1829.] Recent Journey in South America. 273 
ruined by the repeated ravages of the Indians. On the evening of this 
day, the sky threatened a pampero, or land storm, in consequence of 
which the carts were drawn up in a circle, and lashed together, for the 
purpose of securing the oxen within the inclosure thus formed. This 
necessary arrangement for preventing the escape of the cattle was 
searcely completed, when faint flashes of lightning were seen on the 
verge of the horizon, which proved the near prelude of a most furious 
hurricane. To the “ pitiless pelting” of this storm, which was so vio- 
lent that even the heavy ox-carts could scarcely stand against it—the 
Boyeros were exposed during the whole night, being obliged to ride 
round the entrenchment constantly, for the purpose of seeing that the 
oxen did not escape in their fright ; but notwithstanding these precau- 
tions, it was found in the morning, that four of the cattle were missing, 
and a Boyero was immediately sent after them, but did not rejoin us for 
four days, having lost his way during another storm two nights after. 
The condition of these poor fellows is perhaps worse than that of any 
other class of their countrymen. The one I have just alluded to, who 
was sent after the stray cattle, had neither eaten nor drank during the 
whole period of his absence from the troop, having taken nothing with 
him but a little tobacco, with which he contrived to sustain nature ; and 
yet, on his return, his case did not seem to be looked upon as a pecu- 
liarly hard one. He was only considered as having performed an ordinary 
portion of his duties, for which he receives 15 dollars per month, or 
six weeks, i.e. for the whole period of the journey, which is more or 
_less, according to the condition of the oxen. I observed that imme- 
diately on the return of the one alluded to above, he proceeded to 
“refresh” himself, by devouring about four pounds weight of tough beef, 
without either bread or salt. This, with a draught of brackish water, 
formed his repast, after which he betook himself to sleep—not having 
closed his eyes during his absence. 
_ Having passed a ruined fort, called Fortin de Mercedes, which had 
formerly been used as a place of garrison to protect the Indian frontier, 
_we came to a spot where some wild barley had usurped the place of the 
common rushy pasture with which the Pampas are for the most part 
covered. Near to this spot an accident happened which gave occasion 
for some of those numerous expedients to which the imhabitants of an 
uncultivated country are so often compelled to resort. In soaping the 
wheels of one of the ox-carts, the cart itself, being not properly supported, 
in the absence of its wheel, fell to the ground, and broke in two places 
the thigh of the poor man whom we had encountered some days before, 
_and fearing that he might be a spy sent by the Indians, had kept prisoner 
ever since. I was immediately applied to, as the most likely person of 
the party to possess “skill in surgery ;” and on inspection I found that 
the fractures were simple ones. I therefore caused a shirt to be cut into 
strips and sewed together for a bandage; managed to form a set of 
splinters with a broken driving cane ; picked out a portion of a dry hide 
_which had received a conical form from the use to which it had been applied, 
and which I made to assume the character of a cradle ; and with these 
a apparatus” I contrived to reduce the fractures, and place the limb in 
its proper form. Having then managed to suspend a hide by way of 
hammock, in such a manner as to prevent much jolting from the motion 
of the cart, the “patient” was placed in it, and we were enabled to pro- 
ceed on our journey. The bandage being kept moistened by some diluted 
M.M. New Series—Vou. VU. No. 39. 2N 
