1829. } Recent Journey in South America. 269 
of birds—several hundreds in number—that was always hovering over 
them ; and on approaching nearer, the odour from the putrid carcasses 
was perfectly horrible. To complete the disgusting scene, the prominent 
object of sight was a’ pile of white bone ashes, reared close to the hut, 
but not applied to any use whatever. Before quitting this subject, it 
should be mentioned, that all the young horses which are found among the 
mares caught in the manner above described, are immediately broke in 
to the saddle, by main force as it were, in the course of about two days ; 
and the hides of* the mares, after being dried in the sun, are sold at the 
nearest town for about half a dollar each. The purchaser, when he has 
collected a sufficient number together, sends them in carts to Buenos 
Ayres, where they produce from six reals to a dollar each. 
About this point of our journey it was hourly to be expected that the 
wild Indians would make their appearance. At Punta del Sauce, there- 
fore, our supercargo had engaged with an active Cordovese Gaucho, and 
a gigantic Negro, both of whom were well acquainted with the country, 
and who were to keep a constant look out in advance of the troop, in 
order to prevent a surprise from these roving marauders. The tract of 
country over which we now had to pass was one level plain, entirely 
covered with pasture ; and on the 20th we crossed a deep stream called 
Saladillo, and entered upon the Indian territory. Having filled our 
water-jars at the above-named stream—which was of a brackish taste— 
we now travelled day and night, with the least possible intermission—as 
it was considered unsafe to linger a moment longer than was necessary 
in these rude and inhospitable wilds. Our chief occupation by day was 
running down or shooting the fallow deer—a sport which took a most 
animated character from the nature of the ground over which we were 
passing ; and in these beautiful plains the game is extremely abundant. 
This sport was sometimes varied by that of snaring partridges—with 
which game the plains also. abounded. This we effected by means of 
horse-hair nooses, fixed to the end of long canes. Another practice was, 
to ride round in a circle swiftly, decreasing the extent of the circle at 
every turn, till the bird became literally bewildered and giddy by its 
efforts to escape, and at last suffered itself to be approached near enough 
to kill it with a riding-whip. 
During the eight days that were occupied in crossing the Pampas, I 
found it scarcely possible to get an hour’s sleep, either by night or day. 
The only means by which I could effect it at all were, by riding forward 
in advance of the troop for some distance, and then dismounting, and 
flinging myself in one of the deep wheel ruts, in order to avoid the cold 
winds ; still retaining my horse’s bridle in my hand. On these occasions, 
instead of being awakened by the creaking and lumbering of the carts, as 
they passed me, I was pretty sure to sleep till these sounds ceased, and 
_ then to awake by the absence of the noise—as the miller is said to do 
when his mill stops. On one of these occasions, however, at night, when 
I had been unusually oppressed by sleep, I found, on awaking, that the 
carts were not only out of hearing, but out of sight. At first I was not at 
all alarmed, but springing on my horse, thought to regain my company 
in a few minutes. Not coming up with them as soon as I expected, I 
looked up to the heavens, and found that the constellation Orion was on 
the wrong side of me. I therefore quickly retraced my course; but it 
was full an hour before I regained my companions. If it had been a 
_ cloudy night I should assuredly have lost my road altogether, and in all 
ly 
