158 CHARLES DARWIN 



ever, both here and in other places, a very general interest 

 in the ensuing election for the President; and this appears 

 a good sign for the prosperity of this little country. The 

 inhabitants do not require much education in their repre- 

 sentatives; I heard some men discussing the merits of those 

 for Colonia ; and it was said that, " although they were not 

 men of business, they could all sign their names:" with this 

 they seemed to think every reasonable man ought to be 

 satisfied. 



i8th. Rode with my host to his estancia, at the Arroyo 

 de San Juan. In the evening we took a ride round the 

 estate: it contained two square leagues and a half, and was 

 situated in what is called a rincon; that is, one side was 

 fronted by the Plata, and the two others guarded by im- 

 passable brooks. There was an excellent port for little ves- 

 sels, and an abundance of small wood, which is valuable 

 as supplying fuel to Buenos Ayres. I was curious to know 

 the value of so complete an estancia. Of cattle there were 

 3000, and it would well support three or four times that 

 number; of mares 800, together with 150 broken-in horses, 

 and 600 sheep. There was plenty of water and limestone, 

 a rough house, excellent corrals, and a peach orchard. For 

 all this he had been offered 2000, and he only wanted 500 

 additional, and probably would sell it for less. The chief 

 trouble with an estancia is driving the cattle twice a week 

 to a central spot, in order to make them tame, and to count 

 them. This latter operation would be thought difficult, 

 where there are ten or fifteen thousand head together. It 

 is managed on the principle that the cattle invariably di- 

 vide themselves into little troops of from forty to one hun- 

 dred. Each troop is recognized by a few peculiarly marked 

 animals, and its number is known: so that, one being lost 

 out of ten thousand, it is perceived by its absence from one 

 of the tropillas. During a stormy night the cattle all mingle 

 together; but the next morning the tropillas separate as 

 before ; so that each animal must know its fellow out of ten 

 thousand others. 



On two occasions I met with in this province some oxen 

 of a very curious breed, called nata or niata. They appear 

 externally to hold nearly the same relation to other cattle, 



