224 IDLE DAYS IN PATAGONIA 



say would be sufficient to make their condition 

 immeasurably better. If, in the wild natural life, 

 their normal state is like that into which I tem- 

 porarily fell, then it no longer appears strange to 

 me that they take no thought for the morrow, and 

 remain stationary, and are only a little removed 

 from other mammalians, their superiority in 

 this respect being only sufficient to counter- 

 balance their physical disadvantages. That in- 

 stinctive state of the human mind, when the 

 higher faculties appear to be non-existent, a 

 state of intense alertness and preparedness, 

 which compels the man to watch and listen 

 and go silently and stealthily, must be like that of 

 the lower animals : the brain is then like a highly- 

 polished mirror, in which all visible nature every 

 hill, tree, leaf is reflected with miraculous clear- 

 ness ; and we can imagine that if the animal could 

 think and reason, thought would be superfluous 

 and a hindrance, since it would dim that bright 

 perception on which his safety depends. 



That is a part, the lesser part, of the lesson I 

 learnt in the Patagonian solitude : the second 

 larger part must be cut very short ; for on all sides 

 it leads to other questions, some of which would 

 probably be thought "more curious than edify- 

 ing." That hidden fiery core is nearer to us than 

 we ordinarily imagine, and its heat still permeates 

 the crust to keep us warm. This is, no doubt, a 

 matter of annoyance and even grief to those who 

 grow impatient at Nature's unconscionable slow- 



