*THE PAMPAS. 



201 



ing the exceedingly low condition of those 

 we saw driven into the coral for the night, we 

 were told that this arose from the frantic state 

 in which they galloped over the plain to escape 

 the mosquitoes, and that it had become neces- 

 sary to drive the greater part of them, at sun- 

 set, into the corals, to prevent their being lost 

 during the night. Here they were confined, 

 therefore, within an enclosure, to be bitten to 

 death or not, as the case might be, and to bear 

 their fate as well as they could. Their staring 

 coats and flat sides gave evident proofs of the 

 misery they had long endured. 



To stand still outside the hut when the sun 

 had disappeared, was next to impossible, as 

 these winged harpies continued to buzz about 

 our ears and eyes, piercing hands, face, and 

 every uncovered part, in the most tormenting 

 manner. Tired of fanning them away with a 



