80 CHARLES DARWIN 



out of their ponchos, and fasten it to the tree. Richer 

 Indians are accustomed to pour spirits and mate into a cer- 

 tain hole, and likewise to smoke upwards, thinking thus to 

 afford all possible gratification to Walleechu. To complete 

 the scene, the tree was surrounded by the bleached bones 

 of horses which had been slaughtered as sacrifices. All 

 Indians of every age and sex make their offerings ; they then 

 think that their horses will not tire, and that they themselves 

 shall be prosperous. The Gaucho who told me this, said that 

 in the time of peace he had witnessed this scene, and that 

 he and others used to wait till the Indians had passed by, for 

 the sake of stealing from Walleechu the offerings. 



The Gauchos think that the Indians consider the tree as 

 the god itself, but it seems for more probable that they 

 regard it as the altar. The only cause which I can imagine 

 for this choice, is its being a landmark in a dangerous pas- 

 sage. The Sierra de la Ventana is visible at an immense 

 distance ; and a Gaucho told me that he was once riding with 

 an Indian a few miles to the north of the Rio Colorado, 

 when the Indian commenced making the same loud noise, 

 which is usual at the first sight of the distant tree; putting 

 his hand to his head, and then pointing in the direction of the 

 Sierra. Upon being asked the reason of this, the Indian said 

 in broken Spanish, " First see the Sierra." About two 

 leagues beyond this curious tree we halted for the night: at 

 this instant an unfortunate cow was spied by the lynx-eyed 

 Gauchos, who set off in full chase, and in a few minutes 

 dragged her in with their lazos, and slaughtered her. We 

 here had the four necessaries of life " en el campo," pas- 

 ture for the horses, water (only a muddy puddle), meat and 

 firewood. The Gauchos were in high spirits at finding all 

 these luxuries ; and we soon set to work at the poor cow. This 

 was the first night which I passed under the open sky, with 

 the gear of the recado for my bed. There is high enjoyment 

 in the independence of the Gaucho life to be able at any 

 moment to pull up your horse, and say, " Here we will pass 

 the night." The death-like stillness of the plain, the dogs 

 keeping watch, the gipsy-group of Gauchos making their 

 beds round the fire, have left in my mind a strongly-marked 

 picture of this first night, which will never be forgotten. 



