60 



PAMPAS MUSIC. 



tinkling monotony, but still, rather plaintive. 

 These Indians possessed dull, inanimate counte- 

 nances, with a wild, inexpressive stare : the 

 cacique, or chief, was dressed in a very fine 

 poncho, wearing a red band round his hat, with 

 a tuft of red feathers and large Pampas spurs ; 

 they were all mounted on very fine horses. 



Friday y Zd, The storm had passed by, and 

 left us a piercing, cold, frosty morning, with 

 thermometer at 30°. To my astonishment, on go- 

 ing outside, I found the Indians asleep in the 

 open air, notwithstanding the hard frost, with 

 scarcely any covering ; one had nothing over his 

 feet, and his pillow was a hatchet. They had 

 been drinking too freely at the pulperia overnight, 

 and there they lay, just where they had dropped, 

 like so many pigs. Poor fallen beings ! I could 

 scarcely look upon them as human. Man ! man 1 

 what dost thou fall to. Our companions endea- 

 voured to persuade the captive boy to return to 

 Mendoza with us, offering to reward him liberally. 



