THE PAMPAS, 



207 



for we heard there that the Indians were cer- 

 tainly in the direction we were going ; that in 

 consequence some cavalry had marched out of 

 Rio Quarto, to protect a distant village which 

 lay in our route ; and that if we arrived safely 

 at the next post-hut, probably the inhabitants 

 would have abandoned it, and we should be 

 unable to proceed further. The commandant of 

 the troops in Rio Quarto advised Don Joachim 

 to wait until the following day, when the road 

 would be more safe, from the Indians having 

 gone further from its neighbourhood. We 

 were, of course, easily persuaded to remain 

 under such circumstances, and had no cause 

 to regret the delay. We were better lodged 

 and better fed than we had yet been on our 

 journey, and our sleep, for the first time, was 

 undisturbed by mosquitoes. The fact is that 

 we have been gradually, though imperceptibly, 



