22 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS I NARRATIVE. 



attempts, finally caught. But that which was more striking even than their 

 lack of skill with the lasso was their wanton cruelty. When an animal 

 was caught, instead of despatching it at once, its hamstrings were cut and 

 it was left in this helpless condition to be jostled and trampled by the rest 

 of the bunch during the half hour or more consumed in catching the 

 second animal, which was served likewise. When both were despatched 

 and dressed, they proved to be old cows in very poor condition and in 

 calf, one carrying a half grown foetus, and the other, one about the size of 

 a rabbit. The larger of these was carefully dressed and taken on board 

 together with the two adult carcasses, and was no doubt served up to 

 us as soup during the remainder of our voyage. Such a thing as unripe 

 veal is apparently unknown among Argentine epicures. 



Late in the afternoon we left Port Desire for Santa Cruz, where we 

 arrived on the evening of the following day. This settlement, which for 

 years was used as a penal colony by the Argentine government, is situated 

 on the south side of the Santa Cruz River, some eight miles from its 

 mouth, in 50 10' S. Lat. It was at this place we were to disembark the 

 company of soldiers we had brought from Bahia Blanca, and since we 

 also had a considerable amount of cargo to discharge, we were delayed 

 most of the following day. The village consists of some twenty or thirty 

 small shanties constructed of adobe or corrugated iron, while at a distance 

 of some two miles further up the river are located the buildings formerly 

 occupied by the prisoners and their guards, when Santa Cruz was a penal 

 colony. These are now collectively spoken of as "The Mission," and 

 are occupied by the master of the port and his "mariners." The post- 

 office for Santa Cruz is also located here, so that persons residing in 

 Santa Cruz proper have to go two miles to get their mail. 



On the morning following our arrival at Santa Cruz we went ashore. 

 At low tide there is a great bank of shingle rising from the water to a 

 height of some thirty feet. At high tide this is for the most part sub- 

 merged. Extending back from the river for a distance of about a mile, 

 is a nearly level valley, in which stand the few small buildings of the 

 village. This valley gradually increases in elevation, as one proceeds from 

 the bed of shingle that forms the river's bank to the foot of an escarp- 

 ment, which rises some three hundred feet above the surface and forms the 

 southern border of the valley. This small valley, like many another in 

 this region, is of recent origin, and has been formed by the gradual eleva- 



