1833.] BANDA ORIENTAL. 142 
the Rio Negro (one of the many rivers of this name in South 
America), and from this point to return direct to Monte Video. 
We slept at the house of my guide at Canelones. In the morning 
we rose early, in the hopes of being able to ride a good distance ; 
but it was a vain attempt, for all the rivers were flooded. We 
passed in boats the streams of Canelones, St. Lucia, and San José, 
and thus lost much time. On a former excursion I crossed the 
Lucia near.its mouth, and I was surprised to observe how easily 
our horses, although not used to swim, passed over a width of at 
least six hundred yards. On mentioning this at Monte Video, I 
was told that a vessel containing some mountebanks and their 
horses, being wrecked in the Plata, one horse swam seven miles 
to theshore. In the course of the day I was amused by the dex- 
terity with which a Gaucho forced a restive horse to swim a * 
river. Tle stripped off his clothes, and jumping on its back, rode 
into the water till St was out of its depth; then slipping off over 
the crupper, he caught hold of the tail, and as often as the horse 
turned round, the man frightened it back by splashing water in 
its face. As soon as the horse touched the bottom on the other 
side, the man pulled himself on, and was firmly seated, bridle in 
hand, before the horse gained the bank. A: naked man on a 
naked horse is a fine spectacle ; I had no idea how well the two 
_animals suited each other. The tail of a horse is a very useful 
appendage; I have passed a river in a boat with four people in 
it, which was ferried across in the same way as the Gaucho. If 
a man and horse have to cross a broad river, the best plan is for 
the man to catch hold of the pommel or mane, and help himself 
with the other arm. 
We slept and stayed the following day at the post of Cufre. In 
the evening the postman or letter-carrier arrived. He was a day 
after his time, owing to the Rio Rozario being flooded. It 
would not, however, be of much consequence; for, although he 
had passed through some of the principal towns in Banda 
Oriental, his luggage consisted of two letters! The view from 
the house was pleasing; an undulating green surface, with dis- 
tant glimpses of the Plata. I find that I look at this province 
with very different eyes from what I did upon my first arrival. I 
recollect I then thought it singularly level; but now, after gal- 
loping over the Pampas, my only surprise is, what could hava 
