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diff --git a/43552.txt b/43552.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 66bc9d0..0000000 --- a/43552.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8685 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook, Wanderings in Patagonia, by Julius Beerbohm - - -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: Wanderings in Patagonia - Life Among the Ostrich-Hunters - - -Author: Julius Beerbohm - - - -Release Date: August 24, 2013 [eBook #43552] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) - - -***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WANDERINGS IN PATAGONIA*** - - -E-text prepared by Melissa McDaniel and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made -available by Internet Archive (http://archive.org) - - - -Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this - file which includes the original illustrations. - See 43552-h.htm or 43552-h.zip: - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43552/43552-h/43552-h.htm) - or - (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/43552/43552-h.zip) - - - Images of the original pages are available through - Internet Archive. See - http://archive.org/details/wanderingsinpata00beerrich - - -Transcriber's note: - - Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - - Text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). - - - - - -WANDERINGS IN PATAGONIA. - - * * * * * - -Crown 8vo., cloth extra, 3s. 6d. each. THE WANDERER'S LIBRARY. - -=The World Behind the Scenes.= By PERCY FITZGERALD. - -=Merrie England in the Olden Time.= By GEORGE DANIEL. With Illustrations -by Robert Cruikshank. - -=The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs.= By THOMAS FROST. - -=The Wilds of London.= By JAMES GREENWOOD. - -=Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings=; including the Origin of Signs, and -Reminiscences connected with Taverns, Coffee Houses, Clubs, etc. By -CHARLES HINDLEY. With Illustrations. - -=Circus Life and Circus Celebrities.= By THOMAS FROST. - -=The Story of the London Parks.= By JACOB LARWOOD. With Illustrations. - -=The Lives of the Conjurers.= By THOMAS FROST. - -=The Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack.= By One of the Fraternity. -Edited by CHARLES HINDLEY. - -=Low-Life Deeps.= An Account of the Strange Fish to be found there. By -JAMES GREENWOOD. - -=Seven Generations of Executioners.= Memoirs of the Sansons (1688-1847). -Edited by HENRY SANSON, late Executioner of the Court of Justice of -Paris. - -=London Characters=: Illustrations of the Humour, Pathos, and -Peculiarities of London Life. By HENRY MAYHEW. With Illustrations by -W. S. GILBERT, and others. - -=The Genial Showman=: Adventures with Artemus Ward, and the Story of his -Life. By E. P. HINGSTON. Illustrated. - -=Wanderings in Patagonia=: or, Life among the Ostrich-Hunters. By JULIUS -BEERBOHM. Illustrated. - -* _Other Volumes are in preparation._ - -CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY, W. - - * * * * * - - - [Illustration: AN INDIAN CAMP. p.96.] - - -WANDERINGS IN PATAGONIA - -Or - -Life Among the Ostrich-Hunters - -by - -JULIUS BEERBOHM - -[Illustration] - -A New Edition, with Illustrations - - - - - - - -London -Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly -1881 - - - - -WANDERINGS IN PATAGONIA. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -In the month of August, 1877, I found myself on board ship, bound from -Buenos Ayres for the coast of Patagonia, in company with a party of -engineers, who were going to survey that portion of the country which -lies between Port Desire and Santa Cruz. - -After leaving the River Plate we encountered adverse winds and heavy -weather, which kept us tossing about for three weeks, without making -any material progress on our course. At last we got a fair wind, -however, which soon brought us close to our destination, the port of -St. Julian (lat. 49 deg. 20' S.); and one morning, together with my -five o'clock coffee, the cabin-boy brought me the welcome news that -land was in sight. I jumped out of bed and ran on deck, careless of the -hail and rain which were falling in blinding showers, and of the wind -which blew off the land, far colder and sharper than we had hitherto -experienced. On looking to leeward, I could at first see nothing but -a thick bank of clouds; but presently the horizon got clearer, and I -descried a dark, lowering line of coast, of fierce and inhospitable -aspect, rising abruptly from the sea to a considerable height. - -I had not long to examine it, for a sudden shift of the wind shrouded -the whole coast in mist, and it did not become visible again till the -afternoon, when the weather cleared up, and the sun shone out -brightly. The wind, however, slowly increased in violence; by the time -St. Julian came in sight we were plunging along under reefed topsails, -and the captain began to think that we should have to stand off the -port till the force of the storm had abated--a prospect which threw us -all into dismay, as we had already been looking forward with vivid -expectations to the pleasure of stretching our legs on _terra firma_ -the next morning--a luxury which those who have made a long sea voyage -can fully appreciate. - -While the captain was yet doubtful what course to take, the matter was -summarily decided by the weather itself. The wind, which had hitherto -been blowing from the north-east, shifted to the south-east, and -redoubled its fury; and rather than run the risk of standing off the -port for the night, under a lee shore and with a strong current -setting in to the land, the captain elected to face the lesser danger, -and enter the port. - -The necessary orders were accordingly given; a man was sent aloft to -look out for banks or rocks, and all preparations were made for any -emergency. An anxious time ensued for all on board, as we steered -slowly in under the northern headland of St. Julian, menaced on either -side by steep and rugged cliffs, falling vertically down to the -water's edge; the sea dashing at their base with an angry roar, and -hurling the white spray almost to their very summits. The gale howled -through the rigging, and a thousand sea-birds, startled at such an -unusual apparition, circled round the ship, white and silent, seeming -to eye us with an unpleasant curiosity. - -Suddenly we heard a shout, "Breakers ahead!" and everyone turned pale -and looked anxiously forward. Right in front of us, and forming a belt -across the entrance of the port, stretched a line of breakers, boiling -and foaming like a cauldron; while to the left a long ledge of black, -jagged rocks pierced through the waters, promising certain -destruction, should we drift upon them. For a moment the captain was -irresolute; but it was too late to go back; in any attempt to put the -ship round we should have gone on the rocks, and there was, therefore, -no alternative but to continue our course and dash through the -breakers, leaving the rest to fate. On we went, with beating hearts -and strained nerves, as the threatening roar of the foaming rollers -became louder and louder. In another second we were in their midst, -and everyone held his breath in suspense. Suddenly there was a shock; -the ship quivered, and I was thrown violently on my face. By the time -I got to my feet again, all danger was over. We had crossed the -harbour bar, and were now sailing slowly up the bay, in comparatively -smooth water, and congratulating ourselves on our escape from what had -looked a most serious peril. The wind, too, had lulled, and by the -time we let go the anchor all was still and calm. The sun was just -setting; one by one the gulls, albatrosses, and other sea-birds, which -had hitherto been continuously sweeping round the ship, disappeared; -and not a sound was heard from either side of the broad bay. - -On arriving in port, after a long sea voyage, the sudden change of -scene and associations, the bustle and the noise of commercial -activity--the steamers, lighters, and other small craft, plying from -shore to shore; the ships moored alongside the wharves, taking in or -discharging cargo, the busy hum arising from the distant town, the -sight of new faces, and the sound of strange voices--all combine to -excite and bewilder one, contrasting forcibly with the dull, quiet, -and drowsy sameness of the life one has just been leading during -several weeks of dreary navigation. - -But none of these accustomed sights and sounds gladdened our hearts in -the desert harbour where we had just safely come to anchor, after our -stormy passage. The silence of death reigned everywhere, and its -mysterious effect, joined to the wild character of the surrounding -country, whose bold, bare hills were now looming gigantic and black in -the gathering dusk, impressed me with a vague sense of awe and wonder. - -And not out of harmony with the gloomy spirit of solitude which broods -over St. Julian, are the tragic memories connected with the three -famous nautical expeditions which have visited its inhospitable -shores. - -We were anchored between two islands--Justice and Execution Islands. -These names were given to them by Sir Francis Drake, who visited St. -Julian in 1578. On the former he caused one of his party, a Master -Doughty, to be put to death for alleged insubordination. Sir Francis -found a gibbet already erected on one of these islands, which had been -left there by Magellan, who passed the winter of 1520 at St. Julian, -and who, during his stay, had also to quell a formidable mutiny which -broke out amongst his little fleet; and which, but for his timely -energy, foresight, and courage, might have ended fatally for him. The -ringleaders were executed. In more modern times, another fatality -occurred during the expedition of the _Adventure_ and _Beagle_, 1832. -A Lieutenant Sholl, a young officer of much promise, died there, and -was buried on a point overlooking the bay which now bears his name. -The spot is marked by a small cairn, bearing an inscription recording -the date, etc. - -As I looked over the bay, for all the change that has happened there -since, either in the rugged outlines of its shores or in the spirit of -silence and desolation that hangs over them, it seemed that it might -have been but yesterday that Magellan dropped anchor there, with his -quaint, high-pooped craft: - - 'The first who ever burst into that silent sea.' - -Peering into the darkness till a mist rose into my eyes, I gradually -fell into a half-dreaming, half-waking state, and presently I seemed -to behold some strangely rigged vessels lying close to me in the bay. -Magellan's own ships! There was the tall, spare figure of the intrepid -commander himself, standing on the poop of the largest vessel, dressed -in a brown leather jerkin, the cross-hilted sword at his side; and I -could plainly mark the expression of dauntless enterprise on his -weather-worn brow, and the determined gleam of his sharp grey eyes, -whose glance now wandered over the far shore and now rested -reverentially on the high cross fixed on the poop. I could see the -quaintly-costumed sailors busy at work on deck, repairing rigging, -mending boats, or making sails, talking and shouting the while in a -strange tongue. Hardy, noble figures these men, who, in the frailest -of craft, braved a thousand dangers in the wildest countries, and -fearlessly carried the symbol of their religion to lands which -mariners of today with all the advantages of modern instruments and -superior vessels, approach with the utmost mistrust and dread. Soon a -bell rang, and all was silence; the men left their work and gathered -round the commander, who, I thought, seemed to be addressing them. And -then floating over the waters came the sound of the 'Ave Maria!' -weirdly sweet and plaintive. - -But at this juncture somebody shook me, and I woke up, to find it was -all a dream, and to remember that Magellan had been dead and buried -for centuries, and that I, a son of the nineteenth century, had come -to that spot, not to plant the true Cross, but to find what the -country was capable of--and that, finally, it was time for supper. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -The next morning we were up betimes. The weather was fine, and, as -there was no wind, not too cold, though the taller hills were covered -with snow, and the thermometer stood considerably below zero. Plenty -of sea-birds were flying round the ship, or disporting themselves in -the water, heedless of our presence; but on shore there were no signs -of animal life stirring anywhere. Preparations were made for getting -the horses on shore as quickly as possible, as their long confinement -was beginning to tell injuriously upon them. In the meantime a boat -was lowered, and, taking our guns, a few of us started off for the -shore, to find some suitable spot to land the horses, and to have a -general look round. - -A short pull brought us in sight of a little cove, with a strip of -sandy beach leading up to the mainland, which fell steeply down on all -sides, so as to form a kind of natural corral, where the horses would -be quite safe and conveniently sheltered from the wind. There we -accordingly landed, roughly waking the echoes, which had doubtless -been comfortably sleeping for many a long day, with a loud hurrah, as -we jumped on shore and climbed up the bluff which shut in the cove. -There the first object which met our sight was the little cairn, -already mentioned, commemorative of Lieutenant Sholl. It was standing, -probably, just as it had been left by the hands which reared it, as -the Indians seldom, if ever, come so near to the port. The letters of -the inscription were still tolerably visible, for the stones suffer -little from the action of the atmosphere, and gather but few mosses or -lichens in that dry climate, where, during nine months of the year, -hardly any rain falls, and where all vegetation is stunted and scanty. - -The view we obtained from our present standpoint was very limited, the -horizon being bounded by a chain of conically shaped hills, flattened -at the top, and generally similar in outline and height. The country -which they enclosed appeared to consist of a series of irregular -plains, broken up by glens, or 'canyons,' as they are aptly called in -Spanish, with here and there an isolated hill and an occasional plain -of short extent. There were plenty of bushes of a thorny species -scattered everywhere, and in the glens the grass seemed to flourish in -tolerable luxuriance, though on the higher-lying land it was less -plentiful, the ground there being covered with pebbles of porphyry, -worn round and smooth by the action of water at some remote period. - -After our long cooping-up on board, we were not equal to any prolonged -exertion, and soon got tired of climbing up the steep hills and -escarpments, especially as there was no employment for our guns, -either in the shape of beast or fowl. We therefore went back to our -boat, to get at which, as the tide had already fallen considerably, we -had to wade knee-deep through a long tract of black, slimy mud. As -there is a tide-range at St. Julian of from thirty to forty feet, the -ebb and flood tides rush in and out with great rapidity, and we often -had great difficulty in pulling back to the ship, even with four oars, -when the wind and tide happened to be against us. - -The rest of that day was employed in getting the horses on shore, a -task which was successfully accomplished before the tide commenced to -rise again, so that they had comparatively little distance to swim to -the cove. The poor animals seemed as glad as we had been to find -themselves on land once more, and testified their satisfaction by -neighing and frisking about with great vigour. In the evening we made -a short excursion to Justice Island, close alongside of which we were -anchored. Whilst exploring it we startled a large covey of shag, -numbering quite a thousand, which, to judge by the accumulation of -guano, appeared to roost there habitually. They did not fly up -immediately at our approach, but waddled clumsily down to the beach, -holding their bodies quite erect, and flapping their wings in a -ludicrous manner. The sailors killed several with sticks, and -subsequently cooked and ate them, notwithstanding the strong fishy -taste of the flesh. - -Early the next morning, together with two of my companions, I started -on an expedition towards the interior, with a view to discover what -kind of country lay beyond the range of hills which bordered the -horizon. We took some provisions with us, as we did not expect to be -home till the evening, thinking it prudent not to rely on our guns for -our dinner, after the experience of the previous day of the absolute -absence of game; indeed, we left them behind us, as being rather -irksome on horseback. - -Mounting the three freshest horses we could find amongst our stock, we -struck off at an inspiriting gallop. We had not gone far, however, -before it came to an abrupt ending. The plain over which we were -riding suddenly terminated, descending into a deep ravine, which -seemed to wind from the hills down to the port. The descent was rather -steep, but we got down somehow; and then our horses had a hard climb -up the opposite side, rendered still more arduous by the loose nature -of the pebbly soil, which afforded no reliable hold, giving way under -their feet. On reaching the top, we found ourselves on another plain, -intersected a little further on by a ravine similar to the one we had -just crossed and so we continued, now scrambling up and down these -canyons, now leisurely trotting over short plains, whose level surfaces -gave our horses time to get breath and to prepare for tackling the -next ravine, until gradually we got nearer to the hills, beyond which -we hoped to meet some more pleasant variety of landscape. - -Presently we came to a very broad canyon, on the surface of which we -observed some irregularities, which, on inspection, proved to be the -remains of some human habitation. Portions of wall, about three feet -high, were still standing, and here and there lay several pieces of -timber; but, excepting a millstone, half embedded in the soil, there -were no other vestiges of those who had once attempted to create a -homestead in this lone spot. - -The colony, on the site of which we were now standing, was founded in -1780 by Antonio Viedma, under commission from the Viceroy of the River -Plate Provinces, and was abandoned in 1784, in accordance with a royal -order, chiefly on account of the sterility of the soil, which rendered -agriculture impossible. The colonists also suffered severely from -scurvy, and were further troubled by the Indians, whose hostility they -seem to have incurred. The Spaniards, whatever grave faults they may -have committed in the administration of their South American -possessions, developed great energy and spared no expense in their -endeavours to colonise Patagonia, and numerous expeditions were -despatched from Buenos Ayres with this object. Settlements were -established at Port Desire and other spots on the coast, all of which, -sooner or later, came to share the fate of the colony of St. Julian. - -And indeed it is not to be wondered at. Unless some very cheap manure -be discovered, by means of which sand may be profitably fertilised, or -unless some new source of riches at present hidden be discovered -there, it is much to be apprehended that Southern Patagonia is -destined to remain almost entirely unpopulated and uncultivated till -the end of time. In the canyons, where there is a little alluvial soil, -some scanty crops might be harvested, or a patch of potatoes might be -cultivated; but the spring and summer months are so dry, that even -these limited attempts at husbandry might not always be attended with -favourable results. Sheep might be reared in the valley of the Santa -Cruz River, though not in great numbers, as the pasturage there is -rather limited, and the grass itself is coarse and long, and not -particularly adapted for sheep, for which it is preferable that it -should be short and fine. - -The coast is extremely rich in fish, however, and a dried-fish trade -might, perhaps, be successfully carried on with the Brazils, where a -good market exists for this article, which forms the staple diet of -the poorer classes in that country. An attempt to start an industry -of this kind was made by a Frenchman, M. E. Rouquand, who established -himself, in 1872, at Santa Cruz, with all the machinery, boats, etc., -necessary for such an undertaking, under a concession granted to him -by the Argentine Government. He built several houses and sheds there, -the materials for which were conveyed at great expense from Buenos -Ayres; and when everything was ready, and he was about to go -practically to work, a Chilian man-of-war steamed into Santa Cruz one -day and signified to him that he was trespassing on Chilian territory, -and would be required to leave immediately. Chili, it appears, claims -jurisdiction over Patagonia as far as Santa Cruz River, and could -therefore not permit anyone to attempt to benefit that country whose -authorisation to do so came from the Argentine Government. The latter -country does not admit Chili's claims to possession over the territory -in question, but contented itself in this case with a diplomatic -protest against the act of violence committed in defiance of the -Argentine flag, under whose protection M. Rouquand had laid out his -capital and his energies. In the meantime, M. Rouquand is of course -ruined, as neither Government has granted him any compensation for the -losses he has sustained by his arbitrary ejection. After such an -example, and as the settlement of the territory dispute seems to have -been indefinitely shelved by the easy-going countries concerned, it -is easy to understand why no one has hitherto been found disposed to -risk his time and capital in an endeavour to establish any industry on -the Patagonian coast. - -Turning our backs on the 'Glen of the Spaniards,' as it is still -called in Indian traditional nomenclature, we again continued our -journey towards the hills, which were in reality much further than -they had appeared at first sight, being, by the rather roundabout road -by which we had come, about fifteen miles from the port. Another -hour's ride brought us to their base, and as the keen morning air had -made us all rather hungry, before going any further we dismounted, and -having made a good fire with the branches of some of the thorny bushes -which abounded everywhere, and which proved an excellent combustible, -we discussed a hearty breakfast of cold meat and biscuit. - -After a short rest we remounted and rode slowly up a glen which led -between the hills, craning our necks expectantly as we climbed the -escarpment which bounded its further end, from the top of which we -should have a good view of the surrounding country. We emerged on the -summit, and behold, there was nothing but an immense plain, stretching -away in dreary uniformity to the far horizon. The scene was not a -cheerful one. Down in the canyons the grass is long and green, and -clumps of underwood, growing at intervals, lend a pleasant variety to -the landscape. But on the plains, which often extend uninterruptedly -for thirty or forty miles, all is different, and nothing more dull and -dreary can be imagined than the view presented by these immense tracts -of land, where, by reason of the sterility of the soil and the fierce -winds which sweep continuously over them, no vegetation can possibly -flourish. The soil is sandy and covered with stones, with here and -there an isolated tuft of grass, withered and grey, whilst a peculiar -gloom is further added to the melancholy of the scene by the sombre, -melancholy hue of a straggling, stunted bush, the jume, which grows -there in considerable quantities--in its blackness and ugliness, the -fit offspring of such an uncongenial soil. - -The plain we were now standing on was no exception to the general -rule, and we found but little inducement to remain immersed in a long -contemplation of its charms; so, turning our horses' heads, we -followed the course of the hill range, which trended in a semicircle -towards the port. After having ridden for some distance, the plain -terminated, and we descended into a broken country again, marked with -the usual peculiarities of glen and plateau. We presently came in -sight of a large lake, which we thought might contain fresh water, but -on coming closer we found that the shores were covered with salt -crystals, and that the soil in the vicinity was impregnated with salt -too. The lake measured about two leagues long, by a league and a half -broad at the widest part, but the water was very shallow everywhere. -We could see a herd of guanacos standing in the centre, and the water -did not reach to above their knees. I have frequently observed these -animals standing in the salt lakes which abound everywhere in -Patagonia, but whether they actually go to drink I am not prepared to -say, though it is hard to account in any other way for their presence -there. We looked with some curiosity at these guanacos, as they were -the first animals we had met with as yet on the mainland, but they -were too far off for us to be able to observe them with accuracy. I -shall describe the species at another opportunity. - -In the meantime it was getting late, and our horses, which had been -severely tried by the nature of the ground we had gone over that day, -were beginning to show signs of fatigue. My horse, in particular, was -completely done up, and it was with great difficulty that I managed to -keep up with my companions. - -At sunset we were still a long way from the ship. Dusk came on apace; -the hills around us first grew indistinct and hazy, and then gradually -settled down into a dark, solid mass, blackly defined upon the lighter -background of the sky, over which the stars were now glittering in -the frosty air. It was getting cold, too, and I began heartily to wish -myself on board, especially as every moment it became more apparent -that my horse was in imminent peril of collapsing altogether. - -Still he stumbled on, occasionally shying wildly at the glimmering -whiteness of some heap of bleached guanaco bones, or startled at the -fanciful shapes assumed by the bushes in the deepening shadows of -night. - -Presently, as I was riding up a rather steep escarpment, my horse's -saddle-girths slipped back, the saddle rolled over, and I fell with a -heavy thud to the ground. The moment he felt relieved of my weight, -and before I could jump up and seize the reins, the horse turned round -and leisurely trotted back to a glen we had just left, where there was -some fine grass, which had evidently taken his fancy in passing. I ran -after him as fast as I could, but he gently, though firmly, refused to -be caught, pausing now and then, whenever he had distanced me, to -snatch a few mouthfuls of grass, and then starting off again as soon -as I came near to him. This kind of thing went on for a long time, and -when I had at last caught him, and had picked up the various -saddle-belongings, I was completely done up. Not more so, however, -than the horse, for when I remounted him he refused to budge an inch, -and at the first touch of the whip, quietly lay down. I was now in a -pleasant plight. I shouted, in the hope that my companions would hear -me, but no answer came. They had evidently not noticed my mishap, and -had continued their route, thinking I was coming up behind. - -Reluctantly I had to make up my mind to stop where I was till the -morning, though the prospect was anything but cheerful. I was too -tired to go on on foot, and no persuasion would induce my horse to -stir. I was very hungry, and, unfortunately, one of my companions -carried what remained of the meat and biscuit; and though it was -extremely cold, I had no other coverings for the night but my -saddle-cloths, having neglected to bring my fur robes with me. -Luckily, I had a box of matches; and having broken off a sufficient -quantity of dry branches from the bushes, I soon managed to have a -good fire burning, whose warm glow afforded me no little comfort. As a -substitute for supper, though it was not a satisfactory equivalent, I -smoked a pipe, and then, wrapping myself up as well as I could in the -saddle-cloths, I lay down by the fire and tried to go to sleep. This I -could not accomplish; for although I fell into a half-doze at first, -as soon as the fire got low, the cold thoroughly woke me again, and I -had to set off and look for a fresh supply of firewood--by no means a -plentiful article. I soon made the fire burn up again; but, do what I -would, I could not get to sleep, and finally had to abandon the -attempt as hopeless. - -The night seemed interminable. Occasionally I would get up, and walk -to and fro to pass away the time quicker, but the cold soon drove me -back to the fire. I confess I should have liked some companion to -enliven my weary vigil. All alone in the wild desert, surrounded by -the dark night, I felt quite an uncanny feeling come over me as I -listened to the strange whisperings which seemed to creep through the -grass and hover in the air, as the wind rose and swept down the narrow -glen where I was camping. The more I listened the more these noises -seemed to multiply, till at last there was quite a Babel of confused -sounds and vague murmurings. Now and then I would start to my feet, -fancying I heard voices close to me, or something would rustle -mysteriously past, and a sound as of faint laughter would seem to ring -from out the depths of the darkness around me. For a time I was kept -in quite a state of nervous agitation; but it gradually wore off, and -soon I became stolidly indifferent to everything except the fire, to -replenish which from time to time I had to make an excursion in search -of wood. - -The hours went slowly by, as I sat watching the stars creeping over -the heavens, longing wearily for daybreak. At last, worn out with -fatigue, I fell into a troubled slumber, and when I opened my eyes -again the sky was already grey with dawn. My fire had gone out, and my -limbs were stiff with cold. On a bush near where I was lying four -carranchos, a kind of hawk, were perched, eyeing me with a -complacent, watchful look, as if they expected shortly to make a meal -of me. Feeling quite uncomfortable under their unholy gaze, I flung a -stone at them; but they merely flew up a little, circled once or twice -round me, and then lighted again on another bush, as much as to say, -'Never mind; we can wait.' They abound in the pampas, and assemble in -great numbers whenever a puma slays a guanaco, as the former often -contents itself with merely sucking the blood of its victim, leaving -the rest to these birds and the vultures, who soon pick the bones -clean. - -I rekindled the fire, and after I had warmed my stiffened fingers, I -saddled the horse, which I had tethered to a bush during the night, -and rode off towards the port. I arrived at the cove after about an -hour's sharp riding, and found that my companions had also been -obliged to pass the night in the open air, as their horses had -eventually succumbed, under the fatigue consequent on their hard day's -work. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -During the next few weeks we were busy examining the country in the -vicinity of St. Julian, without finding anything of special interest -to reward our pains. Near the salt lake alluded to in the last chapter -we discovered some extensive deposits of phosphate of lime, but as -they are very far from the port, they must be considered to have -practically no commercial value. Perhaps, however, when all the guanos -and nitrates of more accessible regions have been exhausted, the -phosphates of Patagonia may be utilised for manuring purposes, but in -the interests of agriculture it is to be hoped that that day is as yet -far distant. - -St. Julian is a far superior harbour to either Chubut or Port Desire, -but there is a dearth of fresh water in its vicinity during the months -from October to June, which is of course a great drawback, and -neutralises its other advantages. Indeed, the whole country is but -sparsely watered. South of the Rio Negro, which must be considered as -the dividing line between Patagonia and the Argentine Provinces, -there are only small rivers, the Chubut, the Desire, and the Santa -Cruz. Coy Inlet and Gallegos rivers during nine months of the year are -unimportant streams, and the former at certain periods frequently -dries up altogether. - -The river Chubut has never been followed to its source by any -trustworthy traveller, but Dr. Moreno, an Argentine explorer, from -personal observations and from information obtained from the natives, is -inclined to place its source as taken from a lake, called Coluguape by -the Indians, which lies somewhere between lat. 44 deg. to 45 deg. S., -and long. 68 deg. to 69 deg. W., Greenwich. Thence it flows in a -north-north-easterly direction till within about sixty miles from its -mouth, and then, having received near this point the waters of several -small streams from the Cordilleras, it flows from west to east, and -finally empties itself into the Atlantic in lat. 42 deg. 20' S. The -depth of the river at forty miles from its mouth varies from five to -eight feet, according to the time of the year. Its current is not so -rapid as that of most Patagonian rivers, but its extremely tortuous -course makes it difficult to navigate. Its estuary forms a tolerably -safe harbour for craft of light draught. - -The Welsh Colony at Chubut, which numbers at present about 700 souls, -was founded by the Argentine Government in 1865. It is not, and never -has been, in a flourishing state; but this is due not so much to the -unfertility of the Chubut valley as to the fact that most of the -people sent out from Wales by the Government agent to form the -proposed agricultural colony were miners, who of course knew nothing -about farming matters. For a great many years the colonists were -supported entirely by the Government, and on several occasions when -accidents had happened to the vessels which were bringing stores for -them from Buenos Ayres, they were saved from starvation by the -Indians, who supplied them with guanaco and ostrich meat. At present -the prospects of the colony are rather more hopeful: about 15,000 -bushels of wheat were harvested last year; but even now the colony is -not self-supporting, and costs the Argentine Government large sums -annually for provisions and other assistance afforded the colonists. - -South of Chubut lies Port Desire, formed by the estuary of the river, -or rather stream, of that name. The Desire does not rise in spring and -summer, like Gallegos and the other Patagonian rivers, to any great -extent--a circumstance which makes it probable that it does not take -its source in the Cordilleras, but rather from a chain of hills, -which, according to Dr. Moreno, traverses the centre of Patagonia, -running south-southwest from the Sierra de San Antonio, near the Gulf -of San Matias. The Spaniards formed a colony at Port Desire, which, -after having existed for a few years, was officially abandoned in -1807. The remains of a fort and some houses are still standing near -the port, as well as some apple and cherry trees, with which the -climate of Patagonia seems to agree very well. - -I pass over the incidents of the rest of my sojourn at St. Julian, as -having no relevancy to the object of this work. Suffice it to say that -by the little Government schooner which makes two or three voyages -annually from Buenos Ayres to the Rio Negro and Santa Cruz, and which -on this occasion put into St. Julian to bring us our correspondence, I -received some letters, conveying important news, which made my speedy -return to Buenos Ayres imperative. About the same time a party of -ostrich-hunters, attracted by the smoke of our fires, came to St. -Julian from Santa Cruz, partly out of curiosity to see the unusual -visitors, and partly to trade for biscuits and tobacco. They did not -stop long; and as they were going back to Santa Cruz, and from there -to Sandy Point in the Straits of Magellan, where I should be able to -take a steamer for Buenos Ayres, I embraced this favourable -opportunity, and packing up a few things, started off with my new -acquaintances. - -We had not gone far, however, when it commenced to rain; and there -being no particular object in getting wet, we halted for the day, and -took shelter under our tent, hoping that by the next morning it would -be fine again. In this hope we were disappointed; it rained -incessantly for about four days, during which we of course remained -where we were, and very tired I soon got of it. The ground was as damp -as could be, and so loosened by the moisture that the stakes of our -tent gradually gave, and the slack canvas being no longer water-tight, -little pools of water gathered round the furs and saddle-cloths which -served us in lieu of bedding, permeating them with a general dampness, -which made our nightly slumbers rather uncomfortable. The daytime we -passed cowering round the fire, with some covering thrown over our -backs to keep off the rain, the front part of the body requiring no -extra covering, for as fast as it was wetted it dried by the fire, -which for this purpose was allowed to assume formidable dimensions. -Under such unfavourable circumstances, conversation rather flagged, as -may be imagined, being limited to occasional prophecies and -conjectures as to when the weather might be expected to change for the -better. But in revenge, the tobacco-pipe and the mate-pot went round -the circle without any intermission, and during the days of forced -inaction consequent on the rain, we consumed startling quantities of -those two almost indispensable commodities of pampa life. - -Yerba-mate is a kind of tea in great repute throughout South America, -especially amongst the country people, who drink it at all their -meals, and whenever they have nothing particular to do, which is very -often. It is the leaf of a shrub (_Ilex Paraguanensis_) extensively -cultivated in Paraguay and the Brazils, constituting, in fact, the -chief article of commerce of the former country. The powdered leaf is -steeped in boiling water, and imbibed through a thin pipe -(_bombilla_), perforated with holes, so as to prevent the fine herb -from being sucked up with the fluid. It has a bitter, aromatic -flavour, and though usually taken with sugar, many find it equally -palatable without the latter adjunct. Its restorative powers are -marvellous, and frequently, when thoroughly exhausted after a hard -day's ride, I have taken a cup or two of mate, and found myself -immediately revived and invigorated. It is decidedly a better -stimulant than either tea or coffee, and as it does not seem to lose -its flavour by exposure to the air and damp as quickly as those -articles do, it is naturally preferred by those whose profession -forces them to take these qualities into account in the selection of -their victuals. Mate, as I have already said, is indispensable to the -hunter in Patagonia. For months it is often the only addition he can -make to his otherwise exclusively meat diet. In fact he is never -without it, except when in the saddest plight, and for its sake he -would forego any other luxury, such as sugar, biscuit, or rice. - -It is surprising that hitherto no attempt has been made to introduce -yerba-mate into Europe as an article of domestic consumption. It has -only to be known to be appreciated, and as it could be imported -_pure_, far cheaper than tea or coffee, it might in time prove a -formidable rival to those beverages, especially among the working -classes, to whom its invigorating qualities would particularly -recommend it. - -Whilst the rain is pouring down upon us, I may as well take the -opportunity of introducing my four companions to the reader. But first -a few words as to their common profession, that of the ostrich-hunter. - -In the plains that stretch from lat. 40 deg. to 53 deg. S., and from -the sea-coast to the Cordilleras, the ostrich and the guanaco roam in -immense numbers, their procreativeness being such as to more than -neutralise the ravages caused among them by their numerous enemies, -such as the Indians, the pumas, and the foxes. The Patagonian ostrich -is much smaller than his African cousin, and the feathers are not -nearly so valuable, the price usually paid for them at Sandy Point -being from $1 to $2 per lb. The trade of the ostrich-hunter is not, -therefore, very lucrative; but his wants, on the other hand, are very -modest. Besides, he follows his profession more from a love of the -wild pampa life, with its freedom from irksome restraint and awkward -social obligations, than from any desire to amass wealth; more from a -necessity to satisfy his vagabond instincts, than from any impulse -derived from some definite aim in life. His hunting-ground extends as -far as he chooses to gallop. His stock-in-trade consists of ten or -twelve hardy horses, five or six dogs of a mongrel greyhound species, -a lasso, a pair of bolas, a knife, a revolver, and a long steel; -besides, of course, all the necessary accoutrements for his horse, -which, together with the indispensable capa, form his bed at night. - -The capa is a long robe of guanaco furs, about five and a half feet -long, by four and a half broad. They are made by the Indian women, who -are very clever at sewing, notwithstanding the primitive clumsiness of -their rude tools. Their needles consist of pieces of bone sharpened to -the requisite point, and the thread they use is made from guanaco -sinews. The skins are of the young guanacos before they are three -weeks old, as after that time the fur becomes coarse and woolly. These -capas are extremely warm, and effectually protect one from the cold -winds that blow over the pampas, when almost any other garment would -prove insufficient. A novice experiences considerable difficulty in -the management of their somewhat awkward folds, especially on -horseback; but the Indians wear them with infinite ease and grace. - -The bolas, or balls, are of two kinds, being either two round stones -or pieces of lead, covered with leather and joined by a thong of from -six to eight feet long; or three balls, united by thongs to a common -centre. The latter are used chiefly for guanaco-hunting, and not a -little skill is required to handle them efficiently. After having been -swung round the head till the requisite pitch of velocity has been -attained, the balls are hurled at the animal pursued, and becoming -firmly twisted round whatever part of its body they may fall on, they -effectually hamper its speed, and enable the hunter to come up to it -and give the _coup de grace_ with his long knife. - -With no other _impedimenta_ than the above-mentioned, the -ostrich-hunter roams at will over the vast pampas. At night-time he -makes himself at home under shelter of some thick bush, which, if such -be his caprice, may become his head-quarters for weeks, and even -months, especially if the game in the vicinity be abundant. His -movements are altogether uncertain, and by no means regulated by any -reference to time, to the course of which he is sublimely indifferent. -The chase supplies all his wants. With the hide of the guanaco he -makes his lasso, reins, bolas, and even shoes; whilst its flesh, -varied by that of the ostrich, forms his staple article of diet. When -he has collected a sufficient quantity of feathers, he pays a flying -visit to Sandy Point, sells them, and with the produce lays in a new -stock of tobacco and mate, renews his wardrobe, _i.e._, say a shirt, a -poncho, a jacket, and a chiripa; and if there still remains anything -over, he may buy another horse, or some dog which may