SACRED TREE. 87 



commences, which is interrupted only by a few 

 trifling valleys and dejjrcssions. Everywhere the 

 landscape wears the same sterile aspect ; a dry 

 gravelly soil supports tufts of brown withered grass, 

 iand low scattered bushes, armed with thorns. 



Shortly after passing the first spring we came in 

 sight of a famous ti'ec, which the Indians reverence 

 as the altar of Walleechu. It is situated on a high 

 part of the plain, and hence is a landmark visible 

 at a great distance. As soon as a tribe of Indians 

 come in sight of it, they offer their adorations by 

 loud shouts. The ti-ee itself is low, much branched, 

 and thorny : just above the root it has a diameter 

 of about three feet. It stands by itself without any 

 neighbour, and was indeed the first tree we saw ; 

 afterwards we met with a few others of the same 

 kind, but they were far from common. Being win- 

 ter, the tree had no leaves, but in their place num- 

 berless threads, by which the various offerings, such 

 as cigars, bread, meat, pieces of cloth, &c. had 

 been suspended. Poor Indians, not having any- 

 thing better, only pull a thread out of their ponchos, 

 and fasten it to the tree. Richer Indians are ac- 

 customed to pour spirits and inate into a certain 

 hole, and likewise to smoke upwai'ds, thinking thus 

 to afford all possible gi-atifieation to Walleechu. 

 To complete the scene, the tree was suiTounded 

 by the bleached bones of horses which had been 

 slaughtered as sacrifices. All Indians of every age 

 and sex make their offerings : they then think that 

 their horses will not tire, and that they themselves 

 shall be prosperous. The CTaucho who told me 

 this, said that in the time of peace he had witnessed 

 this scene, and that he and others used to wait till 

 the Indians had passed by, for the sake of stealing 

 from Walleechu the offerings. 



The Gauchos think that the Indians consider the 



