FROM SAN LUIS TO ROSARIO. 37 



afford shelter for my head ; hut when I was ahout to occupy it, the peon discovered a vihora 

 coiled away between the holsters, which put all further ideas of rest out of the question. 



The vihora is a small snake, from eighteen inches to two feet long, very much resembling in 

 appearance what in North Carolina is called the ground rattlesnake. Its bite is said to he a 

 deadly poison. We passed the siesta in wandering about looking for ostrich nests, of which we 

 found one filled with eggs and young birds. Some of the eggs were quite fresh, and served the 

 men for dinner ; but I found them hard and unpalatable, and preferred to make my meal of 

 char qui. 



We saw large numbers of deer, guanacos, and water-fowl feeding about the laguna, and felt 

 enough mosquitos to' last me till doomsday. 



Weather clear. Wind from N.E. Thermometer 92° in the shade, and 95° in the sun. 

 At 3.45 p. M. set out again, and travelled till 9, when we camped. Passed two ranches, 

 dignified by being called Lucacha. Eoad as before — over pampa, with occasional lagunas, in 

 which a great number of ducks, cranes, and plover were feeding. 



December 28. — Passed a miserable night. With his usual want of foresight, the arriero 

 stopped in a bight nearly surrounded by marshy ground and lagunas, where we were so pestered 

 by mosquitos that at one o'clock — finding it impossible to sleep — I ordered a march ; but, unfor- 

 tunately, two of our mules had strayed off, and we had to endure the discomfort of the flies and 

 a drenching shower of rain till half-past sis. 



Travelled till noon, and stopped near a rancho called Los Torsales. 



On the way the peon killed a partridge with singular dexterity by riding around it until the 

 bird was confused, and then knocking it over with his knife. At our stopping place it was 

 roasted and offered me, I conceived, as a compliment ; but^ as we had started on the principle of 

 all sharing alike, I divided it into three parts, and we partook equally. After a while, feeling 

 hungry, I inquired for dinner, and learned that my two worthies, to whom I had been so gen- 

 erous with the partridge, had eaten up all there was, supposing that the bird would suffice me. 

 I have before spoken of the habits of these people with regard to fasting, and I mention this 

 circumstance as proof of a directly opposite quality. When we left the Villa de la Concep- 

 cion we had enough beef and charqui to last any three reasonable appetites a week, but these 

 fellows had eaten it all in two days. 



They can fast a long time, but are also capable of devouring more meat than grizzly bears. 

 Fortunately, the owner of the rancho was kind enough to sell us some new cheese, on which 

 we made a comfortable dinner. 



The traveller on the pampa must not take it for granted that he can procure food at the dif- 

 ferent houses along the road. On the contrary, he would be more able to sell than to buy the 

 necessaries of life. It is a remarkable fact, that although essentially a cattle-growing country, 

 it. is very difficult to obtain beef. One may purchase a whole ox or a sheep; but to buy a few 

 pounds is almost impossible : the country people kill and dry only the amount they require for 

 their own use, and have none for sale. At one place where we stopped, on my second journey, 

 the people refused to furnish us at any price, denying that they had anything, until the arriero 

 discovered a pile of charqui, which I suppose was prepared from some animal that had died a 

 natural death, as it was so inferior that it was destined for the use of the dogs ; and even this 

 they were very reluctant to sell. As for bread, except in the towns, it is wholly out of the ques- 

 tion: the natives generally beg bread of travellers. 



At 4 p. M. set out again^ and travelled till 8.30 p. m., the road leading over pampa, with 

 occasional lagunas. We saw several swans and flamingoes in some of these. Wind strong 

 from S. E. Weather clear and warm. Thermometer at 3 p. M. 84°. 5. Mosquitos pestiferous! 

 December 29. — Left camp at daylight, and at 9 stopped for work under the shade of a fine peje 

 tree. Nothing could have been more fortunate than the discovery of this tree. I had been in- 

 formed farther back that in Saladillo there was no appropriate place for magnetic observations, and 

 had been on the look out for a shady tree under which I might make my experiments free from the 