have taken his -fancy. - -For the rest, he is a careless, easy-going vagabond, always cheerful, -whatever plight he may be in, and submitting with calm philosophy to -any of the many hardships the inclemency of the climate may entail -upon him. There are, however, few Ostrich-hunters _pur sang_ in -Southern Patagonia, though up near the Rio Negro they are more -numerous; but those one does meet with are all distinguished by the -characteristics I have described. - -I will now attempt a sketch of my four companions, beginning with the -most striking among them, Isidoro, who is several times mentioned in -Captain Musters' interesting book, 'At Home with the Patagonians.' He -was an Argentine Gaucho, with a dash of Indian blood in his veins, who -had come down to Patagonia many years ago from the Rio Negro. He was a -slender, well-built man, with a pleasant, swarthy face, of a warm, -earth-brown complexion, set in by a profusion of long black hair, -which he carefully groomed every morning with a comb, whose teeth, -being old, were decayed and few and far between, kept for the purpose -in the recesses of a rather greasy cap. Broad and shaggy eyebrows, -meeting over a bold Roman nose and shading a pair of bright, restless -eyes, habitually veiled by half-closed lids and the longest of lashes; -slightly high cheekbones, full thick lips, and a shaggy beard and -moustache, completed the _tout ensemble_ of his really striking face, -the general expression of which was one of intelligence and good -humour. - -His dress, which combined materials of Indian as well as European -manufacture, was not unpicturesque, and consisted of a woollen shirt -and a 'chiripa'--a covering for the lower limbs something like a kilt, -secured by a strap at the waist, into which were stuck the inevitable -hunting-knife, revolver, pipe, and tobacco-pouch--while his feet were -encased in potro boots, tied at the knees with Indian-worked garters; -and over all hung the long capa. - -The recipe for making a pair of potro boots is very simple, and the -operation requires no previous knowledge of the cobbler's art. Having -killed your horse, you make an incision with a sharp knife round the -hide above the hock, say at the commencement of the lower thigh, and -another a couple of inches below the curb-place, and then proceed to -draw the hide off the legs. Each leg will thus supply a comfortable -Wellington, in which the point of the hock has become the heel. Of -course, before fit for wear, the hide must be well softened by hand--a -task which requires no little patience; for if not thoroughly done, -the boots after a time will become quite hard and useless. As soon as -they have been worn long enough to have taken the shape of the foot, -the toe-ends are sewn up, and the transformation of your horse's hocks -into easy-fitting boots is an accomplished feat. - -When hunting, the belt and bolas are strapped outside the capa, so -that the upper part of the latter may fly loose whenever any exertion -requires that the arms should be free, as when lassoing or throwing -the bolas. - -Isidoro was one of the best riders I have ever seen, and even amongst -the Indians he was allowed to have no equal. The most unruly colt -became quiet in his hands, and after a few ineffectual attempts to -dislodge its rider, would sullenly acknowledge the mastery of his firm -hand and easy seat. All his horses were wonders of tameness and -careful and intelligent teaching. His method of taming them I -subsequently had an opportunity of studying, and in due course will -revert to it. He was equally proficient in the use of the lasso and -bolas, seldom, if ever, missing his aim. One of his peculiarities was -his extreme watchfulness; not the slightest detail could escape his -vigilance; and when anyone, as often happened, would mislay a knife or -some such object, to save further trouble, Isidoro was always appealed -to as to its whereabouts, which he would invariably point out -immediately--the missing article often lying under a bush or -saddle-cloth, where it had been thrown by its careless owner perhaps a -day or two ago. It seemed as if Isidoro made it his special duty to -look after everyone's things, though, to judge by appearances, he -never paid particular attention to anything except his pipe, which -seldom left his mouth. His sharpness of vision was intense, and he -could detect guanacos and ostriches on the far horizon, when I could -see nothing but bushes or clouds. Another distinguishing feature was -his taciturnity. Only on very rare occasions have I heard him utter -more than three or four words at a breath, and often he would sit for -hours with the rest of us round the fire, listening attentively to all -that was said, without breathing a syllable the whole evening. As the -owner of some thirty fine horses, he was considered quite a rich man -amongst the Indians and ostrich-hunters; and, on account of his -honesty, good-nature, and quiet, unassuming bearing, he was a -favourite with everyone. - -We will pass on to Garcia, who, in appearance at least, formed a -striking contrast to Isidoro. His yellow beard, brown hair, and blue -eyes seemed to betoken a Saxon rather than a Spanish descent. However, -be that as it may, he was a true Gaucho, and but slightly inferior to -Isidoro in horsemanship and general address as a hunter. He had -formerly been a soldier on the Argentine frontiers, and in that -capacity had had many a fight with the Indians, thrilling accounts of -which he would often favour us with over the evening's fire. -Subsequently he had worked as 'tropero' (cattle-driver) on the Rio -Negro, a profession which in due course he had relinquished in order -to become an ostrich-hunter. Having lived more amongst civilised -people, his manners were less abrupt than Isidoro's, and he was rather -more talkative and genial than the latter. - -Next comes Guillaume, who was by birth a Frenchman, and who had -originally been a blacksmith; but some chance having wafted him to -Patagonia, he had taken a fancy to the country and remained there, and -was now fast becoming naturalised. He was an active, intelligent -fellow, and equal to any amount of hard work. One of his most striking -features was his enormous appetite, the amount he could devour at one -meal being simply astounding. It is on record amongst his companions -that he demolished a whole side of a young guanaco at a sitting. But -notwithstanding this extraordinary faculty for eating, he was as thin -as could be, and always had a hungry, half-starved look. - -His very antithesis was Maximo, the last of the group, who in size and -corpulence might have competed with the most Herculean Patagonian -Indian. He was an Austrian, age twenty, I think, and had formerly been -a sailor, but having been wrecked on the syren shores of Patagonia, -like Guillaume, he had been unable to withstand its subtle -attractions, and having embraced the profession of ostrich-hunting, -with the natural aptness of sailors, he had soon mastered the -mysteries of his craft, and was already an adept in the use of lasso -and bolas. His strength was such as his burly dimensions warranted, -and he would often surprise us by the ease with which he would tear up -firmly-seated roots, and stout underwood for firing purposes. He was, -moreover, as I was surprised to find, an accomplished linguist, and -spoke Spanish, Italian, French, German, and English with tolerable -fluency, though I think he could neither read nor write. His appetite, -like Guillaume's, was Homeric, the two being a host in themselves. - -Maximo was not so rich as his companions; indeed, his whole property -consisted in a horse and a dog. The former was a wiry little animal, -and apparently impervious to fatigue; for its owner was by no means a -featherweight, and it was a matter of continued astonishment to me, -how it managed to carry him along, day after day, over tiring hilly -country, with occasional fierce gallops after ostriches, without ever -showing signs of distress. Neither was his attire so elegant or so -comfortable as that of his companions. It consisted, on my first -becoming acquainted with him, of a shirt and a pair of trousers; boots -he had none, but would now and then wear a pair of sabots, made with -the skin of the hind-legs of the guanaco. However, the capa made up -for all defects in dress, and Maximo was perfectly content with things -as they were. Withal he was the best-tempered fellow imaginable, and -the stoic indifference he showed to the discomforts of rain and cold, -and his equanimity under all circumstances, were simply heroic. - -As these four men, who by various strange chances had been thrown -together on this desert spot, from such different parts of the world, -were to become my companions during a long period of hardship and -adventure, I have described them at some length, especially as I feel -sure that their peculiar and utterly unconventional mode of life, so -different from that of the ordinary people one meets in everyday -intercourse with the world, will invest them, in the eyes of my -readers, with the same romantic interest with which I regarded them. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -The rain continued to pour down almost without interruption for four -days, till one afternoon a shift of the wind brought a definite change -for the better; the clouds cleared off, the sun shone out brightly, -and we were cheered by the sight of blue sky again. - -We hastened to spread our furs, sheepskins, and general clothing on -the bushes to dry, as everything had got more or less damp during the -recent downpour, and, thanks to the wind and sun, by supper-time we -were able to indulge in dry shirts and stockings again, which, with -the luxury of having dry beds to creep into that night, in -perspective, sent up our spirits a hundred degrees, and made the -conversation over that evening's supper as lively as it had hitherto -been dull. - -Maximo told the story of the shipwreck which had first thrown him on -Patagonian shores; Garcia related some exciting incident of his -frontier warfare experience; Guillaume recounted the hardships and -dangers he had undergone during the siege of Belfort in 1870, having -belonged to the brave garrison which defended that fortress; and even -Isidoro, yielding to the genial influence of the moment, so far -abandoned his accustomed silence as to tell us how, when a soldier in -the Argentine service at Rio Negro, he had deserted and run away with -a tribe of Tehuelche Indians, who were going south, with whom he lived -for a long time, and from amongst whose brown-skinned daughters he had -eventually taken unto him a wife. He admitted, however, that his -matrimonial existence had not been a happy one. Mrs. Isidoro, it -appears, took to drinking, and became too noisy and violent for her -husband, who of all things loved quiet; so without any further fuss, -and without many words, as was his custom, he led her back to her -father's tent, where, with a short explanation, he left her, thus -consummating his divorce _a mensa et thoro_ with expeditious ease, and -securing for himself the blessing of undisturbed peace for the future. - -We rose at daybreak the next morning, and commenced preparations for -starting. The horses, some fifty in number, were driven together; -those selected for the day's work were severally lassoed, and this -being done, the others were allowed to disperse again and return to -their grazing, whilst we got ready. - -Although as tame as cats in every other respect, very few of these -Indian-tamed horses allow one to approach them on foot; as a rule they -can only be caught with the lasso. When a horse observes that it has -been singled out from the herd for capture, it does its utmost to -evade the flying noose, and often gives a great deal of trouble before -it can be finally caught; but the moment it feels the lasso alight -round its neck, it will stop short in the fiercest gallop, and -immediately gives up any attempt at resistance, which it knows would -be useless; and when once it is bridled, the lasso may be removed, and -it will stand in the same spot for hours, without attempting even to -graze. - -Our stock of provisions, viz. some rice, biscuit, farina, sugar, mate, -and a stone bottle of gin, were carefully packed up, and together with -the tent and cooking utensils, an iron pot, a saucepan, and a tin -kettle, were placed on the pack-horse, a sturdy animal, who trotted -away under his load as if it had been a feather-weight. - -We then commenced saddling our own horses--a somewhat lengthy -operation. The articles which constitute the saddle-gear of a horse in -the pampas are rather numerous, and at night-time serve, with the aid -of the capa, as mattress, bed-clothes, and bedstead. First one lays -two or three blankets or cloths, folded square, on the horse's back, -taking care that they lie smooth and form no creases; over these comes -a covering of leather, called a 'carona,' which consists of two thick -pieces of leather sewn together, and which is very useful at -night-time, as it forms a damp-proof foundation for one's bed. On the -carona the saddle is placed, and firmly secured to the horse by means -of a broad leather girth, and over the saddle again are laid the -sheepskins, furs, or whatever coverings one may possess. All being -ready for starting, we strapped our capas well around us, a few logs -were heaped on the smouldering fire, we warmed our hands, which had -got stiffened with the cold whilst saddling, smoked a last pipe, and -after a look round to see if anything had been forgotten, jumped into -the saddle, whistled to the dogs, and we were off, _en route_ for -Santa Cruz. - -It was a bright morning. The wind was just cold enough to make one -feel grateful for the warm sunshine, and to give that exciting tingle -to the blood which influences one's spirits like a subtle wine. I felt -its power, and a strange elation made my pulse beat quicker, as I rode -gaily along, inspirited by the strong, springy step of the good horse -I bestrode, and inhaling deep draughts of the pure clear air, which -seemed to sweep the cobwebs of care from my brain, and to blow all -unpleasant thoughts far from me, making me feel gloriously happy in -the mere consciousness of the fact that I breathed and had being. - -I seemed to be leaving the old world I had hitherto known behind me, -with its turmoils and cares and weary sameness, and to be riding -merrily into some new sphere of free, fresh existence. I felt that -without a pang I could break with old associations, renounce old -ties, the pomps and the pleasures, the comforts, the bothers, the -annoyances of civilisation, and become as those with whom I was now -travelling--beings with no thought for the morrow, and therefore with -no uneasiness for it either, living the life of our nomadic ancestors, -in continual and intimate contact with nature--an unchequered, -untroubled existence, as wild, simple, and free as that of the deer -that browse on the plains. - -We were riding along a broad glen, down the middle of which a rapid -stream was flowing. Guillaume and Maximo were busy driving the horses -before them--no easy matter, as, now and then, one or two would lag -behind to crop up a mouthful of grass, or the whole troop would make a -dash in the wrong direction, only to be got together again after much -galloping and shouting. - -The neighing of the horses, the continual cries of 'Jegua! Jegua!' -with which they were urged along, and the tinkling of the bells on the -'madrinas' (bell-mares), broke cheerfully on the silence of the glen, -and startled many a flock of wild geese, who were disporting -themselves there in numbers; and occasionally a guanaco or two, who -had been grazing in the young grass, would gaze at us in a momentary -fit of curiosity, and then bound away with their graceful, springy -gallop, neighing defiance at us as they glided swiftly up the far -ravine. - -After we had gone some way, Isidoro and Garcia and myself rode ahead -of the horses, in order to look out for ostriches, Isidoro taking one -side of the canada, which was about a mile and a half broad, and -Garcia and myself the other. I felt very excited, as it was my first -hunt after this kind of game. The dogs, with erect and quivering -tails, and noses down, were eagerly running this way and that, -scenting the ground, or snuffing the wind which came in light puffs -down the canada. - -Presently they made a simultaneous dash forward, and started off after -something, and my horse, evidently an old hunter, with a sudden start -that almost threw me out of the saddle, dashed after them, _ventre a -terre_, like wild-fire, side by side with Garcia, who was already -loosening the bolas to prepare for action. - -I soon descried the ostrich, which was hurrying along as fast as its -legs would carry it, wings drooping and neck outstretched, with the -whole covey of dogs close on its heels. The race was at first -doubtful, but a moment of indecision brought the ostrich into -difficulties, and the dogs slowly gained on their prey. Already the -foremost one was up to it, when the ostrich suddenly darted sideways, -whilst the hounds, unable to stop their impetuous speed, shot forward -a long way before they could recover themselves. By that time the bird -was half-way up the side of the glen, and out of danger; and Garcia -whistled to the dogs, who came back slowly and sulkily, with their -tails between their legs, looking wistfully over their shoulders at -the retreating bird, which was already a mere speck on the summit of -the ravine. - -Garcia told me that the ostrich, like the hare, often resorts to this -trick of 'doubling' when hard pressed. It is not always as successful -as it had been in the present case, as the dogs generally know the -exact moment and in what direction the ostrich is going to double, and -are prepared accordingly. - -We were riding slowly along, talking about our late disappointment, -when another ostrich started up almost from under our very feet. With -a wild shout we dashed after it, Garcia getting ready with the bolas, -now our sole means of capturing the bird, as the dogs had lagged far -behind us on some wrong scent. The horses were on their mettle, and in -headlong chase we tore after the distressed quarry; but though we -strained every nerve, we could not gain an inch of ground, and in -another second we should have lost the ostrich, who was making for the -steep ravine-side, when Garcia swinging the bolas two or three times -round his head flung them with strong hand at the retreating bird. -Luckily lighting on its neck, they entangled its legs and it fell to -the ground kicking desperately. An instant after and we were up to it, -and Garcia ended its struggles by breaking its neck, and then -proceeded to disembowel it--a process watched with peculiar interest -by the dogs, the offal, etc., being their share of the spoils. - - [Illustration: OSTRICH HUNTING. p. 50.] - -The trophy was then hung to Garcia's saddle, and we went back on our -tracks to look for the nest; for, from the bird having started up so -close to us, Garcia surmised that it must have been sitting, as during -that period they are loth to leave their nests, at the approach of -danger, till the very last moment. Garcia proved to be right, for, -after a short search, we came upon the nest, which contained fourteen -eggs--a prize we were not long in securing to our saddles. - -I found the nest to be of the roughest description, being simply a -hole scooped in the ground, under shelter of a bush, and made soft for -the young chicks by a few wisps of grass. - -The number of eggs found in a nest varies from ten to forty, being -usually about twenty. In size the Patagonian ostrich's egg is equal to -about eight hen's eggs. It is the male bird that hatches the eggs and -looks after the young--being, I believe, the only male among birds -which does so. The period of incubation is from twenty to twenty-four -days. During rainy weather he never leaves the nest, but will sit for -six or seven days without feeding. In fine weather he grazes for an -hour or two in the evening, but never strays far from the nest, as -Master Reynard, who is always prowling near, would soon make a raid -on the eggs. It is said that if one egg is broken or abstracted from -the nest during the absence of the male bird, on returning he will -immediately detect the theft, and become so furious that he will dash -the remaining eggs to pieces, and dance round the nest as if frantic. - -After the hatching period, the birds lay their eggs promiscuously -about the plains. These eggs are called 'huatchos' by the natives. -They keep for a long time, and I have frequently met with huatchos in -April, which, although they must have been laid more than six months -at that time, were still fairly eatable. - -The ostrich of Southern Patagonia (_Rhea Darwinii_) is smaller than -the 'Avestruz moro' (_Rhea Americana_), as the species which frequents -the country near the River Negro is called by the natives. The colour -of its plumage is brown, the feathers being tipped with white, whereas -the moro, as its name indicates, is uniformly grey. The _R. Darwinii_ -are extremely shy birds, and as their vision is remarkably acute, it -is by no means an easy matter to catch them, unless one has very swift -dogs to hunt with. - -At the approach of danger the ostrich often crouches flat on the -ground, with its neck stretched out under the grass, remaining -motionless in this position till the dogs have gone past. This -stratagem is successful when the wind is blowing against the scent; -but when the contrary is the case, the dogs soon discover the hiding -bird, which, doubtless too bewildered by the sudden failure of its -naively artless ruse, makes no attempt to escape. - -Our companions by this time were a long way ahead of us, so we started -after them at a brisk gallop. On the way we met Isidoro, who had also -been fortunate, as two ostriches dangling from each side of his saddle -evinced. - -We continued our journey along the winding ravine, all helping now to -drive the horses and keep them well together--an essential matter when -rapid progress is desirable, for if the troop once gets broken up and -scattered, one may spend no end of time in galloping about and herding -the horses together again. - -At about five o'clock we passed a fine thick bush, of considerable -height, which appeared so well adapted for affording shelter, that we -resolved to camp under it for the night, especially as I, not being -accustomed lately to such long rides, already began to feel rather -tired and shaken. - -In a few minutes after we had made this decision our horses were -unsaddled, the saddle-gear, packs, ostriches, etc., thrown -higgledy-piggledy in a heap, and everyone lay down in the grass to -stretch his limbs and smoke a pipe--a simple indulgence which, under -such circumstances, becomes an absolutely priceless luxury. - -A small fire was then made, the kettle filled from the rivulet which -ran down the centre of the ravine, and as soon as the water boiled, -mate was prepared, and we sat for some time silently imbibing that -stimulating concoction, whose wonderful powers of banishing fatigue I -have already alluded to. - -Presently Maximo and Guillaume went off to collect firewood, whilst -Isidoro and Garcia busied themselves with plucking the ostriches and -laying the feathers in bundles, in which form they enter the market. I -stretched myself out on my furs and awaited the dinner-hour with eager -expectation, as my ride and that sharp, dry air peculiar to Patagonia -had given me the real pampa appetite, under the influence of which one -becomes so inordinately and irksomely ravenous, and experiences such -an unnatural craving for food, as quite to justify one in considering -one's self attacked by some transitory, but acute disease which has to -be undergone by the stranger in Patagonia, like those acclimatising -fevers peculiar to some tropical countries. - -In an hour or so Guillaume and Maximo returned, bringing a huge bundle -of dry wood between them, and the kitchen being Maximo's special -department, he immediately set about getting dinner ready. Thanks to -his efforts, a fine fire was soon blazing; the big iron pot was filled -with water, ostrich meat, and rice, and set to boil, and several other -dainties were set to roast on wooden spits or broiled in the ashes, -emitting odours of grateful promise as they sputtered and browned -under Maximo's delicate handling. - -Meanwhile, we sharpened our knives, took up comfortable positions -round the fire, and the _chef_ having declared everything ready, the -onslaught commenced. - - [Illustration] - -I append the _carte_ for the benefit of those curious in such matters: - - _Pot-au-feu_ (rice, ostrich meat, etc.). - Broiled ostrich wings. - Ostrich steak. - Cold guanaco head. - Roast ostrich gizzard, _a l'Indienne_. - Ostrich eggs. - Custard (ostrich eggs, sugar, gin). - -A glance at the above will show that a pampa dinner may be pleasantly -varied. Of the items mentioned, I think the ostrich wings are the -greatest delicacy, tasting something like turkey, and, as I then -thought at least, perhaps even finer. The ostrich gizzard, too, was -worthy of note, being broiled Indian fashion, with hot stones--a task -which, as requiring great care, was superintended by Isidoro himself, -who in his way was a remarkable cook. The flavour of ostrich meat -generally is not unpleasant, especially when fat. It varies greatly, -according to what part of the bird it is from. The wings, breast, and -extremity of the back are the tit-bits. The thighs are coarser, and -bear a close resemblance to horseflesh. - -When all the meat was consumed, Isidoro, who, by-the-bye, seemed to be -able to produce anything that was required from somewhere or other -(generally from his cap, which was quite a storehouse for all kinds of -extraneous articles), now turned up with a small soup-plate and a -dilapidated spoon, and I was requested to help myself to the broth and -rice in the pot, handing the plate back to Isidoro when I had -finished, who in his turn passed it to Garcia, and so on till it had -gone round the circle. - -We then lay back to smoke and recover from our exertions, whilst the -dogs cleared up whatever fragments remained from the feast. - -Here I may say a few words about the dogs, of which there were in all -about eighteen with us. Most of them were greyhounds, of more or less -pure breeds, imported by the Welsh settlers at Chubut; the others -being nondescript curs of heavier build, which were useful for pulling -down the guanacos brought to bay by the fleeter but less powerful -greyhounds. Their various merits and failings formed the usual topic -of an evening's conversation, their owners comparing notes as to their -respective achievements during the day's hunting, or recalling -previous wonderful performances worthy of remembrance. - -We were quite overrun by such a number of dogs, and often they became -a nuisance only to be borne when we remembered that after all they -were the meat-givers, without whom we should find ourselves in a very -unpleasant plight. They had a peculiarly happy knack, when wet, of -creeping into one's furs, and making one's bed damp for the night; and -often I have been awakened by one of them trying to go comfortably to -sleep on the pillow beside me, and thrusting its cold nose into my -face as a preliminary. When eating, if I happened to lay down a piece -of meat for a moment, it was sure to be immediately snapped up by one -of them, and they would even snatch away the morsel held in my hand, -if I did not take care to keep them at a safe distance. All provisions -had to be put on the top of a bush, well out of their reach, as -neglect in this particular might bring on the unpleasant alternative -of going supperless to bed. - -We sat for some time round the fire, chatting and smoking, and then -each looked out for his furs and bed-gear, arranged his couch, and -before long we were all fast asleep. - -I woke once, roused by some horse which had strayed from its -companions, and which was snuffing at me curiously, till on my -starting up it bounded away, snorting with terror. - -Before going to sleep again I looked around me. There was a faint -scent of fresh earth on the cold night air, and a slight frost had -fallen over bush and grass, which told that dawn was not far distant. -The moon was shining full over the valley, bathing it in hazy light. I -could see the horses standing about in black knots of twos and threes, -some dozing, some grazing, the bells of the madrinas occasionally -breaking the deep silence with a soft tinkle. Round the fire, some -logs of which still smouldered redly, my companions lay motionless, -sleeping soundly under cover of their warm furs. - -Fascinated by the strange novelty of the scene and the calm silence of -the hour, I lay for a long time gazing about me. I watched the soft -charm of silvery indistinctness, lent to the landscape by the moon's -rays glittering on the frosty crystals, gradually fade away, as the -moon's splendour paled before the new light which sprang up in the -east. Soon the bushes, the grass, and the winding ravine stood out -sharply defined, looking grey and bleak in the sober light of dawn. -The face of nature seemed blank and wan, like the face of a man on -whom the morning light streams after a night of vigil. With a shiver I -drew my head under my capa, and fell into a sound sleep again. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -When I awoke there was a good fire crackling and blazing cheerfully, -and I lost no time in getting up and joining my companions, who had -already risen, and were taking mate and enjoying the warm glow of the -fire, which at that damp, chilly hour was indeed welcome. - -As we were not going far that day, we were in no hurry to start off, -preferring to wait till the sun should get high enough to dispel the -cold mist which hung over the country. - -We took our ease over breakfast, therefore, and it was already nearly -midday when Maximo rode down the ravine to collect the horses. We -waited for a long time, but, to our surprise, he did not reappear, and -presently Garcia went after him to see what was the matter. After a -time they both returned, driving the horses before them, but reporting -Isidoro's stallion and several of his mares missing. From the -appearance of the tracks, Garcia seemed to think that some wild -stallion had made a raid on the mares and driven them off--a piece of -news which filled Isidoro with consternation, as he feared that by -that time the missing animals might be forty or fifty miles away, -beyond any hope of recapture. Without losing any time, therefore, we -all saddled; and leaving some of our gear and packages under the bush -where we had been camping, we started off on the trail. - -Some way down the canyon we came to a place where there had evidently -been a fierce struggle. The ground was torn up in all directions, and -Isidoro's sharp eye was not long in detecting some tufts of hair lying -in the grass, which he declared came from the coat of his own bay -stallion. Some of the hoof-marks were very large--larger than could -have been made by any of his horses--and he quite confirmed Garcia's -surmise, that some 'bagual' (wild horse) had carried off the mares, -after having previously fought and vanquished his own stallion. We had -no difficulty in following the trail, as the recent rain had made the -ground quite soft. The tracks went along the canyon for some distance, -and then suddenly turned and went up the canyon-side on to the plain. -We had not gone far over the latter when our horses pricked up their -ears and began to sniff the air in a nervous manner. A few strides -more brought us to the edge of the plain, and in the canyon at our feet -we discovered Isidoro's bay stallion, looking very crestfallen and -wobegone. At our approach he gave a faint neigh of satisfaction; but -he had hardly done so, when it was answered by a triumphant paean from -another quarter, and from behind a bend in the canyon, meekly followed -by Isidoro's mares, issued a magnificent black stallion. Undeterred by -our presence, he made straight for his but recently vanquished rival, -with head erect nostrils distended, and his long mane and tail -streaming in the wind. As for the bay, - - 'Not a moment stopped or stayed he;' - -but ignominiously took to his heels, and started up the canyon at full -speed. - -Isidoro, who was some way ahead of us, galloped to the rescue. The -bagual, strange to say, however, suddenly rushed at him, standing upon -its hind-legs, and beating the air with its fore-feet in a threatening -manner. Taken by surprise, Isidoro had hardly time to loosen his bolas -when the furious brute was upon him, and for a moment I thought it was -a bad case. But Isidoro was as cool as he was adroit, and in another -second the bagual dropped on its knees, half stunned, struck full in -the forehead by a well-aimed blow of the balls. Before it could -recover, Garcia's lasso whizzed through the air and lighted on its -neck, and then, setting spurs to his horse, he galloped away at full -speed in an opposite direction. The shock, as the lasso tautened, -threw his horse on its haunches, but the stallion lay half strangled -and powerless. To finish matters, Maximo whipped his lasso over its -fore-feet, and drew them tight together, and the poor brute was thus -reduced to utter helplessness. - -We could now contemplate it at our ease. It was a splendidly-made -animal, and far larger than any of the horses of our troop. I was very -much astonished at the way it had shown fight, as I had imagined that, -being wild, it would have fled at the sight of man. I pleaded strongly -that its life might be spared, but the fact that it was in very good -condition weakened the force of any argument I might bring in support -of my plea, fat meat in spring being a luxury which my companions did -not feel justified in depriving themselves of, if fate chanced to -throw it in their way. The poor bagual was accordingly despatched, -skinned, and cut up; but eventually none of the meat was eaten, for, -much to everyone's disappointment, it proved so strong that even the -dogs did not care to touch it. - -We now returned towards our camp. The bay stallion, his wrongs avenged -and his abducted wives restored to his affectionate keeping, kept -neighing and tossing up his heels in a state of high glee, without, to -all appearance, being troubled by any misgivings as to whether his -recent ignominious defeat had caused him to forfeit the esteem of his -family circle. - -On our way back, Isidoro told me that he had frequently seen troops of -wild horses near St. Julian, and that at times the Indians make -excursions to those regions on purpose to catch them. At the foot of -the Cordilleras there is a smaller, and in every way inferior, breed -of baguals, several tame specimens of which I subsequently saw amongst -the horses of the Southern Tehuelches. - -Having reached the camp, we loaded the pack-horse, and resumed our -journey southwards. We continued to follow the windings of the ravine -for some distance, and then, turning abruptly, we rode up one of its -steep sides, and found ourselves on a broad plain, which seemed to -stretch away interminably, presenting the characteristics of dreary -gloom and hopeless sterility I have already described. - -The wind, which down in the ravine we had scarcely felt, blew with -astonishing violence upon the plain; the gusts were so strong -occasionally that we could hardly keep our saddles, and at intervals -we encountered squalls of hailstones of unusual size, which, coming -full in our faces, caused us no little annoyance. It was bitterly -cold, too, and I was thankful for my capa, which kept me tolerably -warm, though I had great difficulty in keeping it tightly folded round -me, for if the wind could but find hold in the smallest crevice, it -would blow the capa right off me. In fact, it requires a peculiar -knack, only to be attained by long experience, to enable one to wear a -capa on horseback with ease and comfort. - -Conversation under these adverse circumstances was not very -practicable, and we rode on for the most part in silence. It was -altogether a miserable day, and that tedious plain seemed as if it -were never going to end. - -We reached its limit rather suddenly, however. I had been holding my -head down for some time, to avoid a passing squall of hailstones, and -so had fallen insensibly to the rear of my companions. On looking up -presently, I found, to my astonishment, that they had vanished as if -by magic, and I was apparently alone in the plain. - -I galloped forward, and their sudden disappearance was soon explained, -for in a couple of minutes I found myself at the edge of the plain, -which terminated abruptly, descending almost vertically into another -plateau, which lay some two hundred feet below, down towards which my -companions were slowly winding their way in a zigzag line, as the -descent was too sharp for them to ride straight down. I had -considerable difficulty in following them, as the violence of the wind -seemed doubled at this spot, and it was only by clinging firmly to the -neck of my horse that I prevented myself being blown from the saddle. -In a measure as I descended, however, the wind grew less boisterous, -and on arriving below it entirely ceased. I soon rejoined my -companions, and presently, on coming to a spring of fresh water, with -some good pasture near it for the horses, we resolved to go no further -that day. - -We accordingly unsaddled and made the usual arrangements for the -night, which, as the sky looked rather threatening, on this occasion -included setting up the tent. This precautionary measure was a wise -one, as towards morning there was a slight fall of snow, and when I -woke up I found the whole landscape whitened over. - -Garcia and the others were of opinion that we had better remain where -we were for the day, as they considered that travelling through the -snow might be bad for the horses; so, there being nothing better for -us to do, we crept under our furs and went to sleep again till about -midday, by which time the snow had nearly all melted away under the -influence of the sun, which shone out brightly. Isidoro and Garcia -then rode off hunting. Maximo, Guillaume, and I, being lazily -inclined, remained by the fire, and beguiled an hour or so with -breakfast. - -Afterwards they went to fetch firewood, whilst I amused myself by -practising with the bolas. I found it very difficult to use them with -any precision; in fact, they always took exactly the opposite -direction to that in which I wished to throw them, and finally, in an -attempt to 'bolear' a bush, I very narrowly missed poor Maximo, who -was just coming up behind me. - -As an instance of the skill which may be acquired in the use of the -bolas, I have several times seen Isidoro throw them at some refractory -colt at full gallop, with such true aim as to make them alight round -its hind legs, and effectually pinion them, without doing the animal -any harm whatever--a feat which requires immense confidence and nerve, -as the bolas, which are very heavy, being generally made of stone or -lead, have to be flung with considerable velocity. - -The first hunter to return was Garcia. He had killed a female puma, a -great prize, as the meat is excellent, and especially esteemed during -the winter and spring months, when it is always fat, whereas the -ostriches and guanacos are at that time generally miserably lean. The -brute looked very fierce and dangerous; the half-opened jaws displayed -a row of cruel white teeth, which gave its face an uncomfortable -expression of rage and spite. The fur was of a yellowish-grey; and the -length of the animal from tip to tail was about nine feet. - -The puma abounds in the pampas, where it preys on the guanacos and -ostriches, lying in ambush for them in the ravines near where they are -in the habit of going to drink. With one blow of its huge paw, it can -kill a full-sized guanaco; but, notwithstanding its great strength, -the Patagonian puma is of very cowardly instincts, and if attacked by -man, quietly receives its death-blow from the balls without any -attempt at self-defence. If taken young they can be easily tamed, and -in that state their manners closely resemble those of the domestic -cat. They are very fond of being taken notice of, and will purr and -stretch themselves under a caressing hand, like any old tabby. They -are extremely playful and good tempered, attaching themselves with -docility to those with whom they are familiar. - -I was travelling in a steamer once, on board of which there was a -young puma about two months old, which was being sent to the -Zoological Gardens. It was a graceful, affectionate little animal, and -became a great favourite during the voyage, relieving many a tedious -hour with its playful gambols. Its great delight was to lie hidden -behind a spar, and then suddenly spring out on some unwary passer-by, -to whose leg it would tenaciously cling, until some other object -attracted its attention. Its inseparable companion was a little Scotch -terrier, with which it would play for hours together, rather roughly -sometimes, it is true, but still without ever showing any traces of a -treacherous or spiteful disposition, though occasionally its temper -must have been severely tried, as the dog would often seize and carry -away its dinner--a fighting matter with much better-disposed animals -than pumas. - -At dinner that evening we ate a side of the puma Garcia had killed. -After I had overcome the repugnance I at first felt at eating the -flesh of a beast of prey, I found the meat excellent, tasting, as I -thought, something like veal. - -We started early the next morning, as we had a long journey before us, -being anxious to reach the Rio Chico, a tributary of the Santa Cruz -River before night-time. - -At every step the country across which we were now travelling grew -more sterile, and after about an hour's ride, we found ourselves in a -region of extraordinary barrenness. Not a blade of grass was to be -seen anywhere, and even the miserable scrub of the plains could find -no nourishment in that bleak tract of salt sand and broken scoriae. -Traces of volcanic action were everywhere apparent. Immense boulders -of solid rock were scattered here and there in chaotic confusion, and -on some spots sharp ridges of dark porphyry pierced through the soil, -towering up in fantastic shapes, gloomy and bare. It seemed like an -unfinished portion of the globe, the very skeleton of a landscape. The -outlines were there, indeed, the framework of the intended structure. -There were bold hills, sheltered valleys, isolated peaks, deep basins; -but over all was silence and desolation, all was empty and void. The -finishing-touch had been withheld--the last touch which was to have -softened and modulated those rugged contours, clothing their -barrenness with verdure, filling the dry basins with clear water, and -bringing life and gladness to what was now lying in sad and eternal -deathliness. - -Nature must have made Patagonia last of all her works, and the horn of -Plenty, from which an abundance of rich gifts had been poured over the -rest of the world, was well-nigh exhausted when that country's turn to -be endowed came round. There still remained a little grass seed, -however, and this was carefully scattered over the length and breadth -of the land. But little alighted on the hills and plains, for the -strong pampa winds swept it down into the ravines and gulches, under -the shelter of which it took root and flourished, affording -nourishment to the ostrich and guanaco, and preserving the springs of -fresh water from the scorching rays of the summer's sun. - -But one nook had