82 BAHIA BLANC A chap. 



common salt increased to 37 parts in a hundred. This 

 circumstance would tempt one to believe that the sulphate of 

 soda is generated in the soil, from the muriate left on the 

 surface during the slow and recent elevation of this dry country. 

 The whole phenomenon is well w^orthy the attention of 

 naturalists. Have the succulent, salt-loving plants, which are 

 well known to contain much soda, the power of decomposing 

 the muriate ? Does the black fetid mud, abounding with 

 organic matter, yield the sulphur and ultimately the sulphuric 

 acid ? 



Two days afterwards I again rode to the harbour : when 

 not far from our destination, my companion, the same man as 

 before, spied three people hunting on horseback. He im- 

 mediately dismounted, and watching them intently, said, " They 

 don't ride like Christians, and nobody can leave the fort." The 

 three hunters joined company, and likewise dismounted from 

 their horses. At last one mounted again and rode over the 

 hill out of sight. My companion said, " We must now get on 

 our horses : load your pistol ; " and he looked to his own 

 sword. I asked, " Are they Indians ? " — " Quien sabe ? (who 

 knows ?) if there are no more than three, it does not signify." 

 It then struck me, that the one man had gone over the hill to 

 fetch the rest of his tribe. I suggested this ; but all the 

 answer I could extort w^as, " Quien sabe ? " His head and eye 

 never for a minute ceased scanning slowly the distant horizon, 

 r thought his uncommon coolness too good a joke, and asked 

 him why he did not return home. I was startled when he 

 answered, ** We are returning, but in a line so as to pass near 

 a sw^amp, into which we can gallop the horses as far as they 

 can go, and then trust to our own legs ; so that there is no 

 danger." I did not feel quite so confident of this, and wanted 

 to increase our pace. He said, " No, not until they do." 

 When any little inequality concealed us, we galloped ; but 

 when in sight, continued walking. At last we reached a valley, 

 and turning to the left, galloped quickly to the foot of a hill ; 

 he gave me his horse to hold, made the dogs lie down, and 

 then crawled on his hands and knees to reconnoitre. He 

 remained in this position for some time, and at last, bursting 

 out in laughter, exclaimed, " Mugeres ! " (women !) He knew 



