28.'33.J CONVERSATION OF THE INHABITANTS. 147 



on what circumstances, occurring only at long intervab, the 

 rarity or extinction of a species may be determined. 



November \9th. — Passing the valley of Las Yacas, we slept 

 at a house of a North American, who worked a lime-kiln on 

 the Arroyo de las Vivoras. In the morning we rode to a pro- 

 jecting headland on the banks of the river, called Punta Gorda. 

 On the way we tried to find a jaguar. There were plenty of 

 fresh tracks, and we visited the trees, on which they are said t/» 

 sharpen their claws ; but we did not succeed in disturbing one. 

 From this point the Rio Uruguay presented to our view a noble 

 volume of water. From the clearness and rapidity of the stream, 

 its appearance was far superior to that of its neighbour the Pa- 

 rana. On the opposite coast, several branches from the latter 

 river entered the Uruguay. As the sun was shining, the two 

 colours of the waters could be seen quite distinct. 



In the evening we proceeded on our road towards Mercedes 

 on the Rio Negro. At night we asked permission to sleep at an 

 estancia at which we happened to arrive. It was a very large 

 estate, being ten leagues square, and the owner is one of the 

 greatest landowners in the country. His nephew had charge of 

 it, and with him there was a captain in the army, who the other 

 day ran away from Buenos Ayres. Considering their station, 

 their conversation was rather amusing. They expressed, as was 

 usual, unbounded astonishment at the globe being round, and 

 could scarcely credit that a hole would, if deep enough, come 

 out on the other side. They had, however, heard of a country 

 where there were six months light and six of darkness, and where 

 the inhabitants were very tall and thin ! They were curious 

 about the price and condition of horses and cattle in England. 

 Upon finding out we did not catch our animals with the lazo, 

 they cried out, " Ah, then, you use nothing but the boias :" tlje 

 idea of an enclosed country was quite new to them. The cap- 

 tain at last said, he had one question to ask me, which he should 

 be very much obliged if I would answer with all truth. I trem- 

 bled to think how deeply scientific it would be : it was, " Whe- 

 ther the ladies of Buenos Ayres were not the handsomest in the 

 world," I replied, like a renegade, " Charmingly so." He 

 added, " I have one other question : Do ladies in any other 

 part of the world wear such large combs?" I solemnly assured 



