THE GORGE OF THE RIVER DE LOS ANTIGUOS 145 



the river was formed of large boulders, and progress was conse- 

 quently very slow. After a time we forded across, the water 

 barely reaching to the horses' knees, but flowing so rapidly as to 



LAKE BUENOS AIRES FROM THE CANADON OF THE RIVER DE LOS ANTIGUOS 



bring down good-sized tree-trunks with it. We made a camp in a 

 bare place backed by a deep green forest. After our meal, which 

 consisted of half an emergency ration each, a couple of two-ounce 

 dumplings and some tea, we climbed the western barranca, and 

 discovered an open space in the forest, where the grass rose to our 

 middles, and we were greeted by the wet smell of earth, to which we 

 had long been strangers on the dry stretches of the pampas. We 

 called the spot Rest-and-be- thankful Camp, and at once moved the 

 horses up to it, and on the way Fritz, who happened to be in an 

 obstinate mood, lay down among the stones. Little did we think 

 at the time how often we were destined to climb up and down that 

 weary barranca. 



A number of animals live in the Gorge of the River de los 

 Antiguos. Quite close to the camp I found tracks of wolves, 

 guanaco, huemul, a wild cat, and the smaller rodents. There 



K 



