1833.] CONVERSATION OF THE INHABITANTS. 147 
on what circumstances, occurring only at long intervals, the 
rarity or extinction of a species may be determined. 
November 19th.—Passing the valley of. Las Vacas, we slept 
at a house cf a North American, who worked a lime-kiln on 
the Arroyo de las Vivoras. In the morning we rode to a pro- 
jecting headland on the banks of the river, called Punta Gorda. 
On the way we tried to find a jaguar. There were plenty of 
fresh tracks, and we visited the trees, on which they are said to 
sharpen their claws; but we did not succeed in disturbing one. 
From this point the Rio Uruguay presented to our view a noble 
volume of water. From the clearness and rapidity of the stream, 
its appearance was far superior to that of its neighbour the Pa- 
yana. On the opposite coast, several branches from the latter 
river entered the Uruguay. As the sun was shining, the two 
colours of the waters could be seen quite distinct. 
In the evening we proceeded on our road towards Mercedes 
on the Rio Negro. At night we asked permission to sleep at an 
estancia at which we happened to arrive. It was a very large 
estate, being ten leagues square, and the owner iseone of the 
greatest landowners in the country. His nephew had charge of 
it, and with him there was a captain in the army, who the other 
day ran away from Buenos Ayres. Considering their station, 
their conversation was rather amusing. They expressed, as was 
usual, unbounded astonishment at the globe being round, and 
could scarcely credit that a hole would, if deep enough, come 
out on the other side. They had, however, heard of a country 
where there were six months light and six of darkness, and where 
the inhabitants were very tall and thin! They were curious 
about the price and condition of horses and cattle in England. 
Upon finding out we did not catch our animals with the lazo, 
they cried out, “ Ah, then, you use nothing but the bolas:” the 
idea of an enclosed country was quite new to them. The cap- 
tain at,last said, he had one question to ask me, whieh he should 
be very much obliged if I would answer with all truth. I trem- 
bled to think how deeply scientific it would be: it was, “‘ Whe- 
ther the ladies of Buenos Ayres were not the handsomest in the 
world.” I replied, like a renegade, ‘“ Charmingly so.” He 
added, “I have one other question: Do ladies in any other 
part of the world wear such large combs?” I solemnly assured 
