Walter Goodfellow—Some Reminiscences of a Collector 419


the pumas was stalking a flock of Darwin Bheas and was so intent on

its quarry, warily approaching them through the grass, that I was quite

close to it before it heard me. Another time we came suddenly upon

a female with two cubs. The pumas here were grey, whereas those

I met with later in the forest regions were all tawny. Once during

this long journey we stayed the night at a small settlement surrounded

by a marvellously-constructed stockade as a protection against Indians

who often attacked them in “ howling mobs ” as the head man informed

us. This was under the shadow of one of the most remarkable and

isolated mountains I have seen. Several times we encountered a veritable

snowstorm of common white butterflies in such incredible numbers

as to cause our animals to all but get out of control. At times it was

almost impossible to see through them ; one of these “ storms ” lasted

several hours, and at times I could not see my companion through

them, although he was only a few yards ahead. They all seemed to be

travelling in one direction.


After Santa Cruz we still had another six days’ ride to Concepcion

in the province of Nuflo de Chavez. Here I left my companion as this

small, isolated town (?) was to be our headquarters. After a few days’

rest I continued on for a week longer in a north-easterly direction.

A day after Concepcion I left the pampa country behind and quite

suddenly entered the primeval forest which continued on without a

break until I arrived at a small clearing called Esperanza. It was

a curious sensation there, for I had left the muleteers and my baggage

behind when I left camp early on the last morning. During the night

vampire bats had attacked some of the animals and these were in

a sorry state, with clotted blood all down the withers. Two others

had broken loose and strayed, so while the men had gone to look for

them I rode on ahead alone, after being told just to follow the very

ill-defined trail. Early in the afternoon I came to a branch trail which

I had not been told about, so I took one at hazard, but as the day wore

on without any visible break in the denseness of the trees I began

to think I had taken the wrong turning. At length I thought I saw

a brighter gleam, and after a few minutes I quite suddenly found the

open sky above me. It was a joyous feeling after being in that green

gloom for days without the sight of a human habitation. Here I made



