348 



LAVA DISTE,ICT — ' BASALT GLEN.' 



April 



ments had in falling not only scattered themselves over the 

 adjacent plain, but into the bed of the river, in such a manner 

 as to make the passage exceedingly dangerous ; because large 

 angular masses, in some places showing above the stream in 

 others hidden beneath, but so near the surface that the water 

 eddied and swelled over them, menaced destruction to the 

 boats as they were with difficulty dragged through the eddy- 

 ing rapid ; sometimes the rope caught under or around one 

 of those masses, and caused much trouble. Near the spot 

 where we stopped at noon there is a glen, quite different in 

 character from any place we had passed.* Indeed, upon enter- 

 ing the lava district, or that part of the country over which 

 lava formerly flowed, there was no longer a Patagonian aspect 

 around. Steep precipices, narrow, winding vallies, abundance 

 of huge angular fragments of lava, a more rapid and nar- 

 rower river, and plains of solid lava overlying the whole sur- 

 face of the country, make this district even worse in its appear- 

 ance than the eastern coast of Patagonia. Excepting in an 

 occasional ravine nothing grows. Horses could not travel far, 

 the ground being like rough iron ; and water, excepting that 

 of the river and its tributary in Basalt Glen , is very scarce. 



The glen above mentioned is a wild looking ravine, bounded 

 by black lava cliffs. A stream of excellent water winds 

 through it amongst the long grass, and a kind of jungle at 

 the bottom. Lions or rather pumas shelter in it, as the 

 recently torn remains of guanacoes showed us. Condors inha- 

 bit the basaltic cliffs. Near the river some imperfect columns 

 of basalt give to a remarkable rocky height, the semblance of 

 an old castle. Altogether it is a scene of wild loneliness quite 

 fit to be the breeding place of lions.f 



No signs of human visitors were discovered: indeed, the 

 nature of the country must almost prevent horsemen from 

 traversing these regions, there is so little food and such bad 

 ground : only in glens or ravines such as this can any grass 

 or bushes be found. Guanacoes absolutely swarm upon the 



* ' Basalt Glen.' 



t " Leonum aridanutrix." 



