212 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



precaution has resulted in the drowning of horses on many 

 occasions. 



After seeing Burbury safely across, I started on my tramp back 

 to the camp at the mouth of the Leona. Fortunately, I carried 

 the whole ostrich with me, as I thought it was quite possible we 

 might be held back by bad weather in our voyage up the lake. 



Cattle and Bernardo had stayed with the launch to prepare her 

 for probable rough handling by the waters of Lake Argentine, and 

 it was lucky they did so, as events proved. Cattle lighted a smoke 

 to give me my direction, and I was tempted to try a short cut, 

 which led me across an interminable series of sandhills mottled 

 with the tracks of foxes and lions (pumas). 



When I got into camp we held a small festival in honour of the 

 launch's good behaviour, and drank to her health and good luck in 

 a cup of tea sweetened with the last of our sugar. But it never 

 does to rejoice prematurely, and our way along the north shore of 

 the lake turned out to be a battle with adverse winds, rain, and 

 vindictive bad weather. 



The launch presented quite a different appearance by the time 

 I returned. The engine-room hatch had been covered by a canvas 

 hood, and bulwarks formed by lashing oars to strengthen the wire 

 railing which ran round the deck. The wheel had been rigged up 

 forward and protected by a weather-dodger. The cargo had been 

 carefully stowed, and, in fact, every precaution taken to ensure the 

 safety of the boat and to make her seaworthy. 



The following is taken from my diary, which carries us from 

 hour to hour of the next few troubled days : 



" February 21. — It blew pretty hard all through the morning, 

 and the bar of the Leona was quite impassable ; but towards 

 evening the wind dropped slightly, so we got up steam and started. 

 We ran out over the bar, fighting our way by inches through the 

 heavy surf, but just beyond it the engine broke down, and we were 

 at the mercy of the wind and waves. It looked as if we were 

 being driven back to certain shipwreck, for the launch could not 

 live in the seas that were breaking on the bar. I cut loose one of 

 the oars which formed our bulwark, and both Cattle and I did 

 what we could to prevent her turning broadside on. 



