168 



MOTLEY FAMILY. 



we ought to avoid on account of the bad cha- 

 racter of the people : the names of these we put 

 down on paper. After this conversation, over- 

 come by the heat, we went to sleep on the floor 

 of the travellers* hut. It was too hot to close 

 the door, and our " siesta" was interrupted by 

 visiters. First entered a hen and all her brood ; 

 then a duck and family ; and when these had 

 satisfied their curiosity and departed, in strutted 

 a large tame ostrich, followed by a young one. 

 Such is society on the Pampas ! 



As the sun was setting we got up, and accom- 

 panied a young gaucho down to the Arecife, which 

 we had that morning crossed with difficulty by 

 ourselves, not being able to find the ford. In this 

 river we now bathed, and two dirty travellers 

 never enjoyed a more delicious purification. The 

 gaucho boy turned his horse loose (for he rode 



