24 Cruise of the "Alert" 



to five "brazeros," i.e., five arm spans; and as it is in consequence 

 much too short to answer the purpose of a lasso, these mounted 

 tramps are no longer able to capture stray bullocks for the sole 

 pleasure of gouging out the tongue as a dainty dish. Indeed, a 

 gentleman of Durazno, for many years resident in the country, 

 informed me that it was now no uncommon thing to see a Gaucho 

 carrying a hempen rope instead of a thong, the want of a lasso 

 leaving him without the means of helping himself to a cowhide. 



About Colon the prevailing plants were a large thistle and a 

 purple-flowered Echium, and these so predominated as at a distance 

 to seem to cover the entire surface of the ground. A light fall of 

 rain, and a puffy breeze, combined to make it a bad day for insect 

 hunting, and accordingly very few of these creatures were seen or 

 captured. Of birds, the cardinal grosbeak, partridges, and pigeons, 

 were abundant. 



Some days subsequently we received, through the courtesy of 

 the directors of the railway company, permission to travel free 

 to the extremity of their line, and of this indulgence we availed 

 ourselves so far as to make a trip to Durazno, the northern ter- 

 minus of the railway. Accordingly, a party consisting of the captain 

 and four of us ward-room officers started by a train leaving the cen- 

 tral terminus at seven in the morning. This railway, which has been 

 for eleven years in existence, and for a long time struggling against 

 unfavourable circumstances (rebellion and so forth), is now gradu- 

 ally assuming a prosperous condition, and has been extended so 

 far that it now pierces the republic of Uruguay in a northern 

 direction, to a distance of 128 miles from Monte Video. As we 

 emerged from the precincts of the town, and passed through a 

 hamlet called "Bella-Vista," on the shores of the bay, we noticed 

 here and there woods of the eucalyptus tree growing in great luxuri- 

 ance to a height of eighty and even a hundred feet, the foliage of 

 adjoining trees being so interlocked as to afford considerable patches 

 of shelter from the sun's rays. Sir George Nares, who has had 

 some experience of these trees in Australia, where they are indi- 



