38 



NA TURE 



\_May 8, 1884 



Here the Rio Quinto loses itself in an extensive sandy 

 plain to reappear not far off as the Salado, which river 

 falls into the Plate, about sixty miles south of Buenos 

 Ayres. A couple of days later, near Fort " Nichochsea " 

 the cactus was met with and the potato in blossom. The 

 tubers of the latter were very small, and, when boiled, 

 tasteless. Lakes were now often met with, the water 

 generally sweet, and the lakes encircled by sand-hills. At 

 Fort Sarmiento the Rio Quinto was crossed ; it had here 

 cut for itself a channel 300 feet wide through a gravelly 

 soil to a depth of some ten feet below its banks. About 

 December 23 trees became numerous, and the monotony 

 of the ocean-like plain was broken by the appearance of 

 a mountain (El Morro). Here Colonel Roca was in com- 

 mand of a garrison, and at once struck Prof. Crawford as 

 a man most highly gifted by the possession of many 

 qualities not often associated in the same individual. He 

 has since risen in his profession to be a general, and now 

 as President of the Argentine Republic directs its affairs 

 with wisdom and firmness. 



The country now became more interesting, and the Rio 

 Quinto presented well-wooded banks. Christmas Day was 

 spent in camp, the thermometer indicating 104' F. in the 

 shade. At Villa Mercedes the Rio Quinto runs in a 

 valley it has formed for itself some 1270 yards wide. Here 

 oxen were changed for mules, and the weariness of the 

 delay at this station was aggravated by the great heat of 

 the weather during the day, and the intensity, by contrast, 

 of the cold at night, the thermometer ranging from 107 F. 

 in the shade during the day to 34 F. at night. The mules gave 

 great trouble, refusing to carry the baggage 1 arts,and almost 

 bringing the expedition to a close ; but again the energy 

 of its head succeeded in getting matters to rights, but not 

 before a journey to San Luis, and procuring there the 

 requisite number of pack mules. San Luis was left on 

 February 3, and Mendoza was reached about the nth. 

 The first sight of the glorious range of the Andes inspired 

 the expedition with a fresh energy. 



" The scene which met our tired eyes was one of 

 such magnificence and grandeur as soon dispelled all 

 weariness, and filled us with wonder and amazement. 

 There stood the Andes boldly outlined against the sky, 

 with the mighty ' Tupungato' towering like a giant above 

 the other peaks, its snow-clad summit bathed in gold by 

 the sun's first rays (itself not yet apparent over the 

 horizon), while rosy clouds alternating with crimson and 

 violet of deepest hue, brought out the lights and shades 

 upon the rugged mountain tops, and all below was merged 

 in one vast sea of sombre grey, night's mantle, which the 

 sleeping earth had not yet put aside. Each moment did 

 the picture alter, and every change brought with it some 

 fresh beauty not before perceived, till the sun, rising from 

 the pampas as from the ocean, covered the mountains 

 with a dazzling light, in which the delicate tints and 

 shades of colour disappeared, and last of all the darkness 

 at their base resolved itself into a thin blue cloud like 

 smoke, which hung about them for a while, and then too, 

 was in turn forced to yield and vanish as the rest had 

 done. It was impossible to look on such a scene un- 

 moved, or to find words wherewith to reproduce it to 

 another's eye. Gladly would we have lingered gazing at 

 the view before us, but business, demanding our attention, 

 recalled us to more practical affairs. It was necessary 

 that we should be off without delay ; a long and weary 

 journey lying before us. That day we travelled six-and- 

 thirty miles, three-fourths of the distance being over a 

 barren sandy soil, destitute alike of grass and water. The 

 dav was very hot, and during it all our dogs, which for 

 many months had followed the fortunes of the expedition, 

 disappeared ; where they had gone to no one knew, but it 

 was thought that possibly they had sought shelter from 

 the scorching heat under some thick shrubs we passed 

 up > i the route, and never afterwards had been able to 

 overtake or find us ; 01- when the cold of night came on, 



they may have retraced their steps back on the route we 

 took that morning and joined their lot with the first 

 settler they fell in with. Whatever was their fate, we 

 deeply regretted to have lost our faithful followers and 

 friends." 



