THE PAMPAS OF PATAGONIA. 17 



ing 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 he be not 

 asked to jump anything, will carry his rider in safety across 

 almost any natural obstacle that may arise. The horse I 

 am riding to-day is known as the cruzado, so called because 

 of the cross markings he shows, his near hind leg and the off 

 fore each bearing a white stocking. He is one of the three 

 horses out of the large number I had to do with in Pata- 

 gonia that could be trusted to fulfil all the requirements of 

 a good shooting horse. Having dismounted, I drop the 

 reins over the cruzado's head, and prepare to leave him with 

 an easy mind, for I know that even if I do not return for 

 hours, he will inevitably remain quietly within a hundred 

 yards of the same spot. In a country of vast distances 

 this is a very useful acquirement, as few situations can be 

 more trying than that of a hunter, who having dismounted 

 for a stalk, returns from it so see his horse disappearing in 

 the distance, stirrups swinging and reins flying, towards 

 the camp, which is perhaps ten or fifteen miles away. 



No sooner have I reached the bottom of the cleft, than 

 I see three ostriches, as Darwin's rhea is locally called. 

 They have long since spied me and are already nearly half 



