34 FROM SAN LUIS TO ROSARTO. 



the lion of the hotel, and after being tasted and examined by every one there, was about to be 

 returned to its place in the provision chest, in a very dilapidated condition, when we were 

 honored by the presence of two handsome and well-dressed young ladies, who called ostensibly 

 to visit the wife of Don Pancho, but really, either to see a tall and handsome yotmg Mendocino, 

 a fellow lodger, or my bar magnets, (which had acquired some fame), or both. Their curiosity 

 with reo-ard to the cheese was as great as that of the people of the hotel, and it was a matter 

 of regret to me that I could not offer them, in addition to the few crumbs scooped from its 

 bottom, any other delicacy than " Eau sucre," slightly dashed with aguardiente. The last 

 affected their tongues to such extent that they bored us, for near an hour, with a conversation 

 which was entirely local, and therefore uninteresting. At length they took leave, to our great 

 satisfaction, when I again restored the unfortunate cheese to its place, and prepared to retire for 

 the siesta. The cheese was worse than a nightmare. I had hardly made myself comfortable 

 before a servant came in with a note from the mother of the young ladies, stating that she 

 regretted exceedingly her health would not permit her to call on me, and requesting that I 

 would send her some of the cheese to try. I suppose I ought to have sent her the whole; but it 

 was really too valuable a " stand-by," and so I sent only a few crumbs. 



There were some thirty odd Indians in the Villa del Rio Cuarto, who had come in to traffic, 

 and were guests of the government while they remained. 



Their appearance does not differ from that of our North American Indians ; and, like them, 

 they are addicted to the vice of drinking to excess. They had only for sale ponchos, mantas, 

 and bolas. Of these they were disposing little by little, according to their desires for aguar- 

 diente or toys. Among them were several Cristianos, as they are called — natives of some of 

 the provinces, who had been carried off when young, and reared among the Indians, till they 

 preferred that mode of life to any other. One of these was rather an interesting woman. She 

 was still young, and had evidently been very fair and handsome ; but was now so burned by 

 the sun, and had so far acquired an Indian expression of features, as to attract btit little sym- 

 pathy by her looks. She came to the posada to beg bread, and remained some time in con- 

 versation with the women ; who, seeing that she still preserved a little silver cross hung around 

 her neck, that she appeared to regard with childish delight, endeavored to persuade her to 

 leave the Indians and return to Christian life. She played with her cross, wept a little, but 

 said it was too late then; that she had a husband and children among the Indians, and 

 could not leave them. "While she was talking, a fine-looking young Indian passed on horse- 

 back, sawing on an accordeon, and so drunk he could hardly keep his seat ; and, on discovering 

 the woman with us, he addressed a few guttural sounds to her in a very surly tone, and rode 

 on. She now became urgent for the bread; stating that she had been placed under his charge 

 by her husband, and that he had ordered her to the camp. What she asked for was given, and 

 she went away at a trot, apjjarently a good deal alarmed. 



Hoping to obtain information from a party who came to the posada, I ordered a large glass 

 of aguardiente, and commenced questioning the cacique through a young Cristiano, who acted 

 as interpreter ; but could get no answer to inquiries respecting the Tunuyan and some other 

 streams, except that they were "Alia, muy fierra adeniro" — a long way in the interior. As 

 regards the nature of the country in which they live, he said it was not pampa, but thickly 

 wooded. He also told me that I could go down among them in perfect safety, as they were a 

 peaceable people, and never interfered with those who did not trouble them. I have no doubt 

 that, personally, I should have been safe ; but it is more than probable I would have been 

 robbed of everything. Indeed, several of the natives along the road told me that a foreigner 

 was much less exposed to danger from the Indians than themselves; and there is good reason 

 for this, for it is known (or at least is generally stated) that one of the former governors of 

 the department of the Rio Cuarto treacherously induced twenty-five or thirty Indians to come 

 in for the purpose of making a treaty, and then had caused them all to be assassinated. 



While we were talking, the liquor was brought out and handed to the chief, who took a sip 



