50 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



grajpsus angulatus), which was common in pools in the rocks, 

 being almost the only marine animal obtained. The heat 

 was very great, and the air tainted with the putrefying car- 

 cases of mules, horses, etc., lying about unburied, with many 

 huge black pigs prowling about in their vicinity. 



The following day was chiefly distinguished by a rather 

 unpleasant adventure. A number of us who had spent the 

 afternoon on shore being caught in a pampero on our way 

 back to the ship, and reaching it with much difficulty, 

 drenched to the skin. One of the great drawbacks to Monte 

 Video is,' certainly, the prevalence of these gales ; and, as Cap- 

 tain Mayne remarks in his Journal, one of its worst features 

 is, that there is not a safe pier in the harbour when there is 

 any wind. 



On the 3d of December I accompanied two of the officers, 

 who were appointed to take a set of magnetic observations, to 

 the foot of the Mount, an eminence nearly 500 feet high, from 

 which the city of Monte Video derives its name. While my 

 companions were engaged in their work, I took a ramble over 

 the hill, the greater part of which was of a splendid purple 

 tint, from the profusion of the Echmm I have already men- 

 tioned, which covered it. Near the summit I found specimens 

 of a blue and yellow lupine, a red and a yellow Oxalis, a pink- 

 flowered prostrate Mimosa, and an Echino-cactus, with straw- 

 coloured flowers. I carried with me on this occasion two tin 

 japanned vascula, which caused my employment to be some- 

 what misconstrued by various of the country people, near 

 whose dwellings I passed, at they assailed me with cries of 

 " Que vende, que vende ?" 



