MOEE TRIPS AND TRAVELS 219 



and the maid put a dish on the ground. The 

 point of the skewer rested on the dish, and papers 

 were put round it on the floor to catch the grease 

 spots during the carving. The man produced a 

 bowie knife and sliced of! hunks of beef, which the 

 maid handed round to all the guests, fifteen or 

 sixteen of us. That, together with eight other 

 courses, comprised the luncheon. I must say it 

 was a very nice flavour, but in a hot climate like 

 that they are unable to hang the meat, and in 

 consequence it eats tough. The remainder is 

 always eaten by the Peons, as it does not keep 

 many hours in such a hot climate. 



After leaving Mr. Paats we motored back to 

 Mar del Plata, which is the Brighton of Buenos 

 Ayres, noticing on our way the roads, which were 

 in width anything from thirty to sixty yards wide, 

 but are very uneven, and in parts difficult for 

 travelHng for the motor. We saw flocks of red and 

 green parrots, herons, flamingoes, and many others 

 of the feathered tribe ; but what struck us most of 

 all was the great number of carcases of sheep and 

 cattle lying there by the hundreds — some just dead, 

 others partly decayed, and in all states of decay ; 

 some being finished off by the vultures (this hap- 

 pens more after a long drought.) 



The next day we paid a visit to Senor Martinez 

 de Hoz*s stud. After traveUing through a barren 



