away, asking for a mount, was told to catch the -'white horse' presented by Orkeke: he accordingly borrowed a horse to -catch him, and at the end of our day's journey had not succeeded in -doing more than driving him in, to use a nautical term, in our wake; -this was exactly what I had intended, as this Indian was a great rogue, -and had cheated me at cards out of a set of metal bolas, equivalent to -a horse. - -Our march lay up the valley, and the circle was formed on the -surrounding volcanic hills, the sides of which, besides the vesicular -lava, presented large masses of the ironstone noted as having been -observed at Santa Cruz. Shrubs were sparsely scattered on these hills, -and game was exceedingly scarce. - -Towards evening we encamped on the borders of a stream in a place called -by the Indians Telck. There the sickness broke out afresh in its worst -form, and several children died, in consequence of which a quantity of -mares and horses were slaughtered, and numbers of ponchos, ornaments, -and other property burnt by the parents in their grief. It was most -distressing to see and hear the melancholy manifestations of sorrow, -and the sound alone of that dreadful crying aloud, and the dismal -'ullagoning,' to use the Irish expression, of the old women, haunted -me even in my sleep. The night of our arrival a mock combat with the -Gualichu took place, in which everybody joined. After dark, when many -were sitting by the firesides conversing, and I myself was reclining on -my bed smoking, the Doctor came into the toldo, and communicated with -the chief, who told all to get their arms ready, and loaded his gun: on -a shout being set up all fires were immediately extinguished, and all -commenced firing off guns, clashing their swords, and beating the backs -of the toldos, and yelling 'kow-w!' at each blow; firebrands being, at -the same time, thrown into the air by the women, with clamorous shouts -and cries. The scene was wild and striking, the darkness of the night -being only illuminated by the flashes of the guns or the sparks from -the brands whirled high into the air. At a given signal all stopped -simultaneously, and for two or three minutes the camp remained in -perfect darkness, after which the fires were relighted, and things -resumed their ordinary aspect. - -The following day, strange to say, a real fight took place, in which one -man was wounded, and for a few minutes a general melee or free fight -appeared imminent. Parties were already forming to cancel old blood -feuds, when further mischief was checked by the return of Hinchel, -myself, and others. We had been absent trying new horses on the -racecourse, which, as in almost all the camping-grounds since leaving -the Rio Sengel, was a regular beaten level track of about a couple of -miles in length, and my new horse had established his fame as a racer -by winning a match over a distance of a mile-and-a-half; meanwhile the -quarrel broke out--such are the uncertainties of Indian life. - -We remained some days in this place, and whilst hunting in the -surrounding country (where hares abounded), we observed a new -description of spinous shrub with small ovate leaves and yellow flowers, -resembling holly, and growing to about two feet in height. Casimiro -and myself agreed to try whether the leaves might not be medicinal, so -a quantity were bruised and boiled: the infusion proved exceedingly -bitter, reminding me of quinine, and acted as an admirable sudorific, -being administered to the invalids with great success. In one of our -excursions we had crossed the hills and descended on a high elevated -plain, concluding our hunt near a swelling eminence exactly resembling a -huge 'barrow' thickly overgrown with shrubs, from which what appeared to -be a salina was espied, to our great delight. Hinchel and myself being -alone, and having a fat ostrich to discuss for dinner, determined to -enjoy our meal by its shore, first testing the quality of the salt, a -luxury which we had long been destitute of. Dismounting, we proceeded -to investigate it; but to our great disappointment, after walking over -every part of it, and digging down with knives a foot below the surface, -the supposed salt proved to be bitter and nauseous nitrate of soda. - -After quitting the vicinity of the Cordillera the weather had every day -become warmer, and the frosts at night much lighter: indeed whilst in -Telck some warm days were experienced, although the winter season was -fast approaching. Near this encampment the small edible root previously -described as growing in the dried-up lagoons was found in abundance, and -was collected by the women and children. - -Cavies were plentiful in the hollows and valleys in the neighbouring -hills, and even close to the encampment, but the chase of other game -proved difficult, the hill sides being so strewn with stones as -to render galloping a horse a certainty of laming him. In this -neighbourhood Hinchel pointed out a detached pinnacle of rock, much -resembling that noticed at Geylum, and according to custom invoked a -blessing from the guardian spirit; and then he informed me that on the -third next march we should pass a deposit of yellow ore, lying to the -south of the route, and that during the hunt he would show it to me. -Orkeke also corroborated this statement, and I have every reason to -believe that there is in that locality a deposit of iron or more -probably copper ore. - -As the meat of the slain horses was nearly consumed, we marched the -following day across a most stony, rocky, and inhospitable country, and -at length arrived at a range of hills, through which ran a steep, narrow -gorge. Descending through its tortuous windings, we at length arrived -at a spring, the waters of which, joining with another small rivulet, -flowed out and formed a sort of marsh at the head of a large plain. From -the slope of the hill bordering the ravine a fine panorama extended to -the east, the entire face of the country appearing to be more uniformly -undulating than the confused ranges of hills, through the intricacies -of which we had been marching and hunting since leaving Geylum. In the -foreground were visible distant black figures, moving with swiftness -across the plain in pursuit of numerous ostriches; and away to the -eastward rose a column of smoke, the cause of which was eagerly -speculated on. - -I am conscious that the description of this part of the journey is not -likely to give a very clear idea of the country traversed; and that -the directions of the successive ranges, and the general character of -the ground, are left too much to the reader's imagination; but, in -deprecation of criticism and censure, it is pleaded that I was under -the impression that this district had been traversed, and accurately -surveyed and described, by a savant employed by the Argentine -Government; and that I was deprived of the assistance of my compass, -which had been presented to Foyel. The notes taken at the time were very -scanty, and my recollections were confused, inasmuch as I was labouring -under a constantly-recurring attack of sickness, which was only kept -at bay by resolute endeavours not to give way; but which rendered -observation and record, in addition to hunting and the usual toils of -marching, impossible. It was the more needful for me to endeavour to -keep up, as all were more or less ill, and becoming increasingly gloomy -and dispirited. To add to the troubles which weighed down the Indians' -spirits at this place, the doctor's horse fell while descending a -precipitous rocky hill. The unfortunate physician was stunned, and very -nearly crushed to death by the horse falling on him; great grief was -universally expressed at this catastrophe, as no one was left to cure -the invalids and contend with the malignant Gualichu, who it was natural -for the Indians to imagine had laid a trap for his opponent, and upset -the medicine man's steed in order to have the field clear for himself. - -We encamped in a sort of morass by the side of the hills overlooking the -plain, and were woke at daylight by the chattering of a flock of blue -and orange parroquets; these birds, which brought back old pleasant -associations of the banks of the Parana, and almost seemed to be -harbingers of civilised life, were numerous in this locality, though -they were the first of the species that I had observed in the country. - -The distant signal smoke was concluded to indicate the presence of -Jackechan and the Pampa Indians under Teneforo, and all were in spirits -at the prospect of obtaining news, and perhaps luxuries in the shape of -flour, yerba, &c., from Patagones. The order was accordingly given to -march, and a large answering signal fire kindled in some dry pasture -bordering the hill side, a messenger being at the same time despatched -to ascertain the news. After a rather long march over a barren plain -strewn with angular masses of chalcedony and projecting rocks resembling -alabaster, we arrived at a dreary encampment, sheltered under a bank, -from which a spring gushed out, forming a refreshing rivulet. - -The mutiny of my page had compelled me to enjoy the pleasure of driving -my own cattle, following the track in advance of the other people; -besides this, an attack of fever rendered me indisposed, and, indeed, -incapable of hunting. While languidly jogging on in the centre of the -circle which was made on both sides of the tracks, and anathematizing -one of the horses who would every now and then endeavour to join the -hunt on his own account, I observed an ostrich coming straight towards -me: the sight was reviving, and leaving the horses to themselves, I -galloped to the cover of a friendly bush, and when he was within a short -distance dashed out, and discharging the bolas, had the satisfaction of -seeing him turn a somersault and lie with outstretched wings stunned. An -Indian riding up at the time claimed the customary division, and took -charge of the bird, on which we regaled our friends at the close of the -hunt. Many of the hunters came in empty-handed, or with only a skunk, -of which there were numbers in this vicinity, hanging to their saddles. -By this time the armadillos had taken up their winter quarters under -ground, and only came out of their burrows on a remarkably sunny day. - -At night we encamped under a barranca or steep rising to the eastward. -On his arrival Hinchel informed me that we had passed the vein of ore -previously spoken of, and the hot springs, the Indians having shortened -the journey by deviating from the usual line of march. - -The chasqui returned late at night with intelligence that the smoke had -been caused by a party of Pampas Indians travelling to join Quintuhual, -or, at any rate, in that direction, but whatever provisions or tobacco -they had they kept to themselves, and had purposely avoided us. -Jackechan and Teneforo had started for Valchita _en route_ for -Patagones, after waiting for our coming more than a month in Margensho, -the place appointed as a rendezvous. Whilst there they had received -liquor and other luxuries from Patagones, but no disturbances had -ensued, the only casualty being that a woman had been severely burned by -falling into a fire whilst in a state of intoxication. All was reported -to be peaceable at Patagones, and a rumour was current that Commandante -Murga was about to give up his governorship. Casimiro, on receiving all -this intelligence, immediately wished a despatch to be indited, although -I pointed out to him that it would be better to wait until we had -arrived at a nearer point; he was so urgent that on the following -morning I composed an elaborate letter, detailing the union of the -tribes, the precautions taken for protecting Patagones, and requesting -a hundred mares for Casimiro and his people: when finished it was -carefully wrapped up and stowed away in my baggage till wanted. - -The talk then naturally turned on the subject of the choice of -messengers to be despatched to Patagones on our arrival at Margensho. -It had been previously arranged that I should be sent fully commissioned, -as being better able to represent to the authorities what had been -resolved on, as well as to impress upon them the immediate requirements -of the Indians, and several others now volunteered to accompany me, and -got quite merry at the thoughts of a drink. But we were still three -marches distant from Margensho. The following day we were again _en -route_, traversing a succession of plains with rocky ridges cropping up -at intervals, until we at length reached a grassy valley enclosed by -steep walls of rocks sixty feet high; gravely perched on the summits -of which several slate-coloured Chilian eagles were visible, their -occupation being to prevent the excessive multiplication of little -cavies. On the hill sides bordering this valley, our old friend the -incense bush, which had for many marches back been very scarce, grew in -luxuriant profusion. At this season it was covered with berries which, -though uneatable, are used by the Indians mixed up with water as a -drink; this infusion has a very sweet taste, but I should think must -be very unwholesome. On arriving at the encampment, at the head of the -valley, near some pools of standing water, we were apprised, by the -lugubrious sounds of the women's monotonous chants, that the number of -the children had been further diminished by several deaths. One of this -day's victims to the epidemic being Algo, Tankelow's youngest daughter, -the father was in great distress and anger, as he attributed the death -not to the distemper, but to witchcraft. - -The warm and tolerably fine weather experienced since our departure from -Telck had been succeeded by a heavy, murky, still atmosphere, and the -clouded sky promised a downfall of rain, which speedily came. The next -day more children and the old deaf and dumb woman died; over her little -moan was made, but the lamentations over the children were terrible to -hear, and on all sides mares were slaughtered. The abundance of meat, -and the general confusion, combined with the rain to defeat Casimiro's -anxious desire to proceed. The accumulation of miseries had rendered all -the Indians gloomy and ill-humoured; and since our departure from Geylum -we had had ample experience of the wretched side of Pampa life. - -This district is always dreaded by the Indians, who assert that -they invariably are attacked by a similar sickness when in it, -notwithstanding that some considered it to have been occasioned by -poison or deleterious drugs administered by our late neighbours. The -marches had therefore been forced and prolonged, and the increased -fatigue had doubtless aided the distemper in its fatal effects. Nearly -half the children and several of the elder people died during our -progress to Margensho, and the utter misery and discomfort cannot be -described. The rain had continually drenched us; the women, distracted -with their endeavours to soothe the sick children and their grief over -the dead, could not attend to their domestic duties; our mantles were -unmended, and proved but a poor shelter from the rain, no small misery -in this climate, and the arrangements of the toldos were utterly -devoid of their customary care and comfort. The usual good temper and -cheerfulness of all had fled, and grief, sickness, and angry suspicion -cast a gloom over every countenance. One misery, starvation, had -certainly been avoided by the abundance of horse-flesh, but it can -easily be imagined that we could have borne hunger better. We had -endured cold, and hunger, and fatigue, as well as danger, before, but -nothing has left so indelible an impression of a thoroughly bad time -as that march from Geylum to Margensho. - -At last Casimiro issued orders to march, and with two or three more of -us started in advance. While waiting under the shelter of a mass of -rocks for the remainder to overtake us, I fell asleep, and on waking up -found the rain pouring down in torrents, and the chief just directing -Mena to return and see what the women were about. Our page arrived a -little later to say that the Indians had refused to march, the occupants -of our toldo alone being on their way to join us: these soon appeared, -so we proceeded in the storm, having agreed that to return, after having -once started, would be an ignominious proceeding. - -We followed for some distance the valley, or rather the plain, into -which it had opened out, and then ascended some abrupt rocky heights at -its eastern extremity; crossing these hills, in the valleys or ravines -of which incense bushes grew almost like a forest, we halted for a time -by the side of a rivulet flowing from a spring on the hill side. - -After kindling a fire to warm our bodies, wet as we were and chilled by -the wind, which, originally west, now blew from the south with cutting -violence, the sight of numerous guanaco on the heights above determined -us to encircle a herd; we accordingly mounted the heights, and having -completely failed in our attempt, descended to the other side. A large -lagoon lay at our feet, and away to the east a succession of plains -extended to the encampment called Margensho. - -These plains were bounded for a short distance on the north side by -a range of hills, which came to an abrupt termination at the end of -the lagoon, on the south side by another range gradually sloping to -the eastward, and on the western side by the rocky heights we were -descending. The view would have been enjoyable on a fine day, but in -such a Patagonian tempest of rain and wind, landscapes were by no means -appreciated. Near the lagoon was another herd of guanaco, some three -thousand strong, who tempted us to a vain endeavour to encircle them, -but they descried us before we could approach within a mile, and were -soon lost to sight on the plains leading towards Margensho. Whilst -riding down the edge of the hills Casimiro pointed out some thyme, a -little of which we gathered to flavour our soup with in the evening. -We then descended and sheltered under the overhanging bank of a dry -watercourse leading to the lagoon. The women and remainder of the -cavalcade shortly arrived, and loading my page with firewood, to his -intense disgust and the extreme delight of every one else, we proceeded -a little farther to the south, where the pasture was good, and -established ourselves for the night. - -The following morning early we all started to hunt, and were more -successful than on the previous day, though the wind was blowing a -fearful gale from the S.W., with occasional storms of sleet. Towards the -afternoon, by which time, having finished our hunting, we were snug -enough under the toldo, it rained hard, and with the rain the Indians -commenced to arrive, till before dusk a town of toldos occupied the -borders of the hills. - -Casimiro this evening sent for volunteers to go in with me as messengers -or chasquis to Patagones, on our arrival at Margensho, now but one march -distant. But of those previously so desirous to go on, not one appeared, -nor would any one Indian consent to lend his horses for so long a -journey. The chieftain was sadly put out, and cursed the caciquillos all -round. He then tried to dissuade me from going myself, saying that it -was a great distance, that the desert or travesia was a fearful place, -that I should probably lose my horses, that many people had starved, -at the same time wishing me to lend my horses to some other Indian. He -narrated how he himself had occupied twelve days in crossing it, and had -been obliged to abandon a horse and the saddle and gear of his remaining -steed, and with difficulty, nearly starved, on foot, and driving his -almost worn out horse before him, had made his way to a station. - -At the same time a young Indian started to cross the desert, but lost -his way, and, quoth the Cacique impressively, 'His bones are there now.' - -One statement, that the chanals or white thorns grew higher than the -horses' heads and tore the unlucky riders' mantles to pieces as they -forced their way through them, my own after experience fully verified. -I, however, adhered firmly to my original intention of going, as agreed -to by him, and conveying, with my own hand, the letter I had written: -and it was finally settled that Mena, Nacho, and I should, on arriving -at Margensho, start on our journey as chasquis. Casimiro's real motive -for dissuading me was distrust, as we had on two or three occasions -disagreed, and once nearly come to blows; he was therefore afraid that -I should, on arriving at Patagones, work against his interests and -give him a bad character. Mena, who had taken a great fancy to me, -volunteered for the purpose of keeping an eye on Nacho, who was my -'bete noire' and not to be trusted. - -These arrangements having been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, -we proceeded to the toldo of a friend and assisted at the ceremony -performed by the doctor of curing a sick child, more especially -concerning the part of painting with red ochre, killing, and eating -a white mare. - -On this occasion the parents formally invited the principal chiefs and -their relations and friends, and the ceremony commenced as follows:--All -the men were either sitting or standing in a circle, in the centre of -which sat the mother holding her infant in her arms. The doctor then -came in, and under his direction the mother plastered the infant -from head to foot with white clay, the wizard meanwhile muttering -incantations; when this was completed the doctor disappeared for a -minute or two, returning with an ornamented hide bag in his hand; this -he opened, and produced from the bottom some charms carefully enveloped -in rags, which he, after performing some mystic hocus-pocus, returned to -the bag. He next took the baby from the mother, and patting it gently on -the head, and muttering in a low tone, dipped its head into the bag two -or three times, and then returned it to its mother. A white mare was -brought up and, after being daubed all over with hand-marks of red -ochre, was knocked on the head, cooked, and eaten on the spot, the -heart, liver, and lungs being hung on a lance, to the top of which was -suspended the bag containing the charms. Care was taken, as in other -ceremonies, that no dogs approached to eat the offal, which was buried, -the head and backbone being removed to a neighbouring hill. - -On the 9th of May we started, arriving the same evening at Margensho, -which was, as the Indians had previously described it to me, a large -grassy plain lying below a step or barranca, and watered by a brook -running N.E. and S.W. During the hunt over the previously described -plains there was nothing remarkable except the extreme scarcity of game, -skunks alone being numerous; fortunately I killed a male guanaco, and as -I had the previous day corrected my page he brought up the horses most -carefully, so that all was in readiness for an early start. Before -sundown the chiefs were collected, and the contents of the letter read -to them; they all appeared pleased, and after adding a postscript -setting forth the names and number of the chiefs who required rations I -closed the correspondence. - -Hinchel came and provided me with tobacco, asking as a favour that if -any of his friends in the settlement should enquire if he got drunk when -occasion offered in the Pampas, I would bear witness to his sobriety; he -also entreated that I would either return to the Indians or remain in -Patagones until he arrived, which latter I promised to do. - -At the risk of repetition it must be said this man was the best -Tehuelche, excepting perhaps Waki, I ever had anything to do with; he -was frank, honest, generous, sober, and in every way fit for a chief; a -ready and skilled workman in all Indian trades from breaking a colt to -constructing a saddle or silver necklace; his only vice being gambling, -but for which last habit he would have been the richest and most -powerful chief, as he was universally respected. - -Orkeke also sent for me, and put into my hand a packet of tobacco for -the journey, which he assured me would be long, tedious, and dangerous. -I promised to ask particularly for his ration, and if the Government -would not grant it, to make him a present myself. He wished me to -return, but I pointed out to him that for various reasons it would be -better not, so we parted, agreeing to meet in Patagones. - -It may be as well to mention that if the post of chasqui or herald, as -he may be styled, be an honourable one, for which as a rule only the -near relatives of chiefs are employed, the duties are sufficiently hard. -The chasqui is expected to ride like 'young Lochinvar,' as fast and as -far each day as the horse will carry him; he must not turn aside or halt -even for the purpose of hunting, and unless an ostrich or other game -cross his path may have to go without supper after his day's fifty or -sixty miles' journey, while his bed and bedding are the ground and -mantle. Of course endurance, sobriety, and reliable steadiness of -purpose are essential qualifications, especially if the distance to -be travelled over be great. And Nacho had always approved himself an -excellent chasqui, and was an unerring guide even across the trackless -travesia. - -When the chasqui falls in with other Indians on the march, or an -encampment, he is ceremoniously received and honourably entertained, and -it is usually expected that in case of need he will be supplied with -fresh horses to prosecute his mission. - -The following morning at daylight another consultation took place, and -the letter had to be again produced, and another postscriptum added. I -then took down in my note-book the immediate requirements of Casimiro -and other friends, which, according to agreement, were to be sent back -by Mena and Nacho, myself remaining in the settlement until the arrival -of Casimiro, when we were to proceed together to Buenos Ayres either by -land _via_ Bahia Blanca, or by steamer. - -At about eight o'clock, when the rime of the frost was just cleared off -the grass, we, after bidding adieu to all friends, caught our horses -and started. I took with me only my suit of clothes in a bag, and the -letters. Each of the party was provided with a piece of meat from the -guanaco I had slain the previous day by way of provision, and with two -horses apiece we were at length _en route_, the old women chanting -melodiously to keep the devil out of our way. My page affected great -distress at my departure, but as he had my remaining horses to take -charge of, and a legacy of a mantle I had no particular use for, having -worn it almost without interruption since leaving Santa Cruz, he was, in -all probability, delighted to see, as he thought, the last of me as we -disappeared over the ridge. - -We travelled slowly for the first half hour, and had just released our -spare horses from the lazos, which hitherto had restrained them from -rejoining their fellows, when we heard a shout behind us, and an Indian -appeared driving a troop of horses. He was from the encampment, and -being a Pampa was _en route_ to join his tribe, whom he expected to meet -somewhere about Valchita, five days' journey on, and from whom we were -to get fresh horses wherewith to cross the travesia to the settlements. -This addition to our party was unexpected, but we considered the more -the merrier, and three at any rate is an awkward number to travel -sociably together. Putting our horses to a hand canter, we now regularly -started, leaving care behind, and looking forward to bread, coffee, and -other long untasted good things. We passed the time in talking over what -we would get, how we should be received, and in smoking and singing. Our -route lay along the barranca, which changed as we proceeded in a N.E. -direction, to higher rugged hills interspersed with sandy valleys -covered with scrub and incense bushes. - -By nightfall we had arrived at a pointed hill, under the brow of which -we encamped. We had seen plenty of ostrich and guanaco, but had not -delayed to hunt, only pausing to pick up an armadillo that happened to -be basking in our road. - -On dismounting we secured all the horses with lazos or maneos, as they -might probably be inclined to stray away. After gathering a little -firewood, kindling a fire, and discussing the armadillo and a small -piece of meat each, we wrapped ourselves in our mantles and lay down to -sleep, every now and again during the night getting up to have a look at -the horses. The morning star was shining brightly above the horizon when -we saddled up, and crossing the brow of the hill mounted to an adjoining -pampa, where the rocky nature of the ground obliged our unshod horses to -go at a foot pace. Added to this a bitter cold wind and small driving -rain were not improving to the temper, until after an hour or two of -difficult and slow travelling, the sun rose magnificently and dispelled -the mists and drizzle, and restored our cheerfulness. We at length -descended into a ravine leading to a series of small valleys, containing -here and there ponds covered with teal and other water birds. We -travelled at a gallop through the same description of country till -5 P.M., when, after passing a high barren plateau, similar to that -encountered at starting, we suddenly came to an abrupt declivity, at -the bottom of which, in a plain extending for about five miles, lay a -large salina. - -We descended where it was feasible, and after stopping to get a little -salt, proceeded to encamp near a small spring of fresh water. About a -mile to the eastward large herds of guanaco and several ostrich were -visible in the plain, and near our halting place we found the tracks of -a puma, for which we searched diligently, but without success. - -After securing our horses, as on the previous night, we dined, minus -armadillo, off a piece of scraggy meat, and turned in. The salt from -the salina was of excellent quality; it was necessary to remove a little -of the upper surface, which had slightly deteriorated by exposure to the -atmosphere, and then we cut out cakes of salt like pieces of ice, which -served for plates. It is a strange fact that both into this and other -salinas small rivulets of fresh water flowed, fed by springs in the -neighbouring hills. - -The next morning (if it could be so called) at the same hour we were in -the saddle, and traversing the plain crossed some ridges of moderate -height, and continued passing through a tract of country thickly wooded -with incense and other bushes. About 2 P.M. we arrived at