May 8, 1884] 



NA TURE 



37 



been obliged, owing to heavy falls of snow, to abandon 

 the work, which was not resumed until September. In 

 this month too the preliminary party of the Pampas expe- 

 dition started, and were followed by the rest of the party 

 towards the end of October. We leave the reader to 

 peruse in the volume itself an account of all the troubles 

 and difficulties that had to be, and were, overcome ere a 

 party of sixty-six persons, not counting the escort, could 

 be started on such a journey across the boundless 

 Pampas. 



By the end of November the Indian frontier was 

 reached, the work of the Survey having proceeded well. 

 Water was often scarce, and only procured by sinking 

 wells, which furnished but very moderate supplies. Some 

 very sudden changes of temperature were encountered. 

 Thus, on November 13, "the thermometer, which had 

 hitherto been registering great heats, suddenly fell to 

 26 ; F., converting the water in our tents into ice." Deer 

 (Cervus campestris) and partridge (Nothwa maculosa 



and Rhyncotus rufescens) were abundant. The deer at the 

 season they were met with went about in small herds of 

 from three to seven. As they advanced water became 

 more scarce, and moreover was often muddy. Once when 

 the stock at the disposal of the engineers' mess was reduced 

 to a small kettle-full, and that heavily charged with sedi- 

 ment, it was resolved as a means both of economising the 

 fluid and making the most of the mud, that it should be 

 made into coffee. Anxiously the little group sat around 

 the camp fire watching the kettle, the water in which was 

 never to boil, for by some unfortunate accident, the 

 particulars of which were never explained, as the subject 

 was one too painful to be talked over, the kettle was over- 

 set, and its contents poured out on the resenting flames, 

 amidst a groan of horror from the parched throats around 

 it. In this Indian territory Rheas i Strut hio rhed) were 

 numerous, and the young birds were very easily tamed, 

 those captured by the men becoming pets in a few days, 

 and wandering about the camp like young turkeys. The 



Tupurjgato, from the River T.ujan- 



generally careful and prudent engineer-in-chief was here on 

 one occasion so heedless of his own safety that he was 

 nearly coming, to grief. One night he passed out of 

 bounds unnoticed, but on attempting to regain the en- 

 campment he found his situation most serious, for he was 

 at once challenged by the sentry, who happened to be a 

 Frenchman fresh from the experiences of the Franco- 

 German war, and not being satisfied with Prof. Crawford's 

 explanation, he proceeded to present his rifle. Not 

 anxious to serve as a target, the professor, to prevent the 

 sentry from getting him projected on the sky line, fell flat 

 on the ground, and while in that somewhat undignified 

 position, some of the men coming out on hearing the 

 alarm, recognised his voice, and released him, resolving 

 to be more prudent the next time that he wandered beyond 

 range. Several troops of wild horses were met with ; 

 they had all flowing manes, and tails that swept the 

 ground. On November 29, an attack in force of the 

 Indians being most imminent, and the military escort 

 being ordered to retire on Fort Media Luna, the surveying 



operations were most reluctantly discontinued. The last 

 peg was driven well into the ground and covered with a 

 large mound of earth. When thinking of resuming opera- 

 tions, Prof. Crawford demanded an escort of 200 men, but 

 after a promise of fifty, was only eventually furnished with 

 twenty. To continue the survey work with such an 

 escort was quite out of all reason, and the question 

 arose, what was to be done ? After all that had been 

 endured and all that had been accomplished, was the 

 expedition to be abandoned ? Such a termination would 

 have been a most painful one to all engaged ; Crawford 

 therefore determined to risk everything, and endeavour to 

 accomplish the mission by crossing the Pampas in a com- 

 pact body, keeping along the line of frontier until the 

 Andes were approached, and then bearing southwards, to 

 ascend their eastern slopes until they should join their 

 colleagues from the Chilian side at the place of rendez- 

 vous. This detennination they proceeded to carry out on 

 December 6, when Media Luna was left. On the iSth the 

 swampy district known as the " Amarga " was reached 



