88 RIO NEGRO TO RIO COLORADO. 



tree as the god itself; but it seems far more prob- 

 able that they regard it as the altar. The only- 

 cause which I can imagine for this choice is its 

 being a landmark in a dangerous passage. The 

 Sierra de la Ventana is visible at an immense dis- 

 tance ; and a Gaucho told me that he was once 

 riding with an Indian a few miles to the north of 

 the Rio Colorado, when the Indian commenced 

 making the same loud noise, which is usual at the 

 first sight of the distant tree ; putting his hand to 

 his head, and then pointing in the direction of the 

 Sien-a. Upon being asked the reason of this, the 

 Indian said, in broken Spanish, " First see the Si- 

 erra." About two leagues beyond this curious tree 

 we halted for the night ; at this instant an unfor- 

 tunate cow was sj^ied by the lynx-eyed Gauchos, 

 who set off in full chase, and in a few minutes 

 dragged her in with their lazos, and slaughtered her. 

 We here had the four necessaries of life " en el 

 campo" — pasture for the horses, water (only a mud- 

 dy puddle), meat, and firewood. The Gauchos 

 were in high spirits at finding all these luxuries, 

 and we soon set to work at the poor cow. This 

 was the first night which I passed under the open 

 sky, with the gear of the recado for my bed. There 

 is high enjoyment in the independence of the Gau- 

 cho life — to be able at any moinent to pull up your 

 horse, and say, " Here we will pass the night," 

 The death-like stillness of the plain, the dogs keep- 

 ing watch, the gipsy group of Gauchos making 

 their beds round the fire, have left in my mind a 

 strongly-mai'ked picture of this first night, which 

 will never be forgotten. 



The next day the country continued similar to 

 that above described. It is inhabited by few birds 

 or animals of any kind. Occasionally a deer, oi 

 a Guanaco (wild Llama) may be seen ; but the 