a rivulet of -water, near which were marks of a recent encampment; after examining -these we came to the conclusion that a week had perhaps elapsed since -the occupants had left. We travelled forward at our utmost speed over -ground of much the same description, diversified now and again by ranges -of low hills, putting up occasionally a partridge, of which birds we -observed two different species, one crested, and nearly as large as a -hen pheasant, and the other smaller than an English bird, and which took -only short flights and then cowered--and were fortunate enough to kill -a couple. The sun went down behind some hills, and still we found no -suitable place to halt in; at last, however, we came to some ponds of -water, where we all, being pretty well tired, dismounted, and tethering -two of the horses allowed the remainder to go loose. We found the water -brackish, though drinkable, but the animals would scarcely touch it, and -wandered about, necessitating a watch on them all night; this was rather -weary work, especially as a sharp frost came on, and with all our care, -at starting time two horses were missing. After a search of an hour they -were found, having wandered in search of better water, and, wiser than -ourselves, found out a spring about two miles to the east. - -The sun was up before we got away, after warming and eating the last of -our food, which we had cooked overnight: it was dry and dusty, and all -the washing in the world could not have got the grit out of it; however, -we laughed over it, saying we would soon have a bottle of wine to wash -away the dirt from our throats. One thing we congratulated ourselves -on was being well provided with tobacco, and although we boasted no -pipe, mine having been lost at a previous encampment, Casimiro's -correspondence with Foyel and Cheoeque, which I had carefully kept, -provided us with cigarette papers. We rode on accordingly, rejoicing, -and passing out of this wooded country traversed a succession of high -pampas, set with small blocks of granite exactly resembling paving -stones, and placed as thickly and regularly as if paviors had been at -work. The appearance of a London street undergoing repair brought this -singular formation vividly to my mind. These pampas terminated in -waterworn cliffs thickly strewn with stones, and as our horses scrambled -like cats up the slopes, their hoofs sent the stones clattering down, -and they found it hard to keep their footing. At the foot of the cliffs -were watered valleys, and whilst descending into one of these valleys -I noticed for the first time the algarroba thorn, which was in fruit. -There were two sorts, one with black fruit, which Nacho warned me not to -touch, as it was poisonous, the other bearing yellow pods, which though -somewhat dry, as the season was so advanced, we plucked and ate as we -rode along, the taste proving something between tamarinds and peach. - -Near a lagoon in one of these valleys we halted for a few minutes, and -on pursuing our journey espied a horseman with a troop of led horses -approaching from the opposite side. I had halted for a moment and saw -my companions rein up, and racing up to know the cause, observed him. -When within 200 or 300 yards, all halted; and Nacho rode forward, and -ceremonious explanations ensued, followed by formal introductions. He -was a Pampa Indian outward bound to join those mentioned as having -passed us eastward of Margensho; he gave us news that Jackechan's, -Teneforo's, and other Indians were in a place called Trinita, some four -hours' gallop only distant. When he found that I was 'Anglish,' he spoke -in high praise of my countrymen whom he had met in Rio Negro. - -This man was a perfect picture; he was splendidly mounted, and had a -troop of horses all as good as the one he bestrode. He was well dressed -in ponchos and white drawers, and wore a silk handkerchief round his -head. Over his saddle was a poncho containing, as we supposed, a store -of yerba, flour, or other luxuries, and he had a bold, careless, -good-humoured face, with restless eyes; altogether he gave one an idea -of the imaginary generous bandits one reads of in novels, and to make -the character complete it turned out afterwards that he had almost -certainly stolen the horses from Trinita. - -After five minutes' conversation we started in opposite directions, and -our party pressed on at speed. From the steep hill above the valley we -saw, to our joy, the smoke of hunting parties, apparently not far off. -However, it was four o'clock when we arrived in the vicinity of the -fires in a green pastured valley. From one of the two toldos pitched -there, a man emerged with a mate pot in his hand and a bombilia or reed -used for imbibing mate, like straws for sherry cobblers, in his mouth. -As these people proved not to be the Indians we wanted, after saluting -him we galloped on, and crossing the valley, where we had to jump our -horses over a brook, ascended the opposite hill. A new growth of bush -growing 16 feet high, with long switches like osiers, forced itself -unpleasantly on our attention, as, when riding fast, they sprang back -into one's face in the most painfully annoying manner. On the hillside -we overtook and passed a caravan of women travelling in the same -direction as ourselves, and from the summit of the range saw in the -valley below two different groups of thirty to forty toldos each, about -half a mile apart. Galloping on we arrived, about 5 P.M., at the nearest -tolderia; but on inquiring for Patricio, to whom we had been directed -to go by Casimiro, found that he belonged to the others, to which we -proceeded, and were duly received, our horses, &c., taken care of, and -ourselves ushered with all ceremony into the presence of Patricio (a -half-bred Pampa and Tehuelche). After the hour's etiquette of answering -questions, we were each given one rib of a guanaco apiece to eat. I was -so hungry that I could have eaten a dozen at least, so on the plea of -washing started off to look for Jackechan's toldo, which I shortly -found, and was received with open arms by my friend and El Sourdo. After -his 'missus' had given me some food, followed by the luxury of a mate -with sugar, Jackechan related his proceedings subsequent to leaving our -party. - -After a few days' march in the direction of the Chupat, he came across -some cattle, which were caught and killed, and then, whilst in the -same spot, he despatched the messenger to Chupat with the letter, who -returned in fifteen days with an answer, but without any stores. - -The letter, carefully wrapped in a piece of old linen which had served -as the envelope to my own epistle, was ceremoniously handed to me by the -light of a blaze produced by some grease thrown upon the fire. I read -and interpreted the contents to Jackechan. The writer--Mr. Hughes, if I -recollect rightly--expressed his pleasure at hearing of my safety, but -regretted his inability to forward any stores or clothing, as the supply -in the colony was extremely scanty, owing to the non-arrival of the ship -with Mr. Lewis Jones on board, which had been expected for some months. -It need scarcely be said that I had been quite unaware of the privations -endured by these unfortunate colonists, which the despatches of -Commander Dennistoun have made known to the public during the preparation -of these pages for the press, and to which reference will be made in the -ensuing chapter. Jackechan, after the return of his messenger, proceeded -to Margensho, in the vicinity of which he met the parties under -Teneforo, Patricio, Antonio, and other petty chiefs. These all united, -and, sending into Patagones, obtained liquor and other stores, with -which, as before mentioned, they had a drink for ten days, but no -quarrels or fights took place--a fact which redounds to the credit of -the chiefs. After waiting a month for our party, they, owing to the -scarcity of game, had come by easy stages to this place (Trinita). -Jackechan then explained that the first toldos were those of the Pampa -Indians, under Teneforo and Champayo, the former being absent in -Patagones, getting his rations of animals; his Indians are pure Pampas, -and are often called Kerekinches,[11] or armadillos, for some reason -unknown to me. Some of them are in the service of the Argentine -Government, and liable to be called upon by Linares, chief of the Tame -Indians. The remaining toldos were those belonging to the Indians under -Antonio and Patricio, who were composed of mixed Tehuelches and Pampas. -The two encampments were situated about half a mile apart, separated by -a winding stream, in some places concealed by most unusually high reeds. -The position was entirely surrounded on the eastern, southern, and -western sides by high rocky eminences; but to the north the valley -apparently continued for some miles: its breadth was about three miles, -and everywhere in the vicinity of the stream, which in some places had -overflowed its banks and formed a marsh, the most luxuriant pasture was -growing. - - [11] Quirquincho. - -On returning to Patricio's toldo, I formally asked for the necessary -horses to prosecute our journey, but was refused on the grounds of his -having none to spare; so we determined, as our horses showed symptoms of -fatigue and one was lame, to give them one day's rest before proceeding. -We passed the following day with our friends, and I made acquaintance -with the petty chief Champayo, for whom I wrote a letter requesting a -ration which was due to him. He was very civil, and presented an Indian -to me named Luiz Aguirre. This man had been brought up in Patagones, -whence he had received his names, his parents, I believe, having been -killed. He was a very intelligent man, and had formerly been in the -troop of Linares, but had left disgusted with the quarrelling and -generally mutinous state of those Indians, and taken to the Pampa, where -he could live a free and happy life with his wife--at least so he -affirmed. - -After we had taken various mates together, Champayo, on my mentioning -the cause of our not proceeding that day, said, 'Your people shall not -want for horses. I will supply them, and send Luiz Aguirre in with you, -and you can give him the answer about my ration.' I afterwards visited, -at his own request, the Cacique Antonio, for whom I also wrote a letter -requesting that his ration should be sent to him at the Guardia of Sauce -Blanco, as, owing to having lost his troop of horses in a storm, he -could scarcely reach the Upper Guardia. This was true, as at the first -toldos we had visited in the neighbouring valley in Trinita we had -been informed of Antonio's loss, which was most probably a gain to our -well-dressed bandit friend; but he had some enemies on the road to -Patagones, which was the real reason of his not going as far as the -Upper Guardia. - -After dinner, having asked me all about our proceedings, he commenced -to give me advice as to what I should do on arriving at Patagones. -He assured me that I should get employment readily, but especially -cautioned me against drink, as the commandante disliked drunkards, and -would not encourage them! - -At a late hour I retired to Patricio's toldo, and coiled up in one -corner. The next morning we were getting our horses ready for a start, -when a boy galloped into camp with the news that people were coming in -from Patagones. Everybody at once mounted and went to escort in the new -arrivals, who proved to be Teneforo himself and two of his followers. -They had brought a hundred head of horses and cattle as far as Valchita, -two days' journey from Trinita, and had left them there, bringing on -with them only some liquor and yerba, which were at once unloaded. After -I had been presented to the newly-arrived chief, who hailed me as a -brother, and honoured me by a place among the four caciques, who, -pannikins in hand, walked round the lances in due performance of the -ceremony of blessing the liquor, already described, the drinking -commenced. - -When the people arrived the sun had just risen, and by 10 o'clock most -of the liquor, which consisted of some gin and cana, or white rum, had -disappeared. Many of the Indians were intoxicated, but all after a -merry, good-tempered fashion, which it had never been my luck to see -before. After imbibing freely enough with my numerous friends--who, if -it had been left to them, would have made me as drunk as themselves--I -mounted my horse, and after a bathe amongst the tall reeds on the -borders of the stream, returned to the toldo, where I found the aged -Patricio singing to himself in a very maudlin state. By sundown all were -sober again, and Patricio imparted to me that he intended himself to -proceed with us, as well as some other friends, his wife, and two or -three other women, but that we were to travel by the lower route, which, -though longer, was easier and safer than the shorter and upper road, -where the thorns grew higher and thicker: the latter is usually selected -in summer, when water is scarce, of which at this season there was no -danger. - -The following morning, bidding adieu to Antonio, Champayo, and -Jackechan--whose ration I had promised to procure--we started, eleven -men and four women, taking plenty of horses, besides a troop of mares -for an Indian called Hernandez, settled near the Guardia Chica, the -mares being intended for the purpose of treading out his crop of corn. -We were soon out of sight of the encampment at Trinita, and proceeding -at either a gallop or a trot through an undulating country, in which -incense, algarroba, and other shrubs abounded, arrived near sunset at -a stream, on the north side of which we encamped, amongst some thick -bushes. A little distance to the west lay a large salina, from -which, several miles across, the place takes its name, being called -Hitchin-kaik, or Salt Hill. The stream flows round one side of the -salina, and is, I think, the same that we subsequently crossed near -Valchita. This time we travelled in great style, the women having -brought with them stores of horse-meat and yerba. - -After dinner we all sat round the fire and took a mate, and some of an -Indian sweetmeat, a yellow paste made from the algarroba bean pounded -and mixed with water. Old Patricio, who had turned over a new leaf and -grown quite frisky after the drink, said that I was a fortunate man, -having a wife with me; alluding to one of the wives of the Cacique El -Ingles, who was travelling with us to rejoin her husband near Patagones. - -The following morning at daylight we again started, and, travelling -over much the same description of country as on the previous day, -arrived, about mid-day, at the place where Teneforo had left his cattle. -Here we dismounted and refreshed ourselves off the round berries, about -the size of a turnip-radish, the fruit of a small plant growing by the -margin of the water, which had a very pleasant taste. The river here had -a fringe of tussocks of pampa grass, under which we reclined and smoked. - -The cattle were grouped about amongst these tussocks, and Golwin, -Jackechan's son with the light hair, amused himself by vain attempts to -count them. After half an hour's dawdling we proceeded, leaving behind -one of Mena's horses which was done up, and, following more or less -the line of the river, we arrived, about 3 P.M., at the encampment of -Valchita. As it was early in the day, some of the party started to hunt, -but returned empty-handed. We filled up the skins and water-bottles, in -anticipation of entering the travesia the following day; and, after the -usual meal and mate, sought out each his own particular nest in the -Pampa grass, and went to sleep without fear of the horses straying far, -the pasture and water both being of the best quality. As it was in -this encampment that, according to Casimiro, the defunct Mendoza had -discovered gold, I prospected carefully for any signs, but only noticed -that parts of the adjoining pampa were strewn, amongst other pebbles, -with pieces of quartz. At the usual hour we started to commence the -ascent to the travesia, or desert, which rose above us to the north, in -a high plateau. On ascending a short distance, we observed on our left -hand (to the westward) a salina of several leagues in length, which -bordered the edge of the travesia in about an east or west direction. -I am inclined to think that the river Valchita loses itself in this -salina. This river is subject to great floods, evidences of which were -visible in the drift weeds and rubbish clinging to the bushes and shrubs -throughout the valley, evidently left there by the spring inundation. By -a gradual ascent we at length reached the level of the plateau, and saw -before us an interminable dreary expanse strewn with small shingle, and -covered with shrubs varying from four to twelve feet, or even higher, -and here and there small tufts of grass. No signs of life were visible. -The sky was bright and clear, although clouds were gathering on the -southern horizon, and the wind (it nearly always blows in Patagonia) was -cutting. I remarked to Luiz Aguirre that it would possibly rain; his -reply, 'I hope it will--it will be splendid, then all the lagoons will -be full,' told of the danger of drought, but found no assent from me, -having had enough of wet weather during the excursion to Las Manzanas. -During the ride he told me that he knew the difference between the -Catholic and Protestant religions, and of the two he preferred the -latter; he also asked me if I had ever been to China, where the tea came -from, and various other questions evincing a considerable amount of -information; and wound up by proposing that I should set up a trading -establishment near the Chupat; Jackechan--who, if any one can claim it, -is the real lord of the soil--having volunteered to cede the ground to -me. In the event of establishing a store in that neighbourhood, this -astute Indian considered that all the Indian trade would be taken out -of the hands of the people of Patagones, who notoriously used false -weights, besides charging exorbitantly for all articles supplied to the -Indians. - -About 2 P.M., as the rough shingle had already begun to tell on our -horses' feet, a halting place was found near a laguna containing -rain-water of the colour of _cafe au lait_. The horses were for the -present let loose, to pick up the best meal they could off the stunted -grass near the borders of the lagoon. Before dark most of them were -tethered, and a careful watch kept all night, lest they should return to -Valchita in search of pasture and water. After a lengthened conversation -by the fireside--in which I was informed that the track we were -travelling was called Pig's-road, from wild pigs, or perhaps peccaries, -having been killed near one of the lagoons in the route--we wrapped -ourselves in our mantles and sheltered ourselves like hedgehogs under -the bushes, from time to time getting up to look round for the horses. -Next day we rode over the same interminable desert of stones, and -bushes of the following descriptions:--Chanal or whitethorn; picayun, -furnishing the best firewood; the osier-like switches before described; -black bush, which is useless for burning, owing to the pestiferous smell -it emits; algarroba, incense, which are, however, very scarce; and some -others whose names I was unable to procure. The chanal is the only one -that impedes the traveller's progress, as the thorns are large and -sharp. In the other road (more to the west), which we had avoided, -although the distance is shorter across the travesia, and therefore more -used by the Tehuelches, who dread this crossing, especially in summer -or for small parties, the chanal grows to the height of ten to fifteen -feet, and, like the 'waitabit' thorns in Albania, renders fast riding -impossible. - -This day we were about to start hunting, when a demijohn of rum was -discovered in a bush. This put an end to the sport, for, although it was -hidden again in another place, enough was taken out to render most of -the party talkative, a bottle or two also being reserved for discussion -at the camp fire. - -At 4 P.M. we camped by the side of a lagoon similar to the previous one, -and, our Valchita water being finished, diluted the rum with meal and -water about the consistency of Spanish chocolate. I forgot to state that -in the excitement of the 'find' the horses were not looked after, and -on mustering to proceed, one of Nacho's had disappeared, and, although -carefully searched for, he was not found again. - -The next day, despite the dissipations over night, we were in the saddle -at daybreak, and had hardly traversed a league of this wearisome waste -when we came suddenly upon seven wild horses. An effort made to surround -them failed, owing to the difficult nature of the ground; but the -failure was to me fully made up by the magnificent spectacle of these -splendid creatures careering in their untamed strength and beauty across -the plain. - -We subsequently hunted and killed guanaco and ostrich, and also saw -some hares and partridges. At about 10 A.M. our eyes were gladdened -by the sight of the sea, and presently the level plain rose into more -undulating country, and from the crests of the elevations at times a -full view of the inlet called the Laco de San Antonio presented itself. - -Smoke was visible ahead, and we accordingly pushed on, and made a long -and rapid march, the surface being here altogether free from the small -stones which had previously caused so much damage to the horses' feet. -That night we halted, as usual, by the side of a lagoon, the water of -which was not more than two inches deep. - -Patricio during this day's journey pointed out to me a dry lagoon near -which efforts had been made to sink a well for obtaining a permanent -supply of water, but, although the shaft was of some depth, none had -been reached, and the work had been given up in despair. It is a mystery -even to the Indians where the guanacos, wild horses, puma, and other -game that exist in this desert, find water, as these lagoons, depending -entirely on the rainfall for a supply of water, must inevitably, in this -country where little rain falls, be dry for many months in the year. No -doubt springs exist in hitherto undiscovered places. - -Before leaving the travesia, a few remarks, which cannot claim to be -called a description, may be interesting. - -This desert consists of a plateau about three hundred feet above the -level of the valley of the Rio Negro, stretching to the southward more -than thirty leagues to Valchita. Of its extent westward I have no -precise information; but it narrows considerably in the interior, -forming an irregular triangle, with its base on the coast, and its -apex near the junction of the Rio Limay and the northern streams. - -The soil is either clay or sand and gravel, with small stones strewn -thickly over the surface; while the only vegetation met with consists of -the bushes already mentioned, and scanty tufts of coarse grass. - -It is much dreaded by travellers, and, after traversing it, I can well -believe the stories current of people having perished on the passage; -the track once lost would be very difficult to regain; while the want of -water in the summer, and the danger of horses straying and leaving the -traveller helpless, are both probable risks. With all our watchfulness, -two horses strayed away and were lost. In the winter there is no fear of -want of water; but the fatigue of travelling is at all times great, and -the horses are almost worn out by the time that the desert is passed. It -serves, therefore, as a barrier, protecting Patagones from all danger of -attack by the Indians from the south, who in their forays must descend -the river. A large troop of horses can scarcely find pasture, and, after -the rapid journey, would not be in a condition for their riders to -attack with success, if opposed vigorously by people able to defend -themselves. - -This district appeared to form a distinct and well-defined limit between -the habitats of various animals; as for instance, the Rhea Darwinii, -or smaller ostrich of Patagonia, and the Rhea Americana. The latter, -according to my experience, is never found to the south of it, and I -am at a loss to understand how Mr. Cunningham could have met with any -specimens of it, as he seems to imply.[12] - - [12] Natural History of the Straits of Magellan, p. 134. - -The Tehuelches often described the larger Rhea as found north of the -travesia, and as distinct from that hunted in their country. They also -particularly insisted on the fact that the Gama, or deer--abundant in -the Rio Negro valley and the country north of it--is never met with -south of the travesia. The same remark is true of the Viscacha and the -Aguarra (Lupus manatus), though the latter is probably to be met with in -the spurs of the Cordillera. - -Patagonia may thus be properly considered as cut off by the Rio Negro -and the line of the Cordillera, and possessing its own races and a -separate Fauna and Flora. - -It may be added that only one species of armadillo, the Quirquincho -(Dasypus minutus, Gay), occurs within these limits. The algarroba and -other bushes, though found in and near the borders of the travesia, do -not occur south of its immediate vicinity. - -It was a joyful hour for all when, on the fourth day, after galloping -from dawn till ten o'clock, we at length came in sight of the valley, -still three miles distant, where large willows--which, by the way, are -unknown in Patagonia, save a few at Chupat, probably introduced by the -settlers--marked the winding course of the Rio Negro. We halted at the -head of an abra, or lateral opening which ran up into the barranca from -the main valley, and saw in the distance a solitary rancho, the first -civilised dwelling beheld since my departure from Santa Cruz. - -After a rest, to enable all to come up, some having lagged behind -perforce, their horses being hardly able to limp along, we made our way -down the slope and at length reached the river, in which our thirsty -steeds soon drank their fill. - -The rancho, which belonged to Hernandez, for whom the convoy of mares -was intended, was then visited. The owner was absent, but his Indian -wife did the honours, at least as far as serving us with mate, for no -food was produced, though all were dreadfully hungry. I wished to stop -and don what an American would call my citizen's clothes, thinking that -we should immediately proceed to the Guardia I had heard so much of from -Luiz Aguirre; but he told me not to be in a hurry, so in my dirty mantle -I remained for the present. - -After half an hour's delay we left the rancho and followed the south -bank of the river, which here was a swift stream 200 yards wide, passing -the farm of Hernandez, where a man was occupied in ploughing, and mares -and cattle were grazing. The river here made a bend towards the southern -barranca, which so nearly abutted on it as to compel us to ride close -along the bank. Small partridges got up frequently, and I made a mental -resolution to come and have a day's shooting at a future period in the -magnificent willows bordering the river; blue pigeons were cooing in the -trees; and through an opening we caught a glimpse, on the opposite bank, -of a well-built, comfortable-looking estancia in the foreground of a -wide extent of rich flat land, with corral, galpones, and the usual -surroundings, which Luiz Aguirre informed me belonged to Mr. Kincaid. -The feeling of having safely emerged from the desert into the -settlements put us, though very hungry, into the best of spirits; and -after a cheerful half hour's ride, passing on our road a tumbledown, -unused rancho, we arrived at Sauce Blanco, or 'White Willow;' there the -river, sweeping to the northern side, leaves a wide rincon, or expanse -of rich alluvial ground. This is considered as belonging to the Indians, -some of whom are always to be found encamped near the rancho, which -belonged to the Cacique El Ingles, and three toldos were pitched in its -vicinity. - -We presented to the chief his wife, whom we had brought with us, and -I was warmly welcomed as a relative, the cacique being a nephew of -Quintuhual. This chief derives his name from his alleged relationship to -some one or other of the officers of Fitzroy's surveying expedition, so -that I was doubly welcome in my English and Indian character. Here we -camped amongst the pajas, or pampa grass, and, having been presented -with a mare and some pumpkins, soon had a good fire blazing and meat and -pumpkins cooking; these latter being dressed by cutting them in halves, -taking out the seeds, and filling the interior with hot ashes, and then -placing them on the ashes, the result being, at all events as it seemed -then to my taste, delicious. I wished to proceed direct to the Guardia, -but, as Patricio and the others put it off till the morrow, in my -ignorance of the road and usages of the place, I was forced to 'do at -Rome as Rome does.' - -A good wash in the river was one of the first things indulged in, and -the enjoyment of getting rid of several days' accumulation of the dust -and mud of the travesia can be better imagined than described. - -The following morning, before daylight, we all bathed in the river, and -after taking mate with the cacique El Ingles, and a warm by the fireside -after sleeping in the frosty night air, we prepared to visit the -Guardia. Casting off the Indian mantle, I assumed the usual dress of an -Englishman of the period, shooting-coat, &c.; and having been provided -with fresh horses by our friend, half an hour's gallop brought us -to the north bank, opposite the Guardia--not, however, without -misadventure, for as we made our way along the narrow uneven horse-path, -full of ruts, and hemmed in by Pampa grass, Luiz Aguirre's horse -stumbled and threw him, rolling over him and crushing his revolver into -his ribs. - -The mean appearance of the much talked of Guardia at once dispelled the -ideas of it derived from the imaginative descriptions of the Indians, -but previous experience of Spanish frontier towns saved me from -disappointment. The settlement consists of a small fort mounted with one -gun, a cuartel or barracks, and a few houses, one or two built of brick -and the others of adobe, clustering round the fort. Almost, if not quite -all, of these are 'pulperias,' or grog-shops and stores, intended for -trade with the Indians, for whose transport a launch is kept. The usual -object first seen in frontier towns--an unfinished church--is here -conspicuous by its