Pampas of Buenos Ayres to Tucuman, 15 



most worn-out bullocks. While these affairs were proceeding 

 I examined the vegetation^ but as the ground is dry and saline 

 I only found a paniculated Syngenesious shrub^ and a spe- 

 cies of Hordeum, Round the old forts^ where the ground has 

 been broken up, the land is covered with the common Hore- 

 hound and Fennel : these plants^ which are inseparable com- 

 panionsj always occur in great abundance in similar spots, 

 springing up wherever the original soil has been disturbed. 



25th. Having now passed that part of the road which is 

 considered the most dangerous from the attacks of Indians, 

 we halted for six hours, but as it was by the side of a horribly 

 stinking marsh, the clouds of mosquitoes prevented our get- 

 ting any sleep. Most of the day was spent in crossing the bog, 

 during which time I had the gratification of gathering a very 

 beautiful kind oi Digitalis, with crisped linear leaves. We then 

 changed the draught beasts and resumed our journey on a 

 fine dry ground, which, gradually rising, brought us to the 

 summit of the highest ridge we had yet passed. From the 

 summit we had before us one of the finest and most welcome 

 views that could be imagined. Hitherto we had been travel- 

 ling over a lonely desert, bare of everything but grass of a 

 foxy-brown colour ; but now our eyes were suddenly glad- 

 dened with a delightfully fresh verdure ; a beautiful serpent- 

 ine river, the Corcouneon, slowly winding its course through 

 richly wooded land, adorned with lakes of clear looking water. 

 Several of the fields have the appearance of being cultivated 

 with wheat and maize ; this is owing to the fresh grass spring- 

 ing up after the process of burning the ground. A little be- 

 fore sunset we came to a beautiful piece of water where I had 

 the comfort of getting myself thoroughly washed ; — no small 

 refreshment, after travelling for three weeks through clouds of 

 dust. Here I found a curious Eryngium, smelling strongly 

 like Angelica, and a species of Eupatorium with fine tufts of 

 peach-coloured flowers. 



[To be continued.] 



