i^iS'] A VIEW OF THE PAMPAS. 325 



able to cross the barrier, whether of solid rock or 

 salt water.* 



A great number of the plants and animals were absolutely 

 the same as, or most closely allied to, those of Patago^iia. 

 We here have the agouti, bizcacha, three species of arma- 

 dillo, the ostrich, certain kinds of partridges and other 

 birds, none of which are ever seen in Chile, but are the 

 characteristic animals of the desert plains of Patagonia. 

 We have likewise many of the same (to the eyes of a person 

 who is not a botanist) thorny stunted bushes, withered grass, 

 and dwarf plants. Even the black slowly crawling beetles 

 are closely similar, and some, I believe, on rigorous ex- 

 amination, absolutely Identical. It had always been to 

 me a subject of regret, that we were unavoidably com- 

 pelled^ to give up the ascent of the San Cruz river, 

 before reaching the mountains : I always had a latent 

 hope of meeting with some great change in the features 

 of the country ; but I now feel sure that it would only have 

 been following the plains of Patagonia up a mountainous 

 ascent. 



March 2^th. — Early in the morning I climbed up a 

 mountain on one side of the valley, and enjoyed a far ex- 

 tended view over the Pampas. This was a spectacle to 

 which I had always looked forward with interest, but I 

 was disappointed : at the first glance It much resembled a 

 distant view of the ocean, but In the northern parts many 

 irregularities were soon distinguishable. The most striking 

 feature consisted in the rivers, which, facing the rising sun, 

 glittered like silver threads, till lost In the Immensity of the 

 distance. At mid-day we descended the valley, and reached 

 a hovel, where an officer and three soldiers were posted to 

 examine passports. One of these men was a thoroughbred 

 Pampas Indian : he was kept much for the same purpose 

 as a bloodhound, to track out any person who might pass 

 by secretly, either on foot or horseback. Some years ago, a 

 passenger endeavoured to escape detection by making a 

 long circuit over a neighbouring mountain ; but this Indian, 

 having by chance crossed his track, followed It for the whole 

 day over dry and very stony hills, till at last he came on his 

 prey hidden in a gully. We here heard that the silvery 



* Thi.H is merely ;in illiistrntion of the admiiabU; laws, first l.iid down by Mr. 

 I -yell, on the gcograpliicnl distribution of animals, as influenced by ^eolo^ic.il 

 ( lian;-{es. The whole reasoniiijj, ot course, is founded on the assumption ot the 

 immutability of species; otherwise the difference in the specirs in the two 

 rejfions mignt be cf«i-i''--''l '- -■•;>'tmvI A 'Itirin^j a b-nyth of time. 



