VI HOSPITALITY 119 



a quarter of a mile apart from the other. A fine male ostrich 

 being turned by the headmost riders, tried to escape on one 

 side. The Gauchos pursued at a reckless pace, twisting their 

 horses about with the most admirable command, and each man 

 whirling the balls round his head. At length the foremost 

 threw them, revolving through the air : in an instant the 

 ostrich rolled over and over, its legs fairly lashed together by 

 the thong. 



The plains abound with three kinds of partridge,^ two of 

 which are as large as hen pheasants. Their destroyer, a small 

 and pretty fox, was also singularly numerous ; in the course of 

 the day we could not have seen less than forty or fifty. They 

 were generally near their earths, but the dogs killed one. When 

 we returned to the posta, we found two of the party returned 

 who had been hunting by themselves. They had killed a puma, 

 and had found an ostrich's nest with twenty-seven eggs in it. 

 Each of these is said to equal in weight eleven hens' eggs ; so 

 that we obtained from this one nest as much food as 297 hens' 

 eggs would have given. 



Septej}iber \A^tJi. — As the soldiers belonging to the next posta 

 meant to return, and we should together make a party of five, 

 and all armed, I determined not to wait for the expected troops. 

 My host, the lieutenant, pressed me much to stop. As he had 

 been very obliging — ■ not only providing me with food, but 

 lending me his private horses — I wanted to make him some 

 remuneration. I asked my guide whether I might do so, but he 

 told me certainly not ; that the only answer I should receive 

 probably would be, " We have meat for the dogs in our country, 

 and therefore do not grudge it to a Christian." It must not be 

 supposed that the rank of lieutenant in such an army would at 

 all prevent the acceptance of payment : it was only the high 

 sense of hospitality, which every traveller is bound to acknow- 

 ledge as nearly universal throughout these provinces. After 

 galloping some leagues, we came to a low swampy country, which 

 extends for nearly eighty miles northward, as far as the Sierra 

 Tapalguen. In some parts there were fine damp plains, covered 

 with grass, while others had a soft, black, and peaty soil. There 



1 Two species of Tinamus, and Etidromia ekgans of A. d'Oibigny, which can 

 only be called a partridge with regard to its habits. 



