66 Charles Daruuin. 



ing at the trees to see if a jaguar was near. The 

 common cat has a similar habit, as well as the black 

 bear, especially in the Gulf States of North America, 

 and Darwin believed the same was true of the puma 

 from marks he had seen, and suggested that it was 

 done to tear off the ragged points of their claws, and 

 not to sharpen them as the Gauchos thought. 



The sail down the Rio Parana was enlivened by 

 one incident not on the programme. Upon reaching 

 the mouth of the river, Darwin landed at the little 

 town of Las Conchas, hoping to reach Buenos Ayres 

 sooner, and there was made a prisoner. A revolu- 

 tion had suddenly broken out, and no one was 

 allowed to leave the place, so that he could not even 

 return to the vessel. After many disappointments, 

 and much red tape, an audience was obtained with 

 the commanding officer, when, upon mentioning that 

 he had received courtesies from Rosas, he was al- 

 lowed to pass the line, and escorted to the city, 

 where he took passage in a small vessel for Monte 

 Video. 



Between this city and Colonia del Sacramiento an 

 opportunity was afforded of observing the skill with 

 which horses swam streams. Darwin's own animal 

 readily passed over rivers a quarter of a mile wide, 

 while an instance was related of a native horse 

 which swam from a wreck a distance of nearly 

 seven miles. * 



Darwin observed a Gaucho swimming a stream 

 with his horse, holding the animal by his tail, and 

 refers to the fact that he himself was towed across a 

 river with three others in a boat in the same manner. 



il 



