THE PAMPAS OF PATAGONIA. 7 



obtain a skin or two as the animals approach their 

 summer pelage. 



Soon the camp is left behind and, looking back on it, 

 the fact strikes me that it presents a picture very unlike 

 the idea of a camp which is prevalent in any other 

 countries which I have visited. A mere pile of baggage, 

 an open fire and the blankets and bedding airing in the 

 morning sun, a troop of horses feeding in the marshes 

 by the river, and on all sides the low cliffs of the valley 

 shutting in the horizon. Turning my back upon camp, 

 I ride out with thirteen clear hours before me. The 

 country is quite new to me, and apart from the fact 

 that the river gives no hint of a ford by which to cross 

 it, the nature of the ground on the southern bank 

 looks more favourable for my purpose. As I ride 

 slowly along, I put up a brace of upland geese from the 

 bed of the stream, and soon after I perceive a game- 

 track leading along the side of the canadon ; up this my 

 horse climbs until I find myself upon a broad and stony 

 tableland, which stretches to the verge of sight. Save 

 in one direction, it seems to be absolutely level, but on 

 its south-western edge rise a few low rolling hummocks 

 that look more promising than the rest of its arid 

 flatness. Towards these I make my way, and during 

 the course of my ride, which occupies nearly an hour, I 

 see nothing but a single chimango hawk that circles in 

 the air above me and finally flies off in the direction 

 of the river. 



On approaching the ridge of hummocks, I see that 

 they lie upon the other side of a cleft in the plain, a 

 canadon full of coarse grass and scrub growing about a 

 dry river-bed. The sides are very precipitous, but that 

 is a small matter to the Patagonian horse, who, provided 



