114 BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYBES. [chap. vi. 



were also many extensive but shallow lakes, and large beds of 

 reeds. The country on the whole resembled the better parts of 

 the Cambridgeshire fens. At night we had some difficulty in 

 finding, amidst the swamps, a dry place for our bivouac. 



September 15th. Rose very early in the morning, and shortly 

 after passed the posta where the Indians had murdered the five 

 soldiers. The officer had eighteen chuzo wounds in his body. 

 By the middle of the day, after a hard gallop, we reached the 

 fifth posta : on account of some difficulty in procuring horses 

 we stayed there the night. As this point was the most exposed 

 on the whole line, twenty-one soldiers were stationed here ; at 

 sunset they returned from hunting, bringing with them seven 

 deer, three ostriches, and many armadilloes and partridges. 

 When riding through the country, it is a common practice to 

 set fire to the plain ; and hence at night, as on this occasion, the 

 horizon was illuminated in several places by brilliant conflagra- 

 tions. This is done partly for the sake of puzzling any stray 

 Indians, but chiefly for improving the pasture. In grassy plains 

 unoccupied by the larger ruminating quadrupeds, it seems neces- 

 sary to remove the superfluous vegetation by fire, so as to render 

 the new year's growth serviceable. 



The rancho at this place did not boast even of a roof, but. 

 merely consisted of a ring of thistle-stalks, to break the force of 

 the wind. It was situated on the borders of an extensive but 

 shallow lake, swarming with wild fowl, among which the black- 

 necked swan was conspicuous. 



The kind of plover, which appears as if mounted on stilts, 

 (Himantopus nigricollis) is here common in flocks of consi- 

 derable size. It has been wrongfully accused of inelegance ; 

 when wading about in shallow water, which is its favourite 

 resort, its gait is far from awkward. These birds in a flock 

 utter a noise, that singularly resembles the cry of a pack of 

 small dogs in full chace : waking in the night, I have more than 

 once been for a moment startled at the distant sound. The 

 teru-tero (Vanellus cay anus) is another bird, which often dis- 

 turbs the stillness of the night. In appearance and habits it 

 resembles in many respects our peewits ; its wings, however, are 

 armed with sharp spurs, like those on the legs of the common 

 cock. As our peewit takes its name from the sound of its voice, 



