1833.] SIERRA DE LA VENTANA. 115 



all of which inflamed my curiosity, only to disappoint it. 

 The distance from the posta was about six leagues, over 

 a level plain of the same character as before. The ride 

 was, however, interesting, as the mdtmtain began to show 

 its true form. When we reached the foot of the main ridge, 

 we had much difficulty in finding any water, and we thought 

 we should have been obliged to have passed the night with- 

 out any. At last we discovered some by looking close to 

 the mountain, for at the distance even of a few hundred 

 yards, the streamlets were buried and entirely lost in the 

 fri-ible calcareous stone and loose detritus. I do not think 

 Nature ever made a more solitary, desolate pile of rock ; — 

 it well deserves its name of Hurtado, or separated. The 

 mountain is steep, extremely rugged, and broken, and so 

 entirely destitute of trees, and even bushes, that we actually 

 could not make a skewer to stretch out our meat over the 

 fire of thistle-stalks.* The strange aspect of this mountain 

 is contrasted by the sea-like plain, which not only abuts 

 against its steep sides, but likewise separates the parallel 

 ranges. The uniformity of the colouring gives an extreme 

 quietness to the view ; — the whitish-gray of the quartz rock, 

 and the light brown of the withered grass of the plain, being 

 unrelieved by any brighter tint. From custom, one expects 

 to see in the neighbourhood of a lofty and bold mountain, a 

 broken country strewed over with huge fragments. Here 

 Nature shows that the last movement before the bed of the 

 sea is changed into dry land may sometimes be one of 

 tranquillity. Under these circumstances I was curious to 

 observe how far from the parent rock any pebbles could be 

 found. On the shores of Bahia Blanca, and near the settle- 

 ment, there were some of quartz, which certainly must have 

 come from this source : the distance is forty-five miles. 



The dew, which in the early part of the night wetted the 

 saddle-cloths under which we slept, was in the morning 

 frozen. The plain, though appearing horizontal, had in- 

 sensibly sloped up to a height of between 800 and 900 feet 

 above the sea. In the morning (9th of September) the 

 guide told me to ascend the nearest ridge, which he thought 

 would lead me to the four peaks that crown the summit. 

 Irhe climbing up such rough rocks was very fatiguing ; the 

 * sides were so indented, that what was gained in one five 

 ^/ minutes was often lost in the next. At last, when I reached 



* 1 call these thistle-stalks for the w ■m f correct name. 1 believe 



^ a apecien of Erj-nKium. 



