CHAPTER IV. 



FROM SAN LUIS TO KOSARIO. 



LEAVE SAN LUIS. NATURE OF THE COUNTRY. OUR PARTT. RIO QUINTO. SAN JOSE DELMORRO. FORTIFICATIONS. 



CHURCH WITHOUT A PRIEST. POPULATION. A NEW YORKER. WILD HORSES. BISCACHAS. INDOLENCE OF THE 



ARRIERO STRIKINGLY ILLUSTRATED. ACHIRAS. VILLA DE LA CONCEPCION. APPEARANCE. POPULATION. DON 



MARTIN QUEZON. STATISTICAL TABLE. MY LANDLORD. AN ADVENTURE. ADVENTURES OF A DUTCH CHEESE. 



INDIANS. CHRISTIAN CAPTIVES AMONG- THEM. DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING INFORMATION. PRESENTS FROM THEM 



RATHER EXPENSIVE. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONS. HAIL-STORMS. BISCACHAS. LOCUSTS. CHRISTMAS DAY. 



LEAVE THE VILLA DB LA CONCEPCION. RIO CUARTO. UN-ENCLOSED CORN FIELDS. HUTS OF HERDSMEN. LA 



REDUCCION. SICKNESS OF ONE OF THE MULES, NOVEL CURE. VIPERS. OSTRICH NEST. MOSQUITOS. GLUTTONY 



OF THE ARRIERO. DIFFICULTY OF OBTAINING FOOD. PEJE TREE STATION. ALMOST PERFECT HORIZON. SALADILLO 



DE RUI DIAZ. FORTIFICATIONS OF THE CABEZA DEL TIGRE POST-HOUSE. RIO TERCERO. DESMOCHADOS. SUPER- 

 STITION OF THE PEOPLE. ARRIVE AT ROSARIO. 



I)ecember 20.- — Left San Luis at 6 a. m., and at 3 p. M. arrived at the Eio Quinto — distance 

 estimated thirty-six miles, as follows : Five around the point of the San Luis range, through a 

 wooded country, with occasionally huts on either hand ; five to two streamlets flowing to the 

 southwestward, whose waters are consumed in irrigating the neighhoring fields ; and thence, 

 at a very short distance, the road emerges from the wooded country, and for twenty-three miles 

 leads across the pampa or prairie land, where there are- no trees or shruhs, except chanares and 

 algarrohas, at long intervals — the surface being gently rolling, and covered with wire-grass 

 about a foot high. Three miles before arriving at the Rio Quinto, there are occasional clumps 

 of algarrohas, and ridges of low, rocky hills — some of the rocks appearing to he marble, and are 

 of dazzling whiteness. 



Our party consisted of the arriero, his peon^, and myself, with only one wretched old horse for 

 a change in case any of the animals in use should fail. As for the arriero and his man, they 

 were very difierent from my former companions. The first was very taciturn, and travelled along, 

 with his enormous ill-looking face dropped on his breast, looking as surly as a bull, and the only 

 words I could ever get out of him were, "What did you say, sir?" "Yes, sir," or "No, sir;" 

 or, if I asked where we would stop, he would answer, "in such a place," "con permiso de Dios 

 y Maria santisima" — never failing to add this devout clause of "with the permission of God 

 and the most holy Mary." The peon was a fool, and appeared to have no other idea than fear 

 of the arriero ; so that I was lonesome enough. 



We stopped for rest, and to eat our dinner on the bank of the river ; and after remaining there 

 nearly three hours, set out again, and travelled till nine o'clock, when we camped by the road- 

 side. The weather during the day was nearly clear, and the sun very oppressive. Wind light 

 from the southeastward. 



The Eio Quinto, or fifth river, rises near the Carolina mines, in the mountains north of San 

 Luis ; and where we crossed it was about twenty-five yards wide and two feet deep, with a current 

 of five miles an hour to the south-eastward. Six or eight leagues to the southward it reaches the 

 more level land of the pampa: has scarcely any current: spreads out into lagunas and marshes, 

 and is lost. There are several ranches on and near its banks at the ford, with some few small 

 corn fields. The people appear to live in great wretchedness, but are very polite and obliging. 

 After crossing the river the road leads over rocky hills, thinly wooded with algarrohas and 

 chanares for about six miles, when it again enters on the open pampa. 



