1829.] Recent Journey in South America. 271 
to be brandishing their long lances in the air. At this moment the 
mist that surrounded us cleared partially away, and we discovered that 
our supposed enemies were no other than a herd of wild horses, which, 
being startled at the unusual appearance of our caravan, had lifted their 
heads, with erect ears, high in the air, and seemed to approach us 
momently, by reason of the thickening mist magnifying their size, and 
at the same time changing their real appearance into something like that 
for which our fears had mistaken them. As soon as our ludicrous mis- 
take was discovered, shouts of laughter burst from all our company, 
and such of them as were mounted, riding towards the cause of our 
late fears, they turned in an instant, and fled away across the plain with 
the speed of the wind. 
Soon after the incident happened which has just been related, we 
were a little surprized by the appearance of a man gallopping towards 
us. On discovering him, the Cordovese and the negro took a wide cir- 
cuit to cut off his retreat. On his coming up with us, he told us that 
he had left Punta del Sauce, for the express purpose of joining our 
troop, in order that he might cross the Pampas in safety. But as he 
had a somewhat suspicious look, and might prove a spy of the Indians, 
and as our position was one which did not admit of our standing much 
on ceremony, we at once caused him to dismount, and put him into safe 
custody in one of the ox-carts, till we should reach an inhabited district. 
The next day we met with an instance of that extraordinary spirit of 
independence and enterprize, which is only to be met with in savage 
life. We saw before us, at a little distance, a man mounted on a horse, 
and driving twelve others before him. On approaching him, to ascertain 
who it could be that was thus traversing a deserted plain alone, where man 
meets his fellow man only to dread him as an enemy, he proved to be an 
old Gaucho, sixty years of age, anative of Rojas, who told us that he 
was journeying to San Ignacio, in the mountains of Cordova, to fetch 
home his son. This seemed so unlikely a tale, that we asked to see it 
corroborated by his passport, and it proved to be true. He had, in fact, 
set out from Rojas to San Ignacio, a distance of seventy leagues, fifty of 
which were over pathless plains, where nothing could guide his way 
but the sun by day, and the stars by night ; and with no provisions but 
a little dried beef in his saddle-bags, two small horns of water, and a 
little tobacco. There was also the constant risk of meeting with the 
wild Indians, and he had moreover the perpetual anxiety attendant on 
keeping together twelve animals who were entirely loose, and well 
enough disposed to make their escape. These latter the old man rode 
alternately, catching one with his /azo whenever he wished to change 
his saddle, and at night it was his practice to stop immediately the sun 
went down, and feed his horses, he himself lying down to sleep for a 
few minutes at a time, but being compelled to get up and mount a horse 
every now and then, in order to keep the herd together. The bridle of 
the horse he was riding, he used always to keep in his hand while 
sleeping. This rencontre presented me with an instance of mingled sim- 
_ plicity and self-confidence, which it would be difficult to parallel in a 
more civilized class of life. 
On the 24th of September, our water being all exhausted before 
reaching the expected means of supplying it, we were tormented for 
some hours with a burning thirst. ‘Towards evening we discovered a 
pond at a distance, and rode eagerly towards it ; but on reaching it, we 