been altogether forgotten during the distribution of -the scanty remains of Nature's gifts, and accordingly had been doomed -to remain desolate and barren to the end of time, sustaining no -vegetable life, and shunned by all living creatures. And through that -unfortunate region I was now riding, gloomily oppressed by the spirit -of mournful silence and wild solitude which hung over it, whilst my -weary gaze sought in vain some token of organic existence to relieve -the monotony of lifeless stone and bare sand-hillocks. - -We rode swiftly, for we all felt the same desire to escape as quickly -as possible to more cheering scenes, but several hours elapsed before -the sight of an occasional stunted bush or tuft of grey grass showed -us we were nearing a less inhospitable region. - -Presently we rode past a long chain of salinas, which glittered and -sparkled whitely in the sun. They were now partially covered with -water, but in summer it evaporates altogether, leaving a crust of salt -on the surface of the lake of from two to four inches thick. These -salinas are met with all over the pampas, and from afar often deceive -the thirsty hunter, in search of fresh water, by the similarity they -present to a sheet of the latter, when the sun shines on their white -surfaces. In the depression over which we were now riding, I counted a -succession of more than fifty salinas, which stretched away as far as -I could see towards St. Julian. - -I passed one salina which, at a distance, appeared to be covered with -rose-coloured plants. On riding nearer, I found this delusion to be -occasioned by a flock of flamingoes, which were collected there in -great numbers, to all appearance in solemn conclave, after the fashion -of storks--a bird which they also resemble in their general build. -They let me come close up to them, and then, stretching out their long -necks, slowly glided away, alighting again on another salina a little -further off. As they flew up, I observed that the wings were black -underneath, in fine contrast to the brilliant hues of the rest of -their plumage, which is of a bright crimson colour, and very -beautiful. One fine, long feather floated through the air to my feet, -and I picked it up, intending to keep it, along with other similar -trifles, as a relic of my journey. Isidoro, half in joke, half in -earnest, said the occurrence might possibly be an omen of ill luck and -bloodshed--a prediction which was subsequently strangely verified, -though I laughed at it at the time, and, of course, thought no more -about it. - -By this time we had got into the ordinary style of country -again--short, undulating plains, and ravines with plenty of grass and -underwood. Several ostriches were caught there, and three nests were -pillaged, yielding in all some forty eggs, which we secured to our -saddles and bodies in various ways. - -We now approached the limits of the deep basin or depression across -which we had been travelling all day, and were faced by an acclivity, -similar in height and steepness to the one we had descended the day -previous. In scaling this wall I had a slight mishap; the prolonged -strain on my saddle caused it to slip back, the girths loosened, the -saddle rolled round, and, hampered by my capa, I was thrown violently -to the ground, breaking in my fall four eggs which I had previously -somewhat imprudently secured inside my shirt. Maximo came to my -rescue, and helped me to my feet again. My ribs felt very sore, and I -was severely bruised on the head; but I was glad to come off so -cheaply, for if the horse had taken fright and run away, entangled as -I was in the saddle-gear, and with my limbs imprisoned in the folds of -the capa, I might have incurred considerable risk of being dragged -over the pampa. We readjusted the saddle, I remounted, and we started -off again, reaching the summit of the escarpment, without further -mishap. - -There we found ourselves on another plain, across which we journeyed -for some time, but finding that it was too late to reach the Rio Chico -that day, we halted for the night, under shelter of a stout bush of -unusual size. - -We had a novel dish that evening, in the shape of a pair of -armadilloes, which some one had caught during the day, and which -Isidoro had artistically roasted with hot stones. - -The species of armadillo which inhabits Patagonia (_Dasypus minutus_) -is much smaller than any of the other varieties known in the Brazils, -Paraguay, and the northern provinces of Buenos Ayres. It is found in -great numbers throughout the pampas north of the Santa Cruz, though -south of that river, according to the testimony of the Indians, it has -never been met with. Why the limit of their range is thus sharply -defined, I am not prepared to say, though the phenomenon may possibly -be accounted for by the fact that the temperature on the plains a -short distance south of the Santa Cruz River is surprisingly lower -than that of the northern plains, the change being far greater than -the mere difference in latitude would warrant. The 'mulitos,' as the -Spanish call them, are remarkably good eating, and even in the towns -they are considered great delicacies. In autumn they have a layer of -fat on their backs of from two to three inches, on which they have to -draw in winter, as they pass that season in a state of torpor, which -relieves them of the trouble of looking for food. - -Those that we ate on this occasion were rather thin, as in that month, -September, they commence to leave their holes; but otherwise the flesh -was succulent and tender, and tasted very much like sucking-pig. - -The next morning we set out for the Rio Chico. On the way we passed -several herds of guanacos, some of which must have numbered more than -two hundred head. They seemed very shy, and disappeared at our -approach with great rapidity, though now and then one or two, more -courageous than the rest, would hang around us almost within reach of -the bolas, frisking about and executing the most comical antics, as if -to show their contempt for us and their confidence in their own -superior speed. - -This self-reliance is not altogether unjustified; the guanacos which -roam about singly, and which show such impertinent audacity, are -generally tough old males of immense endurance and speed, and to -overtake them the swiftest greyhound would have to do its utmost. - -It is different when a herd is being chased, as then each animal tries -to push into the middle of the flock, and a general scuffle takes -place, which of course considerably lessens the speed of the mass--a -fact of which the dogs are perfectly aware, inasmuch as they will -hardly ever take the trouble to chase a single guanaco, unless -specially ordered to do so by their masters, whereas if a herd comes -in sight, it is difficult to keep them from immediately dashing off -after them. - -The guanaco has been well described by Captain Musters as having the -head of a camel, the body of a deer, the wool of a sheep, and the -neigh of a horse. The wool is of a reddish-yellow, intermixed with -white in certain parts of the body. They are scattered in immense -numbers all over Patagonia, and one can never ride far without hearing -the shrill neighing of the sentinels, which always outflank the main -flock to give warning of the approach of danger. The flesh, when fat, -is excellent, and closely resembles beef; but at the season I am -writing of it is terribly lean and insipid, and affords very little -nourishment, the only palatable part being the head, which we -generally roasted under the embers, eating it cold. - -We travelled along over the usual succession of shingly plain and -grassy ravine for some time, without anything occurring to break the -tedium of the ride. Presently, however, a little off the direction in -which we were going, I noticed a guanaco lying dead, with fifty or -more carranchos hovering expectantly over it; and as the most -commonplace incident becomes of deep interest to the traveller on the -pampas as to the passenger on board a ship, I rode up to have a glance -at the dead animal. It must have been just then killed, for I found -the body still warm, and the blood was trickling from a deep gash in -its neck. I looked round, but I could not see the author of the deed -anywhere, though I did not doubt but that he was prowling near, or -else the carranchos would already have settled on the carcase. We had -plenty of other meat, so I merely cut off its head, tied it to the -saddle, and then rode after my companions. - -I had not gone far, however, when my horse suddenly stopped, snorting -wildly and quivering in every limb. I soon discovered the cause of its -terror. Crouching under a bush, about twenty paces ahead of me, was a -large puma, glaring sullenly at me, with its ugly cat-like head -resting between its outstretched paws. I urged my horse closer towards -it, but the frightened animal would not budge an inch, and, as I was -not within range, I was obliged to dismount. - -Drawing my revolver, I cautiously approached the puma, till I was -within easy distance. I then hesitated, not knowing exactly whether to -fire or not. I had heard a great deal of the cowardice of these -animals, how you may go close up to them, and strike them dead with -the bolas, without their offering any resistance; but still, this -particular puma, I reflected, might happen to be an exception to the -general rule, and turn out to be an unpleasantly brave animal, which -might possibly resent being fired at, especially if not dealt a wound -instantaneously fatal. - -However, I finally plucked up my courage, took steady aim at the head -of the motionless beast, and fired. It did not stir; I had missed. I -went nearer, and fired again; same result. I began to get excited, and -went still nearer to the unaggressive puma, which was now hardly ten -paces distant, its eyes gleaming at me with a fixed and stolid stare. -I fired once more, and this time I thought the head twitched. At that -moment Isidoro, who had heard my shots, came up to see what was the -matter, and with him, of course, came his dogs. They no sooner saw the -puma than they flew at it, and dragged it from under the bush. The -reason it had remained so immovable was immediately explained; the -brute was stone dead. On examining it, I found that two of my bullets -had lodged in its skull, and another had penetrated its chest, my -first shot having probably caused instantaneous death. With the help -of Isidoro, I took off the skin, which was a very fine one; and -leaving the carcase to the carranchos, we galloped off after the rest -of the party. - -We reached the Rio Chico at about twelve o'clock. The exact site of -its source is not known, but according to Indian testimony it comes -from an insignificant stream at a very short distance from the spot we -were now at. Like all rivers in Patagonia, it flows down a broad -valley, which seems to have been in former times the bed of a much -broader river than that which at present flows through it. Thus the -valley of the Rio Chico is about three miles broad, whilst the river, -at the time I am speaking of, rather swollen by recent rains, was only -some two hundred yards in width. The valley of the Rio Gallegos is -much broader even than that of the Rio Chico, while one can almost -jump over the river itself in summer. - -On account of the fine pasturage they afford for horses, these valleys -are the usual camping-places of the Indians, and we were therefore not -surprised to see several of their tents pitched on the other side of -the river. I was extremely glad of the opportunity thus afforded me of -making the acquaintance of these wandering tribes, for whom, having -read Captain Musters' 'At Home with the Patagonians,' I had always -felt a peculiar interest. Captain Musters adopted the only plan by -which it is possible to obtain a thorough insight into the -peculiarities of the morality and customs of such people, and to -discover the principles which guide their dealings amongst each other -and towards strangers. For the nonce he forgot that he had ever -belonged to civilisation, and became to all intents and purposes a -Patagonian Indian, living amongst them as one of them, sharing their -pleasures and hardships, and doing his duty in the hunting-field or in -the ball-room with as much zest and earnestness as if he intended -passing his whole existence among them, and finally becoming a -candidate for some vacant caciqueship. - -By these means he became intimately acquainted with their habits and -ways, their domestic life, their virtues and failings, their loves and -their hatreds; and was thus enabled thoroughly to understand them, and -appreciate many interesting traits in their character which would have -escaped a less attentive and less conscientious observer. - -When we reached the ford, some doubts were expressed as to whether it -was practicable, the river being swollen far beyond its ordinary -level. Garcia rode cautiously over first, therefore; and on his -arriving safely on the opposite side, none the worse for a little -splashing, the rest of us followed, driving the horses in before us. -The dogs remained behind, setting up a most dismal yell as they -watched us making our way through the water; but finding no one -offered to carry them over, they at last took heart and swam after us. - -Leaving our horses to graze with those of the Indians, which were -scattered about in knots all over the valley, we set off at a gallop -towards the encampment, on arriving at which we were soon surrounded -by a crowd of dusky aborigines, who, to judge by their incessant -smiles and laughter, must have been exceedingly glad to see us. - -Our first care was to set up our tent and carefully stow all our traps -and saddle-gear away under it, as there are some amongst the Indians -whose curiosity prompts them to minutely inspect any article one might -be careless enough to leave within their reach, and whose absence of -mind is so extreme as to frequently make them forget to restore such -articles to their rightful owners. - -I was then at liberty to examine the chattering groups which had -gathered round us, watching all our doings with the greatest interest, -and probably criticising my civilised appearance with a freedom which, -had I understood their language, I might perhaps have thought the -reverse of complimentary. - - - - - [Illustration] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -The plains of Patagonia, barren as they are, afford sustenance to a -marvellous profusion of animal life, and swarm with countless numbers -of ostriches, guanacos, armadilloes, pumas, foxes, and skunks. But -they are but sparsely peopled by the human race. It may be estimated -that the native population of that vast territory which lies between -the Rio Negro and the Straits of Magellan barely numbers three -thousand souls, and if the mortality among them continues on the same -scale as hitherto, it is to be feared that in a comparatively short -period they will have disappeared altogether from off the face of the -earth, and survive only in memory as a sad illustration of the -remorseless law of the non-survival of the unfitted. - -But at no period of its existence as a habitable country can Patagonia -have been well populated; no people would voluntarily choose it for a -permanent abode, as long as they could range unmolested in the more -hospitable regions of the north, and such tribes as have from time to -time elected to brave its inclement climate have in so doing doubtless -only yielded to dire necessity, finding the elements, less formidable -to encounter than the unceasing hostilities of more powerful tribes. -Thus the Tehuelches, as the Indians who at present inhabit the -southern plains are called, have in all probability gradually been -driven to this extreme corner of their continent by the more warlike -but intellectually inferior races of the north, such as the -Araucanians, the Pampas, and others, who in their turn, as -civilisation advances, may perhaps be forced to quit their present -rich pasture-grounds and moderate climate, and fly to the bare plains -of Santa Cruz and St. Julian, eventually to encounter the same fate of -extermination as that which now hangs over the doomed Tehuelche race. - -The Tehuelches are divided into two tribes, the Northern and the -Southern. The Northerners are the least numerous, but, on the other -hand, they have the advantage of being less 'civilised' than their -Southern kindred, who, being frequently in contact with the settlers -of Sandy Point, have assimilated not a few of the pleasant vices of -'_los Christianos_,' as all white men are called by them. The -Northerners generally pass the winter at Santa Cruz, and move as -summer comes on towards the Cordilleras. The Southerners range over -the country between Coy Inlet and the straits, and now and then pay a -visit to the settlement at Sandy Point. In customs and language there -is no difference between these two tribes, and in speaking of the -Tehuelches, I must be understood to be referring indiscriminately to -the Northerners and Southerners. - -Notwithstanding that the exaggerated accounts of early travellers as -to the stature of the Patagonians have frequently been contradicted -and disproved, a great many people seem still to be firmly impressed -with the idea that the race of giants is not yet extinct, and that it -has for its abode that favoured portion of South America which the -Spaniards christened Patagonia. The truth is that, as regards height, -all that can be said of the Tehuelches is that they are on the average -a tall race, varying in stature from say five feet ten inches to six -feet. Their muscular development and consequent strength, however, are -decidedly abnormal, and in that sense, at all events, they cannot be -denied to possess one of the most important attributes of giants. - -I once witnessed a remarkable feat of strength performed by a Northern -Tehuelche of the name of Koloby. He was leading a horse towards the -camp by a lasso, when the animal for some reason or other suddenly -stopped short, and obstinately refused to stir from the spot. After a -few coaxing, but ineffectual tugs at the lasso, Koloby gave a short -grunt of impatience, and then, taking the lasso over his shoulder, -bent forward, seemingly without effort, and dragged the horse by main -force for about twenty yards, notwithstanding its determined attempts -at resistance. - -The Tehuelches are on the whole rather good-looking than otherwise, -and the usual expression on their faces is bright and friendly. Their -foreheads are rather low, but not receding, their noses aquiline, -their mouths large and coarse, but their teeth are extremely regular -and dazzlingly white. Their hair, which is long and black, is kept -from falling over their faces by a fillet tied round the head. They -have little hair on the face or body, and even that they eradicate as -much as possible, including the eyebrows, an operation which must -cause no little pain. Why they do this I don't know, except it may be -that they consider it improves their appearance, in which case it -seems that in its application to the 'poor Indian,' the saying '_Il -faut souffrir pour etre beau_' loses none of its truth or point. In -addition to this embellishment, some tattoo their arms or chest, but -it does not seem to be the general custom. - -Their eyes are small and deeply set; the prominence of the cheekbones -gives great breadth to their faces. The colour of their skin seems to -vary according to the individual, or rather according to the -individual's cleanliness; but as far as I could ascertain, it is of a -reddish-brown, running in some cases more into a yellowish tinge. -Their general carriage is extremely graceful and dignified, and their -manners towards strangers and one another are polite and deferential, -without a trace of servility; in fact, they have a certain well-bred -air of restraint, which is quite impressive, and one never feels -inclined to treat them with that familiarity which is bred of -contempt, or that convenient assumption of superiority which the white -man is so apt to display towards 'niggers.' - -I do not wish to incur the charge of attempting to revive the exploded -legend of the 'noble savage' in favour of the Tehuelche race, but I -must say that in general intelligence, gentleness of temper, chastity -of conduct, and conscientious behaviour in their social and domestic -relations, they are immeasurably superior not only to the other South -American indigenous tribes, but also, all their disadvantages being -taken into consideration, to the general run of civilised white men. -Their natural talents are displayed in a marked manner by the rapidity -with which they pick up a new language, and the ease with which they -grasp the totally new ideas which the acquiring of a complex foreign -tongue must necessarily entail on a race whose original range of -thought is of a most limited nature. Amongst the Southern Tehuelches I -met several who spoke Spanish with ready ease, notwithstanding that -they seldom had opportunities of practising it. There was one Indian, -who called himself Captain Johnson, who surprised me very much when I -first met him by asking me, with a round British oath, for 'a plug of -tobacco.' Further conversation brought out that many years before he -had lived for a few weeks on board an English schooner, and hence his -knowledge of the language, which he spoke extremely well, considering -that he had of course never had occasion to keep it up since. -Guillaume told me several instances of the ease with which the Indians -picked up and retained French phrases, which at their request he had -repeated to them. To their many other praiseworthy characteristics I -shall presently revert. - -The dress of the men consists of a chiripa, fastened at the waist by a -belt, which is frequently richly embossed with silver. The capa, or -mantle of guanaco furs, already described, completes their attire. -When on horseback their feet are encased in botas de potro; but for -reasons of economy they do not wear them at ordinary times. The women -wear a long calico robe beneath the capa, which is fastened at the -throat with a silver brooch, or a simple wooden skewer, according to -the circumstances of the individual. Potro boots are a luxury reserved -for the men. The children, on whom most of the silver ornaments of -the family are lavished, wear a capa like their elders, and on -attaining the age of four or five are invested with the dignity of a -chiripa. - -When the women grow old they become repulsively ugly, but the young -girls are by no means ill-favoured, and the looks of even the plainest -among them are invariably redeemed by the bright, smiling expression -habitual to them. Their hair is worn in plaits, artificially -lengthened by means of horsehair; their complexion, when free from -paint, is of a ruddy healthy colour, and their eyes, which are shaded -with long black lashes, are soft and clear. - -Without going so far as to assert that the _affaires de coeur_ of -the Tehuelche maidens are always strictly platonic, I must say that, -according to my own observations, and the confirming statements of -others, the relations between the sexes are uniformly characterised by -a strong sense of decency and unimpeachable propriety. Polygamy is -admitted on principle; but no man may marry more wives than he can -afford to maintain, and there is, therefore, seldom more than one -mistress to each household. Marriages _de convenance_ are very rare; -but, as a matter of form, the bride is purchased from her parents for -a certain number of mares, or whatever objects her lover can afford to -give. But as the dowry of the girl generally quite compensates for -the expense her lover has incurred in obtaining her, the transaction -must be considered rather as an exchange of presents than as a mere -unsentimental bargain. Out of mere curiosity to learn the technical -details of Tehuelche marriage-settlements, I once entered into -negotiations with a rich old squaw, for the purpose of contracting -matrimony with her daughter who was a charming girl of about fifteen. -The price we finally agreed upon was eight mares; a bag of biscuits, -and some sugar, which I was to procure from Sandy Point. The dowry of -the daughter consisted in four new guanaco mantles. I held out for -five, and on my remaining inflexible on this point, the negotiations -fell through. - -Husband and wife seem always to get on very well together; indeed, one -of the pleasantest traits in the Tehuelche character is the affection -with which relations regard one another. The love of the parents -towards their offspring is almost morbid in its intensity. Their grief -at the decease of an only child frequently manifests itself in the -most exaggerated manner. It is not unusual in such cases for the -parents to burn all their belongings, kill all their horses, and -reduce themselves to a state of utter poverty--a touching proof of the -sincerity and depth of their sorrow, if not of the soundness of their -views on practical economy. - -Their indulgence towards their children is unlimited. I have never -seen a child chidden or remonstrated with, whatever mischievous pranks -it may have been up to, and in all their internal arrangements the -interest of the baby portion of the community seems to be the first -which is consulted. For my part, I must say I by no means shared in -the feelings of the elders with regard to their youthful progeny; on -the contrary, I always considered the latter as a most unmitigated -nuisance. They are dirty and vicious, as mischievous as monkeys, and -as thievish as magpies. The 'Artful Dodger' would have had to look to -his laurels if he had had to enter into competition with a young -Tehuelche. Their deftness of hand, as I have many a time experienced -to my cost, is remarkable. On one occasion, I rode over to their camp -from Santa Cruz, on an English saddle, and as I knew that the -stirrup-leathers, which are in great demand for belts on account of -the buckles, would prove too great a temptation, I took care not to -leave the saddle at all during my short stay, thinking by that means -to obviate any danger of losing my cherished stirrup-leathers. But -even this precaution proved insufficient. In an unguarded moment, -whilst bending over my horse's neck in conversation with an Indian who -was sitting on the ground below me, by way of resting myself a little, -I incautiously slipped one foot out of its stirrup, and lay at my full -length along the horse's back. I was hardly two minutes in that -position, but I was two minutes too long. On resuming my seat in the -saddle, my foot sought in vain for the stirrup, and on looking down I -discovered, to my wrath, that during my momentary inattention the -stirrup-leather had quietly been slipped off and made away with. Of -course, I immediately dismounted in a great rage, and set to to find -the thief. After a fruitless search, I returned to my horse, and, lo -and behold, in the meanwhile, the other stirrup-leather had -disappeared! In my precipitate haste, I had quite forgotten that -whilst I was looking for its fellow, it might be abstracted as well; -and the upshot of the whole affair was that, with many a strong -interjectional reference to my own stupidity, I had to ride -stirrupless back to Santa Cruz, some fifteen miles away. I had no -doubt at the time, and indeed I subsequently discovered, that two -youngsters had been the perpetrators of the neat theft. - -One would think that under such training, as they grew older, their -faults would increase; but just the contrary is the case, and by the -time they attain their fifteenth or sixteenth year they abandon their -brattish ways, and become 'respectable,' steady-going members of their -community. - -The division of labour in a Tehuelche _menage_ is perhaps not strictly -equitable, for by far the greater part of the day's work falls on the -fair sex. The men go hunting when the larder is low, and occasionally, -in a dawdling kind of way, they mend their riding-gear, or make -bolas, lassoes, etc.; but they have an insurmountable aversion to -anything that looks like hard work. The squaws, on the other hand, are -busy from morning till night. They are the hewers of wood and the -drawers of water, and all the onus of housekeeping, breaking up the -camp, arranging the tents--including, of course, the care of the -children, the _cuisine_, and so forth--is delegated to them. When not -otherwise employed, they sew guanaco capas or weave fillets, and their -fingers, at all kinds of work, are as nimble as their tongues, with -which latter they keep up an incessant chatter, which, however, does -not prevent them from getting through an astonishing amount of work. - -Of their origin little is to be said. They recognise a good spirit and -a bad spirit (Gualichu); but there is little sincerity or earnestness -either in their reverence for the one, or in their fear of the other. -According to the caprice of the moment, either of these spirits is -most cavalierly treated by them, and the respect they occasionally -profess towards them gives way as often as not to indifference, -contempt, or anger. The fact is, that with the Tehuelches the prime -rule in life is to take everything as easily as possible, to the -exclusion of all other considerations; and, acting on the doctrine of -the Epicureans, that it is a man's duty to endeavour to increase to -the utmost his pleasures and diminish to the utmost his pains, they -are careful not to admit any theories which might possibly disturb -their peace of mind. Thus they are strongly averse to the idea of -vesting in a supernatural agent the power of interfering in their -affairs to any great extent, arguing that such power having once been -vested, it might on a contingency be used detrimentally to their own -comfort and interests. On the other hand, it could not escape them -that very often a most convenient excuse for their peccadilloes was to -be found in attributing them to the evil influence of some bad spirit. -To avoid the dilemma occasioned by the above conflicting -considerations, they accordingly created the Gualichu, a most -accommodating devil, who allows himself to be ignored or brought -forward, as may best suit the momentary purpose of his clients. The -good spirit, for obvious reasons, one hears very little about; the -Tehuelche is quite willing to take the credit of his good actions on -himself alone. - -The office of chief or cacique among them is not altogether a -sinecure; but its authority is extremely limited, being exercised -merely in such slight matters as the choice of the spot where the -tribe is to camp, the route to be followed, and so forth. The -Tehuelches are very jealous of their personal liberty; and complete -individual equality is the recognised basis of their social and -political system. Paraphrasing Wordsworth, I may say in prose, 'A rich -man is a rich man to them, and he is nothing more,' In other words, -the fact of one of their number possessing forty or fifty horses more -than his fellows, seems to be accepted by them as a simple fact, which -excites neither respect for the possessor nor envy of his good -fortune. Nor would it for a moment occur to the owner of the forty or -fifty horses to fancy himself in any way superior to his poorer -brethren. The little credit which wealth, _per se_, commands, saves -the Indians from a great many of the repugnant vices of white men, -such as avarice, jealousy, servility, etc., and keeps up a healthy, -independent feeling among them, which is pleasantly manifested in the -politeness and kindliness of their personal intercourse. - -They have a peculiar custom, moreover, which is well calculated to -preserve the existing state of things. When an Indian dies, however -many horses he may possess, they are all killed, and his other -belongings are scrupulously burned. Thus, no family can acquire such a -preponderance of wealth as would enable it, in time, to obtain an -ascendant influence over and curtail the liberties of the rest of the -tribe. Whatever the defects of this system may be, from the political -economist's point of view, it seems to be very well adapted to the -desires and circumstances of the Tehuelches; and as an instance of how -socialistic tendencies may be practically modified to suit certain -exceptional conditions of existence, it is, perhaps, not without some -interest. - -If required to distinguish the Tehuelche by a single characteristic -epithet, I should call him, not the noble, but the happy savage. Far -from being saturnine or grave, he is as light-hearted as a child, all -mirth and contentment, and wonderfully easily moved to laughter. Life -is, indeed, a very pleasant matter for him. Without any exertion on -his part being necessary, all his wants are supplied in abundance. He -has no onerous daily drudgery to undergo; he has no enemies to fear; -he is not driven from his hunting-grounds to starvation and death, -like his North American cousins, by the ever-advancing white man. He -is seldom visited by sickness, and his life is unusually prolonged. -That he has absolutely no troubles I will not affirm, but if he has -any he certainly takes them very lightly. - -To conclude these few remarks on the Tehuelche race in reviewing their -characteristics it is impossible not to award them a high rank in the -list of uncivilised nationalities. To admit that they have many -faults, is, after all, merely saying that they are human; but these -faults are redeemed by many unusual excellences. They are -good-natured, hospitable, and affectionate; their instincts are -gentle; violence and ferocity are foreign to their nature; and though -not invariably veracious nor strictly honest, if they think you trust -them, they will take care not to deceive you. Their one great failing -is their addiction to rum, to whose fatal agency the rapid decrease -in their numbers, and the consequent fast-approaching extinction of -their race, must be ascribed. - -But to return to my narrative. Our tent having been set up, and all -our saddle-gear stowed away, I strolled into the Indian camp, followed -by the chattering crowd which had come out to meet us. My curious -glances at these children of the desert were certainly repaid with -interest; and they subjected my person and belongings to the closest -scrutiny. The texture of my coat was carefully examined, and appeared -to give rise to a lengthy discussion, which was carried on with more -zeal and earnestness than the merits of the subject would seem to -warrant, and nothing but a good stare of several minutes' duration at -my face seemed to satisfy even the least curious among them. - -The camp was composed of five toldos, or tents, each tent containing -on the average about twenty-five souls. These toldos are very -practically constructed, and, notwithstanding their formidable size, -they are set up or taken down by the squaws in a surprisingly short -space of time. A covering made of guanaco skins is drawn over a rough -framework of wood, consisting of a double row of stakes and -cross-beams, lashed together with thongs of guanaco hide. The front of -the tent is generally open, but it can be closed whenever occasion -requires. The interior is divided into partitions, each inmate having -his own bunk, where he sleeps and where his gear and chattels are -stowed away when not in use. - -I entered one of these tents, and looked about me. In the front part -there were three or four small fires, round each of which sat a circle -of Indians, who were warming their toes, and smoking or taking mate. -The squaws were all hard at work, sewing capas, weaving fillets, or -tying up bundles of ostrich feathers. At my approach they stopped -working, and broke into a chorus of guttural commentaries on my -appearance, interspersed with a great deal of noisy laughter, which -they kept up till I left the tent. Little children and dogs were -sprawling about the place in all directions, apparently on very good -terms with each other--a dog not unfrequently gnawing at one end of a -piece of meat, off the other end of which a young Tehuelche hopeful -was making his dinner. In another corner was a group deeply immersed -in the chances and changes of a game of cards. Some of the Indians are -inveterate gamblers, and play for very high stakes indeed. It is not -an uncommon thing for a 'plunger' to risk all his horses and his -saddle-gear, knife and bolas to boot, on the chances of a single game. - -We visited all the tents, and then went back to enjoy a pipe by our -own fireside. We had not been long seated when quite a deputation of -pretty young squaws arrived, to interview us. They bashfully sat down -at some distance from our fire, and for a time did nothing but giggle -and look shy. At last one of them, the prettiest (artful daughters of -Eve!), after a great deal of argument and some persuasive pushing, -seemed to consent to become the spokeswoman of the party, and taking -courage, came boldly up to us, and producing a plate from under her -capa, with a very engaging smile she held it out to me, repeating the -word 'Azucar' several times in a pleading, coaxing tone, which it was -impossible to resist. I gave her some sugar and biscuit, with which -she returned to her companions, seemingly very much pleased. After -having sat for a few minutes longer, just for politeness' sake, as it -were, they got up and went back to their homes. They must have -reported favourably on the results of their expedition, for they had -not been gone long when another lot arrived, who also wanted azucar. -We had just doled out a small portion to them, when still another -crowd came down upon us, composed chiefly of elderly squaws, each with -a plate, and such a cheerful desire to see it filled with sugar, that -it became necessary to restrain our generous instincts, and stow away -the sugar bags in the depths of our tent. Finding us inexorable, the -elders soon took their departure, in great good-humour, and seemingly -as happy as if they had got all they wanted. - -We were favoured with a great many visits during dinner, and at one -time we were the centre of a circle of men, women, and children, two -rows deep, who were incessant in their demands for biscuit, sugar, or -something, but so calmly indifferent under the inevitable refusal with -which, in self-defence, we were obliged to meet all their -supplications, that it seemed they really did not care whether they -got anything given to them or not. Post-prandially I mused whether, -after all, they had not the advantage over me. It is true I had 'the -cakes and ale;' but then, on the other hand, to make matters even, -they had the finely-balanced temperament which enabled them to bear -the want of those luxuries with the most perfect equanimity. - -After dinner, Garcia sat down to play cards with an Indian. I watched -him lose successively his bolas, his lasso, his knife, and his saddle, -and when I went to bed he was just commencing another game, for which -the stakes were a horse a side. I fully expected to wake up the next -morning and find that he had lost his whole troop; but he was not so -unfortunate, and when they finally left off playing he was only a pair -of bolas to the bad. