44 



CHAPTER III. 



Monte Video — Maldonado — Excursion to R. Polanco — Lazo and Bolas 

 — Partridges — Geology — Absence of trees — Cervus campestris— River 

 hog — Tucutuco — Molothrus, cuckoo-like habits — Tyrant-flycatcher — 

 Mocking-bird — Carrion hawks — Tubes formed by lightning — House 

 struck. 



MALDONADO. 



July 5th, 1832. — In the morning we got under way, and 

 stood out of the splendid harbour of Rio de Janeiro. In 

 our passage to the Plata, we saw nothing particular, ex- 

 cepting on one day a great shoal of porpoises, many hun- 

 dreds in number. The whole sea was in places furrowed by 

 them ; and a most extraordinary spectacle was presented, as 

 hundreds, proceeding together by jumps, in which their 

 whole bodies were exposed, thus cut the water. When the 

 ship was running nine knots, these animals could cross and 

 recross the bows with the greatest ease, and then dash away 

 right ahead. As soon as we entered the estuary of the Plata, 

 the weather was very unsettled. One dark night we were 

 surrounded by numerous seals and penguins, which made 

 such strange noises, that the officer on watch reported he 

 could hear the cattle bellowing on shore. On a second 

 night we witnessed a splendid scene of natural fireworks ; 

 the mast-head and yard-arm ends shone with St. Elmo^s 

 light ; and the form of the vane could almost be traced, as if 

 it had been rubbed with phosphorus. The sea was so 

 highly luminous, that the tracks of the penguins were marked 

 by a fiery wake, and lastly, the darkness of the sky was 

 momentarily illuminated by the most vivid lightning. 



When within the mouth of the river, I was interested by 

 observing how slowly the waters of the sea and river mixed. 

 The latter, muddy and discoloured, from its less specific 

 gravity, floated on the surface of the salt water. This was 