absence, no provision for spiritual wants being made -in the Guardia. After about half an hour's delay on the bank, a bustle -on the other side was observed, caused by getting ready a large launch, -which shortly crossed to our side; and having secured our horses with -lazos and maneos, we jumped in, and I was greeted by a non-commissioned -officer, who congratulated me on my arrival, stating that the -Commandante, Senor Murga, had been expecting me for some months. We -crossed over in great pomp, a soldier playing the cornet in the bows of -the boat, and, landing, we proceeded to a store kept by a man named Don -Fermin, where we were all ushered into a room behind the shop, and -the Indians exposed their skins and plumes for trade. My friend the -non-commissioned officer had left me, as I declined to surrender my -letters to any one but the Commandante in person, and he was at the time -at Patagones, distant eighteen leagues from this Guardia. Meanwhile I -watched the trade going on between Don Fermin and the Indians. - -Now and again people came and contemplated us, as if we were some -strange sort of wild animals; but as I was out of the trading, no one -bid the stranger welcome, and I formed a bad idea of the politeness of -the inhabitants, though perhaps my shaggy hair and dress, not altogether -of the neatest, may have been against me. - -The Indians were soon in full enjoyment of some grog and biscuits, which -they naturally asked me to share. After a bite and a sup, finding the -proceedings slow, I left the room, and shortly after met Mr. Alexander -Fraser and Mr. Grenfell, the owners of an estancia a few miles lower -down the river; and after introducing myself was most kindly received, -and supplied with cash, a civilised medium of which I had not a sou -to enable me to gratify the desire of treating my Indian friends to a -bottle or two of wine and spirits and a few loaves of bread. - -Mr. Fraser hospitably pressed me to come on to his establishment at -once, but being desirous of handing the letters to the Commandante -without delay, I returned across the river with the Indians. - -A foretaste of Rio Negro manners was given us at the other side, as one -of the horses, saddle, lazo and all, was missing--stolen by some of the -civilised inhabitants. The horse belonged to El Ingles, and had been -lent to Mena to go down from the encampment to the Guardia; the lazo -belonged to me. - -At the camp most of the people got more or less drunk, and Nacho -received a richly-deserved thrashing for being pugnacious, after which -he was lashed down, and left to cool in the frost for an hour. - -In the morning I started for Patagones, accompanied by El Ingles and -another Indian; but as our horses proved to be too tired to proceed -into Patagones, we stopped for the night in a toldo at San Xaviel, the -head-quarters of Linares and his Tame Indians. - -I took up my quarters at the toldo of one Chaloupe, and after supper, -being desirous of communicating the political arrangements to the chief, -proceeded on horseback behind another horseman, who proved to be a -brother of Rouque Pinto, to the chief's residence, a long low house. - -After a little delay I was ushered into the Sala, where the two wives -of the chief were sitting sewing. The usual mate was served, and I -waited long in vain for the chief, who was away collecting his followers -for an intended pursuit of some of Calficura's Indians, who had recently -driven off cattle from the valley. - -At last I bade good-night to my fair hostesses, and summoning my -companion, who had been taking mate in the kitchen, set out to return. -We had scarcely proceeded a hundred yards when the tramp of approaching -horsemen was heard, and my companion enjoined strict silence, for fear -of 'accidents,' and reined up our steeds under the shadow of some trees, -till we heard the people pass. When their voices had died away in the -distance we proceeded, and resumed our conversation, in the course of -which he informed me that it was unsafe to meet people at night in this -vicinity unless when well armed. I rather opened my eyes at this, and -moralised considerably on the benefits conferred by civilisation on -Indian races. At Chaloupe's toldo I found Antonio Linares, brother of -the chief, who had brought with him a bottle of brandy, over a glass of -which I told him my business, which he promised to forward, and after a -nightcap he left in search of more boon companions. This young fellow -was very well dressed in cloth ponchos and chiripas, leather boots and -clean linen, and wore a revolver in his belt. He playfully informed me -that he had been in search of some one he had quarrelled with all the -afternoon, and would have shot him if he had found him. - -Mrs. Chaloupe made me up a luxurious bed with ponchos and my own saddle -gear, and indeed all the inmates of the toldo showed me the greatest -civility. - -At an early hour in the morning I started on my now jaded horse in the -hopes of seeing Linares, but on arriving at his house was informed -that he had already left for Carmen to have an interview with the -Commandante, Senor Murga. - -Refusing the proffered mate, I hastened on and speedily overtook him -taking a stirrup cup at a friend's house. After introducing myself -and joining in a social glass, I was glad to avail myself of his -companionship, as our routes lay in the same direction, and transact my -business on the road. - -An hour's ride brought us in sight of Patagones, at which point I -diverged from my companion to the chacra or farm of my expected host -Don Pablo Piedra Buena, situated on the river bank. Half an hour's ride -brought me to the house, but finding no one at home, with the exception -of a big bull dog, I soon started in search, and shortly came on two men -occupied in ploughing. After the usual salutations I inquired for Don -Pablo, and was very civilly answered that he was shortly expected at the -farm, but that if I went straight to Patagones I should probably meet -him on the way. Accordingly, being very desirous of some breakfast, I -spurred my horse into a gallop, and rode towards the town. Its aspect, -as viewed from a distance, although it appeared rather irregular, was -tolerably imposing; the fort and buildings on the northern bank, which -are situated on a rise, showing out prominently, whilst on the southern -shore the cathedral (unfinished, of course) and English mission station -were the most noticeable buildings. After making a slight detour through -ignorance of the track, I arrived at the immediate vicinity of the -southern suburb, which, like all Spanish settlements, new or old, failed -to bear a close inspection. - -An extensive mud-hole, which a fall of rain would probably render -impassable, bordered the outskirts, which, when reached, were found to -be plentifully strewn with offal, heaps of bricks, and other _debris_, -making it incumbent carefully to pick one's way along the paths. - -As I had heard that it was possible the Commandante would come over to -the south side to arrange about a race, I visited a pulperia, indicated -as a likely place to learn his whereabouts, where I found Linares and -his capitanejo (adjutant) taking a glass of brandy, and was introduced -by them to the proprietor, Don Jose Real, who offered his services, and -informed me that Commandante Murga was expected in about half an hour. I -accordingly proceeded to the mission station, where, having introduced -myself to Dr. Humble, I left my now tired horse in his quinta, and -after a short rest returned to Jose Real's, and found the Commandante -Murga, to whom I presented the letter from Casimiro and my own letter of -introduction. - -At first sight I was not prepossessed in favour of Senor Murga; he was -about the middle height, dressed in Garibaldi shirt, uniform trousers -and boots, and casquette with the lace bands denoting the rank of -colonel. He disposed of my business by saying that he would attend to it -'manana,' to-morrow, which is the answer to everything in the provinces -of La Plata, and evidently dismissing the subject from his mind, resumed -an argument with Don Jose about a racehorse. - -This Colonel Murga is addicted to field-sports of every description, is -a good rider, in fact a perfect gaucho, and rarely misses a cockfight on -Sunday after mass. - -Somewhat disgusted with my reception I proceeded to the boatman's -house with the intention of crossing the river to the north side, and -knocking at the door asked in Spanish for Solomon. It was opened by -a well-dressed woman, and inside I perceived a broad-shouldered, -well-built man at his breakfast. I was about to retire with apologies, -when he recognised me for an Englishman, and guessing who I was, -immediately dragged me in and seated me at the table, whilst the -good wife cut slices of bread and butter and brewed more tea. I was -considerably hungry, as the Americans say, and enjoyed the bread and -butter and tea as I never enjoyed a meal anywhere else. The kind, -honest welcome of this Welsh family will always remain as a pleasant -remembrance to me of Patagones. - -Leaving the house with Solomon we met Don Pablo, who was equally hearty -in his welcome, and we proceeded across in his company to the northern -shore, where my friend placed his house at my disposal, and I took up my -quarters with him; and after the necessary ablutions, and the reduction -of a twelvemonth's growth of hair to a decent length, got into a new -suit of clothes which were brought from Senor Aguirre's store, and felt -that I was a civilised Cristiano once more. - -That afternoon I was introduced by Don Pablo to several of his -relations, who were all most kind and amiable, and their agreeable -society dispelled the thoughts which I had entertained of returning to -the Indians; instead of which I now determined to send Mena and Nacho -out with the answers to the letters and some stores, and wait in -Patagones, until the arrival of the rest, employing the interval in -reconnoitring the place and studying its chances in the future. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -THE RIO NEGRO SETTLEMENTS. - - Patagones, or Carmen Old Town. -- The Fort and Buildings. -- The - Southern Town. -- The English Mission. -- Elements of the - Population. -- The Negroes. -- The Convicts. -- Lawless State - of Society. -- The Cemetery. -- Early History of the Colony. -- - A Successful Stratagem. -- Villarino's Ascent of the River. -- - Expedition of Rosas. -- The Island of Choelechel. -- La Guardia - Chica. -- Estancia of Messrs. Kincaid. -- Ancient Indian - Graves. -- Flint Weapons. -- The Shepherd and Pumas. -- - Estancia San Andre. -- The Indians and the Colonists. -- - Calficura's Raid. -- Indian Method of Attack. -- The Tame - Indians. -- View of the Valley. -- Trade of Patagones. -- - Fertility of the Soil. -- Rio Negro Wine. -- The Sportsman. -- - Advice to Emigrants. -- Interview with Col. Murga. -- The - Government Grants to Chiefs. -- Casimiro again. -- The - Tehuelches in Town. -- Farewell. -- The Welsh Utopia. -- Social - Life at Patagones. -- The Steamer at Last. -- Aground. -- The - Pilot. -- Pat Sweeny. -- Adieu to Patagonia. - - -As it did not at the time occur to me that the rising settlements of -the Rio Negro could have escaped being fully described already, I must -candidly confess that the duty of keeping a diary was neglected during -my stay; and recollections alone have furnished the materials for what -has been peremptorily urged on me as a necessary supplement to my -travels--a description of Patagones. This name, which seems intended to -designate the future capital of Patagonia, has completely usurped the -place of the original title El Carmen, conferred on this settlement -in honour of Nuestra Senora del Carmen, under whose patronage it was -placed. - -The modern town, situated on a bend of the Rio Negro, about eighteen -miles from the sea, consists of two parts separated by the river, here -about 450 yards wide: the older and most important on the northern bank, -where the authorities and principal people reside, and a new suburb on -the southern bank, known as El Merced, which, though of recent growth, -threatens to eventually rival the northern portion. The means of -communication between the two is supplied by ferry-boats, which are -procurable at almost all hours. - -On the northern beach a wooden pier has been erected, opposite his -store, by Senor Aguirre, the grand capitalist, banker, and factotum of -the place, to allow the steamer to unload with greater facility. It is -probable that the northern side will continue to preserve its importance -for some time to come, owing to the want of equal facilities for landing -goods on the other side, where at low tide an extensive mudbank is -exposed, which has to be passed to reach the shore. - -The position selected for Carmen by the founder combined security with -easy access to the river. The barranca at this spot advances as it were -to meet the river bend, and leaving but a narrow intervening space. A -rather steep hill rises to a plateau, which again to the north, or rear -of the town, falls by a step to the level of the pampa. The crest is -crowned by the fort, and up the declivity climbs the town, laid out with -scrupulous adherence to the prescribed pattern, the regularity of its -streets and cuadros not being, however, very perceptible to a stranger, -owing to the formation of the ground. Next to the fort, the most -prominent buildings are the Commandante's house, a pretentious red -brick building, and the old church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen, an -insignificant edifice, both situated a little below the crest of the -hill, and under the wings as it were of the fort. - -The fort itself, crowning the crest of the hill, or barranca, is of -imposing appearance when viewed at a distance, but a closer inspection -dispels the illusion, and reveals its utter uselessness for defensive -purposes. The walls are in wretched repair, and the whole edifice is so -decayed that when one of the American gunboats stationed in the Rio de -la Plata visited the place some four years ago, and duly saluted the -Argentine colours, the reverberation of the discharge of her big gun -shook down a portion of the wall fronting the river! The armament -consists of a few field pieces of small calibre mounted _en barbette_, -and of very little use, as a single well-directed shell would demolish -the whole structure; but if advantage were taken of the position for the -construction of a substantial battery mounted with modern artillery, the -approaches to the town from all sides could be thoroughly commanded and -easily defended. - -The Plaza or square lies immediately behind the fort, which forms one -side, and some comfortable houses are situated in it, several of which, -however, were only in course of construction. The condition of the -streets is very bad, especially those descending the hill to the -river-bank; in some places the pedestrian sinks ankle deep in sand, and -in others stumbles over rugged masses of sandstone. The pleasantest part -of the town is the street running from the pier and store inland round -the base of the hill: here a considerable tract of low land stretching -from the rear of the houses on the eastern side to the river is laid out -in gardens, or quintas, full of all kinds of fruit trees, backed by a -row of tall poplars fringing the waterside. - -One of these houses was the hospitable abode of my esteemed friend Don -Pablo Piedra Buena. It was a long low house, built of sun-dried bricks -and whitewashed. We occupied one end, consisting of three rooms, the -next part being occupied by Don Ramirez, captain of the steam transport -Choelechel (at anchor within hail, off the Quinta), and his wife. The -remainder was tenanted by Don Domingo, an Italian, as a restaurant and -hotel. Besides Don Domingo's hostelry, the town boasted another hotel, -the property of Senor Aguirre, situated close to his store and pier, a -fine well-built stone house, the only one of that material I observed in -Patagones, almost all the other edifices being of brick, except in the -Negro quarter of the town, where they were simple adobe houses. Whatever -their material, many of the buildings in all parts of the town were, -like the fort, in a most tumbledown condition, and a freer use of -whitewash would, if the inhabitants only knew it, cover a multitude of -sins, both against external decency and internal cleanliness. - -On the southern shore a considerable tract of low land extends from the -river, and is liable to be overflowed at high spring tides. This is -devoted to the cultivation of wheat, ditches being cut to afford -imperfect drainage; across these flats a causeway--the construction of -which is chiefly due to the exertions of my friend the Welsh boatman -Solomon--leads to the new town of El Merced, built on the higher ground, -beyond the reach of floods. This, too, is laid out on the universal -plan, and judging from the piles of brick and the numerous sites marked -out for future houses, is rapidly growing in size and importance. The -roads, however, were at the time of my visit as execrable as on the -north side, and the outskirts were offensive with offal and rubbish, -while the pantano or mud-hole seemed to present an impassable barrier to -friend or foe. The most noticeable buildings were--first, the new Church -of Senora del Merced, in the Plaza, which, with its two towers, quite -threw into the shade its elder rival del Carmen, on the northern side; -and next the English Mission Station, a considerable building occupying -two sides of a square, one wing containing the room used as a chapel, -whilst the other constituted the residence and dispensary of the -missionary, Rev. Dr. Humble. This gentleman, whose hospitality I -frequently enjoyed, combined in his own person the functions of doctor -and clergyman. As regards the mission, the converts did not appear to be -numerous; indeed an Indian girl, who acted as servant and nurse, seemed -to be the only specimen. The whole establishment was scrupulously -neat and clean, and afforded an agreeable contrast to the surrounding -buildings. In front a considerable tract of ground extended to the -river bank, part of which constituted a pleasant garden, or quinta, -the remainder being used for grazing the horses of the establishment, -whilst a ditch cut at the lower end afforded a harbour for the medical -missionary's boat. - -Dr. Humble formerly had a school for children, but it was given up, I -believe, on account of the opposition raised by the Padre. The church -was generally pretty full on Sundays, when the British flag is hoisted -to denote the hour of prayer; and as half the service was conducted -in Spanish, a good sprinkling of the native inhabitants was generally -present--some perhaps with a view to obtain advice from the pastor -in his medical capacity, in which his skill and kindness made him -deservedly popular. - -According to Sir Woodbine Parish, the population of Patagones in 1832 -amounted to no more than 800: although no statistical means of accurate -information were at my disposal, I should be inclined to estimate the -present number of inhabitants at not less than 2,000, and they may -exceed that number. - -They are divided into four very distinctly-defined classes:--1st. The -descendants of the original and early Spanish settlers; 2ndly. The more -recent foreign immigrants; 3rdly. The negroes; and 4thly. The convicts -sent hither from the Argentine Republic. The descendants of the original -settlers, who for some unknown reason are styled by their townsmen -'Malagatos,' both in name and character manifest their unmixed descent -from the sturdy Gallegos, or settlers from Galicia. Closely united by -intermarriage, they form, as it were, one family, almost every member -of which is either a Crespo or a Real. Although hitherto jealously -exclusive as regards any admixture of their 'sangre azul' by alliance -with the foreigners--except perhaps Englishmen--the men are remarkable -for their hospitable kindness and courtesy, whilst the ladies would vie -with those of any part of Old Spain or the Argentine provinces in grace -of manners or beauty. One noticeable feature of their character was -that both men and women manifested a far more punctilious respect for -religion than I had ever observed in other Catholic countries. Every one -made it a point of being present at mass whenever it was celebrated. I -was among the guests when Don Benito Crespo was entertaining a party at -dinner, given to celebrate his daughter's birthday, which happened to -fall during the period of the novena in honour of Santa Rosa, and when -the bell sounded for vespers everybody rose from table and hurried off -to the church. - -The second part of the population--the foreigners--present a motley -group of people of all nations, but the majority are Italians and -Basque Spaniards. There are a few French, English, Welsh, Swiss, and -Germans. - -The negroes are the descendants of an importation of slaves, introduced -when the slave trade was legal by the Governor, a Frenchman named Viba, -Casimiro's patron, who appears to have entertained an idea of employing -them to cultivate the public lands. They all live together in one -quarter of the town--excepting, of course, those who go out as -servants--and keep up many old traditions and customs. They are called -by the Gauchos 'Blandequis,' which may be a corruption of Mandingo, -and are a fine hard-working race, whose industrious habits and general -character differ widely from the debased type of the negroes in the -Brazils. Their exact numbers I am ignorant of, but was informed that -they were once very much more numerous, their rapid decrease being -caused by their being drawn as soldiers, and the ravages of the -universal scourge of small-pox. - -Lastly comes the convict element. Carmen, at an early period of its -history, was made a 'presidio,' or frontier penal settlement, in this -respect resembling Punta Arenas; but the strict discipline of the -Chilian colony is altogether wanting in Patagones. There is a constant -importation to the latter place of deserters from the army, robbers, and -felons of every description, sent down from Buenos Ayres. These men -are, on their arrival, either enlisted as soldiers, or turned loose on -society, and allowed to work where and how they please, or otherwise -obtain a livelihood. They cannot, it is true, escape, as there is no -chance of getting away by sea, and the almost certain danger of death or -captivity amongst the Pampa Indians is a sufficient safeguard against -their betaking themselves to the interior; but beyond this there is no -restraint exercised. Horse-stealing is, in the event of any animal -being left unwatched, a moral certainty, and robberies of all kinds are -frequent and go almost unpunished; while murder, in the rare cases in -which the criminals are detected, simply involves being sent back to -Buenos Ayres for a trial, which results in a sentence of transportation -back to the Rio Negro. One man named Ruiz was pointed out as having -been four times backward and forward to and from Buenos Ayres for -murders committed: this man openly boasted that whenever he wanted a -trip he had to kill a man. Another man, who had robbed the Bishop of -Buenos Ayres of a jewelled clock, by presentation of a forged order, -filled the position of billiard marker at the hotel, and was looked on -as rather a clever fellow. The Commandante's orderly was also a man sent -down for homicide. The state of society when these ruffians--every one -of whom carries a knife, which is used on the slightest occasion--are -allowed thus to remain loose may be better imagined than described. - -My friend Don Pablo was attacked one evening close to his house, but -fortunately escaped unhurt. Murder is of weekly occurrence, and it is -necessary for everyone to carry some weapon of self-defence, while few -people think of leaving the town without a revolver. - -In the utter absence of legal protection, a project was mooted among -some of the foreigners to establish a vigilance committee on the simple -principle of mutual protection and agreement to avenge any injury to one -of the society. As Sir Lucius consoled his friend by the remark that -there is 'snug lying in the abbey,' the unprotected inhabitants of -Patagones can pride themselves on their possessing an excellent new -cemetery, situated to the north, about half a mile outside the town, -which is surrounded by a brick wall, with iron gates, and kept in a neat -and orderly condition. A little east of it, nearer the town, lies the -old cemetery, the neglected state of which, when I visited it, offered a -melancholy contrast: the mud wall was breached in many places; coffins -appeared protruding from the sand, and in some cases were actually -uncovered; skulls and bones lay exposed to view; and, as a climax, a -cat jumped out of one coffin in which she had taken up her abode. I was -extremely surprised at such want of respect being shown by the residents -to the bones of their departed ancestors, and remarked on it to my -companion, who shrugged his shoulders and muttered something which -sounded like the inevitable 'Manana.' - -The most interesting relics of the first founders of the colony are a -number of caves, or dwellings, excavated in the sandstone cliff, four -miles below the town; they contain three or four chambers, leading into -each other, and from eight to ten feet square. In one I remarked a sort -of trough, hollowed out in the sandstone, which more resembled a manger -than anything else. Tradition narrates that these were used as dwellings -by the first settlers, or perhaps as hiding-places for themselves, or -for their cattle, in times of war with the Indians. - -Under the Spanish dominion the colony made but slow progress, -notwithstanding the abandonment of all other attempted settlements on -the Patagonian coast, which left the entire advantages to be derived -from the valuable whale and seal fisheries in the hands of the people of -Carmen; their inertness allowed this mine of wealth to remain unworked, -and it fell into the hands of English and American fishermen, who worked -them till a recent period. The Argentine Government has asserted its -claim and granted a lease of the fisheries to Don Luiz Buena, with -authority to warn off all intruders; but the fisheries do not, I -fear, produce the profit deserved by his energy. The Carmen settlers -alternately traded with, and were plundered by the Indians, preferring -the profits of this doubtful commerce to the dangerous, though -profitable, sealing and whaling. That the Indians' hostility had -something to do with the concentration of the Spanish forces at the Rio -Negro appears from a fact which has been studiously omitted from the -Spanish records. The Indians preserve an accurate tradition to the -effect that the first colonists at Port Desire aroused the anger of the -natives, who made a successful attack: the colonists retreated into -the church, where every soul perished at the hands of the natives. The -buildings and fruit-trees still existing are the only monuments of the -destruction of this colony. - -From the time that the South American colonies asserted their -independence, Patagones shared in the consequent increase of population -and development of trade, as already pointed out. Since Sir W. Parish -wrote, the population has largely increased and the value of property -risen; and although the 'old inhabitants' complained to me of the want -of progress, the growing demand and price given for land and houses at -that time, compared with former years, proved the contrary. One item of -its history must not be omitted. During the war between the Brazilians -and the Argentine Confederation, the inhabitants of Patagones -distinguished themselves by defeating and capturing a Brazilian -expedition sent to endeavour to reduce the place. The story was told me -as follows:--A strong force of the Brazilians landed near the sea-coast, -and marched overland towards Carmen, halting about a league north of the -town. The garrison, numbering about fifty regulars and some volunteers, -sallied out, equipped with a large assortment of coloured ponchos. -Taking up a position behind a hill which concealed them from the enemy, -who were ignorant of their real strength, the cunning men of Carmen then -displayed themselves as if for a reconnaissance, and retreated, but only -to change their ponchos and reappear as a fresh detachment; the -enemy was thus led by these repeated feints and transformations to -considerably multiply the real numbers of the Argentine troops, and -hesitate to attack so seemingly large a force. After nightfall the -herbage in the neighbourhood of the bivouac of the invading army was set -on fire. Bewildered by the smoke, the Brazilians retreated, but were -encountered by other fires in their rear, and, seeing themselves -apparently surrounded and opposed by superior numbers, their leader -capitulated. The story is substantiated by the existence of the wreck -of a Brazilian man-of-war, still visible in the river. - -The fertile valley of the Rio Negro must needs be described in order to -convey a proper idea of the resources of Patagones as a colony. By far -the greater extent of this valley is as uncultivated as when it was -first explored by Don Basilio Villarino, who, under the orders of -Viedma, ascended the river in order to ascertain its source, and whose -diary is extant in the collection of De Angelis, a valuable abstract of -it having been given by Sir W. Parish, though sufficiently long ago in -our rapid age to be almost forgotten. He ascended with launches first as -far as the Island of Choelechel, seventy leagues from Carmen, which he -recommended should be fortified as an advance post against the Indians; -thence, after incredible difficulties, he succeeded in reaching the foot -of the Cordillera, always keeping on good terms with the natives. Here -he met with the Araucanians (termed by me Manzaneros), and was in great -hopes of reaching Valdivia through their aid, as they showed themselves -friendly disposed; when, unfortunately, the Indians fell out amongst -themselves, one of the chiefs being killed in the melee. The chief who -caused this man's death came with his people to the Spaniards to implore -their assistance, which was promised. This led to the whole of the -remaining Indians forming a league and declaring war against the -Spaniards, whose name up to the present they detest. Being