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -The next morning, having said good-bye to Isidoro, who was stopping -some days with the Indians before coming down to Santa Cruz to -accompany me to Sandy Point, we started off at a brisk gallop, which -in about three hours brought us to the broad valley down which the -Santa Cruz River rolls its rapid and tortuous course. - -The weather was already sensibly colder than at St. Julian. On our -road we encountered several snow and hail-storms, and were therefore -not sorry when we at last arrived in front of Pavon Island, where -there is a small house, built many years ago by an Argentine, who -lived there for the purpose of trading with the Indians--a business -still carried on by its present inmate, Don Pedro Dufour. - -On hearing our shouts, the inmates of the island, _i.e._, Don Pedro -and his peon, came over to us in a small boat, in which our effects -and persons were safely transported to the island. The horses and dogs -had to swim over as best they could, and a very hard and cold job they -must have found it, as the current of the river runs with extreme -velocity, something over six miles an hour. - -The house into which Don Pedro gave us a hearty welcome, was built of -adobe and stones, and contained two dwelling-rooms, a kitchen, and a -store-room. There was another smaller house on the island, used as a -store-room for the sugar, biscuit, aguadiente, etc., which Don Pedro -barters with the Indians for guanaco capas and ostrich feathers. - -In the long grass behind the house a troop of horses was grazing, -together with four or five fine sheep, with which, judging by their -splendid condition, the pasturage of Patagonia evidently agreed. A pig -was grunting and clamouring greedily for food in a pen hard by; ducks, -pigeons, and other poultry were pecking about the yard; a thrush was -singing in a cage hung up outside the house, and altogether there was -quite a homely, civilised look about the place which I should not have -expected to find, considering that it is the only fixed human -habitation in that immense desert, which extends for a distance of -some seven hundred miles, from Chubut to Sandy Point--a desert whose -area is twice that of Great Britain, and whose only inhabitants are a -few ostrich-hunters and Indians. - -Pending Isidoro's arrival, I made several excursions in the -neighbourhood of the island, amongst others, one to the port of Santa -Cruz, where in the hollow of a sheltered ravine stands the settlement -of M. Rouquand. The houses, of which there are several, built of -timber brought from Buenos Ayres for the purpose, I found to be little -the worse for wear or weather. - -The canyon where these houses stand is still called 'Les Misioneros,' -for it was there that some missionaries resided in 1863, who laboured -for a time at the attempted conversion of the Tehuelches to -Christianity, without, however, meeting with the success their -endeavours deserved. - -It is a pity that M. Rouquand's courageous attempt at colonising that -desert place and founding an industry, whose success would have been -an incentive to further enterprise, should have been thwarted by -Chili's having taken umbrage at his occupying a miserable piece of -ground, of no possible value to anybody, without having previously -gone through the formality of asking their ratification of the -concession granted him by the Argentine Government. - -The port of Santa Cruz is formed by the confluence of the river of -that name and its tributary, the Rio Chico, which at this point -expands into a broad bay, capable of affording shelter to a number of -ships, and of easy access from the ocean, there being about fifty feet -of water over the bar at high tide. - -The river Santa Cruz varies in breadth from four hundred yards to -nearly a mile, and runs along a winding valley, which extends in a -direct line to the westward. In 1834 an expedition under Admiral -Fitzroy, composed of three light boats, manned by eighteen sailors, -started up the river, with the object of ascertaining its source; but -having ascended a distance of 140 miles from the sea, and 240 by the -course of the river, want of provisions obliged him to turn back, -especially as, finding no diminution in the volume of its waters, he -inferred that its upper course must be along the base of the Andes, -from north to south, and that its source must probably be near that of -the Rio Negro, in lat. 45 deg. S. - -In this conjecture he was at error, for in 1877 Dr. F. Moreno -successfully determined the source of the Santa Cruz as being taken -from a lake situated in lat. 50 deg. 14' S., and long. 71 deg. 59' W., -some miles from Lake Viedma, with which, however, it has no visible -communication. This fine sheet of water measures thirty miles from -east to west, and ten miles at its greatest breadth; its depth Dr. -Moreno was unable to ascertain--with a line of 120 feet he could find -no bottom at a short distance from the shore. - -According to the same authority the greatest depth of the river is -seventy feet, but the rapidity of the current, in some places as much -as fifteen miles an hour, must have prevented reliable soundings being -taken. - -Near Lake Viedma is a volcano, the Chalten, which, according to the -Indians, still throws out quantities of ashes. At the time Dr. Moreno -was there, a column of smoke was issuing from its crater. - -The country around Santa Cruz River differs in no way from that I had -already traversed, one of the peculiarities of Patagonian landscape -being its complete sameness. The plains, which occupy the greater -portion of the country, extend along the Atlantic Ocean. The line -separating them from the fertile mountain regions is extremely sharply -defined. Beginning at Cape Negro, Magellan Straits, lat. 53 deg. S. and -long. 75 deg. 50' W., it runs thence west-north-west to the north-eastern -extremity of Otway Water, following the channels of Fitzroy Passage, -and the northern shores of Skyring Water to long. 72 deg. W., and then -extends along the eastern shores of Obstruction Sound and Kirke Water, -running then due northward towards Lake Viedma. These plains rise -almost uniformly, 300 feet high, one above another, like terraces, and -are traversed occasionally by ravines and flat-bottomed depressions, -which latter frequently contain salt lakes. The formation of the -country is tertiary, resting on porphyry and quartz, ridges of which -often protrude through the surface. Near long. 70 deg. W. the plains are -capped with a layer of lava, about a hundred miles in width. - -Darwin accounts for the regularity with which the plains rise one over -the other by the supposition that the land has been raised in a mass -from under the sea, the upheaving movement having been interrupted by -at least eight long periods of rest, during which the sea ate deeply -back into the land, forming at successive levels the long lines of -escarpments which separate the different plains. - -In that strange country the vegetable kingdom is as little varied as -the aspect of the landscape: from Chubut to Sandy Point, from the -sea-coast to the Cordilleras, one meets the same few species of -miserable stunted bushes and coarse grasses. - -The following is a cut showing the formation of the country at Port -St. Julian:[A] - - [Illustration: - { 3 feet Sand. - { 7 " Red clay, quantities of shells and - { macranchenia bones. - { 3-1/2 " { - { 3 " { Layers of porphyry pebbles, alternating - { { with porous sandstone. - { 3-3/4 " { - 42-1/2 feet. { 6-1/2 " Fossil mass in three layers, consisting - { chiefly of oysters and pecten. - { 3 " Porous sandstone, numbers of scutella - { shells. - { 7-3/4 " Green sandy clay, containing broken - { masses of chalk and quantities of - { _Ostrea Patagonica_. - { 1 " Sand. - { ----- Level of the Sea. - { 4 "] - -[A] From a perforation made by E. de Ville Massot, C.E. - -Of bushes, the most frequent are the jume (_Salicemia_) and the -calafate (_Berberis axifolia_). The former plant is remarkably rich in -soda, as will be seen by the following analysis of its ash: - - Chloride of sodium 19.38 - Sulphate of lime 9.50 - Carbonate of magnesia 1.94 - Phosphate of potash 12.15 - Carbonate of potash 7.50 - Silicate of soda 7.80 - Carbonate of soda 41.73 - ------ - 100.00 - -Though they are so little favoured by nature, still I must confess -that in the sober-hued Patagonian landscapes, with their grave breadth -and stern severity of outline, and in the grand monotony of solemn -silence and solitude pervading their barren plains, there is something -which has left a far deeper impression on my mind than has the -brightest and most varied tropical scenery. Standing in the midst of -one of those seemingly endless plains, one experiences an indefinable -feeling of awe, akin to that which the contemplation of the ocean -produces, only, perhaps, more impressively grand; for the ocean is -ever noisy and restless, the pampa eternally silent and still. - -During my stay at Santa Cruz, nothing of importance occurred, if I may -except a ball given by the Indians at the Rio Chico, in honour of -somebody's marriage or funeral: I forget which. An Indian who came to -the island to get the rum, which is a _sine qua non_ at all their -entertainments, invited us to assist at the ball--an offer which we -readily accepted. - -On arriving at the camp, a very lively scene presented itself to our -eyes. As is customary on such occasions, several mares had been -killed, and roasting and boiling was going on at numerous fires. -Everyone was feasting in the greatest good-humour, which on our -approach was further heightened, scouts having already brought the -news that we were coming with the aguadiente. - -The advent of the latter was greeted with loud acclamations; some of -the older men gathered round the cask, which was speedily tapped, and -then with great unction and solemnity they proceeded to taste the -liquor, in order to see whether it had been overwatered. Several -decided grunts of satisfaction, however, showed that these aged -fathers approved of its strength; whereupon a general and doubtless -equitable distribution of the spirit took place, and before long the -whole camp--men, women, and children--had ample opportunities for -judging of its merits for themselves. - -Presently a dance was organised. The men who took part in it were all -specially painted for the occasion, and wore long feathers on their -heads. The dance itself was a monotonous jig, executed to the -excruciating music of various drums or tom-toms. The women, strange -to say, do not dance; at least, they did not as long as they were -sober. - -As the evening wore on, after vast quantities of meat had been -consumed and innumerable dances had been performed, special attention -began to be paid to the aguadiente, and the fun consequently soon -began to get very fast and very furious. - -Long before midnight everyone was more or less drunk, and the ball -which had commenced with becoming order and solemnity had now -degenerated into a wild orgie. The flames from the different fires, -strangely blended with the pale moonlight, cast a lurid glare on the -dusky bodies and painted faces of the revellers, who, mad with -excitement and drink, were dancing, singing, and whooping in deafening -concert. A more gruesome scene it was hard to imagine. It seemed as if -the imps of darkness were celebrating their unearthly rites in this -desert spot, and I half expected, at any moment, to see the whole crew -vanish, with a flash and a bang, into the bowels of the earth, leaving -the orthodox smell of sulphur behind them. - -Nothing of the sort occurred, however, though I presently received a -shock almost as startling as any supernatural event could have been. -An old squaw, who was painfully of this world and the vanities -thereof, and who had previously been addressing me for some time in -the most eloquent of gutturals, finding that nothing could melt my icy -demeanour, as a last resource suddenly threw her arms round my -unsuspecting neck and hugged me in a greasy embrace. - -With great difficulty I managed to free myself, whereupon I ran away -towards some other part of the camp, to escape further annoyance. Had -this old beldame been acquainted with woman's privileges on such -occasions, she would have known that, under the circumstances, the -correct thing to have done was to have fainted or become hysterical. -But nothing could have been further from the thoughts of this -unenlightened savage--the impulse of her untrained mind being to run -after me as hard as her legs could carry her. And the rest of the -Indians, with one of those sudden whims drunken people are liable to, -took it into their heads to join in the chase, and I soon had the -whole crowd shrieking and howling at my heels. What their intentions -were I don't know, nor did I feel inclined to discover; fortunately, -before they came up to me I reached my horse, which I had left ready -saddled, and galloping swiftly away, I soon left them behind me. - -I was presently joined by Garcia and the others, who had taken the -same opportunity to escape in order to avoid the rows with which these -balls frequently wind up. They are not often attended by actual -bloodshed, however, as the squaws, with naive foresight, generally -hide all weapons before the ceremonies commence. We reached Santa Cruz -shortly after daybreak, and so ended my first experience of a -Tehuelche merry-making. - -I called at the camp the next day to pay my _visite de digestion_, and -made a point of going to the tent where the old squaw, who was so near -becoming _teterrima causa belli_, abode. She had a bad headache, and -looked very demure and penitent. I rallied her with smiles, and -attempted, by my assiduous attentions, to make up for my discourteous -behaviour of the previous evening. But she took no notice of me, and -received all my overtures with the utmost indifference. It was a case -of-- - - 'The devil was sick; the devil a saint would be.' - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -Shortly after, on the 2nd of October, Isidoro came over to Pavon -Island, with his horses and some 250 lb. of ostrich feathers sewn up -in hides, which he was going to take down to Sandy Point to barter, -and I accordingly made the necessary arrangements for accompanying -him. - -Never was a more unlucky trip commenced under more unfavourable -auspices. - -I was extremely unwell, and my indisposition increased with every -hour. Isidoro, in crossing over to the island, had lost his whip in -the river, and he seemed to consider this a sure omen of misfortune. -The mishap threw quite a gloom over his mind, and he almost decided on -giving up the journey altogether. With great difficulty I persuaded -him to relinquish this intention, though I little thought as I did so -that I was indirectly drawing him to his ruin. - -The weather, too, was unpropitious. Twice heavy showers of rain made -us turn back when on the point of starting. We had already unsaddled -our horses and put off our departure till the next day; but towards -midday the sun again shone out, and that finally decided us to make a -definite start. - -As we calculated that our journey to Sandy Point would last about -eight days, we took but few provisions; and in order to spare the -pack-horse as much as possible, we left our tent behind, trusting to -the weather not to be too severe upon us. The cavalcade consisted of -Isidoro, Guillaume, and myself, twenty-eight horses, and five dogs. - -Having said good-bye to Don Pedro, Garcia, and Maximo, who were -remaining at Santa Cruz, we mounted our horses, forded the river, and -got under route. - -We had not gone far when the weather again changed for the worse. A -drizzling sleet--half rain, half snow--began to fall, and a thick mist -settled down on the hills, giving an indescribably mournful appearance -to the at all times gloomy country. - -We rode along in the lowest of spirits and in the midst of a cheerless -silence, broken only by the patter of the rain or the splashing of our -horses' hoofs over the marshy ground. As we went on, my headache grew -more and more violent, and every movement of the horse made me wince -with pain; but not wishing to turn back now that we were once off, I -bore up as well as I could for several hours, till at last, burning -with fever and thoroughly exhausted with the efforts I had made to -subdue my sufferings, I fairly began to reel in my saddle, and, -finding it impossible to continue any longer on horseback, I called -out to my companions to halt. - -Although we were just in the middle of a bare plain, there was -fortunately a little grass growing round the borders of a small sheet -of water near where I dismounted, or otherwise, on account of the -horses, we should have been obliged to continue till we got to the -next ravine, which was still a considerable distance off. - -They made a bed for me under a low bush, and I was glad to be able to -lie down. I suffered intensely all through the night, tossing -sleeplessly about, and longing for dawn to appear. - -The morning found me in such a state that, much to my own and my -companions' regret, it was quite impossible to continue the journey, -though, had I foreseen the consequences of that one day's delay, I -would have gone on, even if I had had to be lashed to the saddle. - -It was altogether a very miserable time. It is pleasant enough to roam -over the pampa when you are strong and well, and can enjoy a good -gallop after an ostrich in that pure, inspiriting air, when the -coarsest food seems delicious, and you can sleep as soundly on the -hardest couch as on the softest feather-bed; but it is another thing -when you are sick and in pain, and miss the darkened room, the -tempting viands, the cooling drinks, and the thousand devices which -make sickness less trying. When, instead, you have to face the weary -pangs of illness, exposed alternately to the glaring sunshine and the -cold rain showers, stretched on the bare ground, a hard saddle for -your pillow, a miserable bush your sole shelter against the cutting -wind. Then, like me, you will probably lose a little of your -enthusiasm for the romantic life of the pampa, and sigh for the -comforts of humdrum civilisation. - -The next day my anxiety to reach Sandy Point as early as possible, -urged me to declare that I felt well enough to continue the journey, -and enabled me to support the unintermitting pains the movement of the -horse inflicted on my sore body, which, without the assistance of so -strong a motive, I should hardly have been able to do. - -However, I gradually got better, and by the time we reached Coy Inlet, -which was on the fourth day after leaving Santa Cruz, I felt all right -again. We found Coy Inlet River rather swollen, but the ford was still -quite passable, from which circumstance we concluded that that of the -river Gallegos would be equally so--a matter of congratulation for us, -as at that time of the year the snows melt in the Cordilleras, and the -rivers are frequently impassable for several days together. - -We were in high spirits over that evening's supper, and already began -calculating how many nights we had yet to pass before we should be -able to go to sleep, heedless of wind or rain, under roof in Sandy -Point. It was the last cheerful evening we were to pass for a long -time to come, though we little dreamt it. - -The following morning we started for our next stage, Rio Gallegos, -which is about fifty miles from Coy Inlet. - -The pace we travelled at was a kind of amble, half trot, half canter, -though occasionally, when the nature of the ground we were riding over -permitted, we would break into an easy gallop. The horses of Patagonia -are remarkable for their endurance; seventy or eighty miles a day over -that most trying country, with its rapid succession of steep -escarpments, seems nothing to them, and if at the end of the day's -journey an ostrich starts up, they will answer to the spur and dash -away after it as fresh and as gamely as if they had just been saddled. - -The guanacos seemed more numerous than ever in the plains we were now -crossing; some herds which swept past us, I think, must have numbered -quite six or seven hundred head. They gave us far more trouble than we -gave them, for every now and then the dogs, who with difficulty could -keep cool in the presence of such abundance of game, would make a dash -at some peculiarly tempting quarry, only to be brought back to their -masters' heels, after much whistling and shouting, thereby causing -considerable delay in our onward progress. - -On this day I was particularly struck with the change in the -temperature, which had been gradually growing colder since we left -Santa Cruz, and which was now already unpleasantly raw and severe. -Over the plain, too, there was a keen wind blowing, which seemed to go -right through one, and we were glad when we at last reached a long -ravine called the Ravine of the Squaws, which leads down from the -plains into Gallegos valley. It bears this name because, when coming -from Coy Inlet, the Indian women always enter the valley by that -route. As they then form in single file, the hoofs of so many horses -following in each other's wake have gradually worn several deep but -narrow trails into the soil. The men ride down anywhere, without -reference to the movements of the squaws, who always approach their -camps from exactly the same points. The Indians change their camps -with tolerable regularity according to the time of the year. They -generally pass the winter together in Coy Inlet or Gallegos valley, -and in spring, after the young guanaco hunting is over, they break up -and disperse; some going to the Cordilleras, others to Santa Cruz, and -others again to Sandy Point, though the latter settlement is never -honoured with their presence long, as there is not sufficient -pasturage for the horses in that region, and the dogs, too, have to -subsist on very short rations, as ostriches are rather scarce in the -vicinity of Sandy Point, and guanacos do not range so far south. - -Presently a turn of the ravine brought us in full view of the valley, -though the river itself was as yet invisible. A few minutes would now -settle all doubts as to the state of the ford. We broke into a gallop, -craning our necks anxiously to get a glimpse of the water, in rather -dubious suspense. It was of material importance for me to take the -steamer of the 15th of that month, and if the river was unfordable I -knew we might have to wait for at least eight days before the waters -would subside, and that delay would cause me to lose my steamer. - -Suddenly Isidoro, who was some way ahead, drew in his reins and -stopped short, turning round with a look of blank dismay on his brown -face, which told but too plainly that our worst fears were realised. -With drooping reins we rode slowly on till we got to the river, now no -longer the shallow stream which in summer one can wade over knee-deep, -but a broad torrent, which eddied, swirled, and foamed, as it dashed -rapidly over its stormy bed through banks which were already growing -too narrow for its swollen waters. In the middle we could still see a -single tuft of long grass, which was bending with the current, and -this, Isidoro told me, grew on a little island, which when the river -is fordable, is several feet above the water's level. Twenty-four -hours ago it had doubtless been high and dry. We had arrived just a -day too late--the day lost on account of my illness! - -We stood for some time in silence, staring blankly at the obstacle -which had suddenly sprung up to bar our progress, with a feeling of -utter disgust and helplessness; and then, the first shock of the -disappointment over, we began to discuss the chances in favour of a -speedy fall of the water. Isidoro was of opinion, from previous -acquaintance with the river at that season, that in eight days at the -most, it would have sunk to its ordinary level, two or three -consecutive days of frost being quite sufficient to arrest the thawing -of the snows on the Cordilleras, and to cause the river to fall as -rapidly as it had risen. - -But even eight days seemed a long time to look forward to; eight days -to be passed in tiresome inaction and constant exposure to the -weather, and we now bitterly regretted not having brought the tent -with us. Our provisions, too, had only been calculated for a ten-days' -trip, and were already almost exhausted. Though, of course, we need -never want for meat, still lean meat, without salt or any farinaceous -adjunct, is not the kind of diet to keep up one's strength in cold -weather, and under all sorts of exertions and hardships. All these -disagreeables, however, seemed slight ones, compared with the -misfortune of having lost the steamer of the 15th, by which, for -pressing reasons, I ought to have immediately proceeded to Buenos -Ayres. There was now no other chance of leaving Sandy Point till the -30th. Isidoro, too, had some reason to be concerned at the delay, for -if he did not reach the settlement soon, he knew the price of feathers -would have fallen considerably, and he would make but a bad bargain. -Altogether, it was with heavy hearts that we slowly turned from the -river, in search of some suitable spot for camping at. In that respect -we were unfortunate also, not being able to find a sheltering bush -anywhere. Gallegos is the favourite camping-place of the Indians -during several months of the year, and consequently any bushes which -may formerly have existed in the immediate neighbourhood of the -valley, had long been broken up by the squaws for firewood. Finally, -we had to camp on the open, about three miles from the river, -sheltered slightly on one side by the tall escarpment which bounds one -side of the valley, but exposed on all others to whatever wind might -choose to blow, and if it should happen to rain we had of course no -means of keeping anything dry. - -Another inconvenience of not having some bush to camp under was that -the fire was completely at the mercy of the wind, and flared away -without emitting any warmth, blinding those who sat round it with -smoke, and making it very difficult to cook anything properly. With -the packages containing Isidoro's feathers we managed to rig up a kind -of makeshift to obviate this difficulty, and then we all three set -about looking for firewood, to collect which we had to wander about -for a long time, as the whole country round seemed to have been swept -bare of that necessary by the Indians. - -We were not very cheerful over our dinner that evening, as may be -imagined. The fire burned badly, the air was cold and damp, and soon -after our meal we rolled ourselves in our furs, and prepared to pass -the first of the many nights we were fated to sleep through on the -banks of the river Gallegos. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -My first thought on waking the next morning was, of course, the river. -During the night, in a moment of wakefulness, a steady rumbling noise, -the rush of distant water, had struck on my listening ear, and I was -accordingly prepared to find a further rise in the river at daylight. -But the sight which now met my gaze took me by surprise -notwithstanding. The whole of the lower-lying portion of the valley, -as far as the eye could reach, was one sheet of water, and the flood -was almost visibly rising towards those parts which yet remained dry. -The river itself was no longer distinguishable, being confounded with -the general mass of water, but we could plainly hear the dull roar of -its mighty current, which was still sweeping down with unabated force, -bearing on its curling waters huge trunks of trees, which, perhaps, -but the day before had been torn from the distant Cordilleras. - -On account of the high position of our camp, we were as yet far from -the flood, though if it continued to rise as rapidly as hitherto, we -might soon have to move further on. - -Isidoro, too, was quite aghast at the dimensions the inundation was -assuming. He had never seen the river so swollen before, and began -seriously to doubt whether, in a fortnight even, we should be able to -cross over, as there was no knowing how long the rise would continue. -The snowfall of the past winter had been heavier than any of the -oldest Indians could remember, and it might reasonably be supposed -that the spring-floods would be proportionately unusual in volume and -duration. - -We passed all that day in gloomy forebodings, watching the progress of -the water. At night-time it was still steadily rising. The following -morning we found the flood had risen to within fifteen feet of our -camp; but we had the satisfaction of finding that it was already -abating, for during the night it had been several feet higher, as -evinced by the marks left on the grass. Indeed, all day it kept on -falling, and so rapidly that we commenced to speculate on whether the -river might not eventually subside as quickly as it had risen, and -allow us to cross over, after all, within the eight days we had from -the first considered as the probable duration of our enforced stay at -Gallegos. - -The next day again brought despondency. The water seemed to have -remained stationary during the night, and there was a change for the -worse in the weather. The thick mist which had accompanied daybreak -resolved itself, as the morning wore on, into a steady heavy rainfall, -which seemed grimly resolved to reduce us to the last stage of misery -and discomfort. - -We covered up our furs with the packages of feathers, so as, if -possible, to have something dry for bedtime; and then cowered round -the drooping fire in resigned helplessness, whilst it rained and -rained down upon us with merciless pertinacity. - -There is nothing so trying as having to sit hour after hour in -dejected silence, exposed to a cold rain-storm, which you know may -possibly last for days, and from which you have absolutely no shelter, -feeling, as time goes on, the damp gradually creeping through your -clothes, till it at last reaches the skin and chills you to the bone, -while occasional rills of water run off your back hair and trickle -icily down your shivering neck, till you are thoroughly drenched and -numbed and cramped with cold. - -We passively sat shivering in this wretched plight till long after -noon, getting up now and then to have a look at the weather or to -stretch our stiffened limbs. At last the clouds began to break up, the -storm collected its dying force in one last fierce downpour, and then -ceased altogether, giving us just time to dry our clothes and bodies -with the aid of a good fire before night came on. - -The days dragged their slow length along, and at last a week, which, -in the weariness of eternally watching and waiting, seemed more like a -month, had gone past without any signs of a speedy abatement in the -height of the river. The waters had fallen, it is true, and were still -falling, but how slowly and sluggishly! - -Day after day I used to climb up the tall escarpment bounding the -northern plain, from the top of which a good view was to be obtained -of the valley, which was now one vast sheet of water, dotted here and -there with green islands, a long line of foam showing where the course -of the river lay. There I would sit for hours, watching how little -tufts of grass would gradually enlarge into islands, which in their -turn would slowly grow and grow till they joined and formed part of -the mainland, which was slowly but steadily reclaiming its lost -domains from the retreating waters. This was my only occupation; I had -no heart to join Isidoro on his frequent hunting expeditions; the -river was my sole thought, the only topic of conversation in which I -could take any interest, and beside that everything else was of the -utmost indifference. - -It was not that I had any actual fear of losing the steamer of the -30th, especially after the eighth day of our sojourn, during which the -water had fallen with such surprising quickness that the banks of the -river were in some parts beginning to uncover again. Still, -occasionally, the fact that it was just within the limits of -possibility that I might not be able to pass in time would obtrude -itself unpleasantly on my mind; and though I would immediately -triumphantly argue any such idea away, yet I felt that nothing was -absolutely sure till we were actually on the other side of the river, -and, pending that event, I was in a continual state of worry and -restlessness. - -When we had been nine days at Guaraike, as that part of Gallegos is -called by the Indians, Isidoro suggested, in view of the late rapid -fall of the water, that we should go to another pass, some forty miles -further up the river, which he thought might perhaps be fordable -before the one we were now at. - -Any change was welcome to me; I had got to know and grow weary of -every line, every curve of the country, every stone almost, round our -present camp, and leaving them seemed a step towards crossing the -river. It was, therefore, with a comparatively light heart that I -helped to drive up, pack, and saddle the horses, and soon we were off -for the 'Paso del Medio,' or Middle Pass, as it is called. - -As usual there was a boisterous wind blowing upon the plains, though -far colder and sharper than any we had as yet experienced. In fact, -the weather, instead of daily growing warmer, had been steadily -becoming colder and colder, and of late snow-squalls had become of -quite frequent occurrence. - -Several hours' riding brought us to the Middle Pass. Before camping we -rode down to inspect the state of the water. At Guaraike we had been -unable to approach the river itself, as all the land on our side had -been flooded over; but here at one spot the river bent in towards the -northern side of the valley, and flowed for some distance along a -steep cliff, which, of course, it could not overflow, and we were thus -enabled to go down to its very brink, which was in so far satisfactory -as it enabled us to gauge with more exactness the rise or fall of the -flood. - -I drove a stake into the bank, and notched it at the water's level, -and then we went back to a bush we selected for camping under. It was -rather a small one, and, being upon the plain, was exposed to the full -force of the wind. However, it was the most suitable place we could -find, and with the aid of some drift-wood, quantities of which were -lying along the banks of the river, we managed to build up a kind of -one-walled hut, which formed a tolerable shelter against the wind. The -latter, during the whole of my stay in Patagonia, blew almost -uninterruptedly from the west, either more or less cold, according as -it came from the north-west or south-west. - -That evening we ate our last biscuit; our other provisions had already -been exhausted, and henceforward we were reduced to a regimen of -guanaco and ostrich-meat, _pur et simple_, without salt even, for our -small stock of that necessary, notwithstanding careful nursing, had -also gradually thinned away. At first the results of this exclusively -meat diet were very unpleasant. However much I would eat at a -meal--and the quantity of meat I consumed at times was incredible--half -an hour afterwards I would feel as famished as if I had touched -nothing for days; in fact, I seemed to derive no nourishment at all -from my food. As time went on, however, I got more used to the change, -and soon ceased to experience so phenomenal and troublesome an -appetite, though, of course, I grew very weak, and had it not been for -the ostriches' eggs we occasionally found, and which kept up my -stamina a little, I should not have had sufficient strength to support -me through the exertions I was subsequently called upon to make. - -It became quite an important event when, as now and then happened, we -managed to kill a puma, as we were then enabled to indulge in fat -meat. On these occasions, I remember, I used to feel rather disgusted -at the voracity with which we all used to gorge ourselves on the fat, -without biscuit, salt, or any other condiment. But when one passes -days and days, eating nothing but the leanest and most tasteless of -meat, and more especially in cold weather, one feels a hankering for -fat, as strong as the habitual drunkard's craving for alcohol. - -The day after our arrival at the Paso del Medio, the waters commenced -to retire at a rapid pace, and such improvement shortly took place in -the state of things, that we quite looked forward to being able to -cross in three or four days. - -The water had disappeared everywhere except in close vicinity to the -river, which still looked of formidable breadth, however, though its -banks were for the most part uncovered. We had had several sharp -frosts, and the weather had continued bitterly cold, to which -fortunate circumstance we attributed the corresponding speedy -abatement in the water. But now came two successive days of warm -sunshine, and, though the water still continued to fall, Isidoro grew -apprehensive of a fresh thaw taking place in the Cordilleras, before -the effects of the first flood had subsided sufficiently to allow of -our passing the river. - -This new danger threatening us gave me extreme uneasiness. I had -already observed how sensitive the river was to the state of the -temperature, its fall varying in measure as the weather, in the -preceding one or two days, had been more or less cold, and I therefore -looked doubtfully forward to the morrow for the effects of the -before-mentioned comparatively warm days. - -Our apprehensions were unfortunately but too well founded. The next -day I had no need to go down to examine the notch on the stake, to -find out whether the river had fallen or risen. Without leaving our -camp, which was at some distance from the valley, one could see but -too plainly that a fresh flood had taken place during the night. The -banks of the river had disappeared, and half the valley was under -water again. Thus one night had undone all the progress of several -days, and our chances of crossing the river had become as -problematical as they had been ten days ago. - -This was a heavy, disheartening blow to me. Now it was indeed -difficult to foresee when we might be able to pass. Any attempt at -calculating the event was gratuitous in the face of what had just -happened. The water might rise and fall in the same manner a dozen -times. The unusual fall of snow that winter might entail, and had in -fact already entailed, unusual consequences. We might be kept waiting -for weeks, and months even, during which my friends would be kept in a -state of great anxiety and suspense as to my fate; and, apart from -these considerations, now that the charm of novelty had worn off, the -life of hardship and isolation I was leading had become extremely -distasteful to me; a deep _ennui_ fell upon me, which I could not -shake off, and which the society of my companions was not calculated -to dissipate. I impatiently longed for those refinements and -associations of civilisation, from which, at the outset of my trip, I -had thought it pleasant to escape. - -Under the influence of all these feelings I resolved to attempt to -swim the river. On the first day of our arrival at Guaraike I had -seriously entertained this plan, but I had then rejected it as being -attended with considerable danger, and also because I had hoped that -in a few days the river might be fordable. The danger was now, of -course, still greater; but the prospect of an indefinite prolongation -of my present unbearable position was so terrible that I felt ready -for any enterprise, however risky, which might free me from it. - -Guillaume, to whom I communicated my intentions, thought my idea was -practicable, and declared himself ready to accompany me whenever I -chose. He, too, was anxious to get to Sandy Point for several reasons, -of which the chief one was that he had no tobacco left, and life -without it, he seemed to think, was not worth living. - -It was now the 18th October, and if we crossed the river by the 26th -we had plenty of time to get to Sandy Point by the 1st November, on or -about which day the next steamer passed for Buenos Ayres. We therefore -deferred the carrying out of our plans for a few days, in order to -await a fresh fall in the water. - -I felt much more tranquil now that I had made up my mind to take the -bull by the horns, and my companions were surprised at the sudden -change of my spirits, which henceforward were more cheerful and -buoyant than they had been for a long time. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -We stopped two days longer at the Paso del Medio, and then, tormented -with continual restlessness, we moved thirty miles further up, to the -last pass, called the 'Paso de Alquinta.' - -We camped at about six miles from the pass itself, under shelter of -what Isidoro, rather grandiloquently, persisted in calling a 'house,' -but which was in reality nothing but three low walls, barely four feet -high, built by some Indian traders of blocks of lava, the chinks -between which were stopped with mud and grass. - -The 'house' was, of course, roofless, and by no means so good a -lodging as a thick bush would have been; but still it was better than -nothing, and at all events enabled us to have always a good fire -burning without consuming too much fuel--a very important -consideration, as there was very little wood to be met with anywhere -in that region. - -During the first night there was a heavy fall of snow, and on waking I -felt an unusual weight on my furs, and under them an excessive warmth -I was certainly not accustomed to. - - [Illustration] - -Thrusting out my head I found everything covered with snow. The -distant hills stood out in glittering relief against the dark grey -sky, and the whole landscape was specklessly white, except where the -river flowed along the valley, looking inky black by contrast with the -surrounding country. Our horses, poor animals, plentifully -besprinkled with snow, too, were standing near to the camp, herded -motionless together, with sadly drooping heads, and an expression of -patient suffering and forlorn misery in their rough faces, which -filled me with compassion for them. - -We remained in bed till the afternoon, when the snow began to thaw -away, soaking all our bedding and making things generally -uncomfortable for us. - -Fearing the effect the melting of the recent snow might have on the -river, we resolved to make an attempt to cross it the following -morning. Isidoro, to whom we now communicated our intention for the -first time, seemed quite alarmed at the idea, and did everything in -his power to persuade us to desist from it. Until this occasion, I had -never been able to get more than half a dozen words out of him at a -time; but now, in his efforts to induce us to give up our undertaking, -which he qualified as an act of utter madness, he waxed quite -eloquent, and made a longer speech than he had probably ever delivered -himself of in his whole existence. The current, he urged, was too -strong for our horses to stem; moreover, a companion of his, he told -us, had once tried to cross the river when it was not nearly so -swollen as now, and had narrowly escaped being drowned. Finding, -however, that we had made up our minds, and were not to be persuaded -to alter them, Isidoro relapsed into his usual silence, whilst we -made our preparations for the ensuing day. - -We intended crossing over at sunrise, so as to have ample time to dry -our wet things on the other side before night-time. In order to be -able to rely on having something dry to cover ourselves with -immediately after our swim over, we rolled two capas up as tightly as -possible, and stuffed them into a small water-tight canvas bag. In the -middle of the capas we carefully placed our greatest treasure--twelve -wax matches in a little tortoise-shell box, which we rendered -impervious to damp by securely wrapping it in pieces of guanaco hide. - -Of matches, I must mention, we had run short, as of everything else, -and were compelled to be most economical in the use of the few that -still remained to us, to which end the fire was kept burning day and -night. We put into our saddle-bags sufficient ostrich meat and puma -fat to last us for three days--the time we calculated we should -require to reach Sandy Point in. Guillaume intended leaving his dogs -with Isidoro, as they would suffer unnecessarily from the fatigue of -such a rapid journey. - -Having concluded our preparations, we sat down to dinner, over which -we discussed our chances for the morrow, and arranged our plan of -action. There were two ways of crossing over--either we might swim -over on horseback, or put our clothes and things on the horses and -make them swim over first, and then follow ourselves as soon as they -had safely arrived on the opposite shore. - -The objection to the first method was that the horses' strength might -possibly give way in the middle of the river, or that by some accident -we might be unseated at a distance from the shore, in either of which -cases, encumbered with our clothes, etc., we were almost certain to be -drowned. The difficulty which presented itself in connection with the -second method was the doubt we felt as to whether we should be able to -stand a long immersion in the icy-cold water without succumbing to -cramp and exhaustion, especially taking into consideration the weak -state our late poor diet had reduced us to. After a long discussion, -we finally adopted the plan of swimming over on horseback. - -We went to bed early, but it was a long time before I could fall -asleep; I was too excited with the thoughts of the coming struggle. At -last I was to try conclusions with the river, which had so long -baffled me. If successful, four nights from then I should be at Sandy -Point, sure of my steamer, relieved from the hardships I was now -suffering, and soon to be restored to civilisation, for which I was -longing as ardently as an Indian, confined to the close, noisy streets -of a populous town, might long for the breezy solitudes of the pampa. -In my dreams that night I must have crossed the river twenty times at -least, and I was splashing in the midst of its cold current for the -twenty-first time, when Guillaume woke me up, to tell me it was time -to get ready. - -Day was just breaking, and the weather was cloudy and cold. We ate a -hurried breakfast, saddled our horses, and rode down towards the pass, -which was about six miles from where we were camping. On the way we -had to cross the open, and came full under the blast of the bitter -wind, which was especially sharp at that early hour; and we were blue -and shivering long before we got to the river. There was unfortunately -no sun, though I would have given anything for a sight of his cheering -face to keep up my _morale_, which, I must confess, at the prospect of -a cold and dangerous plunge on that wintry morning, had sunk extremely -low. Presently we reached the river, and never, I thought, had it -seemed so broad or looked so unpleasantly dark and treacherous as now. -Its eddying current slid past us with a rapidity which made me giddy -to watch long. The water foamed viciously as it broke into waves, and -showers of spray, swept up by occasional gusts of wind, flew over its -troubled surface. - - [Illustration] - -Without further delay, we said good-bye to Isidoro, tightened our -saddle-girths, and rode towards the point from which we intended -starting. There we paused a moment before taking the decisive step -forward--a moment of extreme nervous tension for both of us. I felt -an oppressive contraction of the throat and chest, which, to be -candid, I must attribute to a passing feeling of fear that came over -me at the last moment, now that I was about to commit myself, not -without serious misgivings as to the consequences, to the mercies of -the broad torrent which had so long baffled my progress. However, -remembering that the longer one looks at a leap the less one likes to -take it, I called out to Guillaume that I was ready, and with spur and -whip we urged our horses down the steep bank towards the water. - -For a moment, rearing and snorting, they instinctively recoiled from -the dangerous element, but the pebbly bank giving way under their -feet, they could not stop themselves, and down we went--plunge!