112 BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYRES. [chap. vi. 



view such a Salvator Rosa scene. They were seated under a 

 low cliff, so tliat I could look down upon them ; around the 

 party were lying dogs, arms, remnants of deer and ostriches ; 

 and their long spears were stuck .in the turf. Further in the 

 dark background, their horses were tied up, ready for any sudden 

 danger. If the stillness of the desolate plain was broken by one 

 of the dogs barking, a soldier, leaving the fire, would place his 

 head close to the ground, and thus slowly scan the horizon. 

 Even if the noisy teru-tero uttered its scream, there would be a 

 pause in the conversation, and every head, for a moment, a little 

 inclined. 



What a life of misery these men appear to us to lead ! They 

 were at least ten leagues from the Sauce posta, and since the 

 murder committed by the Indians, twenty from another. The 

 Indians are supposed to have made their attack in the middle of 

 the night ; for very early in the morning after the murder, they 

 were luckily seen approaching this posta. The whole party 

 here, however, escaped, together with the troop of horses ; each 

 one taking a line for himself, and driving with him as many 

 animals as he was able to manage. 



The little hovel, built of thistle-stalks, in which they slept, 

 neither kept out the wind or rain ; indeed in the latter case the 

 only effect the roof had, was to condense it into larger drops. 

 They had nothing to eat excepting what they could catch, such 

 as ostriches, deer, armadilloes, &c., and their only fuel was the 

 dry stalks of a small plant, somewhat resembling an aloe. The 

 sole luxury which these men enjoyed was smoking the little 

 paper cigars, and sucking mate. I used to think that the carrion 

 vultures, man's constant attendants on these dreary plains, while 

 seated on the little neighbouring cliffs, seemed by their very 

 patience to say, " Ah ! when the Indians come we shall have a 

 feast." 



In the morning we al sallied forth to hunt, and although we 

 had not much success, there were some animated chaces. Soon 

 after starting the party separated, and so arranged their plans, 

 that at a certain time of the day (in guessing which they show 

 much skill) they should all meet from different points of the 

 compass on a plain piece of ground, and thus drive together the 

 wild animals. One day I went out hunting at Bahia Blanca, 



