210 



REPORTS OF THE PAMPAS. 



the unsettled state of the Pampas^ and that Gap- 

 tain G.^ to whom I was introduced^ had taken his 

 passage for Rio Janeiro^ in a French man of 

 war ; Colonel Tupper and Mr. Caldcleugh, in- 

 formed me that it would be dangerous to cross 

 at the present time^ for the monteneros had been 

 committing great depredations^ so much so^ that 

 two hundred troops had been sent from Men- 

 doza to scour the country. In this state of things 

 I was in a very awkward predicament ; time be- 

 ing of the greatest importance to me, any deten- 

 tion would have been of the most serious conse- 

 quence. I therefore made up my mind to cross 

 the Cordillera and learn at Mendoza^ whether it 

 was possible to proceed or not ; if not^ to recross 

 the Andes again immediately^ when I might ar- 

 rive at Valparaiso time enough for the first 

 English man-of-war, that was to sail, about 

 the \2th of January ; so accordingly I commenc- 

 ed making every necessary preparation for ray 

 journey. 



During my short stay in Chili, I found the 