--head -over ears into the cold water. I came to the surface snapping for -breath, but still in the saddle, though the water, dripping over my -eyes, for a second or two quite blinded me. - -After a little urging, the horses at first struck out right enough, -but I found that to keep my seat the greatest exertions were required. -Till then I had never swum on horseback, and had no idea how difficult -it is to remain in the saddle during the process. The water insinuates -itself cunningly between your knees and thighs, imperceptibly you lose -your grip, and, before you know it, you are gently lifted from your -seat, and find yourself afloat, especially when dealing with a current -as strong as the one in question. - -In the meantime, our horses went all right till they came to the -middle current, which swept down with great force. The moment they -felt it they suddenly swerved, and made for the bank we had just left. -I tried to make my horse turn again, but it became quite unmanageable, -and Guillaume in a similar attempt was unseated, and was only able to -regain his saddle after a severe struggle, which I watched with -intense anxiety, as I was unable to go to his rescue, being myself in -difficulties. - -Breathless and dripping, and humiliated with the consciousness of our -failure, we finally got to shore again, and, after a hasty council, -resolved to make another attempt the following day, as, after the -facer we had just received, our nerves were not equal to another -ordeal for the present. As long as the excitement of the danger -lasted, we had felt neither wet nor cold, but now that it was over -Nature re-asserted herself, and, drenched to the skin as we were, and -exposed to the blasts of a savagely inclement wind, we were completely -prostrated, quaking, and shivering, and in such a state that it would -have been mere foolhardiness to go into the water again. The -six-miles' ride back to the camp in our wet clothes was another -disagreeable trial. By the time we got there we were perfectly numbed, -and had to warm our stiffened fingers a long time by the fire before -they were sufficiently supple to enable us to undress. Having -stripped, I rolled myself in my capa, and, thanks to that -never-sufficiently-to-be-praised covering, warmth and circulation were -soon restored to my chilled limbs. We had, unfortunately, no mate -left, though on this occasion we stood more than ever in need of its -stimulating and restorative aid. - -Notwithstanding our failure, we were by no means disheartened, or -disposed to relinquish our endeavours to cross the river; on the -contrary, the non-success of our first attempt only intensified my -firm resolve to reach Sandy Point, come what might, by the 1st of -November, and nerved us to a fresh encounter with the dangers of the -river and the inclemency of the weather. - -The next morning we again made the attempt, and were again -unsuccessful as before. The horses went well till they got to the -rapid middle current, and there nothing would induce them to continue. -In the struggle with my horse I was swept from my seat. I caught -successively at the mane and saddle, but missed them both, just -managing to catch hold of a valise that was strapped to the back of -the latter. I clung to it like grim death, whilst my horse swam back -to the bank. Several times I was in danger of being dragged under by -the current, and the valise, under the strain of my weight, began -gradually to give way. When it did come down, saddle and all, we were -fortunately already in shallow water, and I came to no harm; though it -was lucky it held so long, for, heavily booted and clothed as I was, -had it happened a little sooner, I should have gone to the bottom. - -We rode disconsolately back to the camp, suffering extremely from the -cold wind, as on the previous day. It was useless, we had now -convinced ourselves, to swim over on our horses, for as soon as we -came to the middle current we were at their mercy. We therefore -resolved to try the other expedient, of driving them over first, and -then following ourselves. - -For topographical reasons we considered the pass at Guaraike to be -more favourable for this mode of crossing than the one we were now at, -and we therefore resolved to go there. We said good-bye once more to -Isidoro, who preferred remaining where he was, as there was better -pasturage for his horses. We took enough meat with us to last us four -days, and leaving the dogs with Isidoro we started off for Guaraike, -where we arrived late in the evening, after a long gallop. - -We did not camp on the old spot, but rode further down to a little -'house' Guillaume knew of, similar to the one at the Paso de Alquinta, -but with rather higher walls, and which had also been built by some -Indian traders. - -We ate a very small supper, as it was necessary to economise the -little meat we had with us, consoling ourselves with the hope of soon -being able to indulge in less meagre fare, and finally we went to bed, -confident of passing the next night on the other side of the Gallegos. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -Early the next morning we were up and off to the river. To get to its -banks we had to ride through about a mile and a half of slack water, -of varying depth, but seldom above the knees of our horses. Near the -river there was a dry spot on a tract of high-lying land, and there -accordingly we made our preparations. We took off our clothes, and -placed them, together with the matches, revolvers, etc., in the middle -of the capas, which were rolled up in the canvas bag, as on the -previous occasions, and then carefully and firmly strapped on the -saddle of one of the horses. All this was done as quickly as possible, -for we were now, of course, almost naked, and the wind, as usual, was -blowing hard and cold, with mingled hail and snow. We had little doubt -as to the success of this our third effort. Indeed, we had, as it -were, cut off our own retreat, in putting all our clothes and furs on -the horses, for if they once got safely to the other side, we were of -a necessity forced to follow somehow, or expose ourselves to the -alternative of perishing with hunger and cold. It was a foolhardy -action, but we had become desperate, and were ready to run a slight -risk, if only we could surmount the hated obstacle which barred our -way to Sandy Point. - -Everything being ready, we drove the horses, not without great -difficulty, into the water, following ourselves as far as we were -able, though such was the force of the current that we had hardly -waded in knee-deep before we were knocked off our feet. After immense -trouble, with the help of stones and sticks, we managed to drive the -horses into the middle current, down whose centre they were soon -swept, puffing and snorting and endeavouring to turn back towards the -bank we were standing on. Whenever they did so, however, we would -fling a volley of stones at them, and by these means at last we got -them to head towards the other bank. We watched their progress with -beating hearts, in painful suspense lest any accident should happen to -them; for they carried, as it were, our lives as well as their own. -After a few seconds, which seemed an eternity to us, they reached the -land, and we gave a shout of joy and relief. But our triumph was of -but a second's duration; fate was still against us. As ill-luck would -have it, the horses happened just to touch land with their noses at a -part where the bank was almost vertical, and where they consequently -had no footing. Instinctively they turned round and made straight for -our side again. - -Dismayed and disappointed, we no longer made any attempt to drive them -back; indeed, we were against the current, they would not have -strength to get back again. At last they landed, however, though of -course a long way down from where they had started. We ourselves by -this time were in a most pitiable state; for more than half an hour we -had been splashing in and out of the icy-cold water, exposed to wind -and weather, and we were now thoroughly exhausted, our teeth -chattering, our bodies doubled up, and unable to speak to one another -except by signs. - -We had just strength enough to get the capas out of the bag, the inner -ones being fortunately quite dry; and wrapping ourselves well up, we -lay down for about an hour, by which time we were sufficiently -recovered to be able to remount our horses and ride back to the camp. - -We were now at last discouraged. An unexpected stroke of bad luck, a -mishap we could not possibly have foreseen, had occurred just at the -last moment, and spoiled everything, converting what had appeared a -certain triumph into a disastrous failure. If the horses had only -happened to touch land ten feet further up, or ten feet further down, -where the bank was less steep, by this time we might have been on the -road to Sandy Point. But everything seemed to be against us. I had -brought all my energy to this last attempt, the last chance of -reaching our destination in time for the steamer of the 1st November. -It had failed, and I felt unmanned and dispirited. My physical -strength, too, was giving way under these repeated exertions and the -poor diet of the last two weeks. - -All these considerations combined, and there being no immediate -necessity for crossing the river now, as the next steamer did not -leave Sandy Point till the 10th November, made us resolve to wait a -few days longer before risking another attempt at swimming over, -especially as all this time the water had been rapidly decreasing -again; and, judging by the height of the river, we might now -reasonably expect to find it fordable in, at most, three or four days, -always supposing that no new flood occurred. We had, therefore, merely -to closely watch the river, so as to be ready to cross again if any -signs of a fresh rise should appear. - -Notwithstanding that we were now well into spring, I was surprised to -find but little corresponding change in the weather. Occasionally we -had a warm day, but it was the exception, and was sure to be -immediately followed by unusual cold. The west wind blew almost -unintermittingly, and always with extreme violence. In fact, with all -my memories of Patagonia are closely associated, as one of the most -prominent peculiarities of its landscapes, the fiercely cold but -exhilarating blasts of that same wild west wind. But though the -weather had got but little warmer, there was everywhere a marked -change in the vegetation. The grass in the glens was gradually -becoming fresh and green, and the bright young leaves of the calafate -bush were interspersed with bunches of small yellow flowers. Flowers, -too--red and white orchids, and pink cowslips--were springing up -amongst the grass; and that none of the associations of springtime -might be wanting, clouds of tiny little swallows, white-breasted and -with glittering blue wings--come from Heaven knows where--were to be -seen skimming through the air in all directions. Wretched and -miserable indeed must be the spot over which spring can pass without -making her genial influence felt in some way, though it be but in the -transitory brightening of a few poor blades of grass. - -It is fortunate that the calafate is everywhere abundant in Patagonia, -as its wood affords excellent fuel, being extremely hard and burning -very slowly. At night-time we would cover up the embers well, and were -sure to find them still smouldering in the morning, and were thus able -to economize our matches, of which we had now but few left. - -The valley had become the rendezvous of wild fowl of all -descriptions--swans, wild geese, ducks, snipe, etc.; and many a time -we regretted not having brought a gun with us. A roast goose now and -then would have made a welcome improvement on our eternal diet of -lean guanaco and ostrich. A bevy of ibis, or 'bandurria,' as the -Chilians call them, used to make a point every evening of assembling -close to our camp, and lifting up their voices and quacking till an -hour or so after sundown. Their note resembles that of the duck, -though it is rather shorter and drier. They seemed to know, confound -them! that they had nothing to fear from us, and would let us come -quite near enough to enable us to see how provokingly fat they all -were. The Indians call the wild geese of those parts 'kay-ken,' in -imitation of its cry, which has a rather melancholy sound, and which -was always sounding in our ears, morning, noon, and evening, repeated -by a thousand throats in lengthened and mournful cadences. All these -wild fowl remain in the southern valleys till their young are fledged, -and then as the warm weather comes on they fly north, and play havoc -among the rich corn-fields of the Rio Negro. - -Two days went by, and we began to find ourselves running short of -meat, our stock having only been calculated to last for four days, as -we had made our provision on the assumption of reaching Sandy Point by -that time. It was, therefore, necessary for Guillaume to go back to -Isidoro to fetch the dogs. As it was a long distance, being more than -120 miles there and back, and being anxious to spare our horses as -much as possible, we first went out to see if we could hunt up a -puma, the only animal one can kill without the aid of dogs--the bolas -or a revolver being all that is required. - -But after a long search we were unsuccessful, and early the next -morning, therefore, Guillaume started off, leaving a small piece of -meat which was to last me till the evening of the next day, by which -time he hoped to be back. - -When he was gone, I saddled my horse and rode up the Canada of the -Squaws to collect firewood, as there was none near our camp. I found -it no easy task to break off the dry branches out of the thorny -bushes, or pull up old roots which were firmly seated in the ground, -in my present weak state, and I was glad when I had got sufficient -wood to last me for that and the following day. At no period of my -sojourn in Gallegos had I felt so weak as I now did. For three days we -had eaten next to nothing--in fact, less than I could ordinarily eat -myself at _one_ meal--and I have already said how little sustaining -power there is even in a large quantity of lean guanaco or ostrich -meat. - -When I got back to the camp, I cooked a small piece of the meat -Guillaume had left me, and then carefully deposited it on the top of -one of the walls of the house, so as to be out of reach of the foxes, -who are terrible marauders, and who will eat your reins, lasso, saddle -even, or any leathern article you may be so incautious as to leave -lying about. - -Feeling tired, after my frugal meal, which compared to my hunger was -but as a drop in the ocean, I lay down on my furs and dosed off into a -sound sleep, from which I was presently awakened by a confusion of -strange screeching and flapping of wings. Starting up, I found the -noise proceeded from some carranchos, who were quarrelling over my -meat, or rather over the bone, which was all that I found of it, after -I had driven them away with stones and strong language. '_Incidit in -Scyllam_,' etc. In my endeavours to secure my food from the foxes, I -had delivered it into the beaks and claws of the carranchos, and felt -not a little annoyed at my own carelessness. It was no pleasant matter -having to fast for the next thirty hours, hungry as I already was, and -if Guillaume by some possible accident were detained a day longer, I -might find myself in a very serious plight. I was evidently out of -luck, and that with a vengeance, and I began to wonder what my next -mishap would be. The only misfortune that could now happen to me was -that my horse might take it into his head to run away, and then I -should indeed be in a desperate fix. He was quietly grazing at the -time, but the idea of such a possibility so startled me that I -immediately tied a lasso to his halter and secured it to a huge stone -near the house, so as to prevent any such untoward eventuality. Then, -feeling hungry, I commenced to search my traps for any stray piece of -meat that might possibly have been forgotten there. All I could find -was a small piece of puma fat, wrapped up in a piece of linen, in a -coat-pocket of Guillaume's, which had doubtless been intended for -greasing the dog's paws when wounded, for which purpose it is -considered an excellent specific. To me, under my present -circumstances, however, it was quite a treasure, and I immediately -cooked and ate half, keeping the rest for the next day. - -Having made all my arrangements for passing the night, I made a good -fire, as it was very cold, and wrapping myself up well in my capa, I -sat down beside it, waiting as stoically as I could for night-time, -and trying to forget, amidst the splendour of the sunset, the small -sharp whisper of the little voice within my stomach. - -From the slight elevation where I was now sitting I could overlook the -whole of the surrounding country--the far hills and plains; the -winding valley shut in by steep cliffs, past whose base the river -swept its tortuous course; the broad lakes formed by the overflow of -its waters, dotted everywhere with green islands, where thousands of -wild fowl were now assembled--the harsh cries of the gulls and the -plaintive note of the kay-ken being the only sounds that broke the -otherwise intense silence. Over all the setting sun was pouring his -last rays, bathing the distant hills in a warm haze, and burnishing -the waters at my feet with fiery showers of light, and lending, with -his magic tints of red and gold, a transitory gleam of grace and -beauty even to that wild desert spot. - -But as the sun went down the charm sped with him. The glory departed -from the distant hills, and they became grey and cold as before; the -light faded from the valley, the waters assumed a muddy hue, and the -islands blackened on their surface. The cry of the wild fowl slowly -ceased, and below me, soon, all was silent and dark. - -The stars crept out one by one, and still I sat by the red gleams of -the dying fire, listening to the whispering voices of the night-wind -and watching the weird, ghostly shapes occasionally assumed by the -white mist that now hung over the valley, as it swayed mysteriously to -and fro, like a band of unquiet spirits. - -The whole thing seemed so unreal, the turn of events so fantastic, -which had brought me, a child of noisy towns and bustling marts, into -my strange position, alone in that immense solitude--the wildness of -the scene, starlit and dim, the strange noises of the night, the -thousand sounds which yet seemed silence--I thought it must all be a -dream, and most surely I must awaken and find myself in my own room, -under warm bedclothes, with the voice of the servant with my -shaving-water ringing in my ears. - -But a shiver of cold which went through my body, and the strong pangs -of hunger, were quite sufficient to remind me of the reality of all -around me; so, heaping some more wood on the fire and giving another -look to see if the horse was secure, I sought my couch, to sleep as -best I might till morning. - -A sharp frost fell during the night, much to my satisfaction, as I had -now strong hopes of crossing the river in a couple of days. Having -satisfied myself that the water was still falling rapidly--always my -first task of a morning--I cooked and ate the remaining piece of puma -fat, and then, still feeling terribly hungry, and as a means of -killing time till Guillaume should come, I tried to stalk wild geese -with my revolver. I could never come within range, however, though -they are not very shy, and finally gave up this unexciting and -unproductive sport in a rather unpleasant state of mind, as I began to -ask myself what I should do if Guillaume should happen not to come -back that day. - -Casting my eyes about, they happened to fall on a large island in the -middle of the valley, which had often attracted our attention on -account of its being the rendezvous of a bevy of swans, which we -imagined must have nests and eggs there, and we had often meditated a -raid on the latter. Hitherto we had been hindered from doing so, -because the island was surrounded for a long distance by very deep -water, which, as may be imagined, was quite sufficient to keep the -swans' eggs safe from us as long as anything else could be found to -eat. Since we had last surveyed the defences of the island, however, -the water had fallen very much, and it occurred to me, in my present -stress, that by carefully searching I might find a tolerably dry road -to the island. I accordingly saddled my horse, and set out on my -exploration. After a great deal of splashing and several narrow -escapes of tumbling into holes, varied by occasional energetic -protests from my horse--who, by-the-bye, after all his late experience -and his daily three or four rides through the water to examine the -river, must have thought I was trying to convert him into an -amphibious animal--I at last managed to discover a route which was -almost practicable, and which by the next day, when the water would -have fallen still further, would probably be thoroughly so. I could -distinctly see several swans sitting on their nests, to whom I waved a -light _au revoir_, and then returned to the camp, feeling that even if -Guillaume were not to come back that day, I now knew where to find my -dinner, although at the expense of a slight wetting. - -However, I fortunately had no necessity for incurring that -inconvenience; for, towards five o'clock, just as--despairing of his -return--I was getting ready to swim over to the island, I descried him -galloping towards the camp. He presently arrived, bringing the dogs, -some meat, and four ostriches' eggs he had found on the way. - -Famished as I was after my long fast, I lost no time in spitting some -meat and setting it to roast, busying myself whilst it was cooking -with the preparation of an ostrich's egg _a la Patagonienne_. The -process is as follows: You break a small round hole in the top of the -egg, and after having removed some of the white, which is rather heavy -for the stomach, and having thoroughly beaten up the yolk, you set the -egg on its end in the ashes, at a little distance from the fire, -carefully turning it now and then to prevent the shell from cracking. -Whilst cooking, it must occasionally be removed from the fire, and the -batter must be stirred well, or else it will stick to the sides of the -shell and burn. In a quarter of an hour it will be well roasted; add -pepper and salt, if you have any, and serve. Our stock of these useful -condiments had unfortunately long been exhausted. Cooked in this way, -ostriches' eggs are excellent, and far better than when boiled. The -act of removing and placing them near the fire whilst roasting -requires great nimbleness of finger. I had, during my noviciate, two -standing sores or burns on forefinger and thumb, as I would sometimes -cook as many as three or four eggs a day. They are held to be very -indigestible, two eggs eaten in a day being said to endanger a man's -life; but the foregoing is a proof to the contrary. I have known -Guillaume to eat six eggs in the space of eight hours, independent of -his ordinary meals. It is true his powers were beyond the usual run, -even of those of his own habits and profession. - -In the conversation which ensued, when I had in some degree allayed -the pangs of hunger, Guillaume told me that on his way down he had -paid a flying visit to the Middle Pass, the result of which was that -he considered it the best place to cross over, in case, contrary to -our present expectations, we should again be obliged to swim for it. -The banks on the other side were all low-lying, and there would -consequently be no danger of a repetition of the accident which had -prevented us from crossing over at the pass we were now at. In return -for this information, I told him of my discovery of a road to the -island; and, eggs being almost indispensable to us for keeping up our -failing strength, for which the meat alone was quite inadequate, we -resolved to make a raid on the nests the following morning. - -Shortly after daybreak, therefore, we set out towards the island, each -of us armed with a stick and a revolver in case the birds, which are -said to be very savage, should think fit to resent our seizure of -their eggs. The road to the island was not as favourable as it had -appeared to me the day before, and we got soaked up to the waist in -crossing over; but, in the excitement of the chase, we took little -notice of that. Long before we arrived, a commotion was visible -amongst the inmates of the island; several male swans, and crowds of -wild geese and other fowl, flew up and hovered over us, watching our -onward course with signs of marked disapproval. The female birds, -however, kept their seats till we were within ten yards of them, and -then rose with a hissing cry and much flapping of wings, circling over -our heads, and occasionally gliding close to us, whilst we were -despoiling their nests, though without making any attempt at attacking -us. We found eight swans' nests, containing each four eggs, besides -some forty wild geese's eggs. To mitigate the distress of the birds, -we left one egg in each nest, and with the rest of our booty returned -to the camp in triumph. Whilst our wet clothes were drying by the -fire, wrapped in our capas, we set to and commenced roasting some -swans' eggs. They are about half the size of ostriches' eggs, and of a -similar taste. Amongst the other eggs were some of a species of duck, -which to my taste seemed incomparably finer than the best bantam's, -and, as may be imagined, we were not slow in doing full justice to -them. - -At five o'clock I mounted my horse, and rode leisurely towards the -river, as was my habit, in order to watch the progress of its gradual -decrease, which, as I have already said, had been very satisfactory -lately. But to-night, already from afar I was startled by the -appearance of the banks, which seemed to me lower than usual. The -mark confirmed my fears. The water had risen more than two inches. In -deep dismay I galloped back to the camp, and told Guillaume the bad -news. For a moment the blow left us bewildered. Experience had taught -us that one night would suffice to flood the river as high as it had -been before. It seemed as if we were again to be thrown back a -fortnight. It was time to adopt some decisive measures. Late as it -was, I suggested that we should ride off that very night to the Middle -Pass, and swim across at daybreak, be the river as it might. There was -no time to lose in indecision, and half an hour after I proposed this -plan, we had packed up our things, saddled the horses, and were once -more on the march. The sun was setting as we emerged from Gallegos -valley into the plain, and before long it was quite dark. It was -midnight when we arrived at the old camp at the Middle Pass, cold and -blue, after a long buffeting with our old enemy, the wind. Tired as we -were, we had to collect wood to make a fire with, in order to warm -ourselves by, before we could get to sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -The morning broke, as it always did whenever we tried to cross the -river, bleakly and coldly. The river had risen considerably during the -night, and was still rising rapidly. Previous to our other -arrangements, we fixed on a site from which to start ourselves, after -the horses should once be safely across. - -The chief danger in passing the river lay in the possibility of the -middle current being too strong for us to stem, in which case we -should of necessity be swept along with it, without being able to -reach either bank, until, our strength giving way under the combined -influence of the cold and our exertions, we should ultimately perish. -The spot we chose seemed to obviate this danger, as a little way down -the opposite bank made a broad curve, forming a point which shot for a -long way into the river. I could see that the current followed the -curve, running inside the point. By committing ourselves, therefore, -to the current at some distance above the point, we must of necessity, -I argued, bring up in the little bay formed by the curve -above-mentioned, in which case the point would act as an effectual -bar to our being swept down the centre of the river. All this seemed -plausible enough; but we were reckoning without our host, however, as -I presently discovered, and in ignorance of the course taken by the -current, which did not, as we supposed, always follow the bend of the -banks or keep in the centre of the river, where the water was deepest, -but darted about capriciously, without apparently depending on any -topographical influences, though no doubt it did. - -We first made a large fire near the river, to warm ourselves by whilst -packing and saddling the horses, so that the caloric of our bodies -should not be all exhausted, as on the last occasion, before we had to -make the final struggle, when we should have most need of it. It -proved a most providential act; this same fire subsequently saved my -life. We made our preparations in deep silence, being both too busy -with our own thoughts to say much. We were firmly resolved that, -_coute que coute_, this was to be our last effort. We had the usual -difficulty to induce the horses to enter the water. Once in, however, -they were soon seized by the current and swept down the river. We -watched their course with the most intense anxiety. At first it seemed -that they could not stem the current, which was evidently stronger -than it had been at our last attempt. For a moment we held our breath -in painful suspense, but gradually they began to gain towards the -opposite bank, and presently we saw them emerge safe and sound from -the water, though the distance they had been carried down showed what -the strength of the current must be. - -Everything now depended on ourselves. The supreme moment had come, and -not a second was to be lost, for already I began to feel numb with the -cold. On the other side were our clothes, our furs, our matches--our -existence, in fact. Between us lay the river. We must cross it; there -was no alternative. I ran as quickly as possible towards the place we -had chosen for starting from, not daring to look at the river on the -way, lest my courage should fail me now that I most required its aid. -I had to wade for some distance through a sheet of shallow water -before reaching the river itself. It only came up to my waist, which -made it colder than if I had been completely immersed, and the wind -was piercing all the time to the very marrow of my bones. Suddenly I -fell into a hole, sousing head over ears into the water. Chilled and -breathless with the shock, I emerged after a short swim, and hurried -on my way, anxious to get it all over. At last I came to the river. -Without pausing a moment, I jumped in, with a feeling of relief that -the worst would now soon be passed. I struck out with the current, -and, as I had foreseen, it swept me rapidly towards the point. In a -few seconds I was close to the bank. I stretched out my hands to -clutch at the grass, when, to my horror, the land seemed suddenly to -recede from me again. The current had swerved off before actually -reaching land, and I was being hurried with fearful swiftness into the -middle of the river. I tried to make for land, but my legs and arms -stiffened, and I seemed to be dragged under the water. A desperate -struggle brought me once more to the surface. I remember catching a -glimpse of the blue sky, and feeling with sickening terror that I was -lost, and again I sank under. - -For a second or two I think I must have been unconscious; when I came -to myself again, I felt I was in warmer water. My strength revived a -little, and I struck out several times towards a bank, close along -which I was being hurried in the direction of another point a little -further down. At times I came so near the bank that I could actually -stretch out my hands and reach the long grass growing on it, but my -fingers, stiffened with the cold, refused to close on what alone could -save me from being swept away again. It was a horrible moment, for if -I passed the next point, I was indeed lost. I shouted for help, but no -one answered; it almost seemed that I was to be drowned with one foot -on land, so to speak. - -Suddenly, however, my feet touched the bottom, and in another second, -carried bodily against the extremity of the point, I found myself in -shallow water, where I was able to regain my footing, and take breath -once more. I managed to drag myself up the bank; but on reaching the -top, my strength gave way again, and, overcome with cold and fatigue, -I sank down, utterly prostrate and helpless. On emerging from the -river, a glance had shown me that ill luck had willed that I should be -thrown up on the same side from which I had started. Fortunately, I -found myself not far distant from the fire we had made before -crossing, and with my remaining strength I now endeavoured to reach -it. I could only breathe with the greatest difficulty; at times I -thought I must choke. I tried to raise myself up and walk, but failed; -my legs were like lead, all circulation seemed arrested, and I could -only crawl slowly along on all-fours. Many times I thought I must give -in, but with the energy of despair I struggled on, and at last reached -the fire, which was still burning. Some logs of wood were lying close -to it; I pushed them in, and there was soon a good blaze. It seemed to -give me no warmth, however, though in my agony I almost thrust my body -into the very flames. Nearly an hour elapsed before circulation was -properly restored, during which I lay shivering with cold, and gasping -for breath in a state of the most acute suffering. - -When I had in some measure recovered, I began to realise the critical -position I was now placed in. Terrible as the idea was to me after my -recent narrow escape from drowning, I had no alternative but to -attempt to cross the river again. If I remained where I was, certain -death from starvation or exposure awaited me; and it was useless to -endeavour to reach Isidoro, who was at least forty miles away, for, -naked as I was, I could not have gone even half a mile upon the -plains, in the teeth of the cold wind, which was, of course, still -blowing. I had all this time thought it strange that Guillaume had not -come to my assistance, as I had expected that he would have delayed -crossing himself until he had watched the result of my own attempt. -That he had safely crossed, however, now became evident, for I could -see the horses grazing unsaddled on the opposite side. Where he had -crossed, there was no reason why I should not be able to follow, -unless it was that as he had swum over comparatively fresh and strong, -whereas I had now hardly recovered from the effects of my first -unsuccessful struggle. - -It was at worst but a question of taking another plunge, and then a -few seconds would decide one way or the other, and after all, sooner -or later, I should be forced to cross, as it was simply impossible to -remain where I was. It was better, therefore, I reflected to go -through the ordeal at once, rather than increase its terrors by long -anticipation. Screwing up my courage, without more ado I started off -as quickly as I could, to look for the place Guillaume had started -from. At this juncture he himself suddenly appeared on the opposite -bank, and guessing my intention, ran forward and pointed the exact -place out to me. It was much higher up than where I had started from, -and to get to it, as before, I had to wade through some shallow water, -which now and then was deep enough to oblige me to swim. When I -reached the exact spot, I could easily see why he had chosen it--no -doubt after having witnessed my mishap--for the current ran almost -straight across from where I stood to the other bank, where it broke -with great force, so that there was no danger of my being swept away -from the bank, as before, just as I got up to it. I had in fact, -merely to jump in, and allow myself to be swept passively over by the -current. Notwithstanding the apparent simplicity and easiness of the -undertaking, I stood for some time looking at the water, with an -instinctive dread, not daring to take the first step. A man who has -just escaped drowning may be excused from fearing to trust himself, -five minutes after, to the water again. But, feeling a chill come over -my body, and apprehensive lest by further exposing myself to the air I -should bring on a cramp, I nerved myself for the plunge, and, shutting -my eyes and setting my teeth, I sprang into the water. Once in, all -fear left me, and I struck out boldly, and, aided by the current, soon -reached the opposite shore. - -My feelings on finding myself in safety on the Sandy Point side of -the river may be imagined. All the hardships I had endured, the -reverses I had suffered, the dangers I had undergone--all was -forgotten in the triumphant elation of that moment; the fatal obstacle -which had so long retarded our onward march was at last overcome, and -there was nothing to prevent us now from speedily arriving at our -destination. - -Meanwhile I staggered through the band of shallow water which still -separated me from Guillaume, who was waiting for me with a dry capa. -With the support of his arm, I managed to reach a fire he had made at -a little distance from the water, and there I covered myself with -three capas, which restored the warmth to my body quicker than a -thousand fires could have done. - -In about half an hour I was sufficiently recovered to eat an -ostrich-steak, and to listen to Guillaume's account of what had -happened to him since we had last seen each other. He had watched the -course of my ill-fated attempt, had seen me struggling for life in the -water, and at last disappear altogether; after which, as he had not -seen me return, he had naturally concluded I was drowned. But his own -safety required that he should not linger any longer, or the horses, -finding themselves left to their own devices, might take it into their -heads to run away with the furs and clothes. It was clear, too, that -he must not commit the same error in the selection of his -starting-point as had brought me into difficulties, and he had, -therefore, followed the course of the river till he came to the spot I -have already described, and which, as the result proved, possessed the -necessary requirements for insuring his safety. Naturally enough, with -the demoralising impressions of what he had just witnessed in my case -fresh in his mind, he was not without some unpleasant misgivings as to -the eventual result of his own attempt. He had crossed with ease, -however, and it was in going to look after the horses that he saw me -in the act of creeping towards the fire on the other side. He -certainly had not thought I should have strength enough to cross the -river again, and had been very much troubled about me, not knowing in -what way to assist me. In the meantime he had made a good fire, and -with the aid of the wind and sun, which latter had at last come from -behind the clouds, he had thoroughly dried our clothes and furs, and -was just considering what could be done to relieve me from my perilous -plight, when he observed me running along the opposite shore, with the -obvious intention of once more trying to swim across. - -By this time it was about half-past two, and, burning with the desire -to accomplish my journey, I proposed we should continue our march -immediately, as we might still go a good way on our road before -sundown. I accordingly dressed; we saddled our horses, and soon rode -out of the valley up to the plain, turning as we reached the top of -the escarpment which bounded the valley, to have a last look on our -vanquished enemy, the river--now, thank God, at last behind us--and -then, facing towards the south-west, we broke into a brisk gallop, -once more _en route_ for Sandy Point. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -We presently came to a hilly country, where the plains were of shorter -duration, and cut up in all directions by steeper and more irregular -canadas than I had hitherto met; whilst occasionally we passed broad -tracts of scoriae, which forced us, in consideration of our horses, to -change our gallop for a soberer pace. These tracts grew more and more -frequent as we approached a range of high hills, at whose base we -hoped to camp that night, though as yet their jagged and fantastic -outlines showed but dimly on the distant horizon. - -We passed several herds of guanacos, who fled away at our approach. -Presently, however, one solitary animal, whose curiosity was stronger -than its good sense, came neighing and frisking around us, halting at -last almost under our very noses. The voice of his master had hitherto -kept back our remaining dog (the other had refused to cross the -river); but this was rather more than he could stand, and darting out -from behind our horses, where he had hitherto very unwillingly kept -himself, he flew out at the startled guanaco, who, on seeing him, -gave an affrighted bound, and stretched away over the plain with the -speed of lightning. The dog followed pretty close on its heels. Our -blood was up, and we dashed after them as fast as the horses would -carry us, to aid the dog in case he should turn the guanaco round our -way. For a moment they ran pretty evenly, but then the guanaco, -evidently a tough old male, gradually distanced his pursuer, though -the latter was a remarkably swift dog, and of very good breed. We were -just despairing of the chase, when it suddenly became apparent that -the guanaco was in difficulties, his flight having been arrested by a -belt of marshy ground, where his heavy weight immediately put him at a -great disadvantage. The very efforts he made to redouble the force of -his bounds only caused his sharp hoofs to sink deeper into the heavy -soil; and in a few seconds the dog, whose speed was not so much -affected by the nature of the ground, had reached his now helpless -prey, and flown at his throat. We soon came up to them, and Guillaume, -dismounting, despatched the guanaco with his long hunting-knife. - -After all, the game turned out to be not worth the candle, or rather -the sunlight we had lost in its pursuit, for it proved to be as lean -of flesh as it had been swift of foot. We, therefore, merely stayed to -cut off and secure its head, and then resumed our journey with all -speed, as the sun was already getting low, and we had still a long -ride before us. Fate, however, seemed determined to prevent us -reaching our intended halting-place that night. Not long after the -guanaco-hunt an ostrich started up, so close to us that Guillaume -could not resist the temptation, but went off in its pursuit, whilst I -looked about for the nest. I found it to contain fourteen eggs, which -I carefully packed up so that they should not break, and then rode off -to meet Guillaume, who, I was glad to see, had the ostrich already -dangling at his saddle. It turned out to be tolerably fat, which, -considering the season, was quite a miracle. This piece of fortune put -us into high spirits, and, as we remarked to each other, our bad luck -had evidently abandoned us at last. - -On we rode, gradually getting nearer to the hills, which now loomed -blackly against the sky; for the sun had already sunk behind their -sharp, irregular peaks, and night was coming on apace. We passed -several large lakes, which proved to be salt; and gloomy and dismal -they looked, encircled by broad belts of shingle and sand, with not a -single bush or blade of grass in their blighting vicinity. Leaving -them behind us, we stumbled on over the lava-covered ground, across a -wild-looking plain, strewn with jagged masses of rock, through which -our horses picked their way with extreme difficulty. The ruggedness of -the country increased as we proceeded, and when we at last came to a -break, where there was a small plain with plenty of grass and a pool -of fresh water, we resolved to go no further, but to remain there for -the night. - -We brought our saddles and traps to a clump of stones, which made a -good shelter against the wind, and then hobbled one of the horses, and -secured the other with a long cord to a heavy stone--a precaution not -absolutely necessary, as after a hard day's work they do not care to -stray far, but which we thought better to take on this occasion, as we -were in a broken country, where we might have a great deal of -difficulty in finding them again, even if they only strayed a couple -of hundred yards. Having made our minds easy on this point, we set -about preparing supper, which, with the abundance of material at our -disposal, was an easy and a grateful task. We were altogether in the -very best of spirits that evening, under the influence of our unwonted -good cheer, and at the thoughts of our speedy arrival at Sandy Point -and the indulgences we should then be able to allow ourselves in such -long-missed luxuries as coffee, sugar, bread, tobacco, etc., of which -and similar dainties we talked till our mouths watered again. We -reviewed the events of the day, too, and recounted the various -impressions and feelings they had given rise to. It was an open -question who had passed the worst _quart d'heure_--I whilst struggling -in the water and feeling that all was over, or Guillaume, when, after -he had seen me disappear without returning, he reflected that he must -run the same risk, and possibly incur the same fate. Meanwhile, having -roasted and eaten as many eggs as we dared, we sought our couches, -and, overcome by our day's exertions, soon fell into a sound sleep. - -The words with which Guillaume woke me in the morning brushed the -sleepiness from my brain in an instant, and made me jump to my feet -and stare blankly about me in utter dismay. 