44 MALDOXADO. [CUAP. ill. 



those so commonly found on the mountains of Wales. The desire 

 to signalize any event, on the highest point of the neighbouring 

 laud, seems an universal passion with mankind. At the present 

 day, not a single Indian, either civilized or wild, exists in this part 

 of the province ; nor am I aware that the former inhabitants have 

 left behind them any more permanent records than these insignifi- 

 cant piles on the summit of the Sierra de las Animas. 



The general, and almost entire absence of trees in Banda Oriental 

 is remarkable. Some of the rocky hills are partly covered by 

 thickets, and on the banks of the larger streams, especially to the 

 north of Las Miuas, willow-trees are not uncommon. Near the 

 Arroyo Tapes I heard of a wood of palms; and one of these trees, 

 of considerable size, I saw near the Pan de Azucar, in lat. 35". 

 These, and the trees planted by the Spaniards, offer the only excep- 

 tions to the general scarcity of wood. Among the introduced kinds 

 may be enumerated poplars, olives, peach, and other fruit trees : the 

 peaches succeed so well, that they afford the main supply of fire- 

 wood to the city of Buenos Ayres. Extremely level countries, such 

 as the Pampas, seldom appear favourable to the growth of trees. 

 This may possibly be attributed either to the force of the winds, or 

 the kind of drainage. In the nature of the land, however, around 

 Maldouado, no such reason is apparent ; the rocky mountains afford 

 protected situations, enjoying various kinds of soil ; streamlets of 

 water are common at the bottoms of nearly every valley; and the 

 clayey nature of the earth seems adapted to retain moisture. It 

 has been inferred with much probability, that the presence of 

 woodland is generally determined * by the annual amount of 

 moisture; yet in this province abundant and heavy rain falls 

 during the winter; and the summer, though dry, is not so in any 

 excessive degree.f We see nearly the whole of Australia covered 

 by lofty trees, yet that country possesses a far more arid climate. 

 Hence we must look to some other and unknown cause. 



Confining our view to South America, we should certainly be 

 tempted to believe that trees flourished only under a very humid 

 climate ; for the limit of the forest-land follows, in a most remark- 

 able manner, that of the damp winds. In the southern part of the 



* Maclaren. art. " America," Encyclop. Britann. 



t Azara says, " Je crois que la quantite annuelle des pluies cst, dans 

 toutcs rr-s enntivc*, plus considerable qu'en Espagne." Vol. i. p. 36. 