obliged -to abandon his intention of reaching Valdivia, Villarino reluctantly -determined to return, and accordingly, after being supplied by his -allies with a store of apples and pinones, descended the river and -returned to Carmen. - -From the description of this journey, together with the mention of the -supplies of apples and pinones obtained at the farthest point reached, I -am inclined to assume that this point was near, if not identical with, -the place where we passed the Limay on our journey to Las Manzanas, a -mile or two below the rapids where Mr. Cox was wrecked. - -Villarino states that he entered in his small boat a channel where the -river flowed over rounded stones to the S.W. Now the point where Mr. -Cox's boat was lost was a rapid to all appearance impassable for a boat: -however, it is possible that Villarino employed Indians on horseback to -track his boat, and that the state of the river was more favourable for -navigation at the period of his visit. - -The mention of the friendly Indians who accompanied him on his return -and settled under the protection of the Spaniards, suggests the idea -that these may have been the ancestors of Los Mansos or the Tame -Indians, at present in the service of the Government. Casimiro had a -legend about Indians friendly to the first Spanish settlers, who were -subsequently illtreated by them, and I believe revolted. Luiz Aguirre -also asserted that his father was one of the original chiefs of the Rio -Negro, who for a long time was friendly to the Spaniards, but at length, -a revolt taking place, was imprisoned and kept in Carmen as a hostage, -where he died. In the year 1832, when Rosas, for the protection of the -southern frontier, made his great attack on the Indians, and driving -them back to the neighbourhood of the Cordillera, forced them to submit -to his terms, he established a military post at Choelechel, as advised -by Villarino. His scheme was, I believe, to extend from this point a -chain of forts as far as Mendoza, thus keeping the Salinas Indians quiet -inside the chain, and driving the Araucanos up to their native valleys -of the Cordillera. - -This plan was never carried out, and the post, to which the name Isla -de Rosas had been given, was abandoned. Rosas was, notwithstanding his -having beaten the Indians back, very popular amongst them, and on his -overthrow a relation of his, Don Pedro Rosas, took refuge in the Salinas -with his artillery and battalion. Orkeke and several friends of mine -often inquired after Rosas, saying that 'he was a good man,' &c. - -The next expedition up the river occurred only a year previous to my -arrival in the Rio Negro, when the steamer Choelechel ascended as far -as the island, accompanied by a land force under the Commandante Murga. -Indians were found occupying the island, and a European was reported as -resident among them, and as exercising the authority of chief. Although -he refused to hold any communication with the Argentine commander, it -is most probable that this was the famous Frenchman Aurelie I., who was -said to have obtained a supply of arms landed in the Rio Negro, and -brought up to this island. The expedition did not think fit to disturb -the Indians, and returned with little to show as the result of their -journey. - -It was in contemplation to despatch another expedition, but I have as -yet heard no news of its progress from my Patagones correspondents, and -it is probably postponed till 'manana.' - -The large island of Choelechel, which I know only by description, never -having visited it, appears to be not only an important station in a -military point of view, but also admirably adapted for cultivation; -there are, however, some reasons against its occupation for that -purpose: the first is the undoubted hostility of the Indians to any -enterprise tending to occupy what they consider their country; secondly, -its distance from Carmen or Patagones as a base of supply for bringing -up implements and importing produce, supposing the first difficulties -overcome. A railroad or tramway might, I am sure, be constructed at -little cost to run down the whole valley of the river, or steam launches -of good power, fitted to burn wood, would furnish an effectual means of -communication. The present Government steamer Choelechel both draws too -much water and is of too small power to render material assistance in -the way of opening up the river. The Capitano Major Ramirez pointed out -these defects to his Government previous to her being brought to the Rio -Negro, but his opinion was overruled. - -Foyel and a cacique named Limaron, who claims territorial rights -over the island, had a scheme for cultivating Choelechel and other -advantageous spots, importing for the purpose Valdivian settlers used to -the labour from the other side of the Cordillera, and obtaining their -supplies and implements from Carmen. - -The present further limit of settlement in the valley is the advanced -military post called La Guardia Chica, situated about seven leagues -above the second Guardia, and about twenty-five leagues from Carmen. It -has not, I believe, been in existence many years, and was two years ago -the scene of an _emeute_ amongst the garrison, which was graphically -described to me at our watchfire in Las Manzanas by Rouque Pinto, who -had evidently assisted, if not as an actor, at least as a spectator at -the scene. The troops, who were mostly foreigners, according to his -account, suddenly rose, shot or stabbed the officer in command, and -then their lieutenant, who was killed whilst endeavouring to escape by -swimming the river. The mutineers then sacked the place, getting of -course intoxicated on the contents of the grog shops, and remained -in possession for a day or two, when a party, headed by a man named -Bonifaccio, a Government agent for treating with the Indians, rode in -and took the ringleaders, who were, I believe, summarily shot. I tell -the story as it was told me, and can only vouch for the truth of the -fact that the officers were killed in a mutiny, which was afterwards -suppressed by the determination and courage of Bonifaccio. - -Woodcutters frequently come up the river thus far to procure the red -willow timber. Their plan is simple: they ride up bringing their axes, -ropes, and provisions, and when arrived at the scene of their labours -turn their horses adrift, which readily find their way home. The men -form their timber into a raft, and voyage on it safely down the river. -This, although hard work, is a profitable occupation for men skilled -with the axe. Perhaps at some future period their operations will be -extended farther west, and rafts of Araucarian pine, apple, and other -trees will be floated down from the forests of the Cordillera. - -From the Guardia Chica or Little Guardia, still keeping on the north -side, a wide flat plain extends to the Guardia described in the previous -chapter; in this several farms are situated, most of them wheat-raising -establishments. Nearly all this land is leased by Senor Aguirre from -the Government, and he has at present a large number of men engaged in -cutting a channel or ditch for the purpose of irrigating an extensive -tract of land. The men employed in this work are nearly all of them -natives of Santiago del Estero, and it is needless to state that it is -a most expensive undertaking: it is only to be hoped that Senor Aguirre -will find his labour and expense repaid by fruitful crops. - -A few farms are rented by Welsh settlers, refugees from the Chupat, -who wisely have preferred the valley of the Rio Negro to that luckless -settlement. - -A little above the Guardia is situated the estancia of Messrs. Kincaid, -of which we caught a glimpse on our first arrival at civilisation. I had -the pleasure of staying some days at this farm, where a good deal of -land had been brought under cultivation, and flocks of sheep might be -seen grazing on the rich plain. - -The estancia, from its situation in what is termed a rincon or corner, -namely, a peninsula nearly surrounded by a bend of the river, possessed -great advantages, and as it is one of the most convenient places for -passing cattle to the south side, the owner, who keeps a boat on the -river, was enabled to do a profitable business with the Indians when -they received their rations, by assisting them in ferrying their animals -across. - -The overseer, under Mr. Kincaid, was a Scotch shepherd, whose gude wife -superintended the menage; the house was a substantial edifice, built -mainly by Messrs. Kincaid, the beams being taken from willow trees -felled in the rincon. Up to the time of my visit these gentlemen had -been working against fortune, neither of the yields of grain in the two -previous years of their occupation having been even a good average. - -Close to this estancia a number of ancient Indian burial grounds exist, -where, besides skulls and bones, numerous flint arrowheads may be found, -some of which, in my possession, have been exhibited to the learned -members of the Anthropological Institute, and found to present the -peculiar Indian type. Besides flint arrow-heads, pestles and mortars, -fashioned out of a porous stone, are also to be found. These articles -probably belonged to an old race of Indians who inhabited the Rio Negro -previous to the advent of Spaniards and horses, and the pestles and -mortars were probably used for pounding the algarroba bean into a paste -like that at present manufactured by Pampa Indians under Teneforo; -indeed, Luiz Aguirre gave me to understand that these Pampas were of -an original stock formerly inhabiting the valley of the Rio Negro, but -I leave these conjectures to the consideration of ethnologists more -skilled than myself. Near these ancient graves I renewed my acquaintance -with the old familiar vizcacha of the plains of Buenos Ayres, which I -have previously pointed out does not exist in Patagonia proper, viz., to -the south of the Rio Negro. Two other species of armadillo besides the -quirquincho were described as being found in their neighbourhood, but I -was not fortunate enough to meet with either description, as they were -at this season hybernating. Puma have been killed in the neighbourhood -of one of the sheep stations. The shepherd heard two outside the corral -on one occasion, and giving chase the puma ascended a small tree. The -shepherd was only lightly attired, but he stripped off his shirt and -fastened it to a stick planted by the tree, which unknown white object -so terrified the 'leones' that they remained quiet while he fetched his -gun and shot them both. - -The skin of an aguarra killed on the premises was also shown to me, but -I had not the good fortune to see one alive. The rarity of the animal -causes the skins to be highly valued, being worth 5_l._ each in Carmen. - -From the second Guardia a short gallop past the advanced barrancas, near -which the river flows in another bend, brings the traveller to another -wide plain, which to the north runs up into an abra deeply recessed in -the receding barranca: in this there are several farms; one of which, -six miles below the Guardia, belonging to Messrs. Fraser and Grenfell, -is named the Estancia San Andre, and is also situated (_i.e._ the house -and parts intended for wheat growing) inside a rincon or corner -partitioned off by a good whitethorn or chanal fence, resting at each -end in the river. The sheep and cattle graze during the day outside, but -the latter and the horses are invariably brought within the enclosure -at night for fear of theft. This foresight of enclosing the cattle had -saved Mr. Fraser a considerable loss a short time previous to my visit, -as a party of marauding Indians rode along outside the fence, and -finding nothing but sheep, which travel too slowly to be securely -lifted, proceeded to the next estancia and drove off the cattle and -horses, after stripping the shepherd of his clothes, but doing him no -bodily injury. - -When the news reached Mr. Fraser he got some men together and started -in hot pursuit; although a stern chase is a long one, the cattle grew -tired, and the Indians, probably some of Calficura's people, abandoned -them, escaping with the horses only. - -I passed several days at the Estancia San Andre, spending the greater -part of my time in reading, first the papers, and then all the available -books, and now and then sauntering about with a gun to shoot partridges -or pigeon, whilst my companions were busy, each with his team of oxen -ploughing in the seed, or carting bricks down to the new house in course -of completion. - -The house we occupied was of adobe, and getting rather into a tumbledown -condition; but the new house was a substantial brick building, the -bricks burnt by the future occupiers, and the walls run up by some -Italian masons. This new house was situated on the extremity of the -rincon, or corner, or where its apex touched the river: in front of it -was a small island, rapidly undergoing conversion from its original -reed-covered state to a fertile garden, in which a good crop of potatoes -had already been grown and fruit trees were being planted. - -The old house was to be given up to the Capataz, or head man, who then -resided with his wife in a portion of it. This man was a native, named -Medado; and I have since heard that, when pursuing the Indians who -had invaded some stations near Bahia San Blas, he swam the river -unaccompanied, and rescued two captives, for which he was made an -officer of National Guards. His chief business consisted in looking -after the cattle and horses, and training the racehorse, of which Mr. -Fraser was justly proud. - -During my stay the San Andre crack was entered against a horse of -Linares' over a short course, and won easily, landing stakes of about -eighty head of cattle. - -I noticed, whilst at San Andre, a very beautiful description of small -hawk, which appeared closely allied to our merlin, and shot one -specimen. - -The San Andre people, like those at Rincon Barrancas, had been -struggling against ill-fortune for two seasons; the last season their -harvest was a fair one, but unfortunately they delayed thrashing out for -a long time, waiting for a thrashing machine from England, which, when -it did arrive, would not work properly, and made it necessary for them -ultimately to resort to the native fashion of treading out with mares; -bad weather ensued, and a considerable portion of the grain was spoiled: -such are the woes of Rio Negro farmers, especially improving ones. -During my visit the daily routine of tilling, marking cattle, bringing -up the horses, &c., was carried on; but we found time to visit the next -estancia, owned by a Swiss gentleman residing in Buenos Ayres, and -managed in his absence by a Swiss countryman, known by the name of -Don Juan. Here, as sheep at the present time hardly paid the cost -of shearing, an experiment was being made of curing mutton hams for -exportation to Buenos Ayres, and a large number had been already cured -and were ready for shipment; but the result of the experiment is unknown -to me, and the ingenious Don Juan has since died. - -During my stay at San Andre and Rincon Barrancas I picked up a good -deal of information regarding the relations of the Indians with the -colonists, which perhaps may not be uninteresting to the reader. All the -settlements and guardias previously described are situated on the north -bank of the river, the south side being almost entirely, as far as this -point, in the hands of the Tame and other Indians. The Indian parties -who are most feared are the Araucanos, under the chief Rouque, and the -Pampas of Calficura, who has his head-quarters at the Salinas near Bahia -Blanca, while the former ranges from the neighbourhood of Choelechel -to the Cordillera. I should be inclined to think that Rouque is a -subordinate chief under Cheoeque, though I am not certain of the fact, -as the latter chief, during my visit to Las Manzanas, mentioned Rouque -as being with his people in the apple and pine groves, gathering the -autumn harvest; but I subsequently met some of these Indians at the -Guardia waiting for Rouque's ration, and recognised one as having been -present at our council and subsequent festivities in Las Manzanas. The -Government agent for Indian affairs, Bonifaccio, showed me a magnificent -pair of stirrups sent from Buenos Ayres as a present to Rouque, the -policy of the authorities being to keep him and Cheoeque from joining -Calficura in the threatened raid on the frontier. The reason assigned -for the declaration of war by this latter chief was the death--by which -he probably meant the imprisonment--of one of his inferior caciques; but -the real reason probably was that the Argentine Government, on account -of robberies committed by some of his people, had refused to renew his -ration of animals. The outbreak in Entre Rios, resulting from the death -of Urquiza, was then unforeseen, and it was intended to have despatched -a large force, under the command of Senor Mitre, to reinforce the whole -frontier, and if necessary crush Calficura; but the troubles caused by -Lopez Jordan necessitated the despatch of all available forces at once -to Entre Rios, and the meditated scheme of rendering the frontier -secure was postponed. Calficura subsequently took advantage of this by -attacking the frontier in various places, carrying off captives women -and children, besides numerous herds of cattle, winding up by attacking -and devastating the new settlements in the neighbourhood of Bahia -Blanca, his Indians penetrating boldly, almost without resistance, -into the very heart of the town, and returning with abundance of -booty. Patagones was not attacked, which may partially be due to -the arrangements effected in Las Manzanas, the unwillingness of the -Tehuelches to join, and the gaining over of Rouque. The latter chief, -however most probably played a double game, and whilst receiving rations -and gifts with one hand, allowed his people to join the raids and -received plunder with the other. - -One reason for the Indians not committing great raids on the Rio Negro -settlements is simply that cattle and horses hardly exist in sufficient -numbers to reward a foray on a large scale. Small parties sometimes -come in, as in the case described, when the horses were taken from the -'China Muerte,' the estancia of Mr. Fraser's neighbour; but these are -rather robberies than hostile invasions--indeed, no important raids have -occurred since the time of Lenquetrou, who united all the Indians for -the purpose, and swept the valley in a raid which, it may be remembered, -was described to me by Gravino, a participator in it, at Inacayal's -toldos, near the Pass of the Rio Limay. The settlers were naturally -anxious to know my opinion as to the probable safety of the Rio Negro, -and I assured them that, from what I knew, there was little chance of a -raid, but that on the contrary Bahia Blanca was sure to be attacked, and -I especially warned one of our countrymen who was on his way to Bahia -Blanca not to hazard himself by settling outside the town at the present -juncture. Englishmen are apt to suppose that because they possess good -weapons, rifles and revolvers, and are able and ready to use them, they -can resist an Indian attack; but the whole system of their warfare -consists in sudden surprises. They secretly collect their forces, and -waiting at a safe distance during the night, come in at the early dawn, -and perhaps the unsuspicious settler, going to the corral or looking -for his horses, observes in the distance what appears to be a troop of -horses, driven, according to custom, by one or two mounted men; these -approach unchallenged, but in a second every horse displays an armed -rider, shouting his war-cry. They then spread out, as if to encircle the -game, thus presenting no front to the rifles of their opponents, and -dash down lance in hand; and whilst some secure the animals, others -set fire to the dwellings and carry off the women--if there are -any--captives. In some cases they kill the men, but generally only -when much resistance is offered. - -Although their chief object in warfare is to carry off cattle and -captives, the Indians will at times fight desperately, regardless of -odds, and show little or no fear of death; and the survivors will never -leave their wounded or killed on the field. The Indians in the service -of the Government, mustering about fifty lances, and residing chiefly -on the south side, are commanded by a man named Linares, previously -mentioned as living at San Xaviel; he receives the pay and rations of -an officer in the army, of what rank I do not know, and all his men -regularly receive pay and rations. These are supposed to act as -gendarmerie; but although Linares and his four brothers are probably to -be depended on, I doubt very much if the rank and file could be trusted -to remain true to their colours in the event of a united raid taking -place, such as that organised by Lenquetrou. - -They have all acquired, by their lengthened residence in the -neighbourhood of bad characters, a rowdy, swaggering disposition not -generally, according to my experience, common amongst uncivilised -Indians; and frequent losses of cattle occur to people settled on the -south side, no doubt attributable to these dubious allies and defenders. - -Between San Andre and Carmen the winding course of the river twice -approaches and recedes from the barranca, forming two successive wide -alluvial plains, partly settled and partly in natural pasture, in one -of which a mill turned by water-power was at this time in course of -erection, the existing corn-mills being cumbrous, old-fashioned affairs -worked by horses. - -The barranca then abuts on the river, except in one place, where there -is a farm and wharf used for loading salt, forming a cliff close to the -river bank as far as Carmen. Above this farm and wharf an old fort, -apparently untenanted, and armed with one gun, is situated; and away to -the north-east, in an indentation in the plain, lies a large salina from -which the salt is extracted. - -From the immediate neighbourhood of this fort a fine view of the valley -below presented itself: right in front, or nearly due south, on the -other side of the river, lay San Xaviel, partially shrouded by trees; -scattered farms occurred to the west of this, and along the bank as far -as the south side of the town. In the river several delightful-looking -cultivated islands were to be seen, the most noticeable forming the -vineyard of Don Benito Crespo. Beyond the town, to the south-east, the -eye ranged over unbroken plains, with dots here and there marking sheep -stations or small farms. Of the south side little has been said: near -the town there are many small estancias; but a great drawback, I am -told, to settling there is the fact that no secure titles to the -properties are procurable, and therefore there is no security of -occupation in the event of acquiring a piece of land. An important -establishment must not be overlooked, namely, the saladero of Senor -Aguirre, situated about a league below the town of Carmen, whence a -considerable amount of hides and tallow is exported to England. During -my stay a North-German or Dutch barque was lying off the place loading -a cargo. Besides these commodities, the exports of Carmen include salt, -wheat, ostrich feathers, and peltries obtained from the Indians, and -some few ponchos and saddle-cloths; while the imports may be placed -under the head of sundries or notions, from imitation ponchos and cheap -finery to Paraguay tea and bad spirits. - -Although to my eyes, so long accustomed to treeless wastes, rocky -spur-like mountains, and wild grassy valleys, the valley of the Rio -Negro appeared almost a garden of Eden, no doubt to any new arrival from -England it would not have the same aspect. The valley through which -the river winds is destitute of any trees, besides the fringe of tall -willows which belt the stream, extending (except perhaps in Sauce -Blanco) nowhere more than a couple of hundred yards from the bank. The -plains stretching on either bank to the chanal and scrub covered deserts -in many places were so closely eaten down by sheep and cattle as to -present the minimum of vegetation, at least in the winter season. - -However bare and unpromising the land may seem, such is the fertility of -the soil that wheat may be grown, crop after crop, and year after year, -on the same land. Potatoes attain a very large size and are of excellent -quality, but these are chiefly grown in the islands of the river. - -The Government have lately issued orders that all islands belong -inalienably to the State, and all present occupiers are obliged to pay -a small head rent to the authorities, which seems to point at a future -occupation of Choelechel. - -Besides potatoes, all other European vegetables and fruit-trees grow -well; tobacco seems to thrive, and vines promise to furnish a staple of -export in the shape of Rio Negro wine. In one of the islands, occupied -by Don Benito Crespo, and leased by him on shares to some Spaniards from -the neighbourhood of Cadiz, a great number of vines have been planted -and large quantities of grapes pressed out yearly. The wine, which is -called 'Chacoli,' has the muscatel flavour and bouquet of Moselle, and -is a thin pure wine, excellent to drink in the warm weather, as it is by -itself not at all strong or heady. I should imagine that it would not -bear exportation, but Don Benito has hopes that his Andalusians will -shortly be able to produce a superior quality. Besides wine, I tasted at -the table of this hospitable gentleman some brandy, the produce of the -same grape: it was of course colourless, of good taste, but any number -of degrees over proof. - -A sportsman can always find amusement either in shooting ducks, -partridges, geese, and other wild fowl, or mounting his horse and -chasing ostriches or deer in the abras or openings running far up like -inlets of grass between the scrub-covered promontories of the barranca. -Fish may be caught in the river, chiefly, I believe, the delicious -pejerey[13] or large smelt, and those perch-like fish described as -existing in the rivers of Patagonia. - - [13] Atherinichthys Argentinensis. Cunningham, p. 54. - -For guanaco, the pampas near San Blas must be visited, but the valley -and the lagoons formed by backwaters of the river furnish abundance -of black-necked swans, upland geese, red-headed ducks, widgeon, teal, -flamingoes, and roseate spoonbills. - -It will be evident that to any active and enterprising young men, -prepared to rough it a little, and possessed of a small sum of ready -money, who wish to invest in land and cultivate, there is much to be -said for and against the Rio Negro as a home. The land may be had at a -reasonable price, and little clearing is required. Implements may be -brought from Buenos Ayres, either in a sailing ship or by the steamer -which is supposed to run monthly, though rather uncertain in its -movements. The climate is pleasant and healthy, and one good season of -harvest would almost repay the outlay on a moderate establishment. - -As to the drawbacks to be placed on the contra side, the river is -subject at times to floods, at other times droughts prevail, and, unless -artificial irrigation be resorted to, crops will fail, besides which -occasionally a million of locusts will save the farmer the trouble of -reaping his harvest; the cattle, of which most people keep enough to -supply milk and meat for home consumption, may be run off by Indians; -and last, but not least, the settler may lose his life by the hand of -some felon. But no colony offers a certainty of making a rapid fortune. - -The great mistake most English settlers make is going out to a place -with the idea that they are going to make a 'pile' in a year or two and -then return to Europe. - -In my opinion the settler should go with the intention of making the -place he has chosen his home: then if successful he can return, but he -should not look forward to it. The Basque population are looked upon in -the Argentine provinces as the best immigrants, as they generally stay -in the country. The Italians, on the contrary, grub away for some years, -starving and pinching, until they have amassed a small sum of money -sufficient to enable them to live at ease in Italy, while English -and all others are looked upon as people to be fleeced if possible. -Sheepfarming in the Rio Negro is, I think, to be avoided, as in other -places in the Argentine provinces. Senor Aguirre told me that he had -lost a large sum of money in this investment, and many of my countrymen -from the Rio de la Plata can sympathise with him. - -Two sturdy Scotchmen are at present trying the experiment near Carmen, -and as sheep were at a low price when they commenced, they may succeed. - -It is a question in my mind whether larch or araucaria pines would not -thrive along the flats bordering the river; perhaps the climate is too -dry for the latter, but the experiment is almost worth trying for anyone -possessed of means and inclination to take up his abode for a term of -years in the Rio Negro. For my own part, were I a settler, I should -be induced to confine my efforts to the cultivation of the vine, and -perhaps tobacco, keeping of course the necessary stock of animals for -home consumption. - -It must be clearly understood that I am not recommending or interested -in the Rio Negro as a place to which intending emigrants should direct -their thoughts; it undoubtedly possesses great natural advantages, which -are, as yet, insufficiently developed by most of the colonists. Their -estancias, with the exception of those of my Scotch and English friends, -are generally small, miserable-looking tenements, with offal scattered -round the ill-kept corral; and their agriculture is as indifferent -as the neglected appearance of the houses would suggest. But for all -that, there is not a really poor man--except in consequence of his own -laziness or drunken habits--in Carmen and its vicinity, and labour is -in great demand at high wages, while living is cheap, which experience, -since my return, has taught me to be a painful contrast to the state of -our own population at home. - -I was recalled from Rincon Barrancas and my speculations on the Rio -Negro as a field for emigrants by the distant view of Indians, espied -from the lookout on the top of my host's house, as they descended from -the travesia, and hastened back to the town to receive them, according -to promise. It will be remembered that