'The horses have -stampeded!' I said, repeating the sentence slowly after him, dwelling -on each word in complete stupefaction. He nodded his head dejectedly, -and sank down on his couch, and for a long time neither of us spoke, -each giving way to his own gloomy train of thought. - -It was, indeed, a stroke of misfortune, which, happening as it did on -the very night after we had overcome what we believed to be the only -obstacle which separated us from Sandy Point, appeared almost in the -light of an intimation that we were fated never to reach our -destination. - -The idea took such firm hold of my mind, and so completely paralysed -my energy, that for a short space I allowed myself to give way to -despair, and to a feeling of incapacity to struggle any longer against -what in my agitation appeared to me a superior decree of destiny. In -truth, the difficulties which beset us were no ordinary ones. We were -about 150 miles from Sandy Point--no great distance to walk, it is -true, for a strong, healthy man, who can depend on a supply of proper -nourishment. But we were so weakened that even such a slight exertion -as saddling our horses seemed often too much for our strength; the -effort required for crossing the river had been a spasmodic burst, -which we were quite incapable of sustaining for any length of time. -Besides, we were wholly unaccustomed to walking, and long inaction had -relaxed those muscles we now most required. Even then, however, it was -not so much the actual distance which frightened me as the nature of -the ground to be gone over. There were streams to be crossed, which at -that time of the year would be swollen and perhaps impassable for us; -marshy grounds to be traversed, which to a man on horseback were -nothing, but to cross which on foot implied continual wettings; and we -had only four matches left, and therefore no means of making a fire to -dry ourselves by when once these were used. Taking the uncongenial -season into consideration, we were not wrong in doubting whether our -bodies would stand all these hardships. With proper food, no doubt -they would; but there was another great difficulty. When once we had -consumed the ostriches' eggs and the meat we had left, how were we to -procure more? We had a dog, it is true; but how could we follow him on -foot, when, in a few minutes, he could pursue a guanaco for ten -miles, and run his prey to earth somewhere, far beyond our ken? -Besides, within a certain distance from Sandy Point the guanacos cease -altogether, and ostriches are very scarce. The Indians, Guillaume -knew, were somewhere near the colony. We might, therefore, meet them -on the road, in which case we should be all right; but, on the other -hand, they might have struck towards the Cordilleras, which certainly -would have been more in keeping with our general luck. Whatever -happened, one thing was certain, and that was that we had a great deal -of misery and hardship to face, even supposing we should have strength -to overcome all difficulties and reach our destination in safety. - -All these considerations passed through my mind in rapid succession, -but having once looked the situation steadily in the face and -contemplated it in all its bearings, my courage rose again, and I felt -it was a great deal too soon to despair. After all, there are very few -difficulties that are not to be vanquished by determination, and, my -momentary fit of despondency over, I nerved myself to face whatever -new trials might be in store for us. - -Guillaume now told me how he had risen at daybreak and found the -horses gone, the cord which had tied one of them being broken. Amongst -the confused tracks he had seen footmarks of a puma, a circumstance -which led him to suppose that this animal must have frightened the -horses during the night, and caused them to stampede. He followed the -tracks for a great distance, and then lost them in a plain of scoriae, -where it was, of course, impossible to trace them any further. As a -last chance he had climbed several hills, and overlooked the -surrounding country, without, however, being able to see the horses -anywhere; and at last, completely exhausted, he had returned to the -camp. Having rapidly reviewed our position, we resolved to commence -our pilgrimage immediately, as time was precious, in view of the poor -state of our larder. Not a moment was to be lost--not on account of -catching the steamer; that was no longer uppermost in my mind--but we -must now hurry over as much ground as possible daily, to save our -lives. - -I rolled two of my capas tightly together, and strapped them on my -shoulders like a knapsack. Guillaume took a capa and a pair of -saddle-bags, in one side of which he put the six remaining eggs, and -in the other all that was left of the ostrich, which was not much -after our supper of last night, and what we had given to the dog, for -the bird, though fat, had unfortunately been small. With as strict an -economy as was compatible with keeping up our strength, we had enough -provisions to last us for four days; after that--well, _quien sabe_; -but I had resolutely made up my mind not to think of the future, so -all was right--for the present. We took our knives, of course, and one -tin cup; our revolvers, as being too heavy, we left behind us, as well -as our saddles, beds, superfluous clothes, etc., etc., for the benefit -of the foxes, or whoever should chance to find them. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -We started off in tolerably good spirits, and it was well we did so, -for we had to draw upon them considerably before the day was over. Our -way lay over a short plain, and across the range of hills above -mentioned. For the first two miles all went well, but after we had -climbed a couple of hills, I began to feel distressed. My burden, -which at the commencement had weighed lightly enough, now began -seriously to incommode me, and I asked myself, if my strength was -giving way before the journey had hardly begun, how was I to reach its -end? Still, with closed teeth and bent brow, I dragged myself wearily -along, determined not to give in. Guillaume was in no better plight -than I. We had long since abandoned any attempt at conversation--it -only used up our precious breath, and tired us the more. - -At last we had to halt and rest a little, starting off again after a -few minutes' breathing-time, till we were again obliged to stop to -collect our strength; and in this manner we went on all that -afternoon, panting up steep hills, and dragging ourselves along over -plains which succeeded each other in weary monotony, and where the -boisterous winds, blowing full against us, obliged us to double our -exertions. At each fresh start we made I had to put forth my whole -strength to nerve myself for the effort, and each time, I felt, would -surely be the last. Somehow or other, I kept on, however. It is -wonderful what one can do in the face of certain alternatives. I soon -suffered from another cause; my feet, tender from long disuse, began -to swell under these sudden exertions. I was unable, after suffering -for some time, to keep my boots on, and had to continue the march -barefooted, over pebbles and short grasses which were only slightly -less merciless than the boots had been. - -At sunset we found ourselves descending into a valley, where there was -a small river. We had fortunately no necessity to cross it, as our -road lay along the valley itself. In this region the bushes, which had -gradually been getting scarcer, ceased altogether. In the country we -were about to traverse, you may ride for leagues and leagues without -being able to find a piece of wood big enough to make a toothpick -with. The Indians, when they pass through this region, always bring -sufficient firewood with them on their pack-horses to last them during -the transit. I can in no way account for the absence in that -particular region of the bushes peculiar to the rest of the country, -especially as the soil, the formation, and the atmospheric conditions -seem to be the same there as in the rest of Patagonia. - -By the time we had gone a little way up the valley we were all but -completely exhausted; my legs felt like lead, my breath came with -difficulty, and I staggered along as if about to fall at every step -under my pack, whose weight seemed to increase almost at every step. -It soon became necessary for us to halt altogether. We threw off our -burdens and stretched ourselves on the grass, to enjoy the luxury of a -good rest before troubling ourselves about getting supper ready. - -But this important task could not be long deferred, especially as it -was getting dark. We therefore began to cast about for some substitute -for firewood, of which, as I have already mentioned, there was -absolutely none in that region. Guillaume consolingly remarked that as -soon as our four matches were exhausted, we should have to eat our -meat raw, and might as well, therefore, begin to do so at once. I was -not of his opinion, however, feeling that the longer that unpleasant -necessity was deferred the better. The only suitable combustible we -were able to find was the dry dung of guanacos, of which we managed to -collect a good heap. We purposed to ignite it with some dry grass, but -as we only allowed ourselves one match that day, I trembled for the -result. Carefully sheltering it from the wind, the match was at length -struck in safety and applied to the grass. It blazed up quick enough, -but it had to be fed some time before the dung could be coaxed into -taking fire, or rather smouldering, for the flame it emitted was -almost imperceptible. With the aid of the wind, the glow gradually -spread itself over the whole heap, and in it we managed to roast our -eggs and even to cook some meat. The latter had a disagreeable -flavour, even to our hardened palates. As soon as we finished our -supper, we lost no time in getting under our capas, now our only bed, -as the fire held out but few enticements to linger over it longer than -was absolutely necessary for cooking purposes. - -At daybreak the next morning we got up, and in the heap of dung, which -was fortunately still glowing, we cooked some eggs, and prepared for -starting. I wrapped some pieces of cloth round my feet, to protect -them from hurt, and then we saddled ourselves and continued the march. -I felt very stiff, and altogether thoroughly done up. In fact, I did -not think I should be able to go on for more than a couple of hours at -most. Our path still lay through the valley alongside the river, and -we had now come to the beaten track to Sandy Point, made in the course -of long years by the Indians on their annual visit to that settlement. - -Here we were pleasantly surprised by the sudden apparition of a big -dog, who frisked and jumped about us in great glee, no doubt glad to -have met with human beings. He probably belonged to some Indian, and -had lost himself somehow in the pursuit of a guanaco, as frequently -happens. - -This was the first gleam of sunshine after our late bad luck, for the -poor brute was very fat, and we foresaw that its flesh would prove a -godsend if we should not happen to fall in with Indians. Our own dog -was not worth killing, being merely skin and bone. In view of his -probable fate, we called the new-comer 'Infeliz'--a name to which he -soon got to answer. He became quite attached to me, little knowing why -I paid him such anxious attentions. - -We went on pretty well for some time, of course, with the usual halts -every ten minutes. To-day, too, the weather took it into its head to -change; the sun became unpleasantly warm, which, of course, increased -our fatigue considerably. At about twelve o'clock the path broke off -from the valley, and the country assumed a threatening appearance, -hill rising above hill for a long distance. As we had walked more than -six hours already, we allowed ourselves a long rest before facing the -difficulties which now lay before us. We felt very hungry, too; but, -not daring to use a match, we were obliged to eat some raw -ostrich-meat. I thought it had a peculiarly revolting taste, and more -than ever I deprecated the idea of perhaps having to undergo a regimen -of uncooked meat. I wondered, too, how Infeliz would taste raw, and -felt that I certainly would not try him unless pushed to the very last -extremity. - -When we felt somewhat restored, we arose, carefully collected the -fragments of our meal, and then continued our wearisome journey. The -path now lay across a succession of hills, or undulations, which were -very steep and told fearfully upon us. We would rest a while on the -crest of each, and then go at the next one with a rush, our teeth set -and eyes bent on its summit; for if we flinched once on our upward -course, or halted but a moment, we were done for, and had to take -another rest previous to collecting our strength for a new spurt. -Several times I thought I must give in, and at last I could literally -hardly move one leg before the other. The perspiration rolled off my -forehead in streams, and the weight of my capas seemed to break my -back. Still we had set ourselves a certain goal, which was yet a long -way off; and though I was inwardly wishing that Guillaume would give -in, I was determined not to be first to speak, but to go on as long as -he did whilst there was a step left in me. I believe he was in the -same plight as I was, but kept on for the same reasons. At last a -higher hill than usual fairly brought us to a regular standstill, and -we threw ourselves down, feeling that, for that day at least, we could -go no further. - -We lay motionless for about half an hour, when I rose to take off my -pack, and in so doing perceived a column of smoke, not far, at least -to all appearance, from where we were. My shout of joyful surprise -brought Guillaume to his feet, and we both examined it for some time, -half doubting our own eyes, and fearful lest every moment it should -prove a delusion. Nor were our feelings of pleasure wholly unmitigated -by certain apprehensions that it might be some old fire that had been -lit two or three days ago, and which was now burning up again. -Guillaume told me that he had known fires to smoulder on in grassy -glens for weeks together. It might be but an hour old, and yet those -who had made it were, perhaps, already miles away in some direction, -far from the path we must follow; and we could not signal our own -whereabouts, as the country we were then crossing was bare of grass -and bushes. Our doubts, however, were speedily set at rest. Even as we -watched the first column with eager eyes, another rose up not far from -it, and another still, and then we knew that the fires were being made -by Indians, who were hunting on the plains. A little to the left of -the smoke was a place called the 'Campo de Batalla,' where the Indians -always camp when in that neighbourhood, and to it we accordingly -directed our steps, as we were almost certain to find them there. The -vicinity of human beings gave us new strength. All fatigue disappeared -as if by magic; the hills, hitherto so formidable, seemed to shrink -into pigmy mounds; my pack became light as a feather, and the rags -round my feet seemed suddenly to possess the virtues of the famed -seven-mile boots. Not only should we be able to get horses from the -Indians, but, as they must have recently left the settlement, they -would have plenty of tobacco, mate, sugar, and biscuit, with the -thought of which I charmed away any relapse into exhaustion, which, as -hill followed hill in endless succession, now and again threatened to -overcome me. At last, about four o'clock, we descended into a valley, -a sudden turn of which brought us in full view of the Indian -encampment. My heart bounded at the sight of the tents, amongst which -I could descry dark human figures in long robes moving slowly to and -fro; hundreds of horses were grazing in the valley, whilst the yelping -of the swarms of curs that infest the Indian camps fell on my ears -like pleasant music. - -The Indians were just returning from the chase, and were pouring down -from the plains on all sides. They soon perceived us, and presently -fifty or more horsemen came flying towards us at full gallop. In -another moment we were surrounded by a chattering, laughing, -gesticulating crowd, who escorted us towards the camp in triumph. One -of their number, who could speak a little Spanish, asked us a thousand -questions, the answers to which he translated for the benefit of the -others, to whom every item of information seemed to furnish an excuse -for the most unbounded merriment; they would all giggle and laugh, -though what I had to say to them did not contain anything -extraordinarily funny, at least as far as my perception of the -humorous goes. - -When we reached the camp, we were surrounded by another crowd of -Indians, as eagerly curious as the first comers to know where we came -from, what we had done with our horses, and where we were going to--in -fact, all particulars as to our situation. As soon as one group left, -another arrived; and in this manner we ran the gauntlet of the whole -of the camp, everyone apparently deeming it incumbent on him to come -and have a good stare and grin at us. - -Having satisfied their curiosity, we felt ourselves at liberty to -consult our own comfort; and Guillaume having discovered the -whereabouts of the tent of a cacique of the name of Orkeke, with whom -he was on intimate terms, we directed our steps towards it. Orkeke -himself, we found, had not as yet returned from the chase; but his -wife, an immensely fat and good-humoured-looking old squaw, accosted -us in some friendly gutturals, of which the evident purport was that -we were to make ourselves at home--an intimation on which we speedily -acted. With a deep sigh of relief, I divested myself of the pack under -whose weight I had trudged for so many a weary mile, and, stretching -myself out on the ground, I inwardly congratulated myself that the -unpleasant episode of our foot-pilgrimage was fortunately a thing of -the past. - -We had now, for the first time since we had seen the smoke, leisure to -muse over our providential delivery from the serious danger that had -threatened us--a danger whose full magnitude only became apparent now -that we had no longer to fear it. But these thoughts did not occupy us -long; very soon Orkeke arrived, heavily laden with the spoils of the -chase. He seemed very pleased to see us, and greeted us affably in -broken Spanish. To the story of our mishaps he listened with great -interest, and when I told him that I had not taken mate or smoked for -several weeks, he showed particular concern, and immediately produced -a pipe and tobacco, and bade me smoke, at the same time telling his -wife to prepare mate, remarking very justly, 'No fumar, no tomar mate; -muy malo!' Smokers will feel with me when I say that my hand trembled -whilst filling my pipe, and that, having lit it, I sat for a few -minutes in a state of semi-ecstasy, enveloped in a fragrant cloud of -the long-missed soul-soother. The mate, too, seemed delicious; and as -a great treat, from a bag which contained similar treasures, Orkeke -brought forth a musty biscuit, which he broke into three pieces, -solemnly handing a share to Guillaume and me. The biscuit was coarse -and black and hard, no doubt, but it melted away on my lips like a -_meringue_, nor did I allow one crumb of it to be lost. - -Orkeke was an admirable specimen of the Tehuelche race. He was tall -and well proportioned, and, notwithstanding his great age, extremely -vigorous and agile. His long grey hair and the benign expression of -his face gave him the look of a venerable patriarch--a character which -he rather affected to maintain. He was careful to inform me, at an -early stage of our acquaintance, that he never got drunk, like the -other Indians; that he never told a lie; and that his father had been -converted to Christianity--a circumstance which he evidently -considered to reflect in some way meritoriously on himself. On my -asking him why he had not followed his father's example and become a -Christian too, after a long pause he answered rather vaguely, "Quien -sabe." I did not press the question any further, as the Indians who -speak Spanish always make use of this expression when puzzled, or when -they do not care to give a direct reply, and if once they proffer it -as an answer, it is perfectly useless to attempt to elicit anything -more explicit from them. - -Orkeke told me that he remembered perfectly well having paid a visit -to St. Julian, as a boy, when the Spanish colonists of Viedma were yet -there. If that were true--and I have no reason to doubt his word--his -age was now at least ninety-six or ninety-seven, and, judging by his -looks, I thought he might easily live twenty or thirty years longer. -His movements were as easy and as free from effort as those of a young -man. Indeed, I should imagine few climates are healthier or more -favourable to longevity than that of Patagonia; its crisp, dry air has -a peculiarly beneficent effect both on mind and body, and under its -influence one experiences a buoyancy of spirits, and a general -well-being, which are quite astonishing. - -Orkeke spoke Spanish with tolerable fluency, and I was able to have a -long conversation with him on various topics, during which I gleaned -some interesting information about the customs and thoughts of the -Indians. - -The tribe I was now amongst was more numerous than that of the -Northern Tehuelches, but it seemed to me that they were, on the -average, slightly inferior in physique to the Northerners, and -certainly there were not so many pretty squaws among them as among the -latter. Otherwise there was no marked distinction between them. The -camp consisted of twelve tents, containing in all from four to five -hundred souls. The whole tribe, I found, had just been paying their -annual visit to Sandy Point, to receive the rations of sugar, biscuit, -mate, and tobacco, which the Chilian Government accords them. These -visits generally cost them rather dear, as the inhabitants of the -colony, on these occasions, make a rich harvest of furs and feathers, -with which, under the influence of aguadiente, the Indians are then -extremely prodigal. - -I made Orkeke promise to get me two horses the next morning, in order -that we might immediately continue our journey, and having eaten a -hearty supper, I went to sleep on a couch of furs, which Mrs. Orkeke -had prepared for me, and, notwithstanding the incessant squalling of -babies in various parts of the tent, I managed to pass a tolerable -night. - -The next morning, as soon as Orkeke had risen, I asked him to get the -horses in readiness, as I was leaving at once. But there was an -unpleasant surprise in store for me. Orkeke seemed to have no -remembrance of what he had promised the previous evening, and coolly -told me that he could not lend me any of his horses, as, according to -him, they were all 'thin and tired,' 'Mi caballo, muy flaco, muy -cansado,' was all I could get out of him in reply to my indignant -demands for an explanation of the unaccountable change in his -intentions. In vain I argued, entreated, and stormed; in vain I -offered to pay him double the sum we had previously agreed on--nothing -would move him, and finally I gave up pressing the matter, directing -my energies instead to discovering some more accommodating Indian. - -My task was not an easy one, and I soon found out that to drive a -bargain with an Indian one must have the patience of Job and the -temper of an angel. It is next to an impossibility to get a plain -'yes' or 'no' out of them, as they have an insuperable aversion to -committing themselves finally, either one way or the other. The -consequence is that one may haggle with them for hours, without -arriving at any result, and without even being able to judge whether -one is likely to arrive at any, so vague and circumlocutory are their -answers. Unfortunately, too, I was obliged to employ an interpreter, -thus reducing still further the chances of my coming to any definite -understanding. - -After having interviewed some forty Indians, who all, after more or -less vacillation and delay, proffered the stereotyped objection, 'Mi -caballo, muy flaco,' I began to despair of succeeding at all, and as a -last resource, went back to Orkeke, who, I hoped, might possibly again -have changed his mind and become less obdurate. But the obstinate old -cacique was inexorable, and calmly recommended me to wait patiently -for a few days, as very soon some traders would be coming from the -colony. He could not understand that anyone could possibly be in a -hurry. Indians never are; and I have no doubt that the fact of my -being in such a desperate haste to get away awoke some suspicions in -his mind as to my motives, and inclined him to persist in his refusal -to accommodate me. I was at my wits' end. Nothing could be further -from my intentions than to wait with the Indians till some trader -should come to the camp. The very thought made me furious. I had not -risked crossing Gallegos for that, and yet I must either remain or -start off on foot, neither of which prospects I contemplated with much -satisfaction. - -Though my own attempts had failed, I thought that perhaps Orkeke might -be able to negotiate more successfully for the hire of two horses from -some one amongst his acquaintances; and as an inducement for him to -exert himself in my behalf, I offered to give him a guanaco mantle. My -proposal set him thinking, and presently he said: 'I know Indian--very -rich man--three hundred horses--quien sabe, he lend you two.' Of -course, I jumped at the suggestion, and proposed that we should -immediately go and see this great and good man, the owner of three -hundred horses. But Orkeke met my impetuosity with a tantalising 'Mas -tarde,' and I had to restrain my impatience for more than an hour, -during the course of which I relieved my feelings with many a bitter -imprecation at Tehuelche supineness. At last Orkeke seemed to have -nerved himself for the tremendous effort, and signified to me that he -was ready to accompany me to the tent of the rich man. I approached -this awful being, whom I found reclining at ease on his furs, with -feelings of the deepest respect, for did he not hold the means of -relieving me from the serious and aggravating plight which fate and -the obstinacy of his brethren had brought me into? - -Orkeke conversed with him for some time--very leisurely and -unconcernedly, I thought, considering the gravity of the issue of the -negotiations--and then, turning to me, he asked me to tell his friend, -who understood Spanish, what I wanted. - -I began. 'You have plenty horses?' - -'Yes, plenty.' - -'Quien sabe, you lend me two?' - -Here a long pause, during which I anxiously endeavoured to read the -answer to my question in the face of the Indian. But its expression -was a blank. Presently he suggested: - -'How much you pay?' - -'Oh, plenty sugar, plenty biscuit, plenty silver dollar,' I exclaimed, -gesticulating to an unlimited extent, and radiant with satisfaction, -as now I thought the matter had taken a practical and final turn. - -'Bueno! But how send back horses to Indian?' - -'Guillaume come back with horses and presents from colony in six -days.' - -Here another long pause. The Indian seemed to be looking at some -object on the hills fifty miles away, apparently oblivious of my -presence. As he did not offer to resume the conversation, after a -while I suggested cheerfully: - -'Very well, all is settled; you go and fetch the horses, whilst I -prepare my things and get ready to leave.' To my surprise he did not -respond to my suggestion as readily as I had expected. I presumed I -was going too quickly for him, and accordingly I modified my proposal -this wise: 'Quien sabe, when will you fetch horses for me?' - -No answer: the object on the hills still claimed his undivided -attention. I waited patiently, wonderfully patiently, for a reply; -though now and then, in the course of the quarter of an hour's silence -which ensued, I did feel that it would have been an unspeakable relief -to have given my _nonchalant_ friend just one little cut with my whip. -We cannot all have the dispositions of saints. - -I contented myself, after the lapse of time mentioned, with repeating, -'Quien sabe, when will you fetch horses for me?' - -Then fell on my ears 'some words, which were warning of doom!'--'Mi -caballo, muy flaco, muy cansado.' - -After having had my hopes raised to the highest point of expectation, -to see them thus suddenly dashed to the ground for some mere whim, and -without a show of reason, was more than flesh and blood could stand; I -regret to say that I lost my temper, and hurled at the passive Indian -a shower of furious imprecations. I am bound to say, however, that -they did not seem to have the slightest effect upon him, and merely -provoked a chorus of mocking laughter from the squaws. I went away in -high dudgeon, and my reflections, after I had cooled down a little, -were not rendered any pleasanter by the confession I had to make to -myself, that I had no business to lose my temper, as, after all, the -Indian had a perfect right to do as he chose with his own. Still, it -was rather exasperating that, much as I wanted them, with two thousand -horses grazing in the ravine around me, I could not obtain two. - -Fortunately, relief was near at hand. I was just discussing with -Guillaume what was to be done next, when Orkeke came up to us, and -said that a scout had just arrived, and had told him that a white man -was camping at a lake some eighteen miles away, and that, for a -consideration, he would lend us a couple of horses to take us so far. - -In half an hour the horses were driven up; and having made some small -presents to Mrs. Orkeke and her family, I hastily left, fearing lest, -acting on some new caprice, Orkeke might, at the last moment, find -some pretext for taking the horses away from us again. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -At last we said good-bye to the Indians, and set out, accompanied by a -man who was to take the horses back, _en route_ for a lake called the -'Laguna del Finado Romero,' after an ill-fated white man, who, like -ourselves, had lost his horses in the pampa, and, unluckier than we -had been, had failed to fall in with anyone on the road, and had -finally died of starvation near the lake that now bears his name. - -Our horses were lean, overworked, and broken-winded, and we were -obliged to ride bare-backed, as the Indians had refused to lend us -saddles; but we cared little for such slight drawbacks, in the joy of -once more being able to look forward with certainty to a speedy -arrival at our destination. - -We had only been on foot for three days, but, looking back, it seemed -to me an age since I had last bestrode a horse; and the pleasure I -experienced, as we broke into a tolerably swift gallop, was heightened -by the remembrance of those unpleasant days during which we trudged -wearily along on foot, esteeming it a great triumph if we -successfully scaled some pigmy hill without having to lie down two or -three times to take breath, and when we hardly dared look at the vast -expanse of plain before us, lest we should lose courage at the sight. -Contrasted with that period of our journey, our present situation was -all _couleur de rose_. Our sorry nags seemed gifted with the fleetness -of the wind, their distressed puffing sounded in our ears like the -proud snorting of the fiery steed scenting the chase, and their -irregular pace, half gallop, half stumble, seemed as soft and pleasant -as the gentle amble of a pampered park hack. - -After about three hours' sharp riding, we reached the lake, beside -which was pitched the tent of the white man of whom the Indians had -told us. The barking of the dogs warned him of our approach, and he -came out to meet us, not a little astonished at our appearance, as the -Indians had told him that the Gallegos had risen, and, of course, he -had not imagined that anyone could have come from Santa Cruz. He -kindly welcomed us into his tent, where the first thing that struck my -eye, as smacking pleasantly of civilisation, was an empty -preserved-milk-tin. Our new host, whose name was Emilio, was an old -acquaintance of Guillaume's, and he very kindly offered to lend us -horses to continue our journey to Sandy Point with, as the Indian was -returning with those we had come on. - -As the weather looked very threatening, and big rain-drops were -already beginning to fall, we thought it best to defer our start for -another day, feeling that, in one way and another, we had had quite -enough wettings lately. - -The tent we now found ourselves in seemed 'fitted up' with all modern -conveniences; indeed, Emilio appeared to be, as he in reality was, -rather an amateur than a professional ostrich-hunter, and his neat -riding-suit and general clean appearance made me, for the first time, -painfully conscious of the strange scarecrow figure I must have made -in the eyes of a civilised human being. The pampa had dealt rather -roughly with my wardrobe. I was hatless, shoeless, and coatless, -having tossed away or lost all these necessary articles of wear at -various periods of my peregrinations. My shirt and trousers were -tattered and torn; my hair, which had been a stranger to the comb for -weeks, was long and matted; and my face, from continual exposure to -sun and wind, had become of a deep Tehuelche brown. Fortunately, no -excuses for my appearance were necessary; and, having dismissed our -Indian friend with his horses, we sat down in the tent to discuss some -mate and a pipe, over which luxuries Emilio satisfied my voracious -appetite for news of the war in the East, with such items of -information as he had picked up lately in Sandy Point. - -Touching the dinner-hour, which was now approaching, he told us that -his companion had gone to the settlement ten days ago to fetch -provisions, and as he had not yet come back, he (Emilio) had run short -of everything, and had not so much as a biscuit in the place--a piece -of information which gave me a shock, which I trust I bore with more -outward composure than my inner feelings warranted. However, when -dinner was served, matters turned out to be better than Emilio had -represented, and our hearts were gladdened over a puchero of guanaco -meat, seasoned with onions, pepper, and salt, and other old -acquaintances, whose want we had lately so often and so feelingly -deplored. - -Darkness came on soon after dinner was over, and we were accordingly -not long in turning in. All through the night there was a heavy -downpour of rain, and as I listened to it pattering on the canvas of -our tent, snugly rolled up in my warm capa, I thought, with a shudder, -in what a different plight I should have then been had we not had the -good fortune to meet the Indians. Instead of lying warm and dry under -the shelter of the tent, we should doubtless have been stretched -somewhere on the muddy ground, in damp clothes and soaking furs, -hungry and sleepless, and exposed to the inclemency of the weather, -without even the means of making a fire. - -The next day the rain cleared off at about ten o'clock, and Emilio, -who was anxious to know what had become of his companion, resolved to -accompany us, leaving his tent and horses in charge of a servant. On -the previous day I had felt little inconvenience from riding -barebacked, the satisfaction of having a horse at all far outweighing -the consideration of any minor discomforts. But to-day I could no -longer remain callous to the inconvenience and pain of bumping up and -down hour after hour on the back of a not over well-conditioned horse. -After the first few miles, the sensation experienced became extremely -unpleasant, and gradually developed into a species of mild torture--to -culminate, after galloping some thirty miles, in the most excruciating -anguish the mind can conceive of. However, we were not to be stopped -by mere pain, and jogged along as best we could. - -The country we now traversed began to differ essentially from the -regions I had hitherto passed through. The monotonous alternation of -plains and ravines gave way to a not less monotonous succession of -soft swells or undulations. The height of the crests of these -undulations was about twenty feet, and the soil which covered them, -judging from the appearance of the grass, seemed of a more fertile -nature than that of the country farther north. As yet, however, there -was no appearance of any new species of bush. Occasionally an ostrich -would start up at our approach; but already we began to miss the -familiar sight of the guanacos, which are, until one arrives as far -south as we now were, an inevitable feature of a Patagonian landscape. - -After emerging from this undulating tract, the transit of which -occupied several hours, we came into an irregularly-formed country, -abounding in fresh-water lakes, which were covered with wild geese and -ducks. Here the calafate bushes seemed to grow stronger and -healthier-looking; and the now green grass, growing in abundance -everywhere, gave an unaccustomed look of fertility to the country. We -were not far from Cape San Gregorio, and occasionally we could catch a -hazy glimpse of the sea. - -Meantime evening came on, and we began to look about for a favourable -place to camp at for the night. In casting about we observed a thin -column of smoke arising from a small gorge some little way ahead. -Thither we accordingly rode, and presently came upon a young fellow -who was just making a fire, he having evidently arrived a few minutes -ago. His horses were grazing about the canyon. He started up at our -approach, and greeted us very cordially, Guillaume being an old -acquaintance of his. He turned out to be a Frenchman, and had formerly -been cook to the Governor of Sandy Point, but had subsequently taken -to ostrich-hunting and trading with the Indians as more congenial -pursuits. - -He was a very pleasant and lively companion, and we had a very -cheerful evening together. Besides, at dinner he gave us some -specimens of his art, which stamped him as a master, or at least I -thought so then. I actually found a laurel-leaf in the puchero of this -epicurean ostrich-hunter, and presently he turned out an _omelette aux -fines herbes_, which might have been prepared in a royal kitchen, -instead of in the desert, over a smoky, green-wood fire, by the -doubtful light of a few stars. As he kindly offered to lend us horses -to go on with, there was no necessity for Emilio to accompany us any -further, especially as, through our new acquaintance, he had got news -of the coming of his absent companion. Before we went to bed, -therefore, I thanked him for his kindness, and said good-bye to him, -as Guillaume and I intended starting at about three o'clock in the -morning, in order to get to Sandy Point the same night. We purposed -starting thus early as there was an arm of the sea to cross, which, if -we happened to reach it at high-water, might detain us for several -hours. I also took leave of our host, and then we all went to our -beds, to sleep through what I hoped was to be my last night on the -pampa. - -When the position of the stars seemed to indicate its being about -three o'clock, Guillaume and I, after a hasty cup of coffee, bridled -the horses that had been lent to us, and waving a silent adieu to our -sleeping companions, we rode off through the darkness towards the -Cabeza del Mar, or 'Head of the Sea,' which we hoped to reach at -low-water. We were not so well mounted as the day before, as we soon -discovered to our cost. My horse, in particular, was a lean, raw-boned -animal, with a terribly rough gallop, and as the trail had now become -swampy and full of holes, it would occasionally stumble and throw me -forward in a most punishing manner, and I suffered even more than the -day before from the want of a saddle. Meanwhile, the darkness slowly -gave way to dawn, and by the time the sun had risen, we reined in our -panting horses, on whom the steep hills and heavy ground had told -severely, at the rocky shores of the Cabeza del Mar. The water was at -ebb-tide, and we had to wait an hour or two before we could cross -over. Cabeza del Mar, marked on the Admiralty charts as Peckett's -Harbour, is an inlet of the sea which runs for some distance into the -interior. - -Having crossed over without any accident, we again continued our -journey at a gallop. The ground was very soft, and for miles was half -under water. At one spot my horse sank into a quagmire, and it was -only with the greatest difficulty that I finally got it out again. -Altogether, our horses, which were very thin and in wretched -condition, began to show signs of distress as the hours wore on, and -at times we were apprehensive lest they would not be able to reach -Sandy Point. Still we splashed on through mire and water, without -sparing whip or spur. Now and then we caught sight of the sea, and -when the rising wind swept away the mist which obscured the horizon, -the snow-clad peaks of the distant Cordilleras showed plainly against -the blue sky. We hailed them with delight, for we knew that at the -foot of the last spur lay Sandy Point. - -Presently we passed a stunted clump of beeches, standing in the midst -of the bare plain, like an advanced picket of the dense forests which, -a little farther south, clothe the sides of the straits and the broad -slopes of the Cordilleras. After having passed so many weeks without -having seen any vegetation but the grass and low scrub of the pampas, -the sight of these beeches was indescribably refreshing and cheering, -and produced the same exhilarating effect on us as the sudden -appearance of land after a long sea-voyage does on the traveller, -weary of the eternal sameness of sea and sky. - -On we went, leaving the beeches