June^ 1835. 



VALLEY OF DESPOBLADO. 



439 



have already mentioned. I noticed also in front of some of 

 the valleys^ which branch off from the Despoblado^ two 

 piles of stones placed a little distance apart, and directed so as 

 to point up the mouth of the small valley. My companions 

 knew nothing about them, and only answered my queries by 

 their imperturbable " quien sabe 



June 27th. — We set out early in the morning, and by 

 mid- day reached the ravine of Paypote, where there is a 

 tiny rill of water, with a little vegetation, and even a few 

 algarroba (a mimosa) trees. On this latter account a smelt- 

 ing furnace had formerly been built here. We found a soli- 

 tary man in charge of it, whose sole employment w^as hunting 

 guanacoes. At night it froze sharply; but having plenty of 

 firewood, we kept ourselves warm. 



28th. — We continued gradually ascending as we followed 

 the valley, which now had assumed the character of a ravine. 

 During the day we saw several guanacoes, and the track of 

 the closely-allied species, called the Vicuna. This latter 

 animal is pre-eminently alpine in its habits ; it seldom 

 descends much below the limit of perpetual snow, and 

 therefore haunts even a more lofty and sterile situation than 

 the guanaco. The only other animal which we saw in any 

 number was a small fox. I suppose this animal preys on 

 the mice and other small rodents, which, as long as there is 

 the least vegetation subsist in considerable numbers in very 

 desert places. In Patagonia, even on the borders of the 

 Salinas, where a drop of fresh water can never be found, 

 these little animals swarm. Next to lizards, mice appear to 

 be able to support existence on the smallest and driest 

 portions of the earth, — even on islets in the midst of great 

 oceans. I believe it will be found, that several islands, which 

 possess no other warmblooded quadruped, have small rodents 

 peculiar to themselves. 



The scenery on all sides showed desolation, brightened, 

 and made palpable, by a clear, unclouded sky. Custom ex- 

 cludes the feeling of sublimity, and when this is wanting, 

 such scenery is rather the reverse of interesting. We 