on my arrival as chasqui I -presented to Senor Murga my despatches, in which Casimiro detailed his -arrangements for the protection of Patagones. A list of the chiefs -to whom rations or gifts of cattle, horses, &c., were due, was also -enclosed, and a request that a hundred mares should be sent out at once -with the returning messengers. After some days' delay I was sent for -by Senor Murga, who, it may be here remarked, is reputed to thoroughly -understand the Indians, and to display considerable address in managing -them. It was amusing to observe the natural suspicion and perplexity -aroused in the mind of the Commandante concerning my position among the -Indians; and my reply to his question as to what rank and influence I -possessed among them, and how I was interested for them--that I was -simply a guest and friend--did not seem at all sufficient to explain -matters. But he discussed the question of the chiefs and their requests, -and assured me that all the chiefs who should be found to be entitled -to rations should duly receive them: he, however, absolutely refused to -send out any mares, declaring that Casimiro should receive all his dues -when he arrived. - -As the grand Cacique had for several years not drawn his annual -allowance, amounting to 200 cows, 100 mares, 500 sheep, and a quantity -of clothes and yerba, it can be well imagined that with fair play and -prudence he would, on this visit, become a wealthy as well as powerful -Cacique, as a reward for his labours. At his previous visit he had -left a quantity of cattle and sheep, under charge of some of the Tame -Indians, to increase and multiply; but alas! on his arrival, in reply to -his inquiries, only one small flock of sheep was forthcoming, the rest, -instead of multiplying, having been gambled away by their guardians. The -liberality of the Argentines and the largeness of the gifts may appear -surprising; and indeed the nominal value, as charged to the Government -for these annual gifts to the Indians, is very great. I saw myself 1,000 -head of cattle pass on their way to Rouque, and Cheoeque was expecting -1,200. The cattle were brought down from the Tandil by purveyors, whose -business must be as lucrative as that of American army contractors; -for the Indians are sometimes when sober, or oftener when intoxicated, -induced to part with their newly-acquired possessions for a mere trifle, -and the cattle, reverting to the dealer's hands, thus do duty over again -as a ration perhaps to the same Cacique. Thus the Indians benefit but -little, while the Government pays a large amount and the purveyors and -other agents grow rich, Indians and Government being esteemed apparently -as lawful and natural pigeons, to be plucked by any safe means. - -The Commandante's reply had been duly forwarded to Casimiro, together -with some liquor and presents for my friends; and the morning following -my return from the country I was awoke early by a knock at the door, and -on opening it found five or six Tehuelches who had made their way over -the river to my quarters. After giving them a mate we all proceeded to -the store, and I gave one or two some small presents. Among these first -arrivals was my friend Jackechan, the Cacique from the Chupat, who -confided to me that he had been very drunk the night before. The -Tehuelches had not, however, waited till they reached the settlements -for an opportunity of abandoning themselves to the pernicious enjoyment -of 'lum.' It soon came out that their delay at Valchita had been -necessitated by a prolonged debauch on liquor procured from the Guardia. -Casimiro had of course set the example, and the drink had, as usual, -also led to quarrelling, which resulted in a general fight; several had -been killed, including Cayuke, so often mentioned as a staunch friend; -and I was greatly grieved at being unable to get any accurate tidings of -my Herculean comrade the good-natured Waki, who had, beyond doubt, been -killed at the same time. - -Such common occurrences were little regarded by my visitors, all of -whom were caciquillos, and whom I presently dismissed rejoicing, with a -promise to visit them on the south side in the evening. But my troubles -had only just commenced. All day long Tehuelches kept arriving, and not -knowing what to do with themselves, followed me about wherever I went, -much to the amusement of some of my acquaintances. - -In the evening I crossed to the other side, and remained for the night -with my old hosts. All were in a great state of delight, as their -rations were to be given them without delay--the yerba, sugar, and -spirits from Aguirre's stores, and the cattle and mares from the Guardia -in front of Sauce Blanco. Old Orkeke, who had not expected to receive -rations, had been allowed, in consequence of my urging his claims, the -same as other minor chiefs, and was consequently in high delight. - -They were, on the other hand, very dissatisfied at the extremely low -prices which their feathers and peltries had realised, and abused -the dealers very roundly as a lot of rogues. False weights and other -tricks of trade had been freely employed to cheat the Indians; and the -storekeepers also charged exorbitantly for necessaries supplied to -them. Their custom is to bivouac in the yards or corrals at the back of -the stores, where they light fires and cook as in their own country, and -pay in the end as dearly for their accommodation as if in a West End -hotel. I delighted the heart of Mrs. Orkeke by presenting her with -a long-promised iron pot and a shawl; and to Hinchel's son I gave a -promised pack of cards, and to the children raisins, sweets, or bread. - -Jackechan's wife and daughter, who had always shown me great kindness, I -took into the store, and told them to choose whatever they fancied most; -whereupon they both, without hesitation, selected two small bottles of -scent to put on their hair. I must remark, _en passant_, that all this -family were exceptionally clean in their habits and persons, and I -promised, if I returned to Patagonia, to travel in their toldo, as I -had then some idea of journeying by the sea-coast to the Chupat, and -perhaps to Santa Cruz. Jackechan's son--the boy with light hair and -complexion--volunteered to come to England with me, and I consented to -take him; but on hearing that there were no ostriches or guanaco where -we were going, he thought better of it. - -Some of Quintuhual's and Foyel's people also arrived, but behaved -themselves in a very different manner to the Tehuelches. Their women and -children had all been left in Geylum, and the men walked about in a very -independent manner, with a proud, superior bearing, not condescending to -admire anything, or to ask for any presents. One of them, on the boatman -requesting his fare for bringing him across the river, refused flatly, -and then drew his revolver to enforce his denial. - -Last, but not least, as became so great a personage, Casimiro arrived, -attended by Mena, who acted as secretary. His costume had suffered -considerably from his late pursuits, and his appearance was by no means -improved by a gash in his face received from a Manzanero in a brawl at -Sauce Blanco. He installed himself in the hotel, hired the fifes and -drums of the garrison to play whilst he was at breakfast, and for two -days kept open house for all comers, ending the day in an advanced state -of intoxication. - -At the end of this debauch a bill was handed to him which, I should -think, took the value of nearly half his rations. This sobered him, and -he, taking my advice, left the hotel, and crossing the river proceeded -to Sauce Blanco to look after his rations and Indians. On the whole, the -Indians behaved very well whilst in the settlement. I saw, of course, -some drunkenness, but not nearly so much as I had expected. One and all -parted from me with most cordial farewells, and pressed me to return to -the Pampa, as they call it, as soon as possible. Jackechan was one of -the last to leave. He, as well as one or two of the others, had found an -old acquaintance in Mr. Humphreys, formerly of the Chupat colony, but -now settled in Patagones as carpenter. We all met in Mr. Humphreys's -house one Sunday after church, and had a long talk relative to this -Chupat settlement, and to the answer received to my letter brought by -Jackechan's chasqui. The statement in it that the settlers had no stores -of any sort, and that of the Indian messenger that they were almost -destitute of clothing, have been fully corroborated by the despatches of -Commander Dennistoun, H.M.S. Cracker, published whilst these pages were -being written. Mr. Humphreys considered himself and the few companions -who had accompanied him to the Rio Negro fortunate in having left -when they did; and all agreed that the colonists would do better if -transferred to the Rio Negro, where those who were skilled in trades -would be able to live in comparative ease, and the mere labourers find -plenty of work, and be able at any rate to maintain themselves. I cannot -but record my astonishment that Mr. Lewis Jones--who, although I am not -personally acquainted with him, must, from the report given me by the -Indians, be a man of no ordinary understanding--should endeavour to -maintain the colony in a place which had formerly been tried by others -and abandoned as hopeless, the distance of the harbour--thirty miles -off--alone being a certain obstacle to its prosperity. - -The visionary scheme of a Welsh Utopia, in pursuit of which these -unfortunate emigrants settled themselves, ought not to be encouraged, -likely as it is to end in the starvation of the victims to it. Had it -not been for the charity of the Argentine Government, this must have -been their fate ere now. Jackechan described to me that he had seen the -settlers 'eating grass,' and had taught some of them how to hunt and -furnished them with bolas. The Blue Book just published confirms the -truth of this statement, and perhaps renders it needless for me to go -more into the subject; but I must add that, though at that time friendly -and well-disposed, this chief considered the settlers as intruders on -his territory, and avowed his intention of demanding payment at a future -time--a refusal of rent being in such a case sure to be followed by a -very summary process of cattle driving and eviction. - -The Rio Negro, with all its drawbacks of Indians, locusts, floods, and -droughts, is certainly infinitely superior to the Chupat. If the Welsh -wish to live as a separate community, I am sure that Senor Aguirre will -only be too happy to let them settle on his tract of land between the -Upper and Second Guardia, where already some of their countrymen--Messrs. -Williams and Owen--have taken land. - -After the Indians had left, I gave myself over to the enjoyments of -social life in Patagones, which did not prove sufficient to reconcile me -to the delay consequent on the non-arrival of the steamer. My days were -spent in walking about, playing billiards, and taking mate; and a visit -in the evening to Don Domingo's, where a party were in the habit of -meeting to play 'truco' for sweetmeats. Sometimes we varied this by -calling on some of the fair senoritas, or spending the evening at the -house of Mr. Davis, the engineer of the Choelechel, in the company of -his amiable senora. All the young ladies agreed that Patagones was very -'triste,' especially those who had been to Buenos Ayres, and had enjoyed -the delights of the opera and bands of music in the Plaza. - -On Sundays, after mass and service in the mission station, attended by -all the English, a race would sometimes take place, or, in default, -there would be sure to be a cock fight held on the south side; at -either of which Commandante Murga invariably attended. There was also a -fives court, where some Basques or natives were generally to be found -playing. Once or twice I accompanied Dr. Humble--not, however, on -Sunday--in a pull on the river. Every day we looked out anxiously -for the steamer, which had been so long overdue as to make it appear -probable that she had met with an accident. Tired of the delay, I had -just negotiated my passage in a Dutch schooner laden with grain for -Buenos Ayres, when one evening the steamer arrived, having been delayed -in Bahia Blanca. - -In the morning I was agreeably surprised by the size of the steamer, -formerly the Montauk, of Boston, but rechristened the Patagones, and -owned by Messrs. Aguirre and Murga. She was pretty well fitted up as -regards accommodation, but all the decks, cabins, and every part of her -presented a very dirty appearance. - -After two days' stay she hoisted the blue peter, and, having taken my -passage, together with Messrs. Fraser and Kincaid, who were going to -Buenos Ayres on business, and Mr. Gibb, who was on his return to Europe, -repaired on board, where we found a considerable number of passengers -assembled; the distinguished billiard-marker who had annexed the clock -amongst the number. About 4 P.M. we weighed, and, bidding adieu to -Patagones, started down the river with the ebb tide, intending to anchor -for the night in the Boca and cross the long line of sandbank, which -forms a dangerous bar, with the morning tide. We steamed along smoothly -enough until just well within sight of the ships lying in the Boca, -when a sudden concussion announced that she was ashore on a sandbank, -where she stuck hard and fast. We thought little of the misadventure, -expecting to be off at high tide, and some of us went on shore and -pic-nicked on the flats bordering the river. We returned about ten, and -about midnight I was woke up by hearing one of the funnel guys snap, -and, going on deck, found that, though the bow of the ship was high -out of the water, the stern was in deep water, and the ship severely -straining amidships in consequence. A few minutes after the main steam -pipe broke: the steam had, however, luckily been turned off, or the -consequences would have been disastrous to those in the after part of -the ship. The ladies were then landed, for fear of accidents, and the -remainder of us held a consultation as to how we should get to Buenos -Ayres, and ultimately went to sleep on it. - -The following morning the Choelechel came down and succeeded in towing -the vessel off, and the Dutch captain of the schooner came on board and -agreed to take me and some others on to Buenos Ayres. We accordingly -jumped into a boat, and proceeding down to the Boca, got on board the -schooner, hoping to sail the next day; but were again doomed to be -disappointed. - -The captain went up to buy provisions, and did not return till late the -following evening. Meantime the wind set in foul in the morning, and -the line of roaring white breakers on the bar showed the impossibility -of sailing; so we were compelled to wait, looking out on the dreary -sand-dunes which narrowed the entrance to the river on either side. - -Some of us went on shore to visit the pilot station, and had a talk with -the pilot, a brave old German or Dutchman. This veteran and his men -had successfully defended his station against a large force of Indians -in the raid of Lenquetrou. The enemy desired to get possession of a -howitzer which is kept in the station, and the Indians rushed actually -up to the enclosure, while the men fired on them almost muzzle to their -breasts, at last succeeding in beating them off with immense loss. - -The boat's crew consisted of men of all nations. I got into conversation -with one, at first in Spanish, then in English. After lending me his -pipe, he looked hard at me and said, 'I know you: I am Pat Sweeny, and -ran away from the Sheldrake. What ship did you run away from?' I was not -dressed in my best clothes, and looked doubtless weather beaten enough; -but I recognised my friend, though he failed to remember me, and was not -enlightened as to my identity. Several weary days were spent in drinking -schnapps, and ineffectually trying to catch fish, when at last a -fair breeze sprang up, which speedily wafted us out of sight of the -Patagonian shores, and after a boisterous passage of six days the anchor -was dropped off Buenos Ayres. - - - - -APPENDIX A. - - -_A partial Vocabulary of the Tsoneca Language, as spoken by the Northern -Tehuelches._ - - ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA. - - I _or_ mine ya - you _or_ yours ma - his _or_ hers ti - this one _or_ he win - who hem - here nanik - there mawoori _or_ mawook _or_ mon - where kinik - when kenoesh - what ket - how ---- - how much _or_ many kinkein kerum - above eok - below penk _or_ _wumka_ - immediately marso - to-morrow nush - yesterday nush - day after to-morrow eounnush - quickly gemmo - jealous ynaien - foolish chops - quick sourno - good ketz - pretty coquet - bad terosh - ill hammersh - hot yporsk - cold kekoosh - big chaish - little talenque - light hoeppen - heavy pogelsh - like nourks - far eouns - near ekel - similar waks - tired wotysk - hungry pashlik - difficult wickemi - hard chornk - soft katt[=n] - ready kush - yes ahon (_very guttural_) - no kompsh - man (_Indian_) ahonican - man (_Christian_) hachish - people (_Indian_) tchonik - woman (_married_) karken - father yank - mother yanna - wife ysher - son ykallum - brother yten - sister ystshen - children coquetra - friend _or_ companion gennow - head kittar - eyes oetl - nose tchal - tongue tal - lips chum - teeth oer - hands tsicc'r - legs noa - feet shankence - toldo _or_ house kou - poles for ditto hoe - hides, ditto wummum - thongs cowan - mantle kai - fillet for hair kotchi - boots tsuccre - clothes kakewit - hat kor - bolas (_three balls_) yatschiko - bolas (_two balls_) chume - sinews katz - lazo laso - knife paiken - gun gilwum - revolver gilwinikush - powder tchampum - caps kun - lance waike - pot (_for cooking_) askem - bottle oetre - barrel barr - (bodkin) needle, _or_ nail huellen - bag huell - pipe aniwee _or_ conganou - tobacco golk - saddle tusk - bridle hum - bit kankion - stirrups keshon - spurs wateren - girth genig - straps for securing horses' legs kaligi - whip wakenem - belt wati - sun (_or_ a day) gengenko - moon (_or_ a month) showan - stars aaskren - a year tsor - fire yaik - water ley - snow gel - wind hoshen - rain tewa - smoke p['=a][=a]n - clouds pawall - night queyomen - wood kaki - hill yorri - place haik - land _or_ country yerroen - river koona - road nooma - poncho lecho - meat yipper - stones katch - rocks air - grass _or_ pasture kor _or_ oet - broth _or_ tea aasleish - horse ewoe _or_ cawall - cattle choi - sheep camp[=a]n - large deer shoen - guanaco rou - ostrich (_or_ rhea) mikkeoush - puma gol - fox palt[=n] - skunk wickster - armadillo ano - hare p[.a][.a]hi - fowls peyou - fawn _or_ colt kooroo - skins wummun - gold winki - eggs [.o][.o]m - bones kotsh - marrow tcham - grease am - a chief gounok - fish [.o]in - marriage coyenk - wild potatoes appely - sleep shensk - a file kikeriki - council aix - ill hammersh - ship youlel - gum _or_ rosin maki - cards bersen - sit down pespesh - catch korigi - to be tired ywotisk - I go yschengs - he goes wansk - he has hell - give me moyout - lend me mon - write [.a][=a]kren - buy amili - change quewarien - I am tired wotyskiya - I am hungry pashlik ya - I am sleepy yshensk - to kill ymuck - to fight ywowesk - to sing yworrish - I like yshorske ya - to mount on horseback amcotts _or_ oin - to race kattern - to send messenger wickeni coeto - to talk ayensh - I understand ya omkes - I do not understand ytonkes - come along heroschengs - to hunt aoukem - to speak kinscott - to do a thing micheten - make maki - to work tirsk - to light kaime - to fill meshawr - to eat shehattu - march ween - to break charsk - to play nayensh - - EXCLAMATIONS. - - of surprise wati, wati, wati - of anger worrioo-walloo - curse it nourenk y se - on erring with the bolas wow - on catching an animal or in fighting kow - - COLOURS. - - black chorlo - white golwin - yellow waieken - green arkum - red k[=a][=o]pen - blue kaliken - brown _or_ bay soorsh - piebald hogel - - NUMERALS. - - one chuche - two houke - three aaes - four carge - five ktsin - six winikush - seven ouk - eight winicarge - nine humanakoutsen - ten kake - eleven chuche kor - twelve houke kor - thirteen aas kor - kor added up to twenty - twenty wommenikukikor - thirty aasenikaki - forty cargekaki - fifty ktsinkaki - a hundred patack - a thousand huaranca - - -SOME SENTENCES. - - ENGLISH. AHONICANKA, OR TSONECA. - - Thank you Nouremi naki - Lend me the pipe Mon aniwee--aniwee moyout - Catch my horse Korigi ya - Come along, friend Heroschengs gennow - Will you come out hunting? (_Lit._ Heros aoukemshaw kinscott ya - Come out hunting, tell me.) - The people are fighting Ywowishk chonik - How many are killed? Kinkeinkerum ymuck - Where are you going? Kinek nis chengs - Cook some meat; I am hungry Herosh yipper wummi pashlik ya - I understand Indian Omkes Ahonicanka - I like your wife Ma yshorsks ysher - What do you want? Keterum karn? - It rains much to-day Chaiske nush que tewa - We are going to see many people Wushkaeye seonk chonik - We are going to see another country Wushkaeye kaiok yerroen - Come here quickly Gommo heout witka - What do you buy? Ket, m amli. - - - - -APPENDIX B. - - -_Testimony of successive Voyagers to the Stature of the Patagonians._ - - A.D. - 1520. _Pigafetta_ The least, taller than the tallest men in - Castille. - - 1578. _Drake_ Not taller than some Englishmen. - - 1591. _Knyvet_ Fifteen or sixteen spans high. - - 1598. _Van Noort_ Natives of tall stature. - - 1615. _Schouten_ Human skeletons 10 or 11 feet long. - - 1669. _Narborough_ Mr. Wood was taller than any of them. - - 1750. _Falkner_ A cacique 7 feet and some inches high. - - 1764. _Byron_ A chief about 7 feet high, and few of the - others shorter. - - 1766. _Wallis_ Measured some of the tallest: one was - 6 feet 7 inches, several 6 feet 5 inches; - the average height was between 5 feet - 10 inches and 6 feet. - - 1783. _Viedma_ Generally 6 feet high. - - 1829. _D'Orbigny_ Never found any exceeding 5 feet 11 inches; - average height 5 feet 4 inches. - - 1833. _Fitzroy and Darwin_ Tallest average of any people; average - height 6 feet, some taller and a few - shorter. - - 1867-8. _Cunningham_ Rarely less than 5 feet 11 inches in - height, and often exceeding 6 feet by - a few inches. One measured 6 feet - 10 inches. - - - - - LONDON: PRINTED BY - SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE - AND PARLIAMENT STREET - - - - -[Illustration: MAP OF PATAGONIA] - - - - - * * * * * - - - - - Albemarle Street, London, - _February, 1871_. - - -MR. MURRAY'S - -GENERAL LIST OF WORKS. - - - ALBERT'S (Prince) SPEECHES AND ADDRESSES ON PUBLIC OCCASIONS; with an - Introduction, giving some outline of his Character. With Portrait. - 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._; or _Cheap Edition_, fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ABBOTT'S (Rev. J.) Memoirs of a Church of England Missionary in the - North American Colonies. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ABERCROMBIE'S (John) Enquiries concerning the Intellectual Powers and - the Investigation of Truth. _Nineteenth Edition._ Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Philosophy of the Moral Feelings. _Fourteenth Edition._ Fcap. - 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ACLAND'S (Rev. Charles) Popular Account of the Manners and Customs of - India. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - AESOP'S FABLES. A New Version. With Historical Preface. By Rev. THOMAS - JAMES. With 100 Woodcuts, by TENNIEL and WOLF. _63rd Thousand._ Post - 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - AGRICULTURAL (The Royal) JOURNAL. 8vo. 6_s._ - - AIDS TO FAITH: a Series of Theological Essays. By the following - Writers. _Seventh Edition._ 8vo. 9_s._ - - Dean Mansel. - Bishop of Cork. - Rev. Dr. M'Caul. - Canon Cook. - Professor Rawlinson. - Bishop of Ely. - Archbishop of York. - Bishop of Gloucester & Bristol. - - AMBER-WITCH (The). A most interesting Trial for Witchcraft. Translated - from the German by LADY DUFF GORDON. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ARMY LIST (The). _Published Monthly by Authority._ 18mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - ARTHUR'S (Little) History of England. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1864. Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ATKINSON'S (Mrs.) Recollections of Tartar Steppes and their - Inhabitants. Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - AUNT IDA'S Walks and Talks; a Story Book for Children. By a LADY. - Woodcuts. 16mo. 5_s._ - - AUSTIN'S (John) LECTURES ON GENERAL JURISPRUDENCE; or, the Philosophy - of Positive Law. _Third Edition._ Revised and Edited by ROBERT - CAMPBELL. 2 Vols. 8vo. 32_s._ - - ---- (Sarah) Fragments from German Prose Writers. With Biographical - Notes. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ADMIRALTY PUBLICATIONS; Issued by direction of the Lords Commissioners - of the Admiralty:-- - - A MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY, for the Use of Travellers. By Various - Writers. Edited by Sir JOHN F. HERSCHEL. _Fourth Edition._ Revised - by Rev. ROBERT MAIN, M.A. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - - AIRY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS made at Greenwich. 1836 to 1847. - Royal 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1840 to 1847. Royal - 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL, MAGNETICAL, AND METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS, 1848 - to 1868. Royal 4to. 50_s._ each. - - ---- APPENDICES TO THE ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. - - 1836.--I. Bessel's Refraction Tables. 8_s._ - II. Tables for converting Errors of R.A. and N.P.D. into - Errors of Longitude and Ecliptic P.D. 8_s._ - - 1837.--I. Logarithms of Sines and Cosines to every Ten Seconds - of Time. 8_s._ - II. Table for converting Sidereal into Mean Solar Time. 8_s._ - - 1842.--Catalogue of 1439 Stars. 8_s._ - - 1845.--Longitude of Valentia. 8_s._ - - 1847.--Description of Altazimuth. (_Reprint._) 5_s._ - - 1851.--Maskelyne's Ledger of Stars. 6_s._ - - 1852.--I. Description of the Transit Circle. (_Reprint._) 5_s._ - II. Regulations of the Royal Observatory. 2_s._ - - 1853.--Bessel's Refraction Tables. 3_s._ - - 1854.--I. Description of the Zenith Tube. 3_s._ - II. Six Years' Catalogue of Stars. 10_s._ - - 1856.--Description of the Galvanic Apparatus at Greenwich - Observatory. 8_s._ - - 1862.--I. Seven Years' Catalogue of Stars. 10_s._ - II. Plan of the Building and Ground of the Royal Observatory, - Greenwich. 3_s._ - III. Longitude of Valentia. 3_s._ - - 1864.--I. Moon's Semidiameter. - II. Planetary Observations, 1831 to 1835. - - 1868.--I. Corrections of Bouvard's Elements of Jupiter and - Saturn. 4_s._ - II. Seven Years' Catalogue of 2760 Stars for 1861. 10_s._ - III. Description of the Great Equatorial. 5_s._ - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL RESULTS. 1848 to 1868. 4to. 8_s._ - - ---- MAGNETICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL RESULTS. 1848 to 1868. 4to. 8_s._ - each. - - ---- REDUCTION OF THE OBSERVATIONS OF PLANETS. 1750 to 1830. Royal - 4to. 50_s._ - - ---- ---- LUNAR OBSERVATIONS. 1750 to 1830. 2 Vols. Royal 4to. - 50_s._ each. - - ---- ---- 1831 to 1851. 4to. 20_s._ - - BERNOULLI'S SEXCENTENARY TABLE. _London_, 1779. 4to. - - BESSEL'S AUXILIARY TABLES FOR HIS METHOD OF CLEARING LUNAR - DISTANCES. 8vo. - - COOK, KING, and BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS _London_, 1782. - 4to. 20_s._ - - ENCKE'S BERLINER JAHRBUCH, for 1830. _Berlin_, 1828. 8vo. 9_s._ - - HANSEN'S TABLES DE LA LUNE. 4to. 20_s._ - - HARRISON'S PRINCIPLES OF HIS TIME-KEEPER. Plates. 1797. 4to. 5_s._ - - LAX'S TABLES FOR FINDING THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE. 1821. 8vo. - 10_s._ - - LUNAR OBSERVATIONS at GREENWICH. 1783 to 1819. Compared with the - Tables, 1821. 4to. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MACLEAR ON LACAILLE'S ARC OF MERIDIAN. 2 Vols. 20_s._ - - MASKELYNE'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOING OF HARRISON'S WATCH. 1767. 4to. - 2_s._ 6_d._ - - MAYER'S DISTANCES of the MOON'S CENTRE from the PLANETS. 1822, - 3_s._; 1823, 4_s._ 6_d._ 1824 to 1835, 8vo. 4_s._ each. - - ---- TABULAE MOTUUM SOLIS ET LUNAE. 1770. 5_s._ - - ---- ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS MADE AT GOTTINGEN, from 1756 to 1761. - 1826. Folio. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - NAUTICAL ALMANACS, from 1767 to 1874. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- SELECTIONS FROM THE ADDITIONS up to 1812. 8vo. 5_s._ 1834-54. - 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- SUPPLEMENTS, 1823 to 1833, 1837 and 1838. 8vo. 2_s._ each. - - ---- TABLE requisite to be used with the N.A. 1781. 8vo. 5_s._ - - POND'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1811 to 1835. 4to. 21_s._ each. - - SABINE'S PENDULUM EXPERIMENTS to Determine the Figure of the Earth. - 1825. 4to. 40_s._ - - SHEPHERD'S TABLES for Correcting Lunar Distances. 1772. Royal 4to. - 21_s._ - - ---- TABLES, GENERAL, of the MOON'S DISTANCE from the SUN, and 10 - STARS. 1787. Folio. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - TAYLOR'S SEXAGESIMAL TABLE. 1780. 4to. 15_s._ - - ---- TABLES OF LOGARITHMS. 4to. 3_l._ - - TIARK'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS for the Longitude of MADEIRA. - 1822. 4to. 6_s._ - - ---- CHRONOMETRICAL OBSERVATIONS for Differences of Longitude - between DOVER, PORTSMOUTH, and FALMOUTH. 1823. 4to. 6_s._ - - VENUS and JUPITER: Observations of, compared with the Tables. - _London_, 1822. 4to. 2_s._ - - WALES' AND BAYLY'S ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS. 1777. 4to. 21_s._ - - WALES' REDUCTION OF ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS made in the Southern - Hemisphere. 1764-1771. 1788. 4to. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - BARBAULD'S (Mrs.) Hymns in Prose for Children. With 112 Original - Designs. Small 4to. 5_s._; or _Fine Paper_, 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BARROW'S (Sir John) Autobiographical Memoir. From Early Life to - Advanced Age. Portrait. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (John) Life, Exploits, and Voyages of Sir Francis Drake. With - numerous Original Letters. