230 Idle Days in Patagonia. 



and are only a little removed from other mammalians, 

 their superiority in this respect being only sufBcient 

 to counterbalance their physical disadvantages. 

 That instinctive state of the human mind, when the 

 higher faculties appear to be non-existent, a state 

 of intense alertness and preparedness, which com- 

 pels the man to watch and listen and go silently and 

 stealthily, must be like that of the lower animals : 

 the brain is then like a highly-polished mirror, in 

 which all visible nature — every hill, tree, leaf — is 

 reflected with miraculous clearness ; and we can 

 imagine that if the animal could think and reason, 

 thought would be superfluous and a hindrance, since 

 it would dim that bright perception on which his 

 safety depends. 



That is a part, the lesser part, of the lesson I" 

 learnt in the Patagonian solitude : the second larger 

 part must be cut very short ; for on all sides it 

 leads to other questions, some of which would 

 probably be thought " more curious than edifying." 

 That hidden fiery core is nearer to us than we 

 ordinarily imagine, and its heat still permeates the 

 crust to keep us warm. This is, no doubt, a matter 

 of annoyance and even grief to those who grow im- 

 p)atieut at Nature's unconscionable slowness ; who 

 wish to be altogether independent of such an under- 

 lying brute energ}^ ; to live on a cool crust and 

 rapidly grow angelic. But, as things are, it is, 

 perhaps, better to be still, for a while, a little lower 

 than the angels : we are hardly in a position just 

 yet to dispense with the unangelic qualities, even in 



