THE PAMPAS. 



of fleas and binchucas. The people had now re- 

 turned from the river, and supper was preparing, 

 when a young Scotch gentleman I had overtaken 

 on the road, and who had ridden some stages with 

 me, asked me to come and sing with the young 

 ladies of the post, who he told me were very beau- 

 tiful. I knew them very well, as I had passed 

 several times, but I was much too tired to sing 

 or dance : however, being fond of music, I moved 

 my saddle and poncho very near the party, and as 

 soon as I had eaten some meat I again lay down, 

 and as the delightful fresh air blew over my face, 

 I dropped off to sleep just as the ninas were sing- 

 ing very prettily one of the tristes of Peru, accom- 

 panied by a guitar. I had bribed the capataz to 

 let some horses pass the night in the corral ; we 

 accordingly started before the sun was up, and 

 galloping the whole day till half an hour after sun- 

 set, we rode a hundred and twenty-three miles. 

 The summer^s sun has a power which, to those who 

 have not been exposed to it, is inconceivable, and 

 whenever we stopped at the corral to get our horses, 

 the heat was so great that it was almost insup- 

 portable. However, all the time we galloped, the 