behind us, over a broad grass-covered -plain, now half under water and a mere swamp, the distant hills -growing gradually more and more distinct. By this time I had grown as -tired as my horse, and had left off the use of either whip or spur, as -it seemed to take no notice of them, just jogging along at its own -pace, a kind of slinging shuffle, varied now and then by a lurch -forward, as if about to fall--an ending to our ride which would not -have surprised me in the least, considering the condition of the poor -animal and the distance we had gone since morning. But the Patagonian -horses are wonderfully hardy, and can do an astonishing amount of work -in a condition which makes it seem doubtful whether they will be able -to carry their own weight. This was the case with those we were now -riding, which were mere skin and bone; and yet we had been already -nine hours on the road, scaling steep hills, and staggering over -swampy, heavy ground of the most trying nature. - -Time went on. The beeches became more frequent, and finally we arrived -at the foot of a thickly wooded hill, which seemed to mark the -commencement of a totally new region; for whereas hitherto all -vegetation had been scarce and stunted, it now became comparatively -varied and luxuriant. Following a beaten track, we rode up the hill -through a glade of beeches, which were just bursting into leaf. On -reaching its summit I paused, for suddenly flashed on my gaze, lying -at the foot of the hill on whose crest I now stood, the shining waters -of the Straits of Magellan. With avidity I feasted my eyes, wearied of -the eternal monotony of the pampa horizon, on the varied and sunlit -scene before me. In strange contrast to the bare plains I had just -left was the bold outline of the winding coast, which sank abruptly -down, green with dense foliage, to the very edge of the foaming water, -whilst in the background rose the gigantic ridges of the Cordilleras, -their sharply-cut and snow-clad peaks standing plainly defined on the -for once cloudless sky. - -On the opposite side of the straits the tall cliffs of Terra del Fuego -were plainly visible; and presently, emerging from a bend in the -coast, a little schooner came skimming down, with all her sails set -and her colours flying, bound, no doubt, for the neighbouring Falkland -Islands. - -But time was precious, as we wanted to get to Sandy Point before -night-time; so off we started again, down the precipitous side of the -hill, the bottom of which we reached after many a slip and stumble, -the melting of the snows having carried away whole lengths of what had -been a beaten pathway. The farmhouse of Cabo Negro now came in sight, -and near it, grazing at their ease in the fresh young grass, were -herds of horses and cattle. As their familiar lowing fell on my ears, -my heart quite warmed towards the sleek-coated, gentle-eyed cows, and -I bestowed a kindly greeting on them in passing, quite as if they had -been human beings. But to me at that moment they represented something -more than mere milk and butter in perspective (though that -consideration was not altogether absent from my mind). In their staid, -respectable demeanour, so different from the wild capers and antics of -my late friends, the guanacos, I recognised the softening influences -of civilisation, and in my present mood I was only too glad to be -able to hail its presence under any symbol, even though it were but in -the lowly guise of a simple-minded cow. - -On reaching the farmhouse we dismounted for a while, in order to give -our horses the rest they sorely needed. The owner, Lieutenant -Gallegos, received us very kindly, and asked us into the house to take -some refreshment. Whilst the meal was being prepared, I explained to -him the circumstances which had brought us into the strange plight in -which he beheld us, our saddleless nags and our dilapidated appearance -having naturally aroused his curiosity. He was not surprised to hear -of the unusually high flood at Gallegos, as, on the melting of the -snows, there had been great inundations all round the colony, and an -unprecedented snowfall during the winter. The winter itself had been -of unusual duration, for although it was now almost summer-time, until -a few days since, like ourselves, they had experienced regular wintry -weather. In the meantime a repast had been served, and I sat down -actually on a chair, and ate off a plate with knife and fork, feeling -quite awkward and bearish, as if I had till then never enjoyed such -luxuries. However, this feeling soon wore off, and before I had -finished my meal I felt quite at home again. As soon as we had -exhausted our respective budgets of news, we said good-bye to -Lieutenant Gallegos, and remounted our horses, who had profited by -the short respite allowed them, and had become tolerably fresh again. - -Our path now lay along the Straits of Magellan. The water almost -washed our horses' feet as we rode along the narrow path, for the -mainland falls almost vertically down to the waters edge, and is -covered with a dense, impenetrable mass of trees and bushes--the -latter chiefly of the magnolia species--and one is forced to keep on -the meagre strip of stony beach, which in some places is hardly three -feet broad. This narrow track was further occasionally obstructed by -trunks of beech-trees and other drift-wood, torn probably from the -land on the opposite side, and swept thither by the sea in its angry -moods; and sometimes a still more formidable hindrance would present -itself, in the shape of a landslip, with a whole slice of virgin -forest torn away with it, the trees, bushes, and creepers still green -and flourishing. In those cases, where the soil had already been -washed away by the sea, all the less durable vegetation having long -mouldered away, a prey to the wind and waves, only the dead trees -remained, looking sad and ghastly in their untombed nakedness--some -fallen, others still upright, but leaning against each other in -forlorn helplessness, their white, bare roots firmly interlaced, and -their long, dry arms rattling against each other in the wind, like the -bones of so many skeletons. - -Following its numerous bends, we rode along the beach for about three -hours: and then, in measure as we approached the long sandy strip of -land which stretches out into the sea, and which has given the name of -Sandy Point to the settlement, the beach got broader, the fall of the -land less abrupt, and the forest gradually lightened, till, reaching -the Government sawmill, which is situated at about six miles from the -colony, we came to an open plain, studded here and there with beeches, -across which we galloped for some time; and finally, having forded one -or two small streams, we at last arrived in sight of the town itself. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - -The colony of Magellan was founded by the Chilian Government in the -year 1851. The population of Sandy Point, including the convicts and -garrison, and the Swiss settlers of Agua Fresca, numbered, at the time -I am speaking of, about eight hundred souls. The town lies at the foot -of a high ridge of hills, facing the straits. It contained a fort, a -church, and some tolerable-looking Government buildings, but, -excepting one or two streets in the lower part of the town, the rest -of the place had a poor, straggling appearance, the houses being -mostly one-storied wooden shanties, and the streets grass-grown and -hillocky, with here and there the stump of a beech-tree sticking up -from the ground. But to me, as I rode through it, just before sundown, -tired and fagged with my day's ride, it looked pleasant and cheerful -enough, for it held out promises of shelter, rest, and good cheer, -after a long, weary time of exposure and hardship, and it was, -besides, a connecting link with the outer world, to reach which had -been my only thought for weeks--weeks which, as I looked back on -them, in the variety of sensation and incident which had marked their -course, seemed almost so many years. - -I rode slowly up the main street, letting my eyes wander leisurely -over the unaccustomed sights which everywhere met my gaze, and which I -greeted inwardly one by one, as it were renewing an old acquaintance. -The shops with their many wares displayed in the windows, the knots of -drinkers standing at the bars, which in Sandy Point grace every -establishment, be it a butcher's, or a baker's, or a tailor's; the -little children playing about the streets; the housewives taking in -their little washing from the clothes-line, and doing a great deal of -gossip over it, as is their wont; the cows coming lowing down from the -woods with their calves, and going to their respective homes to be -milked; the loungers in collars and neckties (strange sight), who -stared at me as I went past--everything and everybody came in for a -share of my attention. Each one sight helped to confirm the complacent -feeling of security from further danger which had come over me since I -passed the Cabo Negro farm-house. The turn in the long lane had come -at last, the chapter of accidents was over, and, like the heroes of -the fairy tales, I was to live happy ever after. Alas for human -foresight! Could I have foreseen the events which in a few hours were -to take place, in all probability I should then and there have turned -my horse round and ridden with all speed back to the pampas. But if -coming events do cast their shadows before them, it is very seldom -that our imperfect mental vision can perceive them, and certainly -there was no forecast of the horrors of the coming day in the -atmosphere of the settlement of Sandy Point, on the evening of that -10th of November. People came and went, and laughed and talked with -each other, just as usual, little thinking that by that time to-morrow -they would be flying from their pillaged and burning homes, with their -wives and children, and that the colony, now so tranquil and peaceful, -would to-morrow be delivered into the hands of a set of sanguinary -ruffians, free to indulge in their worst passions unchecked. - -There are no inns at Sandy Point, visitors being of rare occurrence, -so we put up at the house of an Austrian, named Pedro, who had -formerly been an Indian trader, and now kept a small shop. After -having indulged in the luxury of a warm bath and a shave, and having -made some suitable changes in my raiment, I sat down to dine with -Pedro. The havoc I made amongst cheeses, fresh butter, bread, jam, -etc., was tremendous. I think--and it is an important consideration -which, strange to say, has escaped even Brillat-Savarin--that every -man who has any pretension to considering himself a gastronome, should -make it a supreme duty to give his palate a complete rest, at least -once a year, and subsist for a month or two on as poor a diet as is -compatible with keeping body and soul together. His temporary -self-denial will be more than repaid by the renewed sensibility of his -palate which will result from such a course, and he will return to his -favourite dishes with that fresh zest and exquisite enjoyment which is -vouchsafed to most people only in the palmy heyday of their schoolboy -appetites. - -After dinner I lost no time in going to bed. I had been fifteen hours, -not in the saddle, but literally on horseback, and I was weary enough, -as may be supposed. I felt, as I lay down on my bed, that I had well -earned a good night's rest, and was but little prepared for the rude -awakening in store for me. - -Towards midnight I was aroused by a noise which at first I took for -thunder, but which on repetition, to my astonishment, proved to be the -report of cannon. While I was still listening and wondering what could -be the matter, Guillaume came hurriedly into the room and cried: 'The -convicts and the soldiers have mutinied, and are firing on the lower -town.' I was too sleepy to be able to quite seize the situation, and -this startling piece of news only elicited a growl from me to the -effect that I thought they might have waited till the morning, and I -fell back, and was just dozing off again, when a volley of musketry, -discharged at that moment close to our door, followed by a loud -shriek, thoroughly awoke me, and I jumped out of bed and hurriedly -put on my clothes. - -As soon as all was quiet outside the house, I went to the door and -cautiously opened it. It was still dark, but daybreak, to all -appearance, was not far off. The streets near Pedro's house were quite -deserted, but in the direction of the plaza there was a great -commotion, and the shouting of many voices, the rattling of horses' -hoofs over the paved streets, the deep growl of cannon, or the sharp -report of a Remington, broke ominously on the silence of the night. -Curious to know what was going on, Guillaume and I slipped into the -street and stole towards the plaza, in order to question any person we -might happen to meet as to the exact nature of the disturbance. -Presently, in running along, I stumbled over something, and on turning -back to look I found, with a shudder, that it was the dead body of a -man, probably the one whose shriek we heard a short time ago. We had -not gone far, when we saw somebody hastening our way as fast as his -legs could carry him. We detained him for a moment, though he was as -impatient to be gone as the wedding guest in the ballad, and he told -us that the convicts and soldiers had mutinied, and had killed the -governor of the colony, the captain of the garrison, and all the -officers, and were now engaged in fighting among themselves. With this -information we went back to the house, wondering what the upshot of -the whole affair would be--a matter which it was rather difficult to -foretell, as the Chilian man-of-war generally stationed at Sandy Point -was at that time surveying the straits some distance away, and till -she arrived the convicts and soldiers would be masters of the -situation. - -Our evil star, as I remarked to Guillaume, was still in the ascendant; -indeed, it was a most peculiar instance of a continued run of bad -luck, that _on the very night_ of our safe arrival amongst civilised -people, after having overcome not a few obstacles which had risen one -after the other to frustrate our plans, an event should occur whose -ultimate consequences might cause us to regret that we had ever -crossed the Gallegos. Besides, it was not as if it were one of the -ordinary accidents that may reasonably happen at any moment; far from -it, the event in question was of so unusual a nature as to fairly make -it improbable that it could happen even once in half a century. This -being the case, it was rather provoking that, given all the -antecedents of my journey, it should just happen at the very moment of -my passing through Sandy Point. - -There were as yet, however, no grounds for apprehending anything -serious. It was probable that the mutineers, having obtained their -liberty, would make use of it to escape as quickly as possible to the -pampas, though what they were to do when they got there was best -known to themselves. With these and sundry other unpleasant -reflections passing through my mind, I lay down on my couch, and went -to sleep again. When I awoke it was broad daylight. On opening my eyes -I was startled by the sight of a drunken convict, who was leaning -against the door of my room, holding a box of sardines in one hand and -a piece of bread in the other. His Remington rifle, which, judging by -the smell of powder it emitted, had been discharged several times, lay -on the table beside my bed. He glared stupidly at me as I got up and -went past him into the shop, which I found full of convicts and -soldiers, who were eating and drinking and squabbling, and brandishing -their Remingtons about in such a clumsy way that I expected at any -moment to see some accident happen. They told me that they had killed -the governor and all his family, and that they were now going off to -the pampa to escape to the Argentine Republic. They professed to have -no intention of harming any of the colonists, all they required being -that they should be allowed to take whatever they wanted free of -payment. They were continually quarrelling among themselves, the chief -object of their dispute being the honour, to which every one seemed to -lay claim, of having killed the governor--the truth being that he had -not been killed by anyone, having escaped on horseback shortly after -the revolt broke out. When one crowd left, another would come in, and -so on all the morning, till very soon all the drinkables and eatables -in Pedro's shop had disappeared. - -Most of the mutineers, both soldiers and convicts, were Chilotes, as -the people of the island of Chiloe are called. To do them justice, I -must say that I have never seen a more repulsively ugly and -wretched-looking race than these same Chilotes, at least, if I am to -judge of them by the numerous specimens I had the pleasure of seeing -at Sandy Point. They are of low stature and light build, their -complexion is swarthy, their foreheads low, and the general expression -of their faces is one of brutish stupidity blended with savage -ferocity. I think there is, on the whole, very little to choose -between them and the Fuegians, who, I believe, are commonly admitted -to represent the lowest type of humanity extant. - -Meanwhile the day wore on, but the mutineers did not seem in any hurry -to quit the colony. It was impossible to leave the house to obtain any -news of the revolt, as they were amusing themselves by firing random -shots in all directions, during which pastime not a few of their own -number were accidentally killed. About this time they commenced a -wholesale pillage of the shops, at which task they were assisted by -the women and the Chilian colonists generally. I do not think the -latter actually took part in any of the acts of violence subsequently -committed, but at the commencement of the revolt they certainly -fraternised with the mutineers, and, in company with the latter, -plundered and drank freely. Some colonists who lived opposite Pedro's -house were busy all day long in carrying loads of wearing apparel and -goods of all descriptions from the various shops into their dwellings. -What they were ultimately to do with all their spoils, I suppose they -hardly knew themselves, though, if they had not been too drunk, they -might have reflected that so soon as order had been restored to the -colony, a general search would be made, and they would not only be -compelled to disgorge their plunder, but the fact of stolen goods -being found in their possession would necessarily implicate them as -having taken part in the mutiny. But the whole uprising was marked by -the same utter absence of forethought, and the same incomprehensible -indifference to inevitable consequences. If any pre-concerted plan of -action had originally existed, it was certainly not acted upon, and to -this fortunate circumstance it is owing that all their intended -victims escaped with the exception of the captain of the garrison. - -Towards three o'clock I was agreeably surprised by the sudden -appearance of the German steamer in the offing, and I immediately -began to make preparations for leaving by her, as I supposed that the -mutineers would offer no objection to my taking my departure. My -hopes were doomed to be disappointed, however. When the steamer -arrived abreast of the English consul's house, which is situated about -five miles further up the straits, a little cutter put off from the -shore, evidently with the intention of acquainting the people on board -the steamer of the mutiny. I watched with anxious eyes to see what the -steamer would do. Having parleyed for a while with the people in the -cutter, she moved slowly on again towards the colony. Presently the -boat of the captain of the port put off from shore and went out to -meet her. She had hardly got alongside, when a sudden report was -heard, and a cannon-ball, fired from the fort, struck the water just -under the steamer's bows. It was quickly followed by another, which -fell rather wide of the mark. In the meanwhile, the steamer got out of -range as quickly as she was able, and keeping well on the opposite -side of the straits, she soon passed the colony, and gradually -disappeared from sight, taking the boat of the captain of the port -with her. - -It appeared that the latter had been manned by several mutineers, who, -disregarding the maxim anent honour among thieves, had made off with -their own and their companions' share of certain moneys which had been -plundered from the military chest. They had hoped to palm themselves -off on the authorities on board as peaceful citizens, who had made -good their escape from the dangers of the revolt, but the captain -took the liberty of doubting their representations, and put them all -into irons. They were eventually brought back to Sandy Point by an -American man-of-war, which met the German steamer a few days -afterwards. - -Partly from rage at having been duped by their comrades, and partly -from pure love of mischief, the mutineers had endeavoured to shell the -steamer, and their first shot was very nearly attended with disastrous -success. - -I consoled myself for the disappointment I had just experienced, by -the thought that the Pacific steamer for Monte Video, the _Cotopaxi_, -was due on the following day, and I was determined that I would not -miss her in the same way. There was no other steamer after her for -another fortnight, and it would indeed be a fatality if, after all the -efforts I had made in order to reach Sandy Point in time to take her, -she should actually pass by before my very eyes, without my being able -to go on board. - -As it was possible that she might arrive at any moment, I resolved to -go immediately to the English consul's house, in order to go on board -with him, for I did not doubt that he would put off to warn her not to -approach the colony. - -Without losing any time, therefore, I started off with Guillaume. On -the way we met several bands of mutineers, who were in a very -advanced state of intoxication. They told us that they were going to -set fire to the town, and leave that night for the pampas; but though -they were always threatening to shoot one another, they did not molest -us in any way. I noticed that they were all dressed in new clothes, -and some even had as many as three waistcoats on. - -When I arrived at the English consul's house, I found there was no one -in it except the foreman of the sawmill, a Scotchman, who had but -recently arrived at the colony, and who was by no means tranquil in -his mind as to the turn events had taken. He told me that Dr. -Dunsmuir, the consul, had gone off in his cutter to meet the German -steamer, but that he had not yet returned, probably owing to a strong -head-wind which was then blowing. I remained, therefore, to await his -coming, and Guillaume went back to the colony, to see how matters were -going. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - -I found McGregor, my new companion, in a state of despondent dread -lest a party of mutineers should arrive from Sandy Point 'and murder -us a'.' I endeavoured to convince him that there was no danger, as -indeed I believed there was not; but he refused to be comforted, and -grew so gloomy at the thought of the terrible fate in store for him, -that at last I gravely said: 'Well, I see there is no use in hiding -the truth from you. We are in a most dangerous plight, and if bad -fortune does lead the soldiers here, we are as likely as not to get -our throats cut.' This lugubrious intimation had the effect I -anticipated. Feeling that nature unaided was not strong enough to -sustain him under the present critical circumstances, McGregor applied -himself so assiduously to a jar of whisky that was fortunately at -hand, that in a very short time he became quite cheerful, and even -warlike, and sang 'Scots wha ha'e wi' Wallace bled' with astonishing -vigour and persistency, till, yielding to the soft influences of his -native stimulant, he at last sank into that sweet, calm slumber from -which the awakening is 'hot coppers.' - -Meanwhile, evening came on apace, but no signs of the consul, and I -began to fear that he had been blown too far out to sea to get back -again that night. To pass away the time, I inspected the house, which -was one-storied, and consisted of two large front rooms, a -sitting-room, and a bedroom, behind which were two smaller -compartments, one used as a larder, and the other as a kitchen. From -the back-door one had only to step out to find one's self in a dense -beech forest. - -Just as it was getting dark, I heard the sound of horses' hoofs, and -Guillaume galloped up to the house, breathless and excited. He told me -that matters had taken a very serious turn in the colony; the -mutineers had committed several acts of violence, and a general -massacre being apprehended, great numbers of the colonists were flying -to the woods. He himself had had a very narrow escape. He had been -seized by a party of mutineers, who were making preparations for -leaving for the pampas, and who wished to requisition his services as -guide to Santa Cruz. All his remonstrances were in vain, and they -plainly intimated to him that he had to choose between accompanying -them and having a bullet put through him; he was compelled, therefore, -to appear to assent. In order to gain time, he asked that he might be -allowed to go to Pedro's house to fetch some clothes, and his request -being granted, two soldiers were sent with him to prevent any attempt -he should make to escape. They were, fortunately, so drunk, however, -that they had hardly been a few minutes in the house when they lay -down and soon fell fast asleep. Profiting by this lucky circumstance, -Guillaume lost no time in jumping on a horse which happened to stand -in Pedro's yard, and in a few seconds he placed himself out of danger -of pursuit. - -All this news was the reverse of reassuring, and I began to think that -McGregor's fears were, after all, not wholly unfounded. The consul's -house was only a few yards off the road which led from Sandy Point to -the Swiss colony at Agua Fresca, and at any time we might expect an -unpleasant visit from some of the soldiers, who were continually going -that way in search of horses or plunder. To make matters worse, -neither Guillaume nor I had a revolver, and although we searched all -over the house, we could not find an arm of any description. If -attacked, therefore, we had no means of defending ourselves--a -consideration which did not tend to allay our apprehensions. - -After supper we made preparations for passing the night. McGregor, who -in the meantime had awakened, made up a bed for himself on the floor; -and although I advised him not to, he would insist on taking off his -clothes. I lay down on a sofa to take a short nap, pending the -consul's arrival, which I hoped would not now be long delayed. I soon -fell asleep, but at about midnight I awoke, roused by the pattering -of rain on the roof. I got up and looked out at the weather. The night -was pitch-dark, and the rain was falling in torrents; there was a -stormy wind blowing, and I could plainly hear the hoarse roar of the -waves on the beach. I went back to the sofa, but lay tossing about for -a long time, unable, tired as I was, to go to sleep again. - -An hour went by, and I was just dozing off, when I thought I heard a -slight tap at the door. Hurriedly lighting the lamp, I got up and -looked out. Something touched my hand, and looking down, I saw a -little boy standing close to me. His first words were: - -'My mamma is waiting at the bottom of the garden, and wants to know -whether she may come in.' - -'Certainly, my boy,' I said. 'But who is your mother?' - -'My father is the governor, and we have had to run away from the town, -for the soldiers are burning the houses and killing everybody.' - -With that he ran away into the rain and the darkness, and came back -after a second or two, followed by a lady, with several children and -two maid-servants. - -I immediately took them into the bedroom, and handed an armchair to -Mrs. D----, the governor's wife, who was pale with exhaustion and -suffering, and almost in a fainting condition. As soon as she was -sufficiently rested to be able to speak, she told me that on the -previous night, shortly after twelve o'clock, she had been startled -from her sleep by the discharge of cannon, with which the mutineers -had signalised the commencement of the revolt. Her husband immediately -rushed into the street. He had hardly been gone two minutes, when -suddenly a hail of mitrailleuse bullets began to crash through the -house, riddling the very walls of her bedroom. By a miracle, in the -midst of this deadly fire, she had time to collect all her children, -and escape with them unhurt into the street by a back-door. In a few -seconds more the house was in flames, and as she hurried away, she -could hear the jubilant shouts with which the mutineers greeted the -supposed successful slaughter of her husband and his family. She -managed to escape to a little house on the beach, where she had -remained hidden during the day without having been detected. But -towards night the uproar and fighting amongst the mutineers increased, -several houses were set fire to, and fearing that any moment a passing -soldier might burst into the house and discover her, as soon as it got -dark she had decided on attempting to reach the English consul's -house. By chance she had learned during the daytime that her husband -had escaped, and that in all probability he had gone to fetch the -Chilian man-of-war _Magellanes_, now at Skyring Water, to put down the -revolt. - -I told her that Mr. Dunsmuir would, in all probability, not be back -that night, but that, in the meantime, I should be glad to render her -any assistance that she might require. - -The children, the eldest of whom was the little boy who had come to -the door first, and he was only seven, were dressed in whatever -clothes the servants had hurriedly been able to snatch up on the night -of the first alarm. - -The poor things were in a terrible plight. They had been more than two -hours on the road from Sandy Point, and were drenched to the skin with -the rain and mire. They had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours. I -took them in some tea; but rest being what they chiefly required, with -the help of mattresses and rugs, etc., we managed to make some -tolerably comfortable beds for them. Having done this, we withdrew to -the sitting-room, there to consult as to our plan of action, should -the mutineers come to the house. - -In the midst of the discussion, there was another knock; and on the -door being opened, two more fugitives from the colony, an Irishman and -his wife, made their appearance. Both seemed to have had recourse to -strong stimulants to support their courage, and under the -circumstances they were certainly not a desirable addition to our -party. - -During all this time McGregor had preserved a cheerful, unconcerned -demeanour. He had been particularly active in his attentions to the -D---- family, to the extent of insisting, with well-meant but -misplaced zeal, that all should swallow a drop of whisky before going -to bed. He found the new-comers did not require so much pressing. - -Guillaume and I were sitting by the fire in the kitchen, trying to get -a little sleep, of which we were sorely in need, when suddenly there -was a loud banging at the front-door, followed by a loud chorus of -oaths and vociferations. We immediately ran into the sitting-room, and -Guillaume went to open the door, whilst I took the lamp into the -kitchen. I had hardly put it down, when I heard a crash in the -front-room, the house was filled with shrieks, and the Irish couple, -McGregor, and, as I thought, Guillaume, rushed madly past me into the -forest. Seized with the panic, I followed them for a moment; but -reflection returning, I went back to the house, ashamed of my want of -courage. I found half a dozen drunken soldiers in the sitting-room, -parleying with Guillaume. Owing to the darkness, they had fortunately -not discovered the other room, where Mrs. D---- was concealed; and in -order to divert their attention from it, we induced them to go into -the kitchen. There we plied them with more whisky, in the hopes of -quickly reducing them to a state of complete inebriety. The transition -phase was not a very pleasant one, inasmuch as they never let go their -carbines, and frequently, half in joke, half in earnest, they pointed -them threateningly at us. At times, too, they would wander into the -sitting-room, and then moments of terrible suspense ensued for us, -lest they should open the door of the bedroom. We were careful always -to follow them, and had made up our minds, in the event of their -attempting anything of the kind, to suddenly throw ourselves upon the -two men nearest us, seize their carbines, which were sixteen-repeating -Winchesters, and open fire on the lot. There was every chance in -favour of the success of such a measure, as the mutineers were already -so drunk that they could hardly stand, and if taken by surprise, would -have been too bewildered to offer any resistance. - -The tension of these moments was heightened by the probability that at -any moment Mrs. D----'s babies might begin to cry, and thus reveal the -secret of the room. Miraculously enough, however, they kept quiet, and -we always managed to get the men back to the kitchen without the -dreaded crisis occurring. It seemed as if they never would leave. -Twenty times they got to the front-door, and we began to breathe -afresh, thinking they were at last off; but twenty times, for some -reason or other, they would come back again. From their conversation -it was very hard to find out what they exactly wanted. Those who were -still sufficiently sober to speak articulately, at times told us that -they were going to start off to the pampa immediately, and at others -that they intended holding the colony against all comers. At one -moment they would be maudlinly affectionate; at another, they would -lengthily discuss which mode of killing us was preferable--shooting us -or cutting our throats. Of course we were always on the alert, and -ready to make good our objections to either of these methods. - -At last we had the indescribable satisfaction of seeing them depart -for good. Guillaume followed them at some distance, to give the alarm -in case they should come back, whilst I ran to the bedroom to tell -Mrs. D---- that for the moment the danger was over. What she must have -suffered all this time may be imagined. For two hours, every second of -which must have seemed an eternity to her, she had been expecting to -see the door burst open at any moment, and herself and her children at -the mercy of the mutineers, of whose murderous intentions towards her -she had had terrible proof in the bombarding of her house on the night -of the commencement of the revolt. But her courage had not given way, -as it might well have done under even less trying circumstances; and I -found her, though pale and prostrate, thoroughly calm and collected. I -hurriedly told her that at any moment the mutineers might come back, -and that we had better leave the house, and fly to the woods. - -We accordingly set out immediately. I took two of the smaller children -in my arms, the maids each carried one, and the others walked by the -side of their mother; and Guillaume, who had returned after having -seen the soldiers safely off to the bottom of the garden, brought up -the rear, carrying a mattress and some rugs and blankets. We then -dived into the forest. It was still raining, and the night was as dark -as could be. At every step we would meet with some mishap, now -stumbling over the fallen trunk of a tree, and now slipping into some -boggy hole. The children, who had hitherto behaved admirably, having -borne hunger and cold and fatigue without a murmur, could now hardly -be kept from crying. I carried a little girl of about four years old; -her shoes and stockings had been lost in the hurry of collecting the -rugs and bedclothes, and her uncovered feet were icily cold. But -though I could hear her sob now and then on my shoulder, she was too -brave to cry aloud. How the two babies lived through all this exposure -was a miracle. - -After having walked for about half an hour, for we could make but slow -progress, we came to a spot which seemed far enough from the house to -be safe, and there we spread out the two mattresses on the wet ground, -under the lea of the trunk of a fallen beech-tree. The whole party -managed to lie down on this rough bed, and, having covered them over -with the rugs and blankets Guillaume had brought, we left them, to go -back to the house to fetch some provisions and some more coverings, -for there was no knowing how many days we might be compelled to pass -in the woods. - -We went very cautiously towards the house, as we could hear voices in -the kitchen, and feared lest the soldiers might have returned already. -The strains of 'Scots wha ha'e,' which pleasantly smote on our ears, -reassured us, however, and we went boldly forward. We found that the -Irish couple and McGregor had returned. They were toasting their happy -escape with more whisky. McGregor was delighted to see that we were -still alive, and said he had run away at the approach of the soldiers -because 'I dinna speak Spanish, ye ken.' - -We were cold and exhausted with the night's exertions, so whilst -Guillaume went to see whether the coast was clear, McGregor set about -making coffee, and I busied myself collecting provisions and other -necessaries for taking with us to the woods. - -Guillaume soon came back, bringing three carbines, which he had found -at the bottom of the garden. From the marks in the ground, he surmised -that, under the influence of their deep potations, the soldiers had -probably lain down to sleep there, and on awakening had forgotten -their arms. This was indeed a prize. Each carbine still contained some -six or seven charges. As McGregor would have nothing to do with a -weapon, Guillaume and I kept one each, and hid the other away in a -bush near the house. As good luck, like bad, seldom comes singly, -whilst rummaging about the bedroom in search of the little girl's -stockings, I found a revolver. This might prove a more valuable weapon -under certain circumstances than the carbine even, and with it safe in -my coat-pocket I felt quite a different man. - -We were just pouring out the coffee, having made all preparations for -finally leaving the house, when Guillaume, who was always on the -look-out, rushed suddenly in, and shouting, 'Run for your lives!' -seized me by the arm, and dragged me out of the house. We had just -time to snatch up the carbines and dash into the woods, when we heard -the soldiers banging at the front-door. We did not stop till we had -got some distance into the forest. Guillaume told me that there were -about a dozen soldiers, amongst whom, doubtless, the three whose -carbines he had taken. What they would do on not finding them anywhere -in the house, we did not know, but it was not impossible that in their -rage they might set fire to the house, and perhaps follow us into the -woods. We now deeply regretted having tarried so long in the house, as -we had now no provisions to take back to our charges. Whilst debating -what to do, we were startled by the sharp crack of a rifle, discharged -close to us, followed by the sound of approaching voices; and fearing -the soldiers were in pursuit of us, we hurried as fast as possible to -where we had left Mrs. D----. - -On reaching the spot, we found she had risen, anxious on account of -our long absence, and startled by the shot she had just heard. Without -saying that I thought we were being followed, I told her that it was -perhaps better that we should go still further into the forest, and, -without losing a second, we gathered up the children, and again -commenced our pilgrimage, plunging deeper and deeper into the dense -mass of underwood, till we had got so far that pursuit seemed -impossible. - -By this time all the younger children were crying bitterly for want of -food. A tin of preserved milk, which I had put in my pocket, had -dropped out somehow, and it now became almost a matter of life and -death that the babes should have some nourishment. Feeling the urgency -of the case, Guillaume and I again started towards the house, hoping -that the soldiers had given up their search for us, and had perhaps -gone back to Sandy Point. We crept along with beating hearts, starting -at the crackling of the branches under our feet, and fearing to find a -foe concealed behind every tree, till we at last got to the open near -the house. Under cover of some bushes, we crept close up to it. By the -hum of voices we could tell that the soldiers were still inside, and -presently one came out of the house and stood peering into the wood -for a short time, standing so close to us that we could hear his -breathing. After he had gone inside, we profited by the opportunity to -slip back into the wood, and having made a circuit, we ensconced -ourselves on an eminence on the other side of the house, where we were -more secure, and where we could better watch the coming and going of -our enemies. - -There we lay hour after hour, and still they did not leave; they were -in warm quarters, and the whisky was doubtless too strong an -attraction for them. What, I began to think, if they should not leave -all day? Our only chance would be to steal into the house after dark, -and risk the rest. But it was doubtful whether the younger children -could live till then without some nourishment. The tin of milk I had -lost would have saved all anxiety, and I half made up my mind to start -off and follow the path I had taken from the house to the woods, on -the desperate chance of perhaps finding it again. Fortunately, matters -did not reach that pitch, for at last, after having impatiently waited -for about three hours, we saw ten or twelve soldiers leave the house, -mount their horses, and ride off in the direction of Sandy Point. We -immediately quitted our watchtower, and ran as fast as we could -towards the house; but to our horror, just as we got to the door, we -heard voices within again. We were desperate by this time; besides, it -was too late to turn back, so, holding our guns in readiness, we -cautiously approached the doorway. Then an anticlimax; for suddenly -the Irishwoman, followed by her spouse, rushed out and almost received -our fire. - -On hearing Guillaume's shout of warning, they had waited a moment too -long, and before they could get out of the place the soldiers were -upon them. They had furiously demanded the missing carbines, but of -course they were not to be found anywhere, whereupon they threatened -to burn the house down. Here again the whisky saved the situation. -They lingered so long over the cask that they quite forgot to look for -the carbines, much less to go off in pursuit of us. Two or three of -them went a few yards into the wood, and fired off a single shot at -random, but they probably thought it would be dangerous to risk -themselves too far, and they accordingly went back to their comrades. -They stayed as long as the whisky lasted, and then went off again. - -We lost no time in collecting a quantity of provisions, tins of -preserved meats and soups, milk, ham, eggs, etc., etc., to which I -added some plates, saucepans, knives, spoons--in fact, everything -necessary for a prolonged sojourn in the woods. I told McGregor to -come with us, if he liked, as to all appearance the mutineers seemed -in no hurry to leave for the pampas, and sooner or later he might get -into trouble. The Irish couple, having found a case of sherry, seemed -to think their lines cast in a very