48 MALDONADO 



ward the view extended over an immense level plain as far as 

 the Mount, at Monte Video, and to the eastward, over the 

 mammillated country of Maldonado. On the summit of the 

 mountain there were several small heaps of stones, which 

 evidently had lain there for many years. My companion 

 assured me that they were the work of the Indians in the old 

 time. The heaps were similar, but on a much smaller scale, to 

 those so commonly found on the mountains of Wales. The 

 desire to signalise any event, on the highest point of the 

 neighbouring land, seems a universal passion with mankind. 

 At the present day, not a single Indian, either civilised or wild, 

 exists in this part of the province ; nor am I aware that the 

 former inhabitants have left behind them any more permanent 

 records than these insignificant piles on the summit of the 

 Sierra de las Animas. 



The general, and almost entire absence of trees in Banda 

 Oriental is remarkable. Some of the rocky hills are partly 

 covered by thickets, and on the banks of the larger streams, 

 especially to the north of Las Minas, willow-trees are not un- 

 common. Near the Arroyo Tapes I heard of a wood of palms ; 

 and one of these trees, of considerable size, I saw near the Pan 

 de Azucar, in lat. 35°. These, and the trees planted by the 

 Spaniards, offer the only exceptions to the general scarcity of 

 wood. Among the introduced kinds may be enumerated 

 poplars, olives, peach, and other fruit trees : the peaches succeed 

 so well, that they afford the main supply of firewood to the city 

 of Buenos Ayres. Extremely level countries, such as the 

 Pampas, seldom appear favourable to the growth of trees. This 

 may possibly be attributed either to the force of the winds, or 

 the kind of drainage. In the nature of the land, however, 

 around Maldonado, no such reason is apparent ; the rocky 

 mountains afford protected situations, enjoying various kinds of 

 soil ; streamlets of water are common at the bottoms of nearly 

 every valley ; and the clayey nature of the earth seems adapted 

 to retain moisture. It has been inferred, with much probability, 

 that the presence of woodland is generally determined ^ by the 

 annual amount of moisture ; yet in this province abundant and 

 heavy rain falls during the winter ; and the summer, though 



^ Maclaren, art. "America," Encydop. Brilann. 



