— 13 — 
so thick that it was impossible to see one’s way for the next 
few yards - di stinctly dangerous. 
'We stopped in Lobos, a western-looking little town, and 
then proceeded to Mr. Pieardo’s estancia. We were really out on 
the pampas then, and as far as the eye could see were the flat 
prairies, with cattle and horses in abundance. Trees were planted 
wherever there were houses, but mostly the land was grass and 
pasture. 
Picardo's place is a nutria farm, and here he has hundreds 
of sleek little rabbity nutrias being raised for their pelts. 
In pens are the breeding females, and he can keep three or four 
together because they have be en brought up together ? otherwise 
they woul 4 fight, nutrias being naturally pugnacious. Four or 
five hundred young were born last month. About twenty acres of 
ground are fenced in, and most of the animals are allowed to 
live in a natural state in this ictitBt part of the farm. They are 
fed in certain spots, and when they want to trap them they can 
close in the feeding grounds and capture them easily. The pelts 
are lovely and soft after the 1 ng coarse hairs are plucked, and 
a good nutria coat costs about as much as an Alaska seal. 
Baby nutrias are born with eyes open and teeth sharp? they take 
to the water on the second day. Mother nutria has her nipples 
low on her back, and the babies swim along in the water taking their 
meal from this unusual position. 
After seeing the nutrias we went to the house for lunch, 
and met Mrs. Roosmalen, the wife of Picardo's partner and manager 
of the estate. She was very charming, and I felt right at home with 
her when we discovered that we were both Sacred Heart pupils. 
After lunch we went out in motor boats on the lagoon, 
which, being the only water in that part of the country, attracts 
wild birds from all over. We had noticed a marvelous assortment 
of birds from the car as we came along? owls, hawks, black ibis, 
kiskadee, oven birds and their round mud nests, plovers. Here were 
all the water birds? cascaroba geese, black-necked swans, coots, 
' various species of ducks and geese, and big flocks of flamingoes, 
which as they rose displayed their rose and black and white plumage 
in the sun. 
We came back across the pampas as the sun went down in 
a purole glory through the murk* of dust clouds. Horsemen 
galloned past us on their thick saddles of fleece. The moon came 
up, blood red and as big as a parasol. And before we reached town 
again the Southern Cross was high overhead. 
May 4 - B. A. 
Frances, Dorothy and I had lunch together, meeting first 
the Continental for cocktails, and then going to Ideal for 
luncheon. Our policemen had recommended it as a good place for 
sandwiches and a light lunch, and the food was delicious, though 
I took malicicus delight in noting that they had called it a 
cafeteria when it was really a conf iteria. lie had jellied i.aa 
