ROUND AND ABOUT LAKE BUENOS AIRES 131 



have been washed down, lie at the Hp of the flood level. When I 

 was there in the dry season the upper rim of timber was about 200 

 yards distant from the edge of the water. 



The sharp contrast of fertility and sterility that one meets with 



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INLET OF LAKE BUENOS AIRES 



in Patagonia is remarkable, the more so as they often lie in close 

 proximity the one to the other. I have mentioned an arid spread 

 of yellow mud and stones cut up by deep gorges which we crossed 

 before reaching the lake. I do not think that any painter desiring 

 to picture desolation could do better than descend the central gorge 

 and there paint its gaunt and rugged outlines, tumbled together in 

 a horror of barrenness that the eyes ached to look upon. Yet close 

 to this place, within ten yards of it. a neck of land displayed green 

 scrub, ay, and flowers — -beautiful pLirj)le sweet-pea-likc; flowers 

 in profusion ! And on the farther side was a green gully with 

 two blue peaty waterholes. 



Near by, as I have said, we established a base camp, from 

 which we made four expeditions towards the Cordillera, which lie- 



