THE KINGDOM OF THE WINDS 117 



give in before a force so far beyond you. Last of all, you go on 

 enduring until you become, as it were, acclimatised, and inclined to 

 laugh at the despair you experienced a while previously. So it 

 was on this day's march. About noon I said to myself as we were 

 crossing the high pampa above the barranca of the Riv^er Chalia — a 

 desolate spot, rough and tussocky, and gambolled over by Titanic 

 winds— "We will camp at four sharp." The decision at the 

 moment was a comfort, but in the end we did not camp until 

 close upon seven o'clock, blind with sand, and our hands bleeding 

 from the cold and the harsh friction of the cargo ropes. 



It was as we approached this camp that I saw beside a lagoon 

 of snow-water two American oyster-catchers (^Hcpinatopus palliatus) 

 which, no doubt, had nested in the vicinity, as, on my going closer, 

 they rose and circled with their darting flight above my head, but 

 I failed to find the nest. There were many guanacos about, and I 

 was not surprised to hear that this lagoon, Laguna La Cancha, was 

 a very favourite encampment of the Indians, The scenery sur- 

 rounding the pool is peculiarly inhospitable. Some one remarked 

 that it reminded him of Dore's illustrations to the Inferno, adding, 

 " If you were to put heat to it, it would be Hell." Huge rolling 

 downs, bare hills, and no vegetation save a few tussocks and 

 scattered meagre shrubs. The Indian said the winter hits this 

 land very hard, and the whole district is buried under snow, only the 

 high, bald tops of the hills being visible. 



The next day was Sunday, but not on this occasion a day of 

 rest. One thought of the bells ringing far away at home and the 

 concourse of people moving along the winter roads. Here was 

 wind, cold, and a march, cargo to be fixed and refixed to the day's 

 end, then a windy camp-fire, and after a short sleep till dawn. 

 Hitherto the toil had been hard, but we were nearing the lake, 

 and looked forward to a time of rest and hunting. 



We were rich in meat with the cow, sheep, a Darwin's rhea 

 caught by the Indian's dogs, and three geese. The hounds of the 

 Indian proved themselves to be troublesome thieves. Hurbury 

 and I were obliged to sleep beside the meat. r)esidcs being 

 cunniiv'' thieves the dosfs were cowards. Thev were to all intents 

 and purposes wild as regarded their habits. \'et good guanaco- 