pleasant place, and as the -soldiers had as yet not done them any grievous harm, they made up -their minds to stay. - -Loaded with the remaining blankets and with the provisions, we made -our way back as quickly as possible to Mrs. D----, who, as we had been -away for more than four hours, had become quite alarmed lest some -mishap had befallen us. We turned out the provisions, soon made a -fire, and having dissolved some milk for the younger children, we -commenced to prepare a substantial meal, of which everyone stood in -great need. We were just beginning to feel a little more at our ease, -the children had been able to dry their clothes and warm themselves by -the fire, some meat we had set to roast was nearly done to a turn, -and, feeling secure now from all danger, we were able for the first -time to quietly talk of the late events and discuss the probability of -the speedy arrival of the Chilian man-of-war--when two women came -running through the woods towards us, pale and frightened, calling out -as they got near, "The soldiers, the soldiers! Run for your lives!" - -We all started to our feet in dismay. It was perhaps already too late -to fly. We were at all events armed, and could at least make a good -stand if necessary. Meanwhile we hurriedly lifted the children in our -arms, and leaving everything else behind us, we again "moved on," -turning our heads at every second, to be prepared should the soldiers -arrive. No one appeared, however; and it seemed merely a false scare -of the women. The forest had become so dense that occasionally we had -to pick our way through thick underwood. The ground was a mere swamp, -full of treacherous holes, and the rain and moisture clinging to the -leaves of the bushes drenched us all to the skin as we brushed through -them. But still we kept on, determined to place such a distance -between the road and our camp as to leave us perfectly at ease as -regards the mutineers, who would certainly never take the trouble of -looking so far into the wood for anybody, even if they were to stop -another month round the colony. - -When we reached a small open in the thicket, where the ground was -tolerably dry, we set down the children, and returned on our tracks to -fetch the mattresses, coverings, and food we had left behind. We found -everything just as we had left it, and not a sign of anyone having -been near the place. The women who had run past us had, perhaps, heard -some branches crackle, and had immediately concluded that the -mutineers were coming. However, there was nothing to be done but to -carry everything to our new camping-place--no easy task, as both -Guillaume and myself were completely done up with our continued -exertions, and the mattresses and various other articles were in -themselves heavy enough. - -We had hidden our charges so well that we could not find them -ourselves; and only after a great deal of searching, quite by -accident, we happened to stumble on the place again. To keep off the -wet, which was dropping from the trees, we rigged up a kind of tent -over the mattresses with some blankets, and under its shelter the -whole party lay huddled together. We then tried to make a fire, but as -the wood was wet it could not be got to burn, and only blinded us with -smoke. After a great deal of blowing, we at last succeeded in raising -a fair glow, by the aid of which we managed to cook a meal, which was -actually eaten. And quite time it was, too, as the children had had -nothing but the milk for nearly forty-eight hours. - -It was now about four o'clock. I became anxious to know what was going -on in the colony, and whether there was any possibility of the -mutineers leaving soon. Leaving McGregor in charge of the camp, -Guillaume and I made our way down to the road, and keeping under cover -of the wood, slowly proceeded in the direction of the colony, in the -hopes of meeting some one who could give us some news. We had not gone -very far when we saw a stout little man coming running along the road -at full speed. Guillaume recognised him as one of the bakers at Sandy -Point, and called to him to stop, as he ran past us. As soon as he -could find breath to speak, he said that a short time before the house -where he lived had been attacked by the soldiers, two of his -companions had been killed, and he had only saved himself by jumping -out of a window, just as the mutineers were standing in the doorway of -his room, with fixed bayonets, inviting him to pass through their -midst. There was hardly anyone left in the colony, most of the -inhabitants having taken refuge in the woods. He had seen several dead -bodies lying about as he had hurried away, but having never been out -of his house since the commencement of the revolt, he could give us -little information as to the doings of the mutineers. - -We went back to the consul's house with him. The Irishwoman was still -there, and was sleeping peacefully in an armchair; her husband we -found lying in the kitchen, with several severe head-wounds. A -pillaging party had evidently gone through the place, for drawers were -upset, crockery smashed, curtains torn down, and general disorder -prevalent everywhere. The baker was in a hurry to be off to the woods, -for after his recent narrow escape he had a wholesome, but perhaps -excessive, dread of being suddenly seized by the mutineers again. - -But though we had plenty of provisions of all kinds, there was neither -bread nor biscuit in the house, so I asked him--flour, eggs, and -butter being at hand--to make the dough for some cakes, which could be -baked up in the woods at our leisure. Very reluctantly he agreed to -do so, on condition that Guillaume should watch the road, to give -timely warning of the approach of danger. Presently Guillaume called -me, and on going out I saw a dense cloud of smoke rising in the -direction of the colony. The convicts had evidently set fire to the -town, a prelude, perhaps, to their departure. There was no wind, and -soon a heavy downpour of rain commenced; but we had little hope that a -stick would be left standing in the whole settlement, which was built -exclusively of timber. The dough being ready, though I think it had -not been kneaded very carefully, we went back into the wood, losing -our way as on the former occasion; and had it not been for the -familiar strains of 'Scots wha ha'e!' with which McGregor was cheering -the children, and which at last guided us to the camp, we might have -wandered about for hours. - -We were now quite a large party, the possibility of being again -disturbed by the mutineers was out of the question; and if only we had -been able to make a good blazing fire, than which there is nothing so -cheering to the spirits, we might, comparatively speaking, have felt -fairly comfortable. But whatever wood we could collect was quite wet, -and it was difficult to get it to burn sufficiently to cook the dinner -by. - -Under shelter of the improvised tent we had managed to rig up, and -with the aid of the few coverings procured from the consul's house, -Mrs. D---- and the children were fortunately kept tolerably dry and -warm, and overcome with the anxieties and exertions of the day, they -were able to forget their troubles in sleep. As for myself and the -other men, we tried for some time to do likewise, but having no -coverings, the cold and wet effectually kept us awake, and we passed -the night huddled round the smouldering logs, listening to the -monotonous pattering of the rain on the canopy of leaves above us, and -longing wearily for the morning. - -It broke at last, and with it came better weather. As soon as the sun -was well up, I went down to the house to see if there was anything -new. On reaching a point from which the settlement was visible, from -the changed aspect of the town, it was evident that the fire had done -great ravages. It was, however, too far off for me to recognise -whether many of the houses were left standing, which, considering the -nature of their construction, was not probable. A thin column of smoke -was still rising from one part, but the fire itself seemed spent. I -then looked down the straits towards Dawson's Island, but as yet there -was no sign of any coming steamer. The Pacific steamer _Cotopaxi_ was -due on the day before, and as it is very unusual for the vessels of -that line to be behind time, I concluded that she had been met by the -English consul, and was possibly awaiting the arrival of the Chilian -man-of-war, whose coming could not now be long delayed, before -approaching the colony. - -On my way back to our forest sanctuary, I stumbled on a knot of -Chilian women, who told me they had escaped from the colony the -previous night, for fear of being taken to the pampas by the -mutineers, who were making preparations for leaving immediately. They -all had big bundles of clothes with them, and, strange to say, all -wore brand-new shawls and gowns. I had not the slightest doubt but -that they had done their share in the general plundering. It was good -news, at all events, to hear that the mutineers were at last really -off, of which the burning of the colony was the best proof. - -After breakfast I started off with Guillaume, with the intention of -going to Sandy Point, if possible, and discovering the real state of -affairs there. But on reaching the road just below the consul's house, -to our surprise we found it thronged with fugitives from the -settlement, who were issuing from all parts of the woods, where they -had been hiding. On looking seawards, the reason became apparent. -Steaming along at full speed, and already nearly opposite the house, -we saw the long-expected _Magellanes_, the Chilian man-of-war. I -immediately ran back to take the welcome news to Mrs. D----, that her -troubles were now over. For the last time we carried the children -through the wood down to Mr. Dunsmuir's house, which, by the time we -got there, was crowded with women and children, carrying such of their -household goods as they had been able to take with them in their -flight. - -As soon as the _Magellanes_ arrived in front of the house, a boat was -sent off to the shore, in which Mrs. D---- and her children embarked -to meet her husband, who was safe on board. Shortly after, another -larger boat came to fetch off the other women and children. - -Here a rather ludicrous scene ensued. Just before the boat touched -land, the people on shore were suddenly seized with panic at the sight -of some dark bodies advancing on the road from Sandy Point, and which -they thought were the soldiers coming towards them. Immediately the -air was filled with shrieks, and, throwing down their bundles, they -all rushed into the water to meet the advancing boat. The sailors had -to keep them off with their oars, or they would have swamped the boat. -Meanwhile, the foe came nearer, the shrieks grew louder, some of the -men even sharing in the general weakness, till at last the coming -squadron of horsemen resolved itself into a herd of cows, who came -trotting leisurely down the road, ignorant of the panic their presence -had created. - -The women and those of the men who chose to go were at last brought -safely on board, and the _Magellanes_ steamed slowly up the straits -towards the colony. Guillaume and I had already started off some time -before, and we arrived at the first house in the settlement almost as -soon as she arrived abreast of the pier. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - -As we got nearer to the town it became evident that the better portion -had been burned down; of the fort, the hospital, the Government -buildings, and a great many private houses, nothing remained but a -smoking heap of charred timbers. The first house I entered was -Pedro's--the one in which I had slept on the night of my arrival. The -state of things inside was deplorable; the shop had been completely -ransacked of its contents, the taps of the casks had been turned on, -and the wine and aguadiente had run out on the floor, which was strewn -with the _debris_ of crockery and glassware, broken bottles, -half-emptied tins of preserved meats, odd boots, wearing apparel, rice -and flour--the remains, in fact, of what had once constituted Pedro's -stock-in-trade. The other rooms bore marks of the same spirit of -wanton destruction. Everything smashable had been smashed, and -everything conveniently portable had been carried off. The pillaging -had been done with remarkable thoroughness--no article seemed to have -been too insignificant to escape the rapacity of the marauders, who -had thought it worth while to take the cruet-stand, the clock, and the -knives and forks of ordinary household use even. - -Opposite Pedro's was the baker's house, which had been stormed by the -mutineers, the owner having unwisely closed his doors and refused them -admission. They killed two of its inmates, and the others had a narrow -escape from sharing the same fate, just managing to take flight unhurt -under a shower of bullets. Walking down to the plaza, I passed several -dead bodies, chiefly of convicts or soldiers. The streets were as yet -almost completely deserted, but on turning a corner I found myself -face to face with a villainous-looking man, who, on seeing me, -suddenly pointed his gun at me, and for a second I thought he was -going to fire. He lowered his weapon immediately, however, saying that -he had taken me for a mutineer. - -I had not the slightest doubt that he was one. In fact, not a few of -those who took a very active part in the mutiny remained behind in -Sandy Point when their companions left for the pampas, either because -they were too drunk to be able to follow them, or because they -calculated on being able to pass themselves off on the authorities as -peaceful and inoffensive citizens, and thus escape the punishment they -had so well deserved. Hence the officious zeal with which this man had -felt himself called upon to offer to shoot me, in the hopes of -impressing me with his profound sympathies for the cause of order. - -In the meantime, some forces were landed from the _Magellanes_, and -gradually the colonists began to flock down to the town from all parts -of the woods, or from wherever they had been hiding during the revolt. -Many came back to find their houses burned to the ground; and there -were few who were not completely ruined by the wholesale and wanton -destruction of their property. - -It was estimated that damage to the amount of about $500,000 had been -done--a very large sum indeed, considering the size of the town and -the calling of its inhabitants. About sixty persons perished during -the revolt, and several died subsequently from the effects of their -wounds. Strange to say, the day after the mutineers left Sandy Point, -no less than three men-of-war lay anchored in the straits in front of -the town. Amongst them was a United States steamer, which had been -warned by the German packet of the mutiny, and which, but for the -heavy weather encountered off Cape Virgines, might have arrived at the -colony on Tuesday morning, and have quelled the revolt before it had -developed its worst features. - -The mutineers had chosen a favourable moment for their rising. Most of -the colonists were away seal-fishing, and the man-of-war generally -stationed in the straits was temporarily absent from Sandy Point, -being engaged on a survey of Skyring Water. The nominal head of the -mutineers was a sergeant of the name of Riquelmes. Their plan had -originally been to kill the governor and any of the Government -officials obnoxious to them, and then immediately set out for the -pampas, and cross the Santa Cruz River into Argentine territory, where -these naive scoundrels imagined they would be hailed as an -acquisition, and be received with open arms by the authorities. On a -par with such absurd reasoning was their conduct throughout the -revolt, and when they left Sandy Point they loaded their pack-horses -with bales of shawls, dresses, ponchos, and similar useless articles, -but with not an ounce of provisions of any kind. - -Riquelmes, as I have said, was their nominal chief, but he dared not, -had he wished to, enforce his authority, and each mutineer plundered -or murdered at his own sweet will, without reference to the doings of -his comrades. Owing to this absence of organisation, their intended -victims, with the exception of the captain of the garrison, were -fortunately able to escape. The governor, Major D----, on hearing the -first alarm, had run into the streets. A passing soldier, without -recognising him, struck him over the head with a gun, and he fell -senseless. When he recovered, aided by the darkness, he managed to -reach a house on the outskirts of the town, where he was well -received and enabled to dress his wound. He then procured a horse, and -after an unbroken ride of twenty-three hours, arrived at Skyring Water -just in time to catch the _Magellanes_, which was getting up steam -preparatory to leaving, and apprise the captain of the mutiny. The -captain of the garrison, less fortunate, was murdered as he was -leaving his bedroom, and his dead body was barbarously mutilated -before the eyes of his wife and children. The other officials escaped. - -During the two ensuing days the mutineers were chiefly occupied in -drinking and plundering--pastimes which they varied with occasional -fights among themselves. On the first day they had respected the lives -and persons of the colonists, and many of the latter, foreseeing that -this moderation might not be of long duration, wisely withdrew from -the town and hid themselves in the woods, with their wives and -children. Those who remained behind, in the hopes of being able to -save their homes and property from destruction, soon had cause to -regret their imprudence. The conduct of the mutineers, in measure as -the effects of the continued drinking in which they indulged began to -tell upon them, grew more and more violent, and before long, breaking -all bounds, they gave themselves up to the most ferocious licence. It -is not necessary to recount the details of the horrible scenes that -took place; as may be imagined, given the antecedents of these men, -human life was of as little account with them as female honour. Though -there was nothing to be gained by it, they seemed to find a peculiar -satisfaction in destroying everything that was destructible, and it -was not from any want of intention that the whole colony was not -burned to the ground by them, but simply that they were too -intoxicated to be able to carry out the necessary arrangements for so -doing with sufficient thoroughness. - -In the midst of their orgies they were surprised by the appearance of -the _Magellanes_ early on Wednesday morning. Thereupon they hurriedly -collected some forty horses, which they loaded with all kinds of -plunder, but forgetting, as I have already said, incredible though it -may seem, to take any provisions with them; and the whole crowd, which -numbered about 180 souls, including some women, then started off for -Cabo Negro on foot. At that place they expected to find sufficient -horses to mount everybody, as most of the horses belonging to the -colonists were kept there, on account of there being little or no -pasturage in the vicinity of Sandy Point. In this expectation, -however, they were disappointed--the farm-owner had taken the -precaution of driving the whole of his stock out of harm's way, and -the mutineers, on arriving at Cabo Negro, found themselves obliged to -abandon the useless plunder they had brought from the colony, for most -of them were already tired out, and required the few horses they -possessed for more practical purposes than that of carrying bales of -guanaco mantles and dry goods. As many as three men had to ride on -each horse, and even then a great number had to drag themselves along -on foot as best they might. The whole band, therefore, moved very -slowly, and they were, moreover, under continual dread of the arrival -of a pursuing party from the colony. - -For some reason known only to those having authority, no such party -was despatched, however; though there is little doubt that forty or -fifty men, well armed and well mounted, might easily have brought the -mutineers to bay, and effected their capture without much trouble. -Many had already thrown their guns and ammunition away, and now that -they were brought face to face with almost certain starvation, would -have been glad to surrender on any terms. - -In the evening, though they could ill spare them, they had to kill two -or three horses for food. The next day they fell in with an -ostrich-hunter, who, not knowing what had taken place during his -absence, was quietly returning to Sandy Point. His troop of horses -was, of course, an invaluable prize to the mutineers, and him they -forced to go with them, in order that with his dogs he might help to -supply them with food. He contrived to lag behind the main band, -however, and when once fairly amongst the foot-stragglers, he -suddenly turned round, and, galloping away, made good his escape, -unpursued by the mutineers, who had no inclination to tire their -horses unnecessarily. - -They now conceived the plan of surprising the Indians, with the object -of massacring them and seizing their horses and dogs, but unforeseen -circumstances again transpired to frustrate their intentions. Five or -six mutineers had left Sandy Point on the first day of the mutiny, and -these men, on passing through the Indian encampment, besides stealing -several horses, had killed an Indian who had remonstrated with them. -This incident put the Indians on the alert; they despatched scouts in -all directions, and as soon as these latter announced the coming of -the main band, the camp was hurriedly broken up, and long before the -mutineers arrived at Campo de Batalla, the site of the encampment, the -Indians were half-way to the Cordilleras, and far out of reach of -pursuit. - -The day after their last disappointment poor Isidoro fell into their -hands. He had crossed the Gallegos, which in the meantime had fallen -considerably, two days before, and was travelling leisurely towards -Sandy Point, little dreaming of what was in store for him, when one -evening, on turning a bend in some canyon, he suddenly stumbled on the -mutineers' camp. He was immediately surrounded, dragged from his -horse, and taken to Riquelmes, who, without saying why or wherefore, -ordered him to prepare to be shot within five minutes. Any attempt at -resistance was, of course, useless, and Isidoro quietly resigned -himself to his fate. Ten men were told off to do the fatal office, and -Riquelmes was just going to give the command to fire, when it suddenly -occurred to him that Isidoro might be useful for tracking the Indians, -to find whom the mutineers still thought it was possible, and -accordingly he agreed to spare Isidoro's life, warning him that, -should he attempt to escape, he would be punished with immediate -death. - -The next day they continued their march. Isidoro, surrounded by a -strong guard, was allowed to ride on horseback, his other horses, -twenty-seven in number, being of course requisitioned by the -mutineers. During the first day no opportunity to escape presented -itself, but on the second day such an occasion occurred, and Isidoro -adroitly profited by it. In the course of the march some specks were -observed moving about on the horizon, which Riquelmes and his -followers fancied must be the Indians; and appeal being made to -Isidoro, he confirmed their supposition, although his own superior -power of vision enabled him to detect that the specks in question were -nothing but guanacos. Whereupon ensued great excitement. A halt was -immediately made, and a council of war held, with the object of -determining some ruse by means of which to obtain the Indians' -horses. After everybody had spoken, Isidoro offered to decoy the -Indians into the hands of the mutineers on condition that, in the -event of his being successful, his own horses should be returned to -him, and he should be allowed to go back to Sandy Point. - -Isidoro was well known to most of the mutineers by reputation as a man -of great craft and adroitness, and as they had no doubt of his ability -to be as good as his word, his offer was eagerly accepted. He then -explained that in the first place it was necessary, before maturing -his plans, that he should reconnoitre the Indian camp, and in order -not to arouse the suspicions of Riquelmes, he requested that two men -should be sent to accompany him. Of these two he had no doubt that he -would be able to dispose in some way or other, as soon as he had got a -safe distance from the main band, as, strange to say, his capturers -had neglected to take his revolver from him. The rest of his escape he -left to Providence and his good horse. - -But Fate was willing to make matters easier for him than he -anticipated. Riquelmes was completely taken in by this little -artifice, and, fearing lest the sight of the Chilians should awaken -mistrust in the minds of the Indians, he suggested that Isidoro should -go alone. - -Five minutes afterwards Isidoro was leisurely cantering over the plain -in the direction of the mysterious specks, to whose timely appearance -he owed his sudden release. After he had gone about two miles, the -plain was crossed by a deep canyon. Into this he descended, -disappearing, of course, from view of the mutineers, who expected to -see him shortly emerge again on the opposite side. How long they -watched for his reappearance is neither here nor there, but after a -certain lapse of time it no doubt gradually began to dawn upon them -that they had been guilty of considerable simplicity, and that in all -probability they would never see Isidoro again. - -As for him, the moment he reached the bottom of the canyon, he clapped -spurs to his horse, and followed its windings at breakneck speed till -night-fall, and then, after a short rest, he rode up on the plain, and -commenced travelling southwards again, so that by daybreak he was many -miles behind the mutineers, and perfectly secure from any chance of -being pursued. He was, of course, happy to escape with his life, but -all his horses being lost, he was now a poor man; his prediction as to -the unfortunate issue to his trip, which he had made on losing his -whip in crossing the Santa Cruz, was thus strangely verified. It was -providential, after all, that Guillaume and I had crossed the Gallegos -when we did; for we should otherwise have doubtless been taken -prisoners by the mutineers, together with Isidoro, and being _bouches -inutiles_, they would probably have shot us. - -The mutineers slowly worked their way northwards, their numbers being -thinned by the fatal disputes, which were of frequent occurrence. The -horseless stragglers, too, unable to keep up with the main body, -gradually died off from starvation and exposure, and finally, in the -month of February, an expedition sent to the Patagonian coast by the -Argentine Government, captured all that remained of the band, in the -persons of about forty half-starved wretches, who were found wandering -about the country somewhere in the vicinity of Port Desire. They were -taken up to Buenos Ayres, and some difficulty as to their extradition -having arisen between the Chilian and the Argentine Governments, they -are still in prison in that city. The most culpable of the band taken -prisoners by the _Magellanes_ were shot at Sandy Point, March, 1879, -and the others were condemned to various periods of penal servitude. - - * * * * * - -I was leaning over the bulwarks of the steamer which was bearing me -rapidly out of the straits back to the noisy work-a-day world. I had -come up on deck to have a last look at Patagonia, for we were nearing -Cape Virgines, and should now soon lose sight of land altogether. -Darkness was coming on apace, cold gusts of wind ploughed up the -foaming water, and the clouded sky looked gloomy and threatening. The -mainland, half shrouded in a thick white fog, frowned sullenly down -upon us as we swept past; and the dull muffled roar of the sea on the -stony beach, which at intervals struck dismally on my ear, sounded -like a half-suppressed growl with which the genius of the solitudes I -was now leaving bade me good speed. - -'Well,' said a friend at my elbow, 'I suppose you would not care to go -to Patagonia again?' - -I glanced at the scene before me, and as certain unpleasant memories -which it called forth passed through my mind, I answered, shuddering, -and with decided emphasis, 'By Jove, no!' - -Perhaps, had the day been fine, the sea smooth, the sky cloudless and -blue, and the green slopes of the mainland bright with cheering -sunshine, my answer might not have been so uncompromisingly in the -negative. Forgetting minor inconveniences, I might have remembered -only the pleasant features of my sojourn in the pampas, the rough -simplicity of my everyday life, the frank kindness of my -unconventional companions, the delights of the chase, the glorious -gallops over immensity, with the pure exhilarating air of the desert -rushing into my lungs and making my whole being glow with intense -animation, the cheerful gathering round the warm campfire after the -day's hard work, the hearty supper, the fragrant pipe, and then the -sweet sleep in the open air, with the stars shining into my dreams. - - -THE END. - - -BILLING AND SONS, PRINTERS AND ELECTROTYPERS, GUILDFORD. - - - - - _April, 1881._ - - [Illustration] - -CHATTO & WINDUS'S - -_LIST OF BOOKS_. - - -Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 3_s._ 6_d._ each. - -=The Wanderer's Library.= - -=Merrie England in the Olden Time.= By G. DANIEL. Illust. - -=Circus Life and Circus Celebrities.= By THOMAS FROST. - -=Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings.= By C. HINDLEY. 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MATTIEU WILLIAMS, -F.R.A.S., will also be continued Monthly. - -* _Now ready, the Volume for_ JULY _to_ DECEMBER, 1880, -_cloth extra, price 8s. 6d.; and Cases for binding, price 2s. each._ - - -_THE RUSKIN GRIMM._--Square 8vo, cloth extra, 6_s._ 6_d._; gilt edges, -7_s._ 6_d._ - -=German Popular Stories.= Collected by the Brothers GRIMM, and -Translated by EDGAR TAYLOR. Edited with an Introduction by JOHN -RUSKIN. With 22 Illustrations after the inimitable designs of GEORGE -CRUIKSHANK. Both Series Complete. - -"_The illustrations of this volume ... are of quite sterling and -admirable art, of a class precisely parallel in elevation to the -character of the tales which they illustrate; and the original -etchings, as I have before said in the Appendix to my 'Elements of -Drawing,' were unrivalled in masterfulness of touch since Rembrandt -(in some qualities of delineation, unrivalled even by him).... 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CLARKE. - -=Shelley's Early Poems=, and Queen Mab, with Essay by LEIGH HUNT. - -=Shelley's Later Poems=: Laon and Cythna, &c. - -=Shelley's Posthumous Poems=, the Shelley Papers, &c. - -=Shelley's Prose Works=, including A Refutation of Deism, Zastrozzi, St. -Irvyne, &c. - -=White's Natural History of Selborne.= Edited, with additions, by THOMAS -BROWN, F.L.S. - - -=Hake (Dr. Thomas Gordon), Poems by:= - -=Maiden Ecstasy.= Small 4to, cloth extra, 8_s._ - -=New Symbols.= Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 6_s._ - -=Legends of the Morrow.= Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 6_s._ - - -Medium 8vo, cloth extra, gilt, with Illustrations, 7_s._ 6_d._ - -=Hall's (Mrs. S. C.) 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We may recommend the -book to the ladies whom it concerns._"--ATHENAEUM. - -=The Art of Beauty.= By Mrs. H. R. HAWEIS. Square 8vo, cloth extra, -gilt, gilt edges, with Coloured Frontispiece and nearly 100 -Illustrations, 10_s._ 6_d._ - -=The Art of Decoration.= By Mrs. H. R. HAWEIS. Small 4to, handsomely -bound and profusely Illustrated, 10_s._ 6_d._ [_In the press._ - -*_See also_ CHAUCER, _p. 5 of this Catalogue_. - - -_SPECIMENS OF MODERN POETS._--Crown 8vo, cloth extra, 6_s._ - -=Heptalogia (The)=; or, The Seven against Sense. A Cap with Seven Bells. - -"_Of really good parodies it would be difficult to name more than -half-a-dozen outside the 'Anti-Jacobin,' the 'Rejected Addresses,' and -the 'Ballads of Bon Gaultier.' ... It is no slight praise to say that -the volume before us bears comparison with these celebrated -collections.... 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DAVENPORT ADAMS. - -=Original Plays= by W. S. GILBERT. FIRST SERIES. - -=Original Plays= by W. S. GILBERT. SECOND SERIES. - -=Carols of Cockayne.= By HENRY S. LEIGH. - -=Literary Frivolities, Fancies, Follies, and Frolics.= By WILLIAM T. -DOBSON. - -=Pencil and Palette=; Biographical Anecdotes chiefly of Contemporary -Painters, with Gossip about Pictures Lost, Stolen, and Forged, also -Great Picture Sales. By ROBERT KEMPT. - -=The Book of Clerical Anecdotes=: A Gathering of the Antiquities, -Humours, and Eccentricities of "The Cloth." By JACOB LARWOOD. - -=The Agony Column of "The Times," from 1800 to 1870.= Edited, with an -Introduction, by ALICE CLAY. - -=The Cupboard Papers.= By FIN-BEC. - -=Quips and Quiddities.= Selected by W. DAVENPORT ADAMS. [_In press._ - -=Pastimes and Players.= By ROBERT MACGREGOR. 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It is rarely that a book is so -happily illustrated._"--CONTEMPORARY REVIEW. - - -Crown 8vo, cloth extra, with Vignette Portraits, price 6_s._ per Vol. - -=Old Dramatists, The:= - -=Ben Jonson's Works.= With Notes, Critical and Explanatory, and a -Biographical Memoir by WILLIAM GIFFORD. Edited by Colonel CUNNINGHAM. -Three Vols. - -=Chapman's Works.= Now First Collected. Complete in Three Vols. Vol. I. -contains the Plays complete, including the doubtful ones; Vol. II. the -Poems and Minor Translations, with an Introductory Essay by ALGERNON -CHARLES SWINBURNE. Vol. III. the Translations of the Iliad and -Odyssey. - -=Marlowe's Works.= Including his Translations. Edited, with Notes and -Introduction, by Col. CUNNINGHAM. One Vol. - -=Massinger's Plays.= From the Text of WILLIAM GIFFORD. With the addition -of the Tragedy of "Believe as you List." Edited by Col. 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COLLINS. - -=The Dead Secret.= W. COLLINS. - -=Queen of Hearts.= W. COLLINS. - -=My Miscellanies.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Woman in White.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Moonstone.= W. COLLINS. - -=Man and Wife.= W. COLLINS. - -=Poor Miss Finch.= W. COLLINS. - -=Miss or Mrs.?= By W. COLLINS. - -=The New Magdalen.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Frozen Deep.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Law and the Lady.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Two Destinies.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Haunted Hotel.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Fallen Leaves.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=Jezebel's Daughter.= W. COLLINS. - -=Deceivers Ever.= By Mrs. H. LOVETT CAMERON. - -=Juliet's Guardian.= By Mrs. H. LOVETT CAMERON. - -=Felicia.= M. BETHAM-EDWARDS. - -=Olympia.= By R. E. FRANCILLON. - -=The Capel Girls.= By EDWARD GARRETT. - -=Robin Gray.= CHARLES GIBBON. - -=For Lack of Gold.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=In Love and War.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=What will the World Say?= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=For the King.= CHARLES GIBBON. - -=In Honour Bound.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=Queen of the Meadow.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=In Pastures Green.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=Under the Greenwood Tree.= By THOMAS HARDY. - -=Garth.= By JULIAN HAWTHORNE. - -=Ellice Quentin.= By JULIAN HAWTHORNE. - -=Thornicroft's Model.= By Mrs. A. W. HUNT. - -=Fated to be Free.= By JEAN INGELOW. - -=Confidence.= HENRY JAMES, Jun. - -=The Queen of Connaught.= By HARRIETT JAY. - -=The Dark Colleen.= By H. JAY. - -=Number Seventeen.= By HENRY KINGSLEY. - -=Oakshott Castle.= H. KINGSLEY. - -=Patricia Kemball.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=The Atonement of Learn Dundas.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=The World Well Lost.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=Under which Lord?= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=With a Silken Thread.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=The Waterdale Neighbours.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=My Enemy's Daughter.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Linley Rochford.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=A Fair Saxon.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Dear Lady Disdain.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Miss Misanthrope.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Donna Quixote.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Quaker Cousins.= By AGNES MACDONELL. - -=Lost Rose.= By KATHARINE S. MACQUOID. - -=The Evil Eye.= By KATHARINE S. MACQUOID. - -=Open! Sesame!= By FLORENCE MARRYAT. - -=Written in Fire.= F. MARRYAT. - -=Touch and Go.= By JEAN MIDDLEMASS. - -=Whiteladies.= Mrs. OLIPHANT. - -=The Best of Husbands.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Fallen Fortunes.= JAMES PAYN. - -=Halves.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Walter's Word.= JAMES PAYN. - -=What He Cost Her.= J. PAYN. - -=Less Black than we're Painted.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=By Proxy.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Under One Roof.= JAMES PAYN. - -=High Spirits.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Her Mother's Darling.= By Mrs. J. H. RIDDELL. - -=Bound to the Wheel.= By JOHN SAUNDERS. - -=Guy Waterman.= J. SAUNDERS. - -=One Against the World.= By JOHN SAUNDERS. - -=The Lion in the Path.= By JOHN SAUNDERS. - -=The Way We Live Now.= By ANTHONY TROLLOPE. - -=The American Senator.= By ANTHONY TROLLOPE. - -=Diamond Cut Diamond.= By T. A. TROLLOPE. - - -Post 8vo, illustrated boards, 2_s._ each. - -Popular Novels, Cheap Editions of. - -[WILKIE COLLINS' NOVELS and BESANT and RICE'S NOVELS may also be had -in cloth limp at 2_s._ 6_d._ _See, too, the_ PICCADILLY NOVELS, _for -Library Editions_.] - -=Maid, Wife, or Widow?= By Mrs. ALEXANDER. - -=Ready-Money Mortiboy.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=With Harp and Crown.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=This Son of Vulcan.= By W. BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=My Little Girl.= By the same. - -=The Case of Mr. Lucraft.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=The Golden Butterfly.= By W. BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=By Celia's Arbour.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=The Monks of Thelema.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -='Twas in Trafalgar's Bay.= By WALTER BESANT and JAMES RICE. - -=Seamy Side.= BESANT and RICE. - -=Grantley Grange.= By S. BEAUCHAMP. - -=An Heiress of Red Dog.= By BRET HARTE. - -=The Luck of Roaring Camp.= By BRET HARTE. - -=Gabriel Conroy.= BRET HARTE. - -=Surly Tim.= By F. E. BURNETT. - -=Juliet's Guardian.= By Mrs. H. LOVETT CAMERON. - -=Deceivers Ever.= By Mrs. L. CAMERON. - -=Cure of Souls.= By MACLAREN COBBAN. - -=Antonina.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=Basil.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=Hide and Seek.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Dead Secret.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Queen of Hearts.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=My Miscellanies.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Woman in White.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Moonstone.= W. COLLINS. - -=Man and Wife.= W. COLLINS. - -=Poor Miss Finch.= W. COLLINS. - -=Miss or Mrs.?= W. COLLINS. - -=New Magdalen.= By W. COLLINS. - -=The Frozen Deep.= W. COLLINS. - -=The Law and the Lady.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Two Destinies.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=The Haunted Hotel.= By WILKIE COLLINS. - -=Fallen Leaves.= By W. COLLINS. - -=Felicia.= M. BETHAM-EDWARDS. - -=Roxy.= By EDWARD EGGLESTON. - -=Filthy Lucre.= By ALBANY DE FONBLANQUE. - -=Olympia.= By R. E. FRANCILLON. - -=The Capel Girls.= By EDWARD GARRETT. - -=Robin Gray.= By CHAS. GIBBON. - -=For Lack of Gold.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=What will the World Say?= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=In Honour Bound.= By CHAS. GIBBON. - -=In Love and War.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=For the King.= By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=Queen of the Meadow=. By CHARLES GIBBON. - -=Dick Temple.= By JAMES GREENWOOD. - -=Every-day Papers.= By A. HALLIDAY. - -=Under the Greenwood Tree.= By THOMAS HARDY. - -=Garth.= By JULIAN HAWTHORNE. - -=Thornicroft's Model.= By Mrs. A. HUNT. - -=Fated to be Free.= By JEAN INGELOW. - -=Confidence.= By HENRY JAMES, Jun. - -=The Queen of Connaught.= By HARRIETT JAY. - -=The Dark Colleen.= By H. JAY. - -=Number Seventeen.= By HENRY KINGSLEY. - -=Oakshott Castle.= H. KINGSLEY. - -=Patricia Kemball.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=The Atonement of Leam Dundas.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=The World Well Lost.= By E. LYNN LINTON. - -=Under which Lord?= By Mrs. LINTON. - -=The Waterdale Neighbours.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=Dear Lady Disdain.= By the same. - -=My Enemy's Daughter.= By JUSTIN MCCARTHY. - -=A Fair Saxon.= J. MCCARTHY. - -=Linley Rochford.= MCCARTHY. - -=Miss Misanthrope.= MCCARTHY. - -=Donna Quixote.= J. MCCARTHY. - -=The Evil Eye.= By KATHARINE S. MACQUOID. - -=Lost Rose.= K. S. MACQUOID. - -=Open! Sesame!= By FLORENCE MARRYAT. - -=Wild Oats.= By F. MARRYAT. - -=Little Stepson.= F. MARRYAT. - -=Fighting the Air.= F. MARRYAT. - -=Touch and Go.= By JEAN MIDDLEMASS. - -=Mr. Dorillion.= J. MIDDLEMASS. - -=Whiteladies.= By Mrs. OLIPHANT. - -=Held in Bondage.= By OUIDA. - -=Strathmore.= By OUIDA. - -=Chandos.= By OUIDA. - -=Under Two Flags.= By OUIDA. - -=Idalia.= By OUIDA. - -=Cecil Castlemaine.= By OUIDA. - -=Tricotrin.= By OUIDA. - -=Puck.= By OUIDA. - -=Folle Farine.= By OUIDA. - -=Dog of Flanders.= By OUIDA. - -=Pascarel.= By OUIDA. - -=Two Little Wooden Shoes.= By OUIDA. - -=Signa.= By OUIDA. - -=In a Winter City.= By OUIDA. - -=Ariadne.= By OUIDA. - -=Friendship.= By OUIDA. - -=Walter's Word.= By J. PAYN. - -=Best of Husbands.= By J. PAYN. - -=Halves.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Fallen Fortunes.= By J. PAYN. - -=What He Cost Her.= J. PAYN. - -=Less Black than We're Painted.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=By Proxy.= By JAMES PAYN. - -=Under One Roof.= By J. PAYN. - -=High Spirits.= By JAS. PAYN. - -=The Mystery of Marie Roget.= By EDGAR A. POE. - -=Her Mother's Darling.= By Mrs. J. H. 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TROLLOPE. - -=A Pleasure Trip on the Continent of Europe.= By MARK TWAIN. - -=Adventures of Tom Sawyer.= By MARK TWAIN. - -=An Idle Excursion.= By MARK TWAIN. - - -Fcap. 8vo, picture covers, 1_s._ each. - -=Jeff Briggs's Love Story.= By BRET HARTE. - -=The Twins of Table Mountain.= By BRET HARTE. - -=Mrs. Gainsborough's Diamonds.= By JULIAN HAWTHORNE. - -=Kathleen Mavourneen.= By the Author of "That Lass o' Lowrie's." - -=Lindsay's Luck.= By the Author of "That Lass o' Lowrie's." - -=Pretty Polly Pemberton.= By Author of "That Lass o' Lowrie's." - -=Trooping with Crows.= By Mrs. PIRKIS. - -=The Professor's Wife.= By LEONARD GRAHAM. - - -Large 4to, cloth extra, gilt, beautifully Illustrated, 31_s._ 6_d._ - -=Pastoral Days=; Or, Memories of a New England Year. By W. HAMILTON -GIBSON. 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