LOVE OF SALT BY THE INDIANS. 141 



lost. It is very difficult to drive animals across the 

 plains ; for if in the night a puma, or even a fox, 

 approaches, nothing can prevent the horses disper- 

 sing in every direction ; and a storm will have the 

 same effect. A short time since, an officer left Bu- 

 enos Ayres with five hundred horses, and when he 

 arrived at the army he had under twenty. 



Soon afterwards we perceived by the cloud of 

 dust that a party of horsemen were coming to- 

 wards us ; when far distant my companions knew 

 them to be Indians, by their long hair streaming 

 behind their backs. The Indians generally have a 

 fillet round their heads, but never any covering; 

 and their black hair blowing across their swarthy 

 faces, heightens to an uncommon degree the wild- 

 ness of their appearance. They turned out to be 

 a party of Bernantio's friendly tribe, going to a sa- 

 lina for salt. The Indians eat much salt, their 

 children sucking it like sugar. This habit is very 

 different fi'om that of the Spanish Gauchos, who, 

 leading the same kind of life, eat scarcely any: ac- 

 cording to Mungo Park,* it is people who live on 

 vegetable food that have an unconquerable desire 

 for salt. The Indians gave us good-humoured nods 

 as they passed at full gallop, driving before them a 

 troop of horses, and followed by a train of lanky 

 dogs. 



September 12th and 13^"/^. — I stayed at this posta 

 two days, waiting for a troop of soldiers, which 

 General Rosas had the kindness to send to inform 

 me would shortly travel to Buenos Ayres ; and he 

 advised me to take the opportunity of the escort. 

 In the morning we rode to some neighbouring hills 

 to view the country and to examine the geology. 

 After dinner the soldiers divided themselves into 

 two parties for a trial of skill with the bolas. Two 

 * Travels in Africa, p. 233. 



