Account of a Journey across the Pampas. 1 71 



GrylH and Cimices, mixed with the small hard stones of a 

 red berry or red pulpy fruit ; in some instances the latter 

 formed almost the exclusive contents, but in none have we 

 been able to discover any of the parasites which infest sheep 

 or cattle. 



[To be continued.] 



XVII. — Extracts from a few rough Notes of a Journey across 

 the Pampas of Buenos Ayres to Tucuman, in 1835. By 

 James Tweedie_, Esq., addressed to Sir W. J. Hooker. 



[Concluded from p. 104.] 



May 8th. In the afternoon left this our dreary 3 weeks' 

 abode, and the cattle being in good condition, travelled all 

 night through a dark dense forest, where the road or rather 

 path was so narrow that 2 carts must wait, should they chance 

 to meet, until the trees have been felled so as to permit of a 

 passage. The numerous feet and wheel tracks raised such a 

 dust as hung over us in heavy clouds all the way, a perfect 

 calm prevailing in the air, and the travellers, carts, and cattle 

 were all of one colour, enveloped or buried in a covering of 

 dry dust. In the morning, about daylight, my driver falling 

 asleep, the bullocks deviated a little from the path and upset 

 my waggon. Fortunately, though I fell from a considerable 

 height and some heavy bales of cloth tumbled upon me, I 

 escaped with only a slight bruise on one of my legs. Next 

 day travelled through a saline country where there was no 

 water and only salt shrubs for the poor animals to eat, and 

 arrived in the evening at the little village of Atamisco, so 

 named from a finely scented shrub, w^hich growls in great 

 abundance about it. Scarcely any vegetable was seen ex- 

 cept some coarse herbage, upon which flocks of goats w^ere 

 browsing. 



10th. In the morning we arrived at the Rio Pitambella, 

 where we were again occupied 2 days crossing it in 2 canoes 

 fixed together by poles tied across them, by which means each 

 load was carried over at one time. The empty carts were 

 drawn across by bullocks as at the Rio Saladillo. At this 

 pass, having once more time to botanize for 3 days, I found 