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - BARRY'S (Sir Charles) Life and Works. By ALFRED BARRY, D.D. _Second - Edition._ With Portrait, and Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 15_s._ - - BATES' (H. W.) Records of a Naturalist on the River Amazons during - eleven years of Adventure and Travel. _Second Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BEAUCLERK'S (Lady Diana) Summer and Winter in Norway. _Third Edition._ - With Illustrations. Small 8vo. 6_s._ - - BEES AND FLOWERS. Two Essays. By REV. THOMAS JAMES. Reprinted from the - "Quarterly Review." Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ each. - - BELCHER'S (Lady) Account of the Mutineers of the 'Bounty,' and their - Descendants; with their Settlements in Pitcairn and Norfolk Islands. - With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BELL'S (Sir Charles) Familiar Letters. Portrait. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BERTHA'S Journal during a Visit to her Uncle in England. Containing a - Variety of Interesting and Instructive Information. _Seventh - Edition._ Woodcuts. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BERTRAM'S (Jas. G.) Harvest of the Sea: a Contribution to the Natural - and Economic History of British Food Fishes. _Second Edition._ With - 50 Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BIBLE COMMENTARY; THE HOLY BIBLE, according to the Authorised Version, - A.D. 1611. With Explanatory and Critical Notes and a Revision of the - Translation. By BISHOPS and other CLERGY of the ANGLICAN CHURCH. - Edited by Canon F. C. COOK, M.A. Vol. I. (in Two Parts). Medium 8vo. - 30_s._ - - Part I. { GENESIS Bishop of Ely. - { EXODUS Canon Cook and Rev. Samuel Clark. - - { LEVITICUS Rev. Samuel Clark. - Part II. { NUMBERS Rev. T. E. Espin. - { DEUTERONOMY Rev. J. F. Thrupp. - - BICKMORE'S (Albert S.) Travels in the Eastern Archipelago 1865-6; a - Popular Description of the Islands, with their Natural History, - Geography, Manners and Customs of the People, &c. With Maps and - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - BIRCH'S (Samuel) History of Ancient Pottery and Porcelain: Egyptian, - Assyrian, Greek, Roman, and Etruscan. With 200 Illustrations. 2 - Vols. Medium 8vo. 42_s._ - - BISSET'S (Andrew) History of the Commonwealth of England, from the - Death of Charles I. to the Expulsion of the Long Parliament by - Cromwell. Chiefly from the MSS. in the State Paper Office. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 30_s._ - - BLAKISTON'S (Capt.) Narrative of the Expedition sent to explore the - Upper Waters of the Yang-Tsze. Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - BLOMFIELD'S (Bishop) Memoir, with Selections from his Correspondence. - By his Son. _Second Edition._ Portrait, post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BOSWELL'S (James) Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. Including the Tour to - the Hebrides. Edited by Mr. CROKER. Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - BRACE'S (C. L.) Manual of Ethnology; or the Races of the Old World. - Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BLUNT'S (Rev. J. J.) Undesigned Coincidences in the Writings of the - Old and New Testament, an Argument of their Veracity: containing the - Books of Moses, Historical and Prophetical Scriptures, and the - Gospels and Acts. _Ninth Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- History of the Church in the First Three Centuries. _Fourth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Parish Priest; His Duties, Acquirements and Obligations. _Fifth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Lectures on the Right Use of the Early Fathers. _Third Edition._ - 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Plain Sermons Preached to a Country Congregation. _Fifth - Edition._ 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Essays on various subjects. 8vo. 12_s._ - - BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. Illustrated with Coloured Borders, Initial - Letters, and Woodcuts. 8vo. - - BORROW'S (George) Bible in Spain; or the Journeys, Adventures, and - Imprisonments of an Englishman in an Attempt to circulate the - Scriptures in the Peninsula. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Zincali, or the Gipsies of Spain; their Manners, Customs, - Religion, and Language. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Lavengro; The Scholar--The Gipsy--and the Priest. Portrait. 3 - Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Romany Rye. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- WILD WALES: its People, Language, and Scenery. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BRAY'S (Mrs.) Life of Thomas Stothard, R.A. With Portrait and 60 - Woodcuts. 4to. 21_s._ - - ---- Revolt of the Protestants in the Cevennes. With some Account of - the Huguenots in the Seventeenth Century. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - BRITISH ASSOCIATION REPORTS. 8vo. - - York and Oxford, 1831-32, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Cambridge, 1833, 12_s._ - Edinburgh, 1834, 15_s._ - Dublin, 1835, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Bristol, 1836, 12_s._ - Liverpool, 1837, 16_s._ 6_d._ - Newcastle, 1838, 15_s._ - Birmingham, 1839, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Glasgow, 1840, 15_s._ - Plymouth, 1841, 13_s._ 6_d._ - Manchester, 1842, 10_s._ 6_d._ - Cork, 1843, 12_s._ - York, 1844, 20_s._ - Cambridge, 1845, 12_s._ - Southampton, 1846, 15_s._ - Oxford, 1847, 18_s._ - Swansea, 1848, 9_s._ - Birmingham, 1849, 10_s._ - Edinburgh, 1850, 15_s._ - Ipswich, 1851, 16_s._ 6_d._ - Belfast, 1852, 15_s._ - Hull, 1853, 10_s._ 6_d._ - Liverpool, 1854, 18_s._ - Glasgow, 1855, 15_s._ - Cheltenham, 1856, 18_s._ - Dublin, 1857, 15_s._ - Leeds, 1858, 20_s._ - Aberdeen, 1859, 15_s._ - Oxford, 1860, 25_s._ - Manchester, 1861, 15_s._ - Cambridge, 1862, 20_s._ - Newcastle, 1863, 25_s._ - Bath, 1864, 18_s._ - Birmingham, 1865, 25_s._ - Nottingham, 1866, 24_s._ - Dundee, 1867, 26_s._ - Norwich, 1868, 25_s._ - Exeter, 1869, 22_s._ - - BROUGHTON'S (Lord) Journey through Albania and other Provinces of - Turkey in Europe and Asia, to Constantinople, 1809-10. - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Visits to Italy. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - BROWNLOW'S (Lady) Reminiscences of a Septuagenarian. From the year - 1802 to 1815. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BUBBLES FROM THE BRUNNEN OF NASSAU. By Sir FRANCIS B. HEAD, Bart. _7th - Edition_, with Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - BUNYAN (John) and Oliver Cromwell. By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - BURGON'S (Rev. J. W.) Christian Gentleman; or, Memoir of Patrick - Fraser Tytler. _Second Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Letters from Rome. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - BURN'S (Col.) Dictionary of Naval and Military Technical Terms, - English and French--French and English. _Fourth Edition._ Crown 8vo. - 15_s._ - - BURROW'S (Montagu) Constitutional Progress. A Series of Lectures - delivered before the University of Oxford. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - BUXTON'S (Charles) Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart. With - Selections from his Correspondence. By his Son. Portrait. 8vo. - 16_s._ Or _Popular Edition_. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Ideas of the Day on Policy. _Third Edition._ 8vo. 6_s._ - - BYRON'S (Lord) Life, Letters, and Journals. By THOMAS MOORE. _Cabinet - Edition._ Plates. 6 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Life, Letters, and Journals. By THOMAS MOORE. _Popular Edition._ - With Portraits. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Library Edition._ Portrait. 6 Vols. Demy 8vo. - 45_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Cabinet Edition._ Plates. 10 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. - 30_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Pocket Edition._ 8 Vols. 24mo. _Complete in a - Case._ 21_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Popular Edition._ Plates. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. _Pearl Edition._ Crown 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Childe Harold. With 80 Engravings. Crown 4to. 12_s._ - - ---- Childe Harold. 16mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Childe Harold. Vignettes. 16mo. 1_s._ - - ---- Childe Harold. Portrait. 16mo. 6_d._ - - ---- Tales and Poems. 24mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Miscellaneous. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Dramas and Plays. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Don Juan and Beppo. 2 Vols. 24mo. 5_s._ - - ---- Beauties. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - BURR'S (G. D.) Instructions in Practical Surveying, Topographical Plan - Drawing, and on sketching ground without Instruments. _Fourth - Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - BUTTMAN'S LEXILOGUS; a Critical Examination of the Meaning of numerous - Greek Words, chiefly in Homer and Hesiod. Translated by Rev. J. R. - FISHLAKE. _Fifth Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATALOGUE OF IRREGULAR GREEK VERBS. With all the Tenses - extant--their Formation, Meaning, and Usage, accompanied by an - Index. Translated, with Notes, by Rev. J. R. FISHLAKE. _Fifth - Edition._ Revised by Rev. E. VENABLES. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - CALLCOTT'S (Lady) Little Arthur's History of England. _New Edition, - brought down to_ 1864. With Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - CAMPBELL'S (Lord) Lives of the Lord Chancellors and Keepers of the - Great Seal of England. From the Earliest Times to the Death of Lord - Eldon in 1838. _Fourth Edition._ 10 Vols. Crown 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Lives of Lord Lyndhurst and Lord Brougham. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Lives of the Chief Justices of England. From the Norman Conquest - to the Death of Lord Tenterden. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. - 42_s._ - - ---- Shakspeare's Legal Acquirements. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Lord Chancellor Bacon. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Sir Neil) Account of Napoleon at Fontainbleau and Elba. Being a - Journal of Occurrences and Notes of his Conversations, &c. Portrait. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- (George) Modern India. A Sketch of the System of Civil - Government. With some Account of the Natives and Native - Institutions. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (Thos.) Essay on English Poetry. With Short Lives of the British - Poets. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CARNARVON'S (Lord) Portugal, Gallicia, and the Basque Provinces. From - Notes made during a Journey to those Countries. _Third Edition._ - Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Reminiscences of Athens and the Morea. Extracts from a Journal - during Travels in Greece in 1839. With Map. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Recollections of the Druses of Lebanon. With Notes on their - Religion. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - CASTLEREAGH (The) DESPATCHES, from the commencement of the official - career of the late Viscount Castlereagh to the close of his life. - Edited by the MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY. 12 Vols. 8vo. 14_s._ each. - - CATHCART'S (Sir George) Commentaries on the War in Russia and Germany, - 1812-13. Plans. 8vo. 14_s._ - - CAVALCASELLE and CROWE'S History of Painting in Italy, from the Second - to the 13th Century. With 100 Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 63_s._ - - ---- History of Painting in North Italy, from the 14th to the 16th - Century. With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - ---- Notices of the Lives and Works of the Early Flemish Painters. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - CHILD (G. Chaplin, M.D.) Benedicite; or, the Song of the Three - Children; being Illustrations of the Power, Beneficence, and Design - manifested by the Creator in his works. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. - 6_s._ - - CHURCH AND THE AGE. A Series of Essays on the Principles and Present - Position of the Anglican Church, by the following Writers. _Second - Edition._ 8vo. 14_s._ - - Bishop of Ely. - Dean Hook. - Rev. Dr. Irons. - Rev. Charles Pritchard. - Rev. Dr. Barry. - Rev. M. F. Sadler. - Rev. A. W. Haddan. - Rev. W. Walsham How. - Rev. R. St. John Tyrwhitt. - Professor Burrows. - Rev. A. Weir. - Rev. W. D. Maclagan. - - CHURTON'S (Archdeacon) Gongora. An Historical Essay on the Age of - Philip III. and IV. of Spain. With Translations. Portrait. 2 Vols. - Small 8vo. - - ---- New Testament. Edited with a Plain Practical Commentary for the - use of Families and General Readers. With 100 Panoramic and other - Views, from Sketches and Photographs made on the Spot. 2 Vols. 8vo. - 21_s._ - - CICERO'S LIFE AND TIMES. His Character as a Statesman, Orator, and - Friend, with a Selection from his Correspondence and Orations. By - WILLIAM FORSYTH, Q.C. _Third Edition._ With Illustrations. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CLARK'S (Sir James) Memoir of John Conolly, M.D., D.C.L. Comprising a - Sketch of the Improved Treatment of the Insane in Europe and - America. With Portrait. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CLIVE'S (Lord) Life. By REV. G. R. GLEIG, M.A. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CLODE'S (C. M.) Military Forces of the Crown; their Administration and - Government. 2 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ each. - - COLCHESTER (The) PAPERS. The Diary and Correspondence of Charles - Abbott, Lord Colchester, Speaker of the House of Commons, 1802-1817. - Portrait. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - COLERIDGE'S (Samuel Taylor) Table-Talk. _Sixth Edition._ Portrait. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - COLLINGWOOD'S (Cuthbert) Rambles of a Naturalist on the Shores and - Waters of the China Sea. Being Observations in Natural History - during a Voyage to China, Formosa, Borneo, Singapore, &c., during - 1866-67. With Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - COLONIAL LIBRARY. [See Home and Colonial Library.] - - COOK'S (Canon) Sermons Preached at Lincoln's Inn Chapel, and on - Special Occasions. 8vo. 9_s._ - - COOKERY (Modern Domestic). Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge, and adapted for Private Families. By a Lady. - _New Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - CORNWALLIS (The) Papers and Correspondence during the American - War,--Administrations in India,--Union with Ireland, and Peace of - Amiens. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 63_s._ - - COWPER'S (Countess) Diary while Lady of the Bedchamber to Caroline - Princess of Wales, 1714-20. Edited by Hon. SPENCER COWPER. _Second - Edition._ Portrait. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - CRABBE'S (Rev. George) Life and Poetical Works. _Cabinet Edition._ - Plates. 8 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 24_s._; or _Popular Edition_, Royal 8vo. - 7_s._ - - CROKER'S (J. W.) Progressive Geography for Children. _Fifth Edition._ - 18mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Stories for Children, Selected from the History of England. - _Fifteenth Edition._ Woodcuts. 16mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Boswell's Life of Johnson. Including the Tour to the Hebrides. - Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Essays on the Early Period of the French Revolution. 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Historical Essay on the Guillotine. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - CROMWELL (Oliver) and John Bunyan. By ROBERT SOUTHEY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - CUMMING'S (R. Gordon) Five Years of a Hunter's Life in the Far - Interior of South Africa: with Anecdotes of the Chace, and Notices - of the Native Tribes. _Sixth Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - CROWE'S and CAVALCASELLE'S Notices of the Early Flemish Painters. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- History of Painting in Italy, from 2nd to 13th Century. Derived - from Historical Researches as well as Inspection of the Works of Art - in that Country. With 100 Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ each. - - ---- ---- in North Italy, from the 14th to the 16th Century. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - CUNNINGHAM'S (Allan) Poems and Songs. Now first collected and - arranged, with Biographical Notice. 24mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - CURTIUS' (Professor) Student's Greek Grammar, for the Upper Forms. - Edited by DR. WM. SMITH. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Elucidations of the Student's Greek Grammar. Translated with the - Author's sanction by EVELYN ABBOT. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Smaller Greek Grammar abridged from the above for the Middle and - Lower Forms. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - CURZON'S (Hon. Robert) ARMENIA AND ERZEROUM. A Year on the Frontiers - of Russia, Turkey, and Persia. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Visits to the Monasteries of the Levant. _Fifth Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - CUST'S (General) Lives of the Warriors of the 17th Century--The Thirty - Years' War--Civil Wars of France and England--Commanders of Fleets - and Armies before the Enemy. 6 Vols. Post 8vo. - - ---- Annals of the Wars--18th & 19th Century, 1700-1815. Compiled from - the most Authentic Sources. With Maps. 9 Vols. Post 8vo. 5_s._ each. - - DARWIN'S (Charles) Journal of Researches into the Natural History of - the Countries visited during a Voyage round the World. _Tenth - Thousand._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: or, the - Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. _Fifth - Edition._ Post 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Fertilization of Orchids through Insect Agency, and as to the - good of Intercrossing. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. _Third - Thousand._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 28_s._ - - ---- Descent of Man, and on Selection in Relation to Sex. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Fact and Argument for Darwin. By FRITZ MULLER. With numerous - Illustrations and Additions by the Author. Translated from the - German by W. S. DALLAS. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - DAVIS'S (Nathan) Visit to the Ruined Cities of Numidia and - Carthaginia. Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - DAVY'S (Sir Humphry) Consolations in Travel; or, Last Days of a - Philosopher. _Seventh Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Salmonia; or, Days of Fly Fishing. _Fifth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - DE BEAUVOIR'S (Marquis) Voyage Round the World: touching Australia, - Java, Siam, Canton, &c. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - DELEPIERRE'S (Octave) History of Flemish Literature. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Historical Difficulties and Contested Events. Being Notes on some - Doubtful Points of History. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - DENISON'S (E. B.) Life of Bishop Lonsdale, D.D. With Selections from - his Writings. With Portrait. Crown 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - DERBY'S (Earl of) Iliad of Homer rendered into English Blank Verse. - _Sixth Edition._ 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Translations from the Poets, Ancient and Modern. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - DE ROS'S (Lord) Memorials of the Tower of London. _Second Edition._ - With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Young Officer's Companion; or, Essays on Military Duties and - Qualities: with Examples and Illustrations from History. _New - Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - DIXON'S (W. H.) Story of the Life of Lord Bacon. _Second Edition._ - Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - DOG-BREAKING; the Most Expeditious, Certain, and Easy Method, whether - great excellence or only mediocrity be required. With a Few Hints - for those who Love the Dog and the Gun. By LIEUT.-GEN. HUTCHINSON. - _Fifth Edition._ With 40 Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 9_s._ - - DOMESTIC MODERN COOKERY. Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge, and adapted for Private Families. _New - Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - DOUGLAS'S (Sir Howard) Life and Adventures. By S. W. FULLOM. Portrait. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Theory and Practice of Gunnery. _Fifth Edition._ Plates. 8vo. - 21_s._ - - ---- Constructions of Bridges and the Passage of Rivers, in Military - Operations. _Third Edition._ Plates. 8vo. 21_s._ - - DRAKE'S (Sir Francis) Life, Voyages, and Exploits, by Sea and Land. By - JOHN BARROW. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- (W. Richard) Notes on Venetian Ceramics. Medium 8vo. 4_s._ - - DRINKWATER'S (John) History of the Siege of Gibraltar, 1779-1783. With - a Description and Account of that Garrison from the Earliest - Periods. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - DUCANGE'S MEDIAEVAL LATIN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY. Translated by Rev. E. A. - DAYMAN, M.A. Small 4to. (_In preparation._) - - DU CHAILLU'S (Paul B.) EQUATORIAL AFRICA, with Accounts of the - Gorilla, the Nest-building Ape, Chimpanzee, Crocodile, &c. - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Journey to Ashango Land; and Further Penetration into Equatorial - Africa. Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - DUFFERIN'S (Lord) Letters from High Latitudes; an Account of a Yacht - Voyage to Iceland, Jan Mayen, and Spitzbergen. _Fifth Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - DYER'S (Thos. H.) History of Modern Europe, from the taking of - Constantinople by the Turks to the close of the War in the Crimea. - Complete, with Index. 4 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - EASTLAKE'S (Sir Charles) Italian Schools of Painting. From the German - of KUGLER. Edited, with Notes. _Third Edition._ Illustrated from the - Old Masters. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Contributions to the Literature of the Fine Arts. With Memoir of - the Author, and Selections from his Correspondence. By LADY - EASTLAKE. 2 Vols. 8vo. 24_s._ - - EDWARDS' (W. H.) Voyage up the River Amazon, including a Visit to - Para. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ELDON'S (Lord) Public and Private Life, with Selections from his - Correspondence and Diaries. By HORACE TWISS. _Third Edition._ - Portrait. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - ELGIN'S (Lord) Correspondence and Despatches. Edited by THEODORE - WALROND. 8vo. (_Nearly Ready._) - - ELLESMERE'S (Lord) Two Sieges of Vienna by the Turks. Translated from - the German. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ELLIS'S (W.) Visits to Madagascar, including a Journey to the Capital, - with notices of Natural History, and Present Civilisation of the - People. Map and Woodcuts. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Madagascar Revisited. Setting forth the Persecutions and Heroic - Sufferings of the Native Christians. Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ELPHINSTONE'S (Hon. Mountstuart) History of India--the Hindoo and - Mahomedan Periods. _Fifth Edition._ Map. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ENGEL'S (Carl) Music of the Most Ancient Nations; particularly of the - Assyrians, Egyptians, and Hebrews; with Special Reference to the - Discoveries in Western Asia and in Egypt. _Second Edition._ With 100 - Illustrations. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ENGLAND (History of) from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of - Versailles, 1713-83. By LORD MAHON (now Earl Stanhope). _Library - Edition_, 7 Vols. 8vo. 93_s._; or _Popular Edition_, 7 Vols. Post - 8vo. 35_s._ - - ---- From the Invasion of Julius Caeesar to the Revolution of 1688. By - DAVID HUME. Corrected and continued to 1868. Edited by WM. SMITH, - LL.D. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- From the First Invasion by the Romans. By MRS. MARKHAM. _New - Edition, revised and continued to_ 1865. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- Smaller History of England. Edited By WM. SMITH, LL.D. _New - Edition, continued to_ 1864. Woodcuts. 18mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Little Arthur's. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, continued to_ - 1864. Woodcuts. 18mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ENGLISHWOMAN IN AMERICA. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ESKIMAUX and English Vocabulary, for Travellers in the Arctic Regions. - 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S TRANSACTIONS. Vols. I. to VI. 8vo. - - EXETER'S (Bishop of) Letters to Charles Butler, on his Book of the - Roman Catholic Church. _New Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - FAMILY RECEIPT-BOOK. A Collection of a Thousand Valuable and Useful - Receipts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - FARRAR'S (A. S.) Critical History of Free Thought in reference to the - Christian Religion. Being the Bampton Lectures, 1862. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (F. W.) Origin of Language, based on Modern Researches. Fcap. - 8vo. 5_s._ - - FERGUSSON'S (James) History of Architecture in all Countries from the - Earliest Times. Vols. I. and II. With 1200 Illustrations. 8vo. - 42_s._ each. - - ---- Vol. III.--The Modern Styles. With 312 Illustrations. 8vo. 31_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Holy Sepulchre and the Temple at Jerusalem; being the Substance - of Two Lectures delivered at the Royal Institution, 1862 and '65. - Woodcuts. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Palaces of Nineveh and Persepolis Restored. Woodcuts. 8vo. 16_s._ - - FLEMING'S (Professor) Student's Manual of Moral Philosophy. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - FLOWER GARDEN (The). By REV. THOS. JAMES. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - FONNEREAU'S (T. G.) Diary of a Dutiful Son. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - FORSTER'S (John) Arrest of the Five Members by Charles the First. A - Chapter of English History re-written. Post 8vo. - - ---- Grand Remonstrance, 1641. With an Essay on English freedom - under the Plantagenet and Tudor Sovereigns. _Second Edition._ Post - 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Biographies of Oliver Cromwell, Daniel De Foe, Sir Richard - Steele, Charles Churchill, Samuel Foote. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - ---- Sir John Eliot: a Biography, 1590-1632. With Portraits. 2 Vols. - Crown 8vo. 30_s._ - - FORD'S (Richard) Gatherings from Spain. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - FORSYTH'S (William) Life and Times of Cicero. With Selections from his - Correspondence and Orations. _Third Edition._ Illustrations. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - FORTUNE'S (Robert) Narrative of Two Visits to the Tea Countries of - China, 1843-52. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - FOSS' (Edward) Judges of England. With Sketches of their Lives, and - Notices of the Courts at Westminster, from the Conquest to the - Present Time. 9 Vols. 8vo. 126_s._ - - ---- Biographia Juridica, or Biographical Dictionary of the Judges of - England, from the Conquest to the Present Time, 1066-1870. (800 pp.) - Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Tabulae Curiales; or, Tables of the Superior Courts of Westminster - Hall. Showing the Judges who sat in them from 1066 to 1864; with the - Attorney and Solicitor Generals of each reign. To which is prefixed - an Alphabetical List of all the Judges during the same period. 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - FRANCE (History of). From the Earliest Times to the Establishment of - the Second Empire, 1852. By W. H. PEARSON. Edited by WM. SMITH, - LL.D. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- From the Conquest by the Gauls. By Mrs. MARKHAM. _New Edition, - revised, continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - FRENCH (The) in Algiers; The Soldier of the Foreign Legion--and the - Prisoners of Abd-al-Kadir. Translated by Lady DUFF GORDON. Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - FRERE'S (M.) Fairy Legends of the Deccan Current in Southern India. - Collected from Oral Tradition. With Notes, by SIR BARTLE FRERE. - _Second Edition._ With Illustrations. Fcap. 8vo. 6_s._ - - GALTON'S (Francis) Art of Travel; or, Hints on the Shifts and - Contrivances available in Wild Countries. _Fourth Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - GEOGRAPHY. The Student's Manual of Ancient Geography. Rev. W. L. - BEVAN. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- The Student's Manual of Modern Geography. By Rev. W. L. BEVAN. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. 8vo. - - GERMANY (History of). From the Invasion by Marius. By Mrs. MARKHAM. - _New Edition, revised, and continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - GIBBON'S (Edward) History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. - Edited by MILMAN and GUIZOT. _A New Edition._ Preceded by his - Autobiography. And Edited, with Notes, by Dr. WM. SMITH. Maps. 8 - Vols. 8vo. 60_s._ - - ---- (The Student's Gibbon); Being an Epitome of the above work, - incorporating the Researches of Recent Commentators. By Dr. WM. - SMITH. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - GIFFARD'S (Edward) Deeds of Naval Daring; or, Anecdotes of the British - Navy. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - GLADSTONE'S (W. E.) Financial Statements of 1853, 60, 63-65, and with - Speeches on Tax-Bills and Charities. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Speeches on Parliamentary Reform. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - GLEIG'S (G. R.) Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New - Orleans. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Story of the Battle of Waterloo. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Narrative of Sale's Brigade in Affghanistan. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Life of Robert Lord Clive. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Sir Thomas Munro. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - GOLDSMITH'S (Oliver) Works. A New Edition. Edited with Notes by PETER - CUNNINGHAM. Vignettes. 