I833.J ARRIVE AT RIO NEGRO. Q8 



CHAPTER lY. 



Ri3 Negro — Estancias attacked by the Indians — Salt Lakes — Flamingoco — 

 R.Negro to R. Colorado — Sacred Tree — PatagonianHare — Indian Families 

 — General Rosas — Proceed to Bahia Blanca — Sand Dunes — Negro Lieu- 

 tenant— Bahia Blanca — Saline Incrustations — Punta Alta — Zorilio. 



mo NEGRO TO CAHIA BLAXCA. 



Julf/ 24th, 1833. — The Eeag-le sailed from Maldonado, and on 

 Auofust the 3rd she arrived off the mouth of the Rio jSTeo-ro. 



o o 



Tliis is the principal river on the whole line of coast betweer. 

 tlie Strait of Mao:ellan and the Plata. It enters the sea about 

 tliree hundred miles south of the estuary of the Plata. About 

 fifty years ago, under the old Spanish government, a small colony 

 was established here ; and it is still the most southern position 

 (lat. 41°) on this eastern coast of America, inhabited by civilized 

 man. 



The country near the mouth of the river is wretched in the 

 extreme : on the south side a long line of perpendicular cliffs 

 commences, which exposes a section of the geological nature of 

 the country. The strata are of sandstone, and one layer was re- 

 markable from being composed of a firmly-cemented conglome- 

 rate of pumice pebbles, which must have travelled more than 

 four hundred miles, from the Andes. The surface is every- 

 where covered up by a thick bed of gravel, which extends far 

 and wide over the open plain. "Water is extremely scarce, and, 

 where found, is almost invariably brackish. The vegetation is 

 scanty ; and although there are bushes of many kinds, all are 

 armed with formidable thorns, which seem to warn the stran2:er 

 not to enter on these inhospitable regions. 



Tlie settlement is situated eighteen miles up the river. The 

 road follows the foot of the sloping cliff", which forms the north- 

 ern boundary of the great valley, in which the Rio Negro flows. 

 On the way we passed the ruins of some fine " estancias," which 

 a few years since had been destroyed by the Indians. They witii- 

 4 



