CHAPTER V 



THE RIVER VALLEYS 



Arbitrary distribution of animals in Patagonia— Trouble with Gauchos— 

 Indian guide — Germans turned baclc — Cahadon of River Senguerr — Bad 

 weather— Old Zaino again causes damage — Loss of clothes, ammunition, &c., 

 in the river — Shooting upland geese — River Mayo — Hailstorm — A day's sport 

 in Patagonia — Shooting a wild cow— Was it a wild cow ? — Musters' account of 

 wild cattle— First meeting with Tehuelche Indians. 



In consequence of the visit of the comisario we were somewhat 

 late in starting from Colohuapi, but nevertheless made a good 

 march of about fifteen miles, and camped in the valley, after 

 driving the two horses past a bend of the river that would 

 prevent them from attempting to break back towards their pasture 

 at Colohuapi. The day was very warm indeed and the night 

 rather cold, the thermometer at midday and at night being 

 respectively 74° F. and 37° F. 



We were now upon the banks of the River Senguerr, the 

 Senguel of Captain Musters. 



The extraordinary tameness of the upland geese in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Colohuapi was very remarkable ; they allowed one to 

 approach within eighty yards before bestirring themselves. After 

 the first day's march beyond Colohuapi we never saw again any 

 specimen of the Patagonian cavy {Dolichoiis patagonica), although 

 round the shores of the lakes Musters and Colhue these animals 

 abound. It is strange that the habitat of the cavy should be so 

 sharply defined, considering that there appears to be no apparent 

 reason, such as alteration of the nature of the ground or vegetation, 

 to account for the fact. The armadillo [Dasypus minutus), which 

 is found in numbers on the north bank of the River Santa Cruz, is 

 entirely absent from the south bank, nor, to my knowledge, has a 

 single specimen ever been secured there. This instance of the 



