THE PAMPAS. 



191 



tear the meat with his filthy paws, holding all 

 the time his long knife between his black teeth. 



31st. — We went three twelve-mile posts, 

 after the one mentioned above, each within the 

 hour. If a delay of at least half an hour did 

 not take place at every change, we might more 

 easily accomplish one hundred and twenty miles 

 a day than we do now ninety. 



When we started from the last post, a Pam- 

 pero gale was blowing, and the dust soon 

 made us look like millers. It rose in such 

 clouds that we could hardly open our eyes. I 

 endeavoured to use some wire spectacles, but 

 these made the heat too oppressive to the eye, 

 and I could not bear this so well as the evil I 

 wanted to remedy. 



Part of the day^s journey was by the banks 

 of the Tercero, which is deep enough for boats 

 at this station. The banks were overgrown 

 with the stunted algaroba-tree ; ugly enough in 



VOL. I. I 