Soon they were up among the Andes into deep ravines 

 amonglofty hills, now descendinginto valleys, and soon after- 

 wards ascending giddy heights. An extinct volcano, now a 

 beautiful mountain called the " Cerrito Diamante," was 

 passed ; some thirty miles from it a rill of a yellowish- 

 white fluid, like petroleum, issuing from the mountain-side 

 at a considerable height, was discovered. The source from 

 which it flowed was at the junction where a hard metamor- 

 phic rock interspersed with small augite crystals overlay a 

 stratum of volcanic tuff. It was in form like a crater of a vol- 

 cano, and full of a black bituminous matter, hot and sticky, 

 which could be stirred to a depth of about 18 inches. 

 Floundering in it was a polecat, which had been enticed 

 to its fate by a bird caught in this natural birdlime. The 

 overflow was 2 or 3 feet wide, and as it spread out it 

 became of an asphalt-like form. Two other little birds 

 were found entangled in the stream, and on being released 

 both feathers and skin came off. Possibly they had mis- 

 taken the stream for water. A further search revealed 

 many bird and small mammalian skeletons embedded in 

 the mass, possibly a puzzle for some palaeontologist in 

 days to come. After leaving the River Atuel sandstone 

 and limestone strata were met with, and on February 29 

 their colleagues from the Pacific coast who had crossed 

 the Andes by the Planchon Pass were met. The com- 

 bined party rested a few days in the highland valley of 

 Las Lenas Amarillas, where guanacos abounded. The 

 watershed of this district was reached at a level of 9200 feet 

 above the sea, the scenery being of surpassing beauty, and 

 the Andes are described as having no lovelier spot than 

 this secluded " Valle Hermoso." Here a good deal of land- 

 surveying was accomplished, and also in the region of the 

 Rio Grande. In the middle of March the passage of the 

 Andes was begun via the Planchon Pass. The attempt to 

 cross by the head of the Rio Grande was frustrated by the 

 dangerous illness of a colleague when a height of about 

 11,000 feet had been attained, and fearing the conse- 

 quences if they bore him to the summit (1000 feet higher), 

 they retraced their steps and went over by the Planchon 

 Pass, 8225 feet above sea-level. On the descent silver and 

 copper mines were passed. After five months of hard- 

 ships, a day at the lovely baths of Cauquenes was 

 thoroughly enjoyed, and on March 25 the party arrived 

 at Santiago de Chili, described as a city which for its 

 position cannot be surpassed in grandeur and the mag- 

 nificence of its surroundings. After a fortnight's sojourn 

 here, Valparaiso was reached by rail, from whence, pro- 

 ceeding through the Magellan Straits, Monte Video was 

 reached, and thence home. 



All through the narrative the reader's interest is sus- 

 tained, and the author might often indeed have ventured 

 on further details without the least risk of being tedious. 

 The trials and hardships undergone are very slightly 

 dwelt upon, but they must have been many and great. 

 On the result of his labours, and on this pleasant nar- 

 ration of some of the chief incidents of his travels, we 

 heartily congratulate Mr. Crawford, whom we are also 

 glad to find once more located within the walls of his 

 ancient University, laying the varied experiences of his 

 life before the engine'ering classes of Trinity College, 

 Dublin. 



In a most valuable and important series of appendixes we 

 have an excellent account of the peaks and passes erf the 

 Andes, which seem in every was- worthy of the Alpine 

 clubs of Europe ; a most important essay on the Argen- 

 tine Republic, its position and extent, its Indian frontier 

 and invasions, its colonies and railways — a Republic with 

 a great future before it, and one' in which our ^British 

 interests are largelv involved. 



