EETURN TO MENDOZA. 



S31 



blaze we perceived some person near it — rode up 

 to light our cigars, called several times, but found 

 no one. On arriving at the hut near Villa Vicencia 

 we mentioned the circumstance, and were told it 

 was probably an Englishman who had passed the 

 hut that day on foot ! — that he had probably been 

 afraid of us, and had concealed himself, or had run 

 away. 



Rested, and then got fresh horses at Villa Vicen- 

 cia. The sun was most dreadfully hot. We gal- 

 loped across the plain — forty-five miles — each at our 

 best pace — proceeded straggling, hke the wounded 

 Curiatii. I got into Mendoza three hours before 

 the second — he got in two hours before the third, 

 whose horse was tired on the road. 



In riding along the plain I passed a dead horse, 

 about which were forty or fifty condors ; many of 

 them were gorged and unable to fly ; several were 

 standing on the ground devouring the carcass — the 

 rest hovering above it. I rode within twenty yards 

 of them : one of the largest of the birds was stand- 

 ing with one foot on the ground and the other on 

 the horse''s body — display of muscular strength as 

 he lifted the flesh and tore off* great pieces, some- 



