1833] A NEGRO LIEUTENANT. 85 



of water would have been found. The belt of sand-dunes is 

 about eight miles wide ; at some former period, it probably 

 formed the margin of a grand ©ctuary, where the Colorado 

 now flows. In this district, where absolute proofs of the 

 recent elevation of the land occur, such speculations can 

 hardly be neglected by any one, although merely considering 

 the physical geography of the country. Having crossed the 

 sandy tract, we arrived in the evening at one of the post- 

 houses ; and, as the fresh horses were grazing at a distance, 

 we determined to pass the night there. 



The house was situated at the base of a ridge, between 

 one and two hundred feet high — a most remarkable feature 

 in this country. This posta was commanded by a negro 

 lieutenant, born in Africa ; to his credit be it said, there was 

 not a rancho between the Colorado and Buenos Ayres in 

 nearly such neat order as his. He had a little room for 

 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 attacked. This would, how- 

 ever, have been of little avail if the Indians had come ; but 

 his chief comfort 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 anywhere 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 large 

 marsh, which extends from Bahia Blanca. Here we changed 

 horses, and passed through 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 chased offers the best mode of 

 escape. We were glad to arrive within the walls, when we 

 found all the alarm was about nothing, for the Indians turned 

 out to be friendly ones who wished to join General Rosas. 



