82 
BAHIA BLAJVCA 
CHAP. 
common salt increased to 37 parts in a hundred. This 
circumstance would tempt one to believe that the sulphate of 
soda is generated in the soil, from the muriate left on the 
surface during the slow and recent elevation of this dry country. 
The whole phenomenon is well worthy the attention of 
naturalists. Have the succulent, salt-loving plants, which are 
well known to contain much soda, the power of decomposing 
the muriate ? Does the black fetid mud, abounding with 
organic matter, yield the sulphur and ultimately the sulphuric 
acid ? 
Two days afterwards I again rode to the harbour : when 
not far from our destination, my companion, the same man as 
before, spied three people hunting on horseback. He im¬ 
mediately dismounted, and watching them intently, said, “ They 
don’t ride like Christians, and nobody can leave the fort.” The 
three hunters joined company, and likewise dismounted from 
their horses. At last one mounted again and rode over the 
hill out of sight. My companion said, “ We must now get on 
our horses: load your pistol ; ” and he looked to his own 
sword. I asked, “ Are they Indians ? ”—“ Quien sabe ? (who 
knows ?) if there are no more than three, it does not signify.”' 
It then struck me, that the one man had gone over the .hill to 
fetch the rest of his tribe. I suggested this ; but all the 
answer I could extort was, “ Quien sabe ? ” His head and eye 
never for a minute ceased scanning slowly the distant horizon. 
I thought his uncommon coolness too good a joke, and asked 
him why he did not return home. I was startled when he 
answered, “ We are returning, but in a line so as to pass near 
a swamp, into which we can gallop the horses as far as they 
can go, and then trust to our own legs ; so that there is no 
danger.” I did not feel quite so confident of this, and wanted 
to increase our pace. He said, “ No, not until they do.” 
When any little inequality concealed us, we galloped; but 
when in sight, continued walking. At last we reached a valley, 
and turning to the left, galloped quickly to the foot of a hill 
he gave me his horse to