Pampas of Buenos Ayres to Tucuman, 173 



projecting points, while the valleys still lay dark and dense in 

 frozen shade. This view of those alpine regions was most 

 gratifying to me, and my ever-busy memory presently recalled 

 to me a similar scene, when, in my youthful years, I had 

 stood upon the hills of the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, and 

 with my face turned towards north-west, gazed on the moun- 

 tains of Argyleshire and the Western Highlands, where, in 

 the spring, the snow, melting from the exposed parts of the 

 rocks, leaves alternate streaks of black and white. This ridge 

 of the Cordilleras lies in the province of Catam, distant, at 

 the time, upwards of 50 miles in a straight line on our left 

 hand, and in a direction W.N.W. 



18th. Halted about a mile and half from San Jago, having 

 adopted another road, by which we should avoid going through 

 the town, but sent 2 waggons thither with goods, which being 

 obliged to cross the river San Jago, did not return to us till 

 noon of the second day, 5 hours being required to pass the 

 river. In this district vegetation varied considerably : in 

 all other places of the woods, the plains were covered with a 

 yellow-berried suiFruticose plant, which gave the ground at a 

 distance much the appearance of the holms of Clyde when gay 

 with rag-weed ; but though this shrub abounded so much, 

 almost to the exclusion of other vegetation, neither bird nor 

 beast appeared to touch its foliage or fruit. Here I found a 

 strong broad-leaved Asclepias, on the edge of the river several 

 smaller perennial species ; but the most attractive tree here is 

 the Mistol, a large branching tree something like a big pear 

 tree of the Tollo family of Buenos Ayres ; the fruit much re- 

 sembling a Kentish cherry, and which the natives gather care- 

 fully and dry as they would do figs : when these fruits are 

 used they are steeped in warm water and then worked up into 

 a dough of maize meal, kernels and all, and rolled into balls 

 about 4 oz. weight, which are eaten, baked and prepared in 

 various ways, being the principal food on which the natives 

 depend, except a few goats ; for the dearth of water and pas- 

 ture, with the prevalence of dense forests and salinos, prevent 

 the rearing of cattle. Except a few spots near the town, 

 where maize and pompions are grown, I saw hardly any cul- 

 tivated ground for many leagues around San Jago. 



