102 RIO NEGRO. 



Our philologist related an anecdote of a young Indian, who had 

 learned the Spanish tongue, whom he had been questioning relative 

 to his language, in order to obtain a certain class of phrases. After 

 having written down a word, in repeating it, he connected it with 

 some adjunct, as my father, his house, this knife. The Indian mistook 

 his meaning, and immediately took fire at the supposed insult, thinking 

 that the correctness of what he had said was doubted, and that the 

 object was to entrap him in a falsehood. It was with some difficulty 

 that he was pacified. 



The Guachos and Indians are of course good horsemen, being 

 trained to it from their infancy. Indeed they may be said to live on 

 horseback, and it is very seldom that they are seen to walk any 

 distance, however short. 



Their dress, although uncouth and ill-arranged, is comfortable, and 

 picturesque when they are on horseback, particularly when at full 

 speed in search of a bullock to lasso. The ease and nonchalance 

 with which a Guacho mounts his steed, arranges himself in the 

 saddle, quietly trotting off, lasso in hand, to select his victim, and 

 detach it from the herd ; then the eager chase, the furious speed of 

 the horse, the flying dress of the Guacho, with upraised arm whirling 

 his lasso, the terror of the animal, the throw of the lasso, and instan- 

 taneous overthrow of the bullock, all the work of an instant, excited 

 both our admiration and astonishment. Nothing can exceed the ani- 

 mation of both horse and rider on these occasions. 



Mr. Waldron, our purser, made an endeavour to purchase some 

 vegetables for the crews, from an estancia on the river-side, of which 

 an old Spaniard was the owner, thus affording him an opportunity of 



