1829. ] Recent Journey in South America. 265 
to dress their portions of beef, which, as I hinted above, they devoured 
without any accompaniment whatever: a draught of water completed 
and concluded their repast. On these occasions I found the herb of 
Paraguay a most useful and agreeable addition to my meal, not only 
from its refreshing qualities, but from the facility with which it was 
prepared, by merely pouring a little hot water over it. The only sleep 
I was able to procure during the actual journey was at these brief 
periods of halting, except when I chose to ride forward in advance of 
the troop, and lay down to snatcl+ a few minutes rest till they reached 
me. But the worst off in this respect were the poor Boyeros, who had 
the care of the loose cattle, and, who consequently were obliged to be 
perpetually on the watch to keep them from straying away. There 
being but four of these, they were only able to sleep each in his turn 
for a few minutes together. The skill of these men in tracking the 
cattle when they do stray (which they frequently will in the night, in 
spite of every precaution to the contrary) is quite astonishing, and will 
be looked upon as almost incredible by the European reader. They of 
course track the stray cattle by their footmarks ; and they can instantly 
tell the footmarks of their own oxen—can distinguish those of an ox 
from those of a bull or cow—those of the mare from the horse—whether 
the animal they are tracing is a mild or a tame one—whether mounted 
or not—and all this not merely on bare ground, but through deep pas- 
tures or tangled forests. It is their practice at all times, when riding, 
to keep their eyes bent upon the ground over which they are passing. 
So that they thus acquire from time to time, a knowledge of the peculiar 
character of every footmark left by the animals that precede them on 
the march. 
On the third evening we slept at the village of Retamo ; and from this 
time the rate of our progress increased to about ten leagues in the twenty- 
four hours. From Retamo to San Luis, we met with the air-plant in 
great abundance (Flor del Ayre) growing on the low scrambling bushes 
and shrubs with which this whole district abounds. On the night of the 
27th of August, we rested in the middle of a most beautiful wood of chanar 
trees ; and nothing could be more picturesque and romantic than the 
appearance of our whole troop, shown by the light of the numerous 
fires which blazed everywhere about us. The golden coloured bark of 
the chanar trees reflected the lights which flickered upon its shining 
surface ; and as the various groups of our party lay reclining beside the 
fires, in their striking and singular costumes—each group being partially 
hidden from the rest by the stems of the numerous trees which em- 
bewered and surrounded us on all sides—the whole presented the 
semblance of a scene in some romantic melo-drame, or of a horde of. 
banditti carousing after some perilous enterprise. The ground was 
covered here and there with patches of a thick heath, which served us 
as couches to rest on; and as the night was warm, we here spent the 
most agreeable hours since the commencement of our journey. 
_ On the next day, the 28th, we reached the banks of the great river 
peeepnscero, and nothing could be more striking than the contrast 
which presented itself to the scene just described. The place seemed 
the very abode of barrenness. It reminded me of the Dead Sea shores, 
or the fabled banks of the infernal river itself. No vestige of pasture, 
or of any green thing, grew on the precipitous banks of this forlorn 
stream ; the black, deep, and salt waters of which went rushing hoarsely 
M.M. New Serics.—Vou. VIL. No. 39. 2M 
