96 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS : NARRATIVE. 



We had been told that two young Englishmen at Lake Argentine, were 

 possessed of a boat by which we could cross the Santa Cruz River. This 

 information led us to choose this route rather than that byway of the mouth 

 of the Santa Cruz. This afterwards caused us no little trouble and delay. 



For the first day and a half after leaving General Mayer's estancia we 

 followed up the north fork of Coy River, or Rio Aubone of the map. On 

 the evening of the second day we came to a place where the stream made 

 a long detour to the westward, and since our course lay in a northwesterly 

 direction, we decided to leave the river valley at this point and strike out 

 across the high pampa which lay beyond. Since the grass was exception- 

 ally good in the valley, we decided to stop for a day, in order to allow our 

 horses to rest and recruit themselves for their long trip across the pampa. 

 We had not supposed that we were nearer any human settlement than that 

 of Governor Mayer's when, about ten o'clock on the morning of the follow- 

 ing day, we saw a man on foot coming toward us from the opposite side 

 of the river. This was certainly unusual in a country where everybody 

 disdains to walk for even the shortest distance, and it awakened in us no 

 little interest and curiosity. The stream was not deep and, on reaching 

 it, he walked directly into and through it. As he approached we made out 

 by his gait that he was not an Indian, although as he came nearer, his 

 clothing and hair were quite as unkempt as we had been accustomed to see 

 among the Indians. When he drew near I was quite unprepared to hear 

 him address us in not only distinct but exceptionally good English. He at 

 once introduced himself, and explained that he lived just around a point on 

 the opposite side of the valley and had been out looking after a pair of work- 

 cattle, when he caught sight of our unfamiliar equipage and came over to 

 see what manner of folk we were, for he had been long enough in Pata- 

 gonia to acquire all the curiosity of the frontiersman. After learning our 

 intentions, he pointed out the best crossing of the creek, told us what he 

 knew of the high pampa between us and Lake Argentine, which in truth 

 was not much, and on taking his leave extended to us a very hearty 

 invitation to move over to his place, where he assured us there was a 

 spring of fine water, an abundance of fresh vegetables and welcome for 

 so long a time as we chose to remain. 



On the eighteenth of December we moved across the river to the house 

 of our new acquaintance and stopped for the day. With his wife (a half- 

 breed Tehuelche woman) and one child, he lived in an adobe house of 



