A SOUSE IN THE MIRE. 97 



Strangers, and a small corral for the horses, all 

 made of sticks and reeds ; he had also dug a ditch 

 round his house, as a defence in case of being at- 

 tacked. This would, however, have been of little 

 avail if the Indians had come ; but his chief com- 

 fort seemed to rest in the thought of selling his life 

 dearly. A short time before, a body of Indians had 

 travelled past in the night ; if they had been aware 

 of the posta, our black friend and his four soldiers 

 would assuredly have been slaughtered. I did not 

 any where meet a more civil and obliging man than 

 this negro ; it was therefore the more painful to 

 see that he would not sit down and eat with us. 



In the morning we sent for the horses very early, 

 and started for another exhilarating gallop. We 

 passed the Cabeza del Buey, an old name given to 

 the head of a lai-ge marsh, which extends from 

 Bahia Blanca. Here we changed horses, and pass- 

 ed thi'ough some leagues of swamps and saline 

 marshes. Changing horses for the last time, we 

 again began wading through the mud. My animal 

 fell, and I was well soused in black mire — a very 

 disagreeable accident, when one does not possess a 

 change of clothes. Some miles from the fort we 

 met a man, who told us that a great gun had been 

 fired, which is a signal that Indians are near. We 

 immediately left the road, and followed the edge 

 of a marsh, which, when cliased, offers the best mode 

 of escape. We were glad to arrive within the 

 walls, when we found all the alarm was about noth- 

 ing, for the Indians turned out to be friendly ones, 

 who wished to join General Rosas. 



Bahia Blanca scarcely desei'ves the name of a 

 village. A few houses and the barracks for the 

 troops are enclosed by a deep ditch and fortified 

 wall. The settlement is only of recent standing 

 (since 182S), antl its growth has been one of trou- 



VOL.I— 7 I 



