THE PAMPAS. 



raging, and the thunder was cracking and roaring 

 immediately above us, the lightning would for an 

 instant change the darkness to the light of day. In 

 these flashes I saw our party, who were all hallooing 

 one to another, in the most ludicrous situations. 

 Some were lying in bed afraid to sit up, and hold- 

 ing their ponchos and clothes, which were trying to 

 escape from them — some who had lost their clothes 

 were running half-naked towards the post-room — 

 others had lost their way, and were standing against 

 a dead wall, not knowing where to go. A French 

 Colonel, who had travelled in the carriage from 

 Mendoza, was lying on a stretcher made of a bul- 

 lock's hide, grasping his clothes, which were now 

 wet through, and vociferating at his cowardly ser- 

 vant, who, instead of assisting him, was standing 

 about ten yards from him crossing himself. In vain 

 did he call him in Spanish every sort of " animal :" 

 the fellow, who had literally been approaching 

 his master, was rivetted to the ground by the un- 

 expected sound of the church-bell, which, from the 

 violence of the hurricane, occasionally gave a soli- 

 tary toll. The rain beat so violently into the two- 

 wheeled carriage, and it shook so terribly, that its 

 inmate could bear it no longer, and ran through 



