THE PAMPAS. 



241 



as I knew the way, I galloped towards the barracks 

 followed by the Juez and the Ordenanza. I found 

 the square filled by a set of most wretched-looking 

 persons, who were assembled to be sent to Buenos 

 Aires to fight against the Portuguese. There 

 were about three-hundred of them, and the night 

 before they had endeavoured to gain their liberty, 

 and had tried to overpower their guard. They 

 were covered with old ponchos, but had very little on 

 besides; they seemed to have been badly fed, and were 

 altogether the wildest-looking crew I ever beheld. 



The governor was standing in the middle of the 

 square, surrounded by a number of officers, and I 

 dismounted and walked up to him. He began, 

 very hastily, by telling me the Juez's story ; how- 

 ever, I asked him if he would allow me to tell mine. 

 I told him that it was so much my duty to respect 

 governors and governments, that if I had known the 

 man who was before us had been in his employ- 

 ment, I would have respected him, though his 

 conduct did not deserve it; but that instead of 

 wearing the clothes he now had on, he was dressed 

 in a dirty poncho — was drinking aquadiente with 

 the Gauchos, and that I had therefore no idea he 



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