52 



MODE OF TRAVELLING. 



great judgment, and although his pace is not quite 

 so rapid as the children's, yet, from being constant 

 and uniform, he arrives at his goal nearly in the 

 same time. In riding with the young men, I 

 found that the pace was unavoidably influenced by 

 their passions, and by the subject on which we 

 happened to converse; and when we got to the 

 post, I constantly found that, somehow or other, 

 time had been lost. 



In crossing the Pampas it is absolutely necessary 

 to be armed, as there are many robbers or saltea- 

 dores, particularly in the desolate province of 

 Santa Fe. 



The object of these people is of course money, 

 and I therefore always rode so badly dressed, and 

 so well armed, that although I once passed through 

 them with no one but a child as a postilion, they 

 thought it not worth their while to attack me. 

 I always carried two brace of detonating pistols in 

 a belt, and a short detonating double-barrelled gun 

 in my hand. I made it a rule never to be an 

 instant without my arms, and to cock both barrels 

 of my gun whenever I met any Gauchos. 



With respect to the Indians, a person riding can 