4 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - GONGORA; An Historical Essay on the Times of Philip III. and IV. of - Spain. With Illustrations. By ARCHDEACON CHURTON. Portrait. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. - - GORDON'S (Sir Alex. Duff) Sketches of German Life, and Scenes from the - War of Liberation. From the German. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Lady Duff) Amber-Witch: A Trial for Witchcraft. From the German. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- French in Algiers. 1. The Soldier of the Foreign Legion. 2. The - Prisoners of Abd-el-Kadir. From the French. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - GOUGER'S (Henry) Personal Narrative of Two Years' Imprisonment in - Burmah. _Second Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - - GRAMMARS (Latin and Greek). See CURTIUS; HUTTON; MATTHIAE; SMITH; KING - EDWARD VITH., &c. &c. - - GREECE (History of). _See_ GROTE--SMITH. - - GRENVILLE (The) PAPERS. Being the Public and Private Correspondence of - George Grenville, including his PRIVATE DIARY. Edited by W. J. - SMITH. 4 Vols. 8vo. 16_s._ each. - - GREY'S (Earl) Correspondence with King William IVth. and Sir Herbert - Taylor from November, 1830, to the Passing of the Reform Act in - 1832. 2 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Parliamentary Government and Reform; with Suggestions for the - Improvement of our Representative System. _Second Edition._ 8vo. - 9_s._ - - GRUNER'S (Lewis) Terra-Cotta Architecture of North Italy. From careful - Drawings and Restorations. With Illustrations, engraved and printed - in Colours. Small folio. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - GROTE'S (George) History of Greece. From the Earliest Times to the - close of the generation contemporary with the death of Alexander the - Great. _Fourth Edition._ Portrait, Maps, and Plans. 8 Vols. 8vo. - 112_s._ Or, _Popular Edition_. Portrait and Plans. 12 Vols. Post - 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Plato, and the other Companions of Socrates. _Second Edition._ - 3 Vols. 8vo. 45_s._ - - *** ALPHABETICAL INDEX to the above work, 8vo, 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Mrs.) Memoir of the Life of Ary Scheffer. _Second Edition._ With - Portrait. 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - GUIZOT'S (M.) Meditations on Christianity, and on the Religious - Questions of the Day. Part I. The Essence. Part II. The Present - State. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 20_s._ - - HALLAM'S (Henry) Constitutional History of England, from the Accession - of Henry the Seventh to the Death of George the Second. _Seventh - Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 30_s._, or 3 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- History of Europe during the Middle Ages. _Tenth Edition._ 3 - Vols. 8vo. 30_s._, or 3 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Literary History of Europe, during the 15th, 16th and 17th - Centuries. _Fourth Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 36_s._, or 4 Vols. Post - 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Historical Works. Containing History of England,--Middle Ages of - Europe,--Literary History of Europe. Complete in 10 Vols. Post 8vo. - 6_s._ each. - - ---- Student's History of the Middle Ages. With Author's Supplemental - Notes and latest Corrections. Edited by WM. SMITH, D.C.L. Post 8vo. - (_In the Press._) - - ---- Student's Constitutional History of England. With the Author's - latest Additions and Corrections. Post 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - ---- (Arthur) Remains; in Verse and Prose. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - HAMILTON'S (James) Wanderings in North Africa. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - HANNAH'S (Rev. Dr.) Bampton Lectures for 1863; the Divine and Human - Elements in Holy Scripture. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - HART'S ARMY LIST. (_Quarterly and Annually._) 8vo. - - HAY'S (J. H. Drummond) Western Barbary, its Wild Tribes and Savage - Animals. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - HEAD'S (Sir Francis) Royal Engineer. With Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Rapid Journeys across the Pampas. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- Bubbles from the Brunnen of Nassau. _Seventh Edition._ - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Emigrant. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Stokers and Pokers; or, the London and North Western Railway. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- (Sir Edmund) Shall and Will; or, Future Auxiliary Verbs. Fcap. - 8vo. 4_s._ - - HEBER'S (Bishop) Journey through India. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. Portrait. Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Hymns adapted to the Weekly Church Service. 16mo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - HERODOTUS. A New English Version. Edited, with Notes and Essays, - historical, ethnographical, and geographical, by Rev. G. RAWLINSON, - assisted by SIR HENRY RAWLINSON and SIR J. G. WILKINSON. _Second - Edition._ Maps and Woodcuts. 4 Vols. 8vo. 48_s._ - - - FOREIGN HANDBOOKS. - - HAND-BOOK--TRAVEL-TALK. English, French, German, and Italian. 18mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- NORTH GERMANY,--HOLLAND, BELGIUM, PRUSSIA, and the Rhine from - Holland to Switzerland. Map. Post 8vo. - - ---- SOUTH GERMANY, Bavaria, Austria, Styria, Salzberg, the Austrian - and Bavarian Alps, the Tyrol, Hungary, and the Danube, from Ulm to - the Black Sea. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO THE TYROL. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- PAINTING. German, Flemish, and Dutch Schools. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- LIVES OF THE EARLY FLEMISH PAINTERS. By CROWE and CAVALCASELLE. - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- SWITZERLAND, Alps of Savoy, and Piedmont. Maps. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO SWITZERLAND. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- FRANCE, Normandy, Brittany, the French Alps, the Rivers Loire, - Seine, Rhone, and Garonne, Dauphine, Provence, and the Pyrenees. - Maps. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CORSICA and SARDINIA. Maps. Post 8vo. 4_s._ - - ---- PARIS, and its Environs. Map and Plans. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - *** MURRAY'S PLAN OF PARIS, mounted on canvas. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SPAIN, Madrid, The Castiles, The Basque Provinces, Leon, The - Asturias, Galicia, Estremadura, Andalusia, Ronda, Granada, Murcia, - Valencia, Catalonia, Arragon, Navarre, The Balearic Islands, &c. &c. - Maps. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- PORTUGAL, Lisbon, Porto, Cintra, Mafra, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- NORTH ITALY, Piedmont, Liguria, Venetia, Lombardy, Parma, Modena, - and Romagna. Map. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CENTRAL ITALY, Lucca, Tuscany, Florence, The Marches, Umbria, and - the Patrimony of St. Peter's. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- ROME and its Environs. Map. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- SOUTH ITALY, Two Sicilies, Naples, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and - Vesuvius. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO ITALY. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- SICILY, Palermo, Messina, Catania, Syracuse, Etna, and the Ruins - of the Greek Temples. Map. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- PAINTING. The Italian Schools. Edited by Sir CHARLES EASTLAKE, R. - A. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- LIVES OF ITALIAN PAINTERS, from CIMABUE to BASSANO. By MRS. - JAMESON. Portraits. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- RUSSIA, ST. PETERSBURGH, MOSCOW, POLAND, and FINLAND. Maps. Post - 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- DENMARK, SWEDEN, and NORWAY. Maps. Post 8vo. - - ---- KNAPSACK GUIDE TO NORWAY. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- GREECE, the Ionian Islands, Albania, Thessaly, and Macedonia. - Maps. Post 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- CONSTANTINOPLE, the Bosphorus, Dardanelles, Brousa, and Plain of - Troy. With General Hints for Travelling in Turkey. Maps. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- EGYPT, Thebes, the Nile, Alexandria, Cairo, the Suez Canal, the - Pyramids, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- HOLY LAND--SYRIA and PALESTINE, Peninsula of Sinai, Edom, and - Syrian Desert. Maps. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- INDIA--BOMBAY and MADRAS. Map. 2 Vols. Post. 8vo. 12_s._ each. - - - ENGLISH HANDBOOKS. - - HAND-BOOK--MODERN LONDON. Map. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ESSEX, CAMBRIDGE, SUFFOLK, AND NORFOLK, Chelmsford, Colchester, - Maldon, Cambridge, Ely, Newmarket, Bury, Ipswich, Woodbridge, - Felixstowe, Lowestoft, Norwich, Yarmouth, Cromer, &c. Map and Plans. - Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Oxford, Peterborough, Norwich, Ely, and Lincoln. - With 90 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- KENT AND SUSSEX, Canterbury, Dover, Ramsgate, Sheerness, - Rochester, Chatham, Woolwich, Brighton, Chichester, Worthing, - Hastings, Lewes, Arundel, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- SURREY AND HANTS, Kingston, Croydon, Reigate, Guildford, - Winchester, Southampton, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight. Maps. Post - 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- BERKS, BUCKS, AND OXON, Windsor, Eton, Reading, Aylesbury, - Uxbridge, Wycombe, Henley, the City and University of Oxford, and - the Descent of the Thames. Map. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- WILTS, DORSET, AND SOMERSET, Salisbury, Chippenham, Weymouth, - Sherborne, Wells, Bath, Bristol, Taunton, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- DEVON AND CORNWALL, Exeter, Ilfracombe, Linton, Sidmouth, - Dawlish, Teignmouth, Plymouth, Devonport, Torquay, Launceston, - Truro, Penzance, Falmouth, &c. Maps. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Winchester, Salisbury, Exeter, Wells, Chichester, - Rochester, Canterbury. With 110 Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. - 24_s._ - - ---- GLOUCESTER, HEREFORD, AND WORCESTER, Cirencester, Cheltenham, - Stroud, Tewkesbury, Leominster, Rose, Malvern, Kidderminster, - Dudley, Bromsgrove, Evesham. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of Bristol, Gloucester, Hereford, Worcester, and - Lichfield. With 50 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- ---- GLOUCESTER--HEREFORD--and WORCESTER. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- NORTH WALES, Bangor, Carnarvon, Beaumaris, Snowdon, Conway, &c. - Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SOUTH WALES, Carmarthen, Tenby, Swansea, and The Wye, &c. Map. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - ---- DERBY, NOTTS, LEICESTER, STAFFORD, Matlock, Bakewell, Chatsworth, - The Peak, Buxton, Hardwick, Dove Dale, Ashborne, Southwell, - Mansfield, Retford, Burton, Belvoir, Melton Mowbray, Wolverhampton, - Lichfield, Walsall, Tamworth. Map. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SHROPSHIRE, CHESHIRE AND LANCASHIRE--Shrewsbury, Ludlow, - Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Chester, Crewe, Alderley, Stockport, - Birkenhead, Warrington, Bury, Manchester, Liverpool, Burnley, - Clitheroe, Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan, Preston, Rochdale, Lancaster, - Southport, Blackpool, &c. Map. Post 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- YORKSHIRE, Doncaster, Hull, Selby, Beverley, Scarborough, Whitby, - Harrogate, Ripon, Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, - Sheffield. Map and Plans. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- CATHEDRALS of York, Ripon, Durham, Carlisle, Chester, and - Manchester. With 60 Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- DURHAM AND NORTHUMBERLAND, Newcastle, Darlington, Gateshead, - Bishop Auckland, Stockton, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Shields, - Berwick-on-Tweed, Morpeth, Tynemouth, Coldstream, Alnwick, &c. Map. - Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- WESTMORLAND AND CUMBERLAND--Lancaster, Furness Abbey, Ambleside, - Kendal, Windermere, Coniston, Keswick, Grasmere, Carlisle, - Cockermouth, Penrith, Appleby. Map. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - *** MURRAY'S MAP of the LAKE DISTRICT, on canvas. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SCOTLAND, Edinburgh, Melrose, Kelso, Glasgow, Dumfries, Ayr, - Stirling, Arran, The Clyde, Oban, Inverary, Loch Lomond, Loch - Katrine and Trossachs, Caledonian Canal, Inverness, Perth, Dundee, - Aberdeen, Braemar, Skye, Caithness, Ross, Sutherland, &c. Maps and - Plans. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- IRELAND, Dublin, Belfast, Donegal, Galway, Wexford, Cork, - Limerick, Waterford, the Lakes of Killarney, Coast of Munster, &c. - Maps. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - HAND-BOOK OF FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS. From English Authors. _Third - Edition._ Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - HATHERLEY (Lord) On the Continuity of Scripture. As declared by the - Testimony of our Lord and of the Evangelists and Apostles. _Fourth - Edition._ 8vo. 6_s._ Or _Popular Edition_. Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - HESSEY (Rev. Dr.). Sunday--Its Origin, History, and Present - Obligations. Being the Bampton Lectures for 1860. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - HICKMAN'S (Wm.) Treatise on the Law and Practice of Naval - Courts-Martial. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - HOLLWAY'S (J. G.) Month in Norway. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ - - HONEY BEE (The). An Essay. By REV. THOMAS JAMES. Reprinted from the - "Quarterly Review." Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - HOOK'S (Dean) Church Dictionary. _Tenth Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- (Theodore) Life. By J. G. LOCKHART. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - HOPE'S ARCHITECTURE OF AHMEDABAD, with Historical Sketch and - Architectural Notes by T. C. HOPE, and JAMES FERGUSSON, F.R.S. With - 2 Maps, 120 Photographs, and 22 Woodcuts. 4to. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - HORACE; a New Edition of the Text. Edited by DEAN MILMAN. With 100 - Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life. By DEAN MILMAN. Illustrations. 8vo. 9_s._ - - HOME AND COLONIAL LIBRARY. A Series of Works adapted for all circles - and classes of Readers, having been selected for their acknowledged - interest, and ability of the Authors. Post 8vo. Published at 2_s._ - and 3_s._ 6_d._ each, and arranged under two distinctive heads as - follows:-- - -CLASS A. - -HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, AND HISTORIC TALES. - - 1. SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR. By John Drinkwater. 2_s._ - - 2. THE AMBER-WITCH. By Lady Duff Gordon. 2_s._ - - 3. CROMWELL AND BUNYAN. By Robert Southey. 2_s._ - - 4. LIFE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. By John Barrow. 2_s._ - - 5. CAMPAIGNS AT WASHINGTON. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 2_s._ - - 6. THE FRENCH IN ALGIERS. By Lady Duff Gordon. 2_s._ - - 7. THE FALL OF THE JESUITS. 2_s._ - - 8. LIVONIAN TALES. 2_s._ - - 9. LIFE OF CONDE. By Lord Mahon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 10. SALE'S BRIGADE. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 2_s._ - - 11. THE SIEGES OF VIENNA. By Lord Ellesmere. 2_s._ - - 12. THE WAYSIDE CROSS. By Capt. Milman. 2_s._ - - 13. SKETCHES OF GERMAN LIFE. By Sir A. Gordon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 14. THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 15. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF STEFFENS. 2_s._ - - 16. THE BRITISH POETS. By Thomas Campbell. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 17. HISTORICAL ESSAYS. By Lord Mahon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 18. LIFE OF LORD CLIVE. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 19. NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. By Sir F. B. Head. 2_s._ - - 20. LIFE OF MUNRO. By Rev. G. R. Gleig. 3_s._ 6_d._ - -CLASS B. - -VOYAGES, TRAVELS, AND ADVENTURES. - - 1. BIBLE IN SPAIN. By George Borrow. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 2. GIPSIES of SPAIN. By George Borrow. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 3 & 4. JOURNALS IN INDIA. By Bishop Heber. 2 Vols. 7_s._ - - 5. TRAVELS IN THE HOLY LAND. By Irby and Mangles. 2_s._ - - 6. MOROCCO AND THE MOORS. By J. Drummond Hay. 2_s._ - - 7. LETTERS FROM THE BALTIC. By a Lady. 2_s._ - - 8. NEW SOUTH WALES. By Mrs. Meredith. 2_s._ - - 9. THE WEST INDIES. By M. G. Lewis. 2_s._ - - 10. SKETCHES OF PERSIA. By Sir John Malcolm. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 11. MEMOIRS OF FATHER RIPA. 2_s._ - - 12. 13. TYPEE AND OMOO. By Hermann Melville. 2 Vols. 7_s._ - - 14. MISSIONARY LIFE IN CANADA. By Rev. J. Abbott. 2_s._ - - 15. LETTERS FROM MADRAS. By a Lady. 2_s._ - - 16. HIGHLAND SPORTS. By Charles St. John. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 17. PAMPAS JOURNEYS. By Sir F. B. Head. 2_s._ - - 18. GATHERINGS FROM SPAIN. By Richard Ford. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 19. THE RIVER AMAZON. By W. H. Edwards. 2_s._ - - 20. MANNERS & CUSTOMS OF INDIA. By Rev. C. Acland. 2_s._ - - 21. ADVENTURES IN MEXICO. By G. F. Ruxton. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 22. PORTUGAL AND GALLICIA. By Lord Carnarvon. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - 23. BUSH LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. By Rev. H. W. Haygaeth. 2_s._ - - 24. THE LIBYAN DESERT. By Bayle St. John. 2_s._ - - 25. SIERRA LEONE. By a Lady. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - *** Each work may be had separately. - - HUME'S History of England for STUDENTS, from the Invasion of Julius - Caesar to the Revolution of 1688. Corrected and continued to 1868. - Edited by DR. WM. SMITH. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - HUTCHINSON (Gen.), on the most expeditious, certain, and easy Method - of Dog-Breaking. _Fifth Edition._ With 40 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. - 9_s._ - - HUTTON'S (H. E.) Principia Graeca; an Introduction to the Study of - Greek. Comprehending Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise-book, with - Vocabularies. _Sixth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - IRBY AND MANGLES' Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Syria, and the Holy Land. - Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - JAMES' (Rev. Thomas) Fables of AEsop. A New Translation, with - Historical Preface. With 100 Woodcuts by TENNIEL and WOLF. - _Sixty-third Thousand._ Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - JAMESON'S (Mrs.) Lives of the Early Italian Painters--and the Progress - of Painting in Italy--Cimabue to Bassano. _New Edition._ With 50 - Portraits. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - JENNINGS' (L. J.) Eighty Years of Republican Government in the United - States. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - JESSE'S (Edward) Gleanings in Natural History. _Eleventh Edition._ - Fcp. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - JOHNS' (Rev. B. G.) Blind People; their Works and Ways. With Sketches - of the Lives of some famous Blind Men. With Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - JOHNSON'S (Dr. Samuel) Life. By James Boswell. Including the Tour to - the Hebrides. Edited by MR. CROKER. Portraits. Royal 8vo. 10_s._ - - ---- Lives of the most eminent English Poets. Edited with Notes by - PETER CUNNINGHAM. 3 Vols. 8vo. 22_s._ 6_d._ - - JUNIUS' HANDWRITING Professionally investigated. By Mr. CHABOT, - Expert. With Preface and Collateral Evidence, by the Hon. EDWARD - TWISLETON. With Facsimiles, Woodcuts, &c. 4to. - - KEN'S (Bishop) Life. By a LAYMAN. Portrait. 2 Vols. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Exposition of the Apostles' Creed. Fcap. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - KERR'S (Robert) GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE; or, How to Plan English Residences, - from the Parsonage to the Palace. With Views and Plans. _Third - Edition._ 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Ancient Lights; a Book for Architects, Surveyors, Lawyers, and - Landlords. 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (R. Malcolm) Student's Blackstone. A Systematic Abridgment of the - entire Commentaries, adapted to the present state of the law. Post - 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - KING'S (Rev. C. W.) Antique Gems; their Origin, Use, and Value, as - Interpreters of Ancient History, and as illustrative of Ancient Art. - _Second Edition._ Illustrations. 8vo. 24_s._ - - KING EDWARD VIth's Latin Grammar; or, an Introduction to the Latin - Tongue. _Seventeenth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- First Latin Book; or, the Accidence, Syntax, and Prosody, with an - English Translation. _Fifth Edition._ 12mo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - KING GEORGE THE THIRD'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH LORD NORTH, 1769-82. - Edited, with Notes and Introduction, by W. BODHAM DONNE. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 32_s._ - - KIRK'S (J. Foster) History of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. - Portrait. 3 Vols. 8vo. 45_s._ - - KUGLER'S Italian Schools of Painting. Edited, with Notes, By SIR - CHARLES EASTLAKE. _Third Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 30_s._ - - ---- German, Dutch, and Flemish Schools of Painting. Edited, with - Notes, by DR. WAAGEN. _Second Edition._ Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 24_s._ - - LANE'S (E. W.) Private Life, Manners and Customs of the Modern - Egyptians. _A New Edition._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - LAYARD'S (A. H.) Nineveh and its Remains. Being a Narrative of - Researches and Discoveries amidst the Ruins of Assyria. With an - Account of the Chaldean Christians of Kurdistan; the Yezedis, or - Devil-worshippers; and an Enquiry into the Manners and Arts of the - Ancient Assyrians. _Sixth Edition._ Plates and Woodcuts. 2 Vols. - 8vo. 36_s._ - - *** A POPULAR EDITION of the above work. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Nineveh and Babylon; being the Narrative of Discoveries in the - Ruins, with Travels in Armenia, Kurdistan and the Desert, during a - Second Expedition to Assyria. With Map and Plates. 8vo. 21_s._ - - *** A POPULAR EDITION of the above work. With Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LEATHES' (Stanley) Practical Hebrew Grammar. With an Appendix, - containing the Hebrew Text of Genesis i.-vi., and Psalms i.-vi. - Grammatical Analysis and Vocabulary. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LENNEP'S (Rev. H. J. Van) Missionary Travels in Asia Minor. With - Illustrations of Biblical History and Archaeology. With Map and - Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - LESLIE'S (C. R.) Handbook for Young Painters. _Second Edition._ With - Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life and Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Portraits and - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - LETTERS FROM THE BALTIC. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- MADRAS. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ---- SIERRA LEONE. By a LADY. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - LEVI'S (Leone) Wages and Earnings of the Working Classes. With some - Facts Illustrative of their Economic Condition. 8vo. 6_s._ - - LEWIS'S (M. G.) Journal of a Residence among the Negroes in the West - Indies. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - LIDDELL'S (Dean) Student's History of Rome, from the earliest Times to - the establishment of the Empire. With Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - LINDSAY'S (Lord) Lives of the Lindsays; or, a Memoir of the Houses of - Crawfurd and Balcarres. With Extracts from Official Papers and - Personal Narratives. _Second Edition._ 3 Vols. 8vo. 24_s._ - - LISPINGS from LOW LATITUDES; or, the Journal of the Hon. Impulsia - Gushington. Edited by LORD DUFFERIN. With 24 Plates. 4to. 21_s._ - - LITTLE ARTHUR'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. By LADY CALLCOTT. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1864. With 20 Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - LIVINGSTONE'S (Dr.) Missionary Travels in South Africa. Illustrations. - Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Expedition to the Zambezi and its Tributaries; and the Lakes - Shirwa and Nyassa. 1858-64. Map and Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - LIVONIAN TALES. By the Author of "Letters from the Baltic." Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - LOCH'S (H. B.) Personal Narrative of Events during Lord Elgin's Second - Embassy to China. _Second Edition._ With Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 9_s._ - - LOCKHART'S (J. G.) Ancient Spanish Ballads. Historical and Romantic. - Translated, with Notes. _New Edition._ With Portrait and - Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- Life of Theodore Hook. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - LONDON (OLD). A series of Essays on its Archaeology and Antiquities. By - VARIOUS WRITERS. 8vo. 12_s._ - - LONSDALE'S (Bishop) Life. With Selections from his Writings. By E. B. - DENISON, Q.C. With Portrait. Crown 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - LOUDON'S (Mrs.) Instructions in Gardening. With Directions and - Calendar of Operations for Every Month. _Eighth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - LUCAS' (Samuel) Secularia; or, Surveys on the Main Stream of History. - 8vo. 12_s._ - - LUCKNOW: a Lady's Diary of the Siege. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - LYELL'S (Sir Charles) Principles of Geology; or, the Modern Changes of - the Earth and its Inhabitants considered as illustrative of Geology. - _Tenth Edition._ With Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 32_s._ - - ---- Student's Elements of Geology. With 600 Illustrations. Post - 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man. _Third Edition._ - Illustrations. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- (K. M.) Geographical Handbook of Ferns. With Tables to show their - Distribution. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - LYTTELTON'S (Lord) Ephemera. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - LYTTON'S (Lord) Poems. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Rightful Heir; a Drama. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Lost Tales of Miletus. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - McCLINTOCK'S (Sir L.) Narrative of the Discovery of the Fate of Sir - John Franklin and his Companions in the Arctic Seas. _Third - Edition._ With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MacDOUGALL'S (Col.) Modern Warfare as Influenced by Modern Artillery. - With Plans. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - MACGREGOR (J.), Rob Roy on the Jordan, Nile, Red Sea, Gennesareth, &c. - A Canoe Cruise in Palestine and Egypt and the Waters of Damascus. - With Map, and 70 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - MACPHERSON'S (Major) Services in India, while Political Agent at - Gwalior during the Mutiny. Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - MAETZNER'S COPIOUS ENGLISH GRAMMAR. A Methodical, Analytical, and - Historical Treatise on the Orthography, Prosody, Inflections, and - Syntax of the English Tongue. 3 Vols. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - MAHON (Lord), see STANHOPE (Earl of). - - MAINE'S (H. Sumner) Ancient Law: its Connection with the Early History - of Society, and its Relation to Modern Ideas. _Fourth Edition._ 8vo. - 12_s._ - - ---- VILLAGE COMMUNITIES IN THE EAST AND WEST. Six Lectures delivered - at Oxford. 8vo. - - MALCOLM'S (Sir John) Sketches of Persia. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - MANSEL (Dean), Limits of Religious Thought Examined. Being the Bampton - Lectures for 1858. _Fifth Edition._ Post 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - MANTELL'S (Gideon A.) Thoughts on Animalcules; or, the Invisible - World, as revealed by the Microscope. Plates. 16mo. 6_s._ - - MANUAL OF SCIENTIFIC ENQUIRY. For the Use of Travellers. Edited by SIR - J. F. HERSCHEL. Revised by REV. R. MAIN. Maps. Post 8vo. (_Published - by order of the Lords of the Admiralty._) - - MARCO POLO'S TRAVELS. A New English Version. With Copious Illustrative - Notes. By COL. HENRY YULE. With Maps and Illustrations. 2 Vols. - Medium 8vo. - - MARKHAM'S (Mrs.) History of England. From the First Invasion by the - Romans. _New Edition, continued down to_ 1865. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- History of France. From the Conquest by the Gauls. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- History of Germany. From the Invasion by Marius. _New Edition, - continued to_ 1867. Woodcuts. 12mo. 4_s._ - - ---- (Clements R.) Travels in Peru and India. Maps and Illustrations. - 8vo. 16_s._ - - MARRYAT'S (Joseph) History of Modern and Mediaeval Pottery and - Porcelain. With a Description of the Manufacture. _Third Edition._ - Plates and Woodcuts. 8vo. 42_s._ - - MARSH'S (G. P.) Manual of the English Language. Edited by Dr. WM. - SMITH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MATTHIAE'S SHORTER GREEK GRAMMAR. Abridged by BISHOP BLOMFIELD. _A New - Edition, revised and enlarged_ by E. S. CROOKE. 12mo. 4_s._ - - MAUREL, on the Character, Actions, and Writings of Wellington. Fcap. - 8vo. 1_s._ 6_d._ - - MAYNE'S (Capt.) Four Years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MEADE'S (Hon. Herbert) Ride through the Disturbed Districts of New - Zealand to Lake Taupo, at the Time of the Rebellion; with a Cruise - among the South Sea Islands. With Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 14_s._ - - MELVILLE'S (Hermann) Adventures amongst the Marquesas and South Sea - Islands. