38 FIRST NIGHT ON THE PAMPAS. 



trees surrounding them. The cultivated spots 

 show the beautiful soil with which this country 

 abounds. At four leagues from Buenos Ayres^ ar- 

 rived at the first post. La Figura,^ where we 

 changed horses, and, proceeding on, arrived at 

 Puente de Marques at sunset, (three leagues fur- 

 ther) ; at this post we put up for the night. A 

 boy was dispatched for a sheep for our supper; 

 to my astonishment I saw him returning full gal- 

 lop, with the poor animal trailing on the ground, 

 fastened by the hind legs : its struggles lasted 

 but a little time, for, on arriving, life was extinct; 

 being literally strangled with dragging along 

 the ground. Without attempting to bleed it, 

 the head was cut off; in five minutes it was 

 skinned, and, I may say, smoking with life, put 

 into the pot for supper. This I learnt was always 

 the case, but never having witnessed a thing of 

 the kind before, I need scarcely add, that it took 

 away all my inclination to eat any part of it. Our 



* La Figura is not a regular post-house, whicii I found out 

 on my return. Puente de Marques is the first. 



