108 BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYRES. [cHap. vz. 
—it well deserves its name of Hurtado, or separated. The 
mountain is steep, extremely rugged, and broken, and so entirely 
destitute of trees, and even bushes, that we actually could not 
make a skewer to stretch out our meat over the fire of thistle- 
stalks.* The strange aspect of this mountain is contrasted by 
the sea-like plain, which not only abuts against its steep sides, 
but likewise separates the parallel ranges. The uniformity of 
the colouring gives an extreme quietness to the view ;—the whit- 
ish grey of the quartz rock, and the light brown of the withered 
grass of the plain, being unrelieved by any brighter tint. From 
custom, one expects to see in the neighbourhood of a lofty and 
bold mountain, a broken country strewed over with huge frag- 
ments. Here nature shows that the last movement before the 
ped of the sea is changed into dry land may sometimes be one 
of tranquillity. Under these circumstances I was curious to 
observe how far from the parent rock any pebbles could be found. 
On the shores of Bahia Blanca, and near the settlement, there 
were some of quartz, which certainly must have come from this 
source: the distance is forty-five miles. 
The dew, which in the early part of the night wetted the 
saddle-cloths under which we slept, was in the morning frozen. 
The plain, though appearing horizontal, had insensibly sloped 
up to a height of between 800 and 900 feet above the sea. In 
the morning (9th of September) the guide told me to ascend the 
nearest ridge, which he thought would lead me to the four peaks 
that crown the summit. The climbing up such rough rocks was 
very fatiguing ; the sides were so indented, that what was gained 
in one five minutes was often lost in the next. At last, when I 
reached the ridge, my disappointment was extreme in finding a 
precipitous valley as deep as the plain, which cut the chain trans- 
versely in two, and separated me from the four points. This 
valley is very narrow, but flat-bottomed, and it forms a fine 
horse-pass for the Indians, as it connects the plains on the 
northern and southern sides of the range. Having descended, 
and while crossing it, I saw two horses grazing: I immediately 
hid myself in the long grass, and began to reconnoitre; but as I 
cculd see no signs of Indians I proceeded cautiously on my 
_ * Teall these thistle-stalks for the want of a more correct name. I be- 
lieve it is a species of Eryngium. 