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - - MILLS' (Rev. John) Three Months' Residence at Nablus, with an Account - of the Modern Samaritans. Illustrations. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - MILMAN'S (Dean) HISTORICAL WORKS. Containing: 1. History of the Jews, - 3 Vols. 2. History of Early Christianity, 3 Vols. 3. History of - Latin Christianity, 9 Vols. Post 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - ---- Annals of St. Paul's Cathedral. _Second Edition._ Portrait and - Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Savonarola, Erasmus, and other Literary Essays. 8vo. 15_s._ - - ---- Character and Conduct of the Apostles considered as an Evidence - of Christianity. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Translations from AEschylus and Euripides. Illustrations. Crown - 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Works of Horace. With 100 woodcuts. Small 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Horace. Woodcuts. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Poetical Works. Plates. 3 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Fall of Jerusalem. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ---- (Capt. E. A.) Wayside Cross. A Tale of the Carlist War. Post 8vo. - 2_s._ - - MEREDITH'S (Mrs. Charles) Notes and Sketches of New South Wales. Post - 8vo. 2_s._ - - MESSIAH (THE): A Narrative of the Life, Travels, Death, Resurrection, - and Ascension of our Blessed Lord. By A LAYMAN. Map. 8vo. 18_s._ - - MICHIE'S (Alexander) Siberian Overland Route from Peking to - Petersburg. Maps and Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MODERN DOMESTIC COOKERY. Founded on Principles of Economy and - Practical Knowledge. _New Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - MONGREDIEN'S (Augustus) Trees and Shrubs for English Plantation. A - Selection and Description of the most Ornamental which will flourish - in the open air in our climate. With Classified Lists. With 30 - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - MOORE'S (Thomas) Life and Letters of Lord Byron. _Cabinet Edition._ - With Plates. 6 Vols. Fcap. 8vo. 18_s._; or _Popular Edition_, with - Portraits. Royal 8vo. 9_s._ - - MOTLEY'S (J. L.) History of the United Netherlands: from the Death of - William the Silent to the Twelve Years' Truce, 1609. _Library - Edition._ Portraits. 4 Vols. 8vo. 60_s._ Or _Cabinet Edition_, 4 - Vols. Post 8vo. 6_s._ each. - - MOUHOT'S (Henri) Siam, Cambojia, and Lao; a Narrative of Travels and - Discoveries. Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - MOZLEY'S (Rev. J. B.) Treatise on Predestination. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Primitive Doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MUNDY'S (General) Pen and Pencil Sketches in India. _Third Edition._ - Plates. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - MUNRO'S (General Sir Thomas) Life and Letters. By the REV. G. R. - GLEIG. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - MURCHISON'S (Sir Roderick) Russia in Europe and the Ural Mountains. - With Coloured Maps, &c. 2 Vols. 4to. 5_l._ 5_s._ - - ---- Siluria; or, a History of the Oldest Rocks containing Organic - Remains. _Fourth Edition._ Map and Plates. 8vo. 30_s._ - - MURRAY'S RAILWAY READING. Containing:-- - - Wellington. By Lord Ellesmere. 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Chase. 1_s._ - Essays from "The Times." 2 Vols. 8_s._ - Music and Dress. 1_s._ - Layard's Account of Nineveh. 5_s._ - Milman's Fall of Jerusalem. 1_s._ - Mahon's "Forty-Five." 3_s._ - Life of Theodore Hook. 1_s._ - Deeds of Naval Daring. 3_s._ 6_d._ - The Honey Bee. 1_s._ - James' AEsop's Fables. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Turf. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Art of Dining. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Ballam's Literary Essays. 2_s._ - Mahon's Joan of Arc. 1_s._ - Head's Emigrant. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Nimrod on the Road. 1_s._ - Croker on the Guillotine. 1_s._ - Hollway's Norway. 2_s._ - Maurel's Wellington. 1_s._ 6_d._ - Campbell's Life of Bacon. 2_s._ 6_d._ - The Flower Garden. 1_s._ - Lockhart's Spanish Ballads. 2_s._ 6_d._ - Taylor's Notes from Life. 2_s._ - Rejected Addresses. 1_s._ - Penn's Hints on Angling. 1_s._ - - MUSIC AND DRESS. By a LADY. Reprinted from the "Quarterly Review." - Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - NAPIER'S (Sir Chas.) Life, Journals, and Letters. By SIR W. NAPIER. - _Second Edition._ Portraits. 4 Vols. Post 8vo. 48_s._ - - ---- (Sir Wm.) Life and Letters. Edited by H. A. BRUCE, M.P. - Portraits. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 28_s._ - - ---- ---- English Battles and Sieges of the Peninsular War. _Fourth - Edition._ Portrait. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - NAPOLEON AT FONTAINBLEAU AND ELBA. A Journal of Occurrences and Notes - of Conversations. By SIR NEIL CAMPBELL, C.B., British Commissioner. - With a Memoir of that Officer. By REV. A. N. C. MACLACHLAN, M.A. - Portrait. 8vo. 16_s._ - - NAUTICAL (The) ALMANAC. Royal 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ (_By Authority._) - - NAVY LIST. Monthly and Quarterly. Post 8vo. (_By Authority._) - - NEW TESTAMENT (Illustrated). With Explanatory Commentary. Edited by - ARCHDEACON CHURTON, M.A., and ARCHDEACON BASIL JONES, M.A. With 110 - authentic Views, &c. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 21_s._ _bound_. - - NICHOLLS' (Sir George) History of the English, Irish and Scotch Poor - Laws. 4 Vols. 8vo. - - ---- (Rev. H. G.) Historical Account of the Forest of Dean. Woodcuts, - &c. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - NICOLAS' (Sir Harris) Historic Peerage of England. Exhibiting the - Origin, Descent, and Present State of every Title of Peerage which - has existed in this Country since the Conquest. By WILLIAM - COURTHOPE. 8vo. 30_s._ - - NIMROD, On the Chace--Turf--and Road. _A New Edition_, illustrated - with Portrait of the Author by Maclise, and Plates by Alken. Crown - 8vo. 5_s._ Or with Coloured Plates, 7_s._ 6_d._ Or _Cheap Edition_, - Fcap. 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - OLD LONDON; Papers read at the Archaeological Institute. By various - Authors. 8vo. 12_s._ - - OWEN'S (Lieut.-Col.) Principles and Practice of Modern Artillery, - including Artillery Material, Gunnery, and Organisation and Use of - Artillery in Warfare. With numerous Illustrations. 8vo. 15_s._ - - OXENHAM'S (Rev. W.) English Notes for Latin Elegiacs; designed for - early Proficients in the Art of Latin Versification, with Prefatory - Rules of Composition in Elegiac Metre. _Fourth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - PALLISER'S (Mrs.) Brittany and its Byeways, its Inhabitants, and - Antiquities. With Illustrations. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - PARIS' (Dr.) Philosophy in Sport made Science in Earnest; or, the - First Principles of Natural Philosophy inculcated by aid of the Toys - and Sports of Youth. _Ninth Edition._ Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - PARKMAN'S (Francis) Discovery of the Great West; or, the Valleys of - the Mississippi and the Lakes of North America. An Historical - Narrative. Map. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - PARKYNS' (Mansfield) Three Years' Residence in Abyssinia: with Travels - in that Country. _Second Edition_, with Illustrations. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - PEEL'S (Sir Robert) Memoirs. Edited by EARL STANHOPE and Mr. CARDWELL. - 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ each. - - PENN'S (Richard) Maxims and Hints for an Angler and Chess-player. - Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - PERCY'S (John, M.D.) Metallurgy. Vol. I. Fuel, Coal, Fire-Clays, - Copper, Zinc, Brass, &c. _New and Revised Edition._ - With Illustrations. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- Vol. II. Iron and Steel. _New and Revised Edition._ With - Illustrations. 8vo. (_In preparation._) - - ---- Vol. III. Lead, including Desilverization and Cupellation. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Vol. IV. Gold, Silver and Mercury. With Illustrations. 8vo. - (_In the Press._) - - ---- Vol. V. Platinum, Tin, Nickel, Cobalt, Antimony, Bismuth, Arsenic, - and other Metals. With Illustrations. 8vo. (_In Preparation._) - - PHILLIPP (C. S. M.) On Jurisprudence. 8vo. 12_s._ - - PHILLIPS' (John) Memoirs of William Smith. 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Geology of Yorkshire, The Coast, and Limestone District. Plates. - 4to. Part I., 20_s._--Part II., 30_s._ - - ---- Rivers, Mountains, and Sea Coast of Yorkshire. With Essays on the - Climate, Scenery, and Ancient Inhabitants. _Second Edition_, Plates. - 8vo. 15_s._ - - PHILPOTTS' (Bishop) Letters to the late Charles Butler, on his "Book - of the Roman Catholic Church." _New Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - PICK'S (Dr.) Popular Etymological Dictionary of the French Language. - 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - POPE'S (Alexander) Life and Works. _A New Edition._ Collected in part - by the late Right Hon. J. W. CROKER, with Introductions and Notes, - by REV. WHITWELL ELWIN. With Portraits. Vol. I. to III. 8vo. 10_s._ - 6_d._ each. - - PORTER'S (Rev. J. L.) Damascus, Palmyra and Lebanon. With Travels - Among the Giant Cities of Bashan and the Hauran. _New Edition._ Map - and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - PRAYER-BOOK (Illustrated), with Borders, Initials, Vignettes, &c. - Edited, with Notes, by REV. THOS. JAMES. Medium 8vo. 18_s._ _cloth_; - 31_s._ 6_d._ _calf_; 36_s._ _morocco_. - - PRINCIPLES AT STAKE. Essays on Church Questions of the Day. By the - following writers. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - Benjamin Shaw. - Lord Arthur Hervey. - Professor Payne Smith. - Rev. Alexander R. Grant. - Rev. G. H. Sumner. - Canon Bernard. - Arthur Mills. - Rev. Dr. Salmon. - Rev. W. G. Humphry. - Dean Howson. - - PUSS IN BOOTS. With 12 Illustrations. By OTTO SPECKTER. 16mo. - - QUARTERLY REVIEW (The). 8vo. 6_s._ - - RAMBLES in the Syrian Deserts. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - RANKE'S (Leopold) History of the Popes of Rome during the 16th and - 17th Centuries. Translated from the German by SARAH AUSTIN. 3 Vols. - 8vo. 30_s._ - - RASSAM'S (Hormuzd) Narrative of the British Mission to Abyssinia. With - Notices of the Countries Traversed from Massowah to Magdala. - Illustrations. 2 Vols. 8vo. 28_s._ - - RAWLINSON'S (Rev. George) Herodotus. A New English Version. Edited - with Notes and Essays. _Second Edition._ Maps and Woodcut. 4 Vols. - 8vo. 48_s._ - - ---- Five Great Monarchies of the Ancient World, Chaldaea, Assyria, - Media, Babylonia, and Persia. _Second Edition._ With Maps and - Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - REED'S (E. J.) Shipbuilding in Iron and Steel; a Practical Treatise, - giving full details of Construction, Processes of Manufacture, and - Building Arrangements. With 5 Plans and 250 Woodcuts. 8vo. 30_s._ - - ---- Our Iron-Clad Ships; their Qualities, Performances, and Cost. - With Chapters on Turret Ships, Iron-Clad Rams, &c. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 12_s._ - - REJECTED ADDRESSES (The). By JAMES AND HORACE SMITH. _New Edition._ - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._; or _Cheap Edition_, Fcap. 8vo. - 1_s._ - - RENNIE'S (D. F.) British Arms in Peking, 1860. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Narrative of the British Embassy in China. Illustrations. 2 Vols. - Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Story of Bhotan and the Dooar War. Map and Woodcut. Post 8vo. - 12_s._ - - RESIDENCE IN BULGARIA; or, Notes on the Resources and Administration - of Turkey, &c. By S. G. B. ST. CLAIR and CHARLES A. BROPHY. 8vo. - 12_s._ - - REYNOLDS' (Sir Joshua) Life and Times. By C. R. LESLIE, R.A. and TOM - TAYLOR. Portraits. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - REYNOLDS (Sir Joshua) Descriptive Catalogue of his Works. With Notices - of their present owners and localities. With Illustrations. Fcap. - 4to. (_In the Press._) - - RICARDO'S (David) Political Works. With a Notice of his Life and - Writings. By J. R. M'CULLOCH. _New Edition._ 8vo. 16_s._ - - RIPA'S (Father) Thirteen Years' Residence at the Court of Peking. Post - 8vo. 2_s._ - - ROBERTSON'S (Canon) History of the Christian Church, from the - Apostolic Age to the end of the Fifth Council of the Lateran, 1517. - 4 Vols. 8vo. - - _The Work may be had separately._ - - Vol. 1.--_Fourth Edition_, A.D. 64-590. 8vo. 18_s._ - Vol. 2.--_Third Edition_, A.D. 590-1122. 8vo. 20_s._ - Vol. 3.--A.D. 1122-1303. 8vo. 18_s._ - Vol. 4.--A.D. 1303-1517. 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - ---- How shall we Conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England? - _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ROBINSON'S (Rev. Dr.) Biblical Researches in Palestine and the - Adjacent Regions; a Journal of Travels in 1838 and 1852. _Third - Edition._ Maps. 3 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - ---- Physical Geography of the Holy Land. Post 8vo. - - ---- (Wm.) Parks, Promenades, and Gardens of Paris; Described and - considered in Relation to the Wants of our own Cities. With 400 - Illustrations. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Alpine Flowers for English Gardens. An explanation of the - Principles on which they may be grown to perfection in all parts of - the British Islands. With 70 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Wild Garden: or, our Groves and Shrubberies made beautiful by the - Naturalization of Hardy Exotic Plants. With a Chapter on the Garden - of British Wild Flowers. With Frontispiece. Small 8vo. 6_s._ - - ROME. _See_ LIDDELL and SMITH. - - ROWLAND'S (David) Manual of the English Constitution; Its Rise, - Growth, and Present State. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Laws of Nature the Foundation of Morals. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - RUNDELL'S (Mrs.) Domestic Cookery, adapted for Private Families. _New - Edition._ Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 5_s._ - - RUSSELL'S (Rutherfurd) History of the Heroes of Medicine. Portraits. - 8vo. 14_s._ - - RUXTON'S (George F.) Travels in Mexico; with Adventures among the Wild - Tribes and Animals of the Prairies and Rocky Mountains. Post 8vo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SALE'S (Sir Robert) Brigade in Affghanistan. With an Account of the - Defence of Jellalabad. By REV. G. R. GLEIG. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - SALLESBURY'S (Edward) "Children of the Lake." A Poem. Fcap. 8vo. 4_s._ - 6_d._ - - SANDWITH'S (Humphry) Siege of Kars. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SCOTT'S (G. Gilbert) Secular and Domestic Architecture, Present and - Future. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- (Dean of Rochester) University Sermons. Post 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ - - SCROPE'S (G. P.) Geology and Extinct Volcanoes of Central France. - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 30_s._ - - SHAW'S (T. B.) Manual of English Literature. Edited, with Notes and - Illustrations, by DR. WM. SMITH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Specimens of English Literature. Selected from the Chief Writers. - Edited by WM. SMITH, LL.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Robert) Visit to High Tartary, Yarkand, and Kashgar (formerly - Chinese Tartary), and Return Journey over the Karakorum Pass. With - Map and Illustrations. 8vo. (_Nearly Ready._) - - SMILES' (Samuel) Lives of British Engineers; from the Earliest Period - to the Present Time, with an account of their Principal Works; - including a History of the Invention and Introduction of the Steam - Engine. With 9 Portraits and 400 Illustrations. 4 Vols. 8vo. 21_s._ - each. - - ---- Lives of George and Robert Stephenson. With Portraits and - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21_s._ Or _Popular Edition_, with - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Lives of Boulton and Watt. With Portraits and Illustrations. - Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Lives of Brindley and the Early Engineers. With Portrait and 50 - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Life of Telford. With a History of Roads and Travelling in - England. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Self-Help. With Illustrations of Character and Conduct. Post 8vo. - 6_s._ Or in French. 5_s._ - - ---- Industrial Biography: Iron-Workers and Tool Makers. A sequel to - "Self-Help." Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Huguenots in England and Ireland: their Settlements, Churches and - Industries. _Third Edition._ Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - SHIRLEY (Evelyn P.) on Deer and Deer Parks, or some Account of English - Parks, with Notes on the Management of Deer. Illustrations. 4to. - 21_s._ - - SIERRA LEONE; Described in Letters to Friends at Home. By A LADY. Post - 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - SIMMONS (Capt. T. F.) on the Constitution and Practice of - Courts-Martial; with a Summary of the Law of Evidence. _Sixth and - Revised Edition._ 8vo. (_In the Press._) - - STANLEY'S (Dean) Sinai and Palestine. Map. 8vo. 14_s._ - - ---- Bible in the Holy Land; being Extracts from the above work. - Woodcuts. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- St. Paul's Epistles to the Corinthians. With Dissertations and - Notes. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- History of the Eastern Church. Plans. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- History of the Jewish Church. _Third Edition._ 2 Vols. 8vo. - 24_s._ - - ---- Historical Memorials of Canterbury. _Fourth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Memorials of Westminster Abbey. _Third Edition._ With - Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Essays on Church and State, 1850-70. 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- Sermons in the East, during a Tour with H. R. H. the Prince of - Wales. 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- ---- on Evangelical and Apostolical Teaching. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Addresses and Charges of Bishop Stanley. With Memoir. 8vo. 10_s._ - 6_d._ - - SMITH'S (Dr. Wm.) Dictionary of the Bible; its Antiquities, Biography, - Geography, and Natural History. Illustrations. 3 Vols. 8vo. 105_s._ - - ---- Concise Bible Dictionary, for Families and Students. With Maps - and 300 Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller Bible Dictionary, for Schools and Young Persons. With - Maps and Illustrations. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Antiquities. Woodcuts. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Woodcuts. 3 Vols. 8vo. - 63_s._ - - ---- Greek and Roman Geography. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - ---- Classical Dictionary of Mythology, Biography, and Geography. With - 750 Woodcuts. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Smaller Classical Dictionary of Mythology, Biography, and - Geography. With 200 Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. With 200 - Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Complete Latin English Dictionary. With Tables of the Roman - Calendar, Measures, Weights, and Money. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller Latin-English Dictionary. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Copious and Critical English-Latin Dictionary. 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- Smaller English-Latin Dictionary. 12mo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Principia Latina--Part I. A Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise Book, - with Vocabularies. _Eleventh Edition._ With an Appendix, containing - the ACCIDENCE arranged for the "Public School Latin Primer." 12mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part II. A Reading-book of Mythology, Geography, Roman - Antiquities, and History. With Notes and Dictionary. _Fifth - Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part III. A Latin Poetry Book. Hexameters and Pentameters; - Eclog. Ovidianae; Latin Prosody, &c. _Fourth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part IV. Latin Prose Composition. Rules of Syntax, with - Examples, Explanations of Synonyms, and Exercises on the Syntax. - _Fifth Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Part V. Short Tales and Anecdotes for Translation into - Latin. _Second Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ - - ---- Latin-English Vocabulary; for Phaedrus, Cornelius Nepos, and - Caesar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Student's Latin Grammar. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Smaller Latin Grammar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Graeca, Part I. An Introduction to Greek; comprehending - Grammar, Delectus, and Exercise-book. _Fourth Edition._ With - Vocabularies. _Third Edition._ 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Graeca, Part II. A Reading Book. Containing Short Tales, - Anecdotes, Fables, Mythology, and Grecian History. Arranged in a - systematic Progression, with a Lexicon. _Second Edition._ 12mo. - 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Initia Graeca, Part III. Greek Prose Composition. Containing the - Rules of Syntax, with copious Examples and Exercises. 12mo. 3_s._ - 6_d._ - - ---- Student's Greek Grammar. By PROFESSOR CURTIUS. Post 8vo. 6_s._ - - ---- Smaller Greek Grammar. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of England. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of Greece. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of Rome. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Classical Mythology. With Translations from the Poets. - Illustrations. 12mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- History of English Literature, with Specimens of the Chief - Writers. 2 Vols. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ each. - - ---- ---- Scripture History. Illustrations. 16mo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Ancient History. Illustrations. 16mo. [_Nearly ready._ - - ---- (Rev. A. C.) Attractions of the Nile and its Banks. A Journal of - Travels in Egypt and Nubia. Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 18_s._ - - STUDENT'S HUME. A History of England from the Invasion of Julius - Caesar. By DAVID HUME. Continued to 1868. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ - 6_d._ - - *** Questions on the above Work. 12mo. 2_s._ - - ---- HISTORY OF FRANCE; from the Earliest Times to the Establishment - of the Second Empire, 1852. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- HISTORY OF ROME; from the Earliest Times to the Establishment of - the Empire. By DEAN LIDDELL. Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- GIBBON; an Epitome of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. - Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- HISTORY OF GREECE; from the Earliest Times to the Roman Conquest. - By WM. SMITH, LL.D. Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - *** Questions on the above Work. 12mo. 2_s._ - - ---- ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE EAST; Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Media, - Persia, Asia Minor, and Phoenicia. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY; from the Creation to the Return of the - Jews from Captivity. Maps and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY. With an Introduction connecting the - History of the Old and New Testaments. Maps and Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY. By REV. W. L. BEVAN, M.A. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. - 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- MODERN GEOGRAPHY; Mathematical, Physical, and Descriptive. By - REV. W. L. BEVAN. Woodcuts. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ENGLISH LANGUAGE. By GEO. P. MARSH. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ENGLISH LITERATURE. By T. B. SHAW, M.A. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH LITERATURE. Selected from the Chief Writers. - By THOMAS B. SHAW, M.A. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- MORAL PHILOSOPHY. By WILLIAM FLEMING, D.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- BLACKSTONE. By R. MALCOLM KERR, LL.D. Post 8vo. 7_s._ 6_d._ - - STANHOPE'S (Earl) History of England, from the Peace of Utrecht to the - Peace of Versailles, 1713-83. _Library Edition._ 7 Vols. 8vo. 93_s._ - Or, _Cabinet Edition_, 7 Vols. Post 8vo. 5_s._ each. - - ---- Reign of Queen Anne until the Peace of Utrecht. _Second Edition._ - 8vo. 16_s._ - - ---- British India, from its Origin till 1783. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- History of "Forty-Five." Post 8vo. 3_s._ - - ---- Spain under Charles the Second. Post 8vo. 6_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Historical and Critical Essays. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life of Belisarius. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Conde. Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- ---- Pitt. Portraits. 4 Vols. Post 8vo. 24_s._ - - ---- Miscellanies. Post 8vo. 5_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Story of Joan of Arc. Fcap. 8vo. 1_s._ - - ST. CLAIR and BROPHY'S RESIDENCE IN BULGARIA; or, Notes on the - Resources and Administration of Turkey. 8vo. 12_s._ - - ST. JOHN'S (Charles) Wild Sports and Natural History of the Highlands. - Post 8vo. 3_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- (Bayle) Adventures in the Libyan Desert. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - ST. LEONARDS (Lord) Misrepresentations in Lord Campbell's Lives of - Lyndhurst and Brougham. Post 8vo. 2_s._ 6_d._ - - STORIES FOR DARLINGS. A Book for Boys and Girls. With Illustrations. - Square 16mo. 5_s._ - - STOTHARD'S (Thos.) Life. With Personal Reminiscences. By Mrs. Bray. - With Portrait and 60 Woodcuts. 4to. 21_s._ - - STREET'S (G. E.) Gothic Architecture in Spain. _Second Edition._ With - Illustrations. Medium 8vo. 30_s._ - - STYFFE (Knutt) On the Strength of Iron and Steel. Translated by C. P. - SANDBERG. With Preface by DR. PERCY. With Plates. 8vo. 12_s._ - - SWIFT'S (Jonathan) Life, and Works. By JOHN FORSTER. 8vo. - (_In Preparation._) - - SOMERVILLE'S (Mary) Physical Geography. _Sixth Edition, Revised._ By - W. H. BATES. Portrait. Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Connexion of the Physical Sciences. _Ninth Edition._ Woodcuts. - Post 8vo. 9_s._ - - ---- Molecular and Microscopic Science. Illustrations. 2 Vols. Post - 8vo. 21_s._ - - SOUTH'S (John F.) Household Surgery; or, Hints on Emergencies. - Woodcuts. Fcp. 8vo. 4_s._ 6_d._ - - SOUTHEY'S (Robert) Book of the Church. Post 8vo. - - ---- Lives of Bunyan and Cromwell. Post 8vo. 2_s._ - - SPECKTER'S (Otto) Puss in Boots. With 12 Woodcuts. Square 12mo. 1_s._ - 6_d._ plain, or 2_s._ 6_d._ coloured. - - SYBEL'S (Von) History of Europe during the French Revolution, - 1789-1795. 4 Vols. 8vo. 48_s._ - - SYME'S (Professor) Principles of Surgery. _5th Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - TAYLOR'S (Henry) Notes from Life. Fcap. 8vo. 2_s._ - - THOMSON'S (Archbishop) Lincoln's Inn Sermons. 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - ---- Life in the Light of God's Word. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - THREE-LEAVED MANUAL OF FAMILY PRAYER. Royal 8vo. 2_s._ - - TOZER'S (H. F.) Researches in the Highlands of Turkey. Including - Visits to Mounts Ida, Athos, Olympus, and Pelion. With - Illustrations. 2 Vols. Crown 8vo. 24_s._ - - TRISTRAM'S (H. B.) Great Sahara. Illustrations. Post 8vo. - - TWISS' (Horace) Life of Lord Eldon. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 21_s._ - - TYLOR'S (E. B.) Researches into the Early History of Mankind, and the - Development of Civilization. _Second Edition._ 8vo. 12_s._ - - ---- Primitive Culture; Researches into the Development of Mythology, - Philosophy, Religion, Art, and Custom. 2 Vols. 8vo. - - VAMBERY'S (Arminius) Travels from Teheran across the Turkoman Desert - on the Eastern Shore of the Caspian. Illustrations. 8vo. 21_s._ - - VAN LENNEP'S (Henry J.) Travels in Asia Minor. With Illustrations of - Biblical Literature, and Archaeology. With Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post - 8vo. 24_s._ - - WAAGEN'S (Dr.) Treasures of Art in Great Britain. Being an Account of - the Chief Collections of Paintings, Sculpture, &c., in this Country. - 4 Vols. 8vo. 54_s._ - - WELLINGTON (The) Despatches. 8 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Supplementary Despatches. 12 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Civil and Political Correspondence. 3 Vols. 8vo. 20_s._ each. - - ---- Selections from Despatches and General Orders. 8vo. 18_s._ - - ---- Speeches in Parliament. 2 Vols. 8vo. 42_s._ - - WHITE'S (Henry) Massacre of St. Bartholomew. Based on Documents in the - Archives of France. 8vo. 16_s._ - - WHYMPER'S (Edward) Scrambles among the Alps. 1860-69. Including the - First Ascent of the Matterhorn, and the attempts which preceded it; - with Notes on Glacial Phenomena. With Maps, and 100 Illustrations. - 8vo. 21_s._ - - ---- (Frederick) Travels and Adventures in Alaska and on the River - Yukon, and Visits to other parts of the North Pacific. With - Illustrations. 8vo. 16_s._ - - WILBERFORCE'S (William) Life. By SAMUEL, LORD BISHOP OF WINCHESTER. - Portrait. Post 8vo. 10_s._ 6_d._ - - WILKINSON'S (Sir J. G.) Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians. - With 500 Woodcuts. 2 Vols. Post 8vo. 12_s._ - - WORDSWORTH'S (Christopher, D.D.) Athens and Attica. _Fourth Edition._ - Plates. Post 8vo. 5_s._ - - ---- Pictorial, Descriptive, and Historical Account of Greece. _New - Edition._ With 600 Woodcuts. Royal 8vo. 21_s._ - - ZINCKE'S (Rev. F. Barham) Winter in the United States. Post 8vo. - 10_s._ 6_d._ - - - - -BRADBURY, EVANS, AND CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of At Home with the Patagonians, by -George Chaworth Musters - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AT HOME WITH THE PATAGONIANS *** - -***** This file should be named 42483.txt or 42483.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/4/8/42483/ - -Produced by Rene Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/42483.zip b/42483.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c42d2cf..0000000 --- a/42483.zip +++ /dev/null |