240 MENDOZA. [CHAP. xv. 



lighting fires, by shouts, and by waving branches to avert the attack. 

 This species of locust closely resembles, and perhaps is identical with 

 the famous Gryllus migratorius of the East 



We crossed the Luxan, which is a river of considerable size, though 

 its course towards the sea-coast is very imperfectly known : it is even 

 doubtful whether, in passing over the plains, it is not evaporated and 

 lost. We slept in the village of Luxan, which is a small place sur- 

 rounded by gardens, and forms the most southern cultivated district in 

 the Province of Mendoza ; it is five leagues south of the capital. At 

 night I experienced an attack (for it deserves no less a name) of the 

 Benchuca, a species of Reduvius, the great black bug of the Pampas. 

 It is most disgusting to feel soft wingless insects, about an inch long, 

 crawling over one's body. Before sucking they are quite thin, but 

 afterwards they become round and bloated with blood, and in this state 

 are easily crushed. One which I caught at Iquique (for they are found 

 in Chile and Peru) was very empty. When placed on a table, and 

 though surrounded by people, if a finger was presented, the bold insect 

 would immediately protrude its sucker, make a charge, and if allowed, 

 draw blood. No pain was caused by the wound. It was curious to 

 watch its body during the act of sucking, as in less than ten minutes it 

 changed from being as flat as a wafer to a globular form. This one 

 feast, for which the benchuca was indebted to one of the officers, kept 

 it fat during four whole months ; but, after the first fortnight, it was 

 quite ready to have another suck. 



March 27 'th. We rode on to Mendoza. The country was beautifully 

 cultivated, and resembled Chile. This neighbourhood is celebrated for 

 its fruit ; and certainly nothing could appear more flourishing than 

 the vineyards and the orchards of figs, peaches, and olives. We bought 

 water-melons nearly twice as large as a man's head, most deliciously 

 cool and well-flavoured, for a halfpenny apiece ; and for the value of 

 threepence, half a wheelbarrowful of peaches. The cultivated and 

 enclosed part of this province is very small ; there is little more than 

 that which we passed through between Luxan and the Capital. The 

 land, as in Chile, owes its fertility entirely to artificial irrigation ; and it 

 is really wonderful to observe how extraordinarily productive a barren 

 traversia is thus rendered. 



We stayed the ensuing day in Mendoza. The prosperity of the 

 place has much declined of late years. The inhabitants say " it is good 

 to live in, but very bad to grow rich in." The lower orders have the 

 lounging, reckless manners of the Gauchos of the Pampas ; and their 

 dress, riding-gear, and habits of life, are nearly the same. To my mind 

 the town had a stupid, forlorn aspect. Neither the boasted alameda, 

 nor the scenery, is at all comparable with that of Santiago ; but to 

 those who, coming from Buenos Ayres, have just crossed the unvaried 

 Pampas, the gardens and orchards must appear delightful. Sir F. 

 Head, speaking of the inhabitants, says, " They eat their dinners, and 

 it is so very hot, thay go to sleep and could they do better? " I quite 

 agree with Sir F. Head : the happy doom of the Mendozinos is to eat, 

 sleep, and be idle. 



