178 Account of a Journey across the Pampas. 



one of our carts having overset in a Bocacha pit, a day's tra- 

 velling was lost, and the next morning, when crossing the Rio 

 de Tucuman, 5 miles only from the town, the fracture of an 

 axle caused a similar delay. Three days after we recrossed the 

 same stream near Vinora, and it may be needful to remark 

 that we had to pass over it at four different places, at all of 

 which it bears different names. Thus, its first appellation is 

 Rio de San Magill, this being the name of the ridge of the 

 Cordilleras where it rises, and indeed the proper name of the 

 town of Tucuman itself, which is situated close to that moun- 

 tain pass. At San Jago the river is called the same : and 

 again, at the village of Pitambola, the Rio de Pitambola, while 

 further down the number of willows that clothe its banks give 

 it the appellation of Rio Saucio, under which name it enters 

 the Parana near Santa Fe. Having crossed it at Vinora, we 

 entered upon a fine road, lately cleared by the government of 

 San Jago, the first and only benefit I ever heard of their ren- 

 dering to the country. Immediately after leaving this forest 

 we enter the town of San Jago, a most miserable place, nothing 

 growing about it but some bare trees, on the branches of which 

 the goats were browsing. Two miles after quitting it I ob- 

 served a red cloud rising in the S.W. ; it was an immense flight 

 of red locusts, which passing over us made the sun appear like 

 blood. Next day the wind having shifted, these insects were 

 driven again on our line of road, where they were mostly rest- 

 ing on the tops of the trees, which looked as if studded with 

 red blossoms. Nothing else worthy of notice occurred till we 

 came to the Rio Secunda : when we were going to Tucuman 

 this was a river 4 feet deep and nearly 200 yards wide, but 

 now presented only a bed of drifting white sand. 



Near Cruz Alta we observed the smoking ruins of some 

 Ranchos which the Indians had burnt the preceding day, and 

 therefore took a more northerly direction to keep out of their 

 way. 



Crossing Rio Carcaunon, one of the shaft bullocks got loose; 

 and the other having all the weight of the great cart and load 

 thrown upon him, one of his horns with part of the skull was 

 dashed in and the poor animal drowned. This was an un- 

 lucky day, another bullock having suddenly dropped down 



