90 ' RIO COLORADO. 



bled the Pampas. We passed also a muddy swamp 

 of considerable extent, which in summer dries, and 

 becomes incrusted with various salts, and hence is 

 called a salitral. It was covei'ed by low succulent 

 plants, of the same kind with those growing on the 

 sea-shore. The Colorado, at the pass where we 

 crossed it, is only about sixty yards wide ; gener- 

 ally it must be nearly double that width. Its 

 course is very tortuous, being marked by willow- 

 trees and beds of reeds : in a direct line the distance 

 to the mouth of the river is said to be nine leagues, 

 but by water twenty-five. We were delayed cross- 

 ing in the canoe by some immense troops of mares, 

 which were swimming the river in order to follow 

 a division of troops into the interior. A more lu- 

 dicrous spectacle I never beheld than the hundreds 

 and hundreds of heads, all directed one way, with 

 pointed ears and distended snorting nostrils, ap- 

 pearing just above the water like a great shoal of 

 some amphibious animal. Mare's flesh is the only 

 food which the soldiers have when on an expedi- 

 tion. This gives them a great facility of movement; 

 for the distance to which horses can be driven over 

 these plains is quite sui-prising : I have been as- 

 sured that an unloaded horse can travel a hundi'ed 

 miles a day for many days successively. 



The encampment of General Rosas was close to 

 the river. It consisted of a square formed by wag- 

 ons, artillery, straw huts, &c. The soldiers were 

 nearly all cavalry ; and I should think such a vil- 

 lanous, banditti-like army was never before col- 

 lected together. The gi-eater number of men were 

 of a mixed breed, between Negi'o, Indian, and 

 Spaniard. I know not the reason, but men of such 

 origin seldom have a good expression of counte- 

 nance. I called on the Secretary to show my pass- 

 port. He began to cross-question me in the most 



