me 



THE PAMPAS. 



perch were unusually high, it was nearly filled 

 with water. In this state the peons whose lassos 

 were fixed to the end of the pole, with all the 

 horses at the drag rope, dragged the carriage slowly 

 along the bottom of the river : however, when it 

 was about half-way across, it would come no far- 

 ther, and the horses which were on the steep bank 

 had little power to draw. The carriage remained 

 in this hopeless and singular situation more than an 

 hour, during which time we were occupied in alter- 

 ing the drag ropes, and arranging them more ad- 

 vantageously. 



I found the sun so burning hot, that several 

 times I swam about on my horse to cool myself, and 

 then galloped on the opposite side of the river, and 

 I cannot express the delightful feeling of freedom 

 and independence which one enjoys in galloping 

 without clothes on a horse without a saddle. 



When the horses and peons were ready, they all 

 started together, and at last the carriage began 

 again to move ; and the peons then spurring, flog- 

 ging, and cheering their horses, it was dragged up^ 

 the bank. 



While they were putting the luggage into the 



