266 Recent Jonrney in South America. [ Marcu, 
along, at a depth of twenty feet below where we stood. On our appear- 
ance, a few wretched huts ejected from their door-ways about a dozen 
squalid looking human beings, in the garb of women, whose coarse black 
elf-locks streaming down their backs, and their yellow cadaverous 
countenances, reminded me of those horrifying beings conjured up on 
the “ blasted heath” with which (like the present) they were so strictly 
in keeping, and which 
“ Looked not like inhabitants of earth, 
And yet were on it.” 
They had nothing to offer us for sale; nor did there appear to be any 
means of their furnishing even themselves with subsistence, not even a 
root or a vegetable ; nothing but a few half-starved goats, which looked 
as miserable as their keepers. Even the sun itself seemed to “ disdain 
to shine” upon this realm of wretchedness and despair. Close at hand 
lived the ferryman, whose appearance and bearing completed this 
singular scene. The sight of him and his dwelling, at once realized in 
my mind a description I have somewhere read of “ Felon Care.” 
Suspicion was in every look and accent, and sordid grasping avarice 
seemed to hold possession of his whole soul. On entering the dark den 
which formed his dwelling, we found the centre occupied by a round solid 
table, like a butcher’s chopping block. Besides this, nothing was clearly 
distinguishable on account of the almost impenetrable darkness ; but in 
one corner I thought I could perceive the remnant of a broken musket. 
His ferry-boat was formed by two canoes lashed together, and sur- 
mounted by a stage about twenty feet long. On crossing the river some 
of the carts were upset, and their cargoes, consisting of hides, wine in 
barrels, dried fruits, &c. were much injured ; and this accident detained 
us till night-fall; at which old Charon seemed not a little gratified : 
for he said, that our supercargo had cheated him of some portion of 
his fare. 
On the 3lst of August, we reached San Luis de la Punta, in which 
abode of ruin and desolation we were detained three days. This is one 
of the most wretched places that can be conceived as the abode of men. 
It does not contain a single white-washed building ; the Plaza is in 
ruins ; the Cathedral fallen to the ground ; and though the Piazza still 
stands in front of the Town-Hall, the roof which connected it with the 
main building no longer exists but as a mass of ruins—among which, a 
solitary sentinel paces slowly, backwards and forwards, and seems to 
increase by his appearance, rather than dissipate, the desolation of the 
scene. 
On the third day from the period of our entering San Luis de la 
Punta, we sallied forth from it, and by night-fall reached the banks of 
the beautiful Rio Quinto, where we rested. On the following morning, 
instead of keeping with the general troop, I rode on ahead, in company 
with the supercargo, a respectable and intelligent young man, named ~ 
Blas Valdor. Passing an isolated mountain called El Morro, we 
yeached the Portezuelo; and here there opened upon our view a most 
beautiful grassy plain, extended interminably on every side as far 
as the eye could reach, and free from a single bush, shrub, or any other 
object whatever to intercept the view ; except that on a rising ground, ~ 
just at the verge of the horizon, we could distinguish a human dwelling, 
which proved to be the house of a wealthy landholder, with whose 
_ agreeable family we spent three days. 
