1833.] A NEGRO LIEUTENANT. 71 



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 ranche 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, however, 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 any- 

 where 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 

 cat 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. 



Bahia Blanca scarcely deserves the name of a village. A few 

 houses and the barracks for the troops are enclosed by a deep 

 ditch and fortified wall. The settlement is only of recent standing 

 (since 1828) ; and its growth has been one of trouble. The govern- 

 ment of Buenos Ayres unjustly occupied it by force, instead ot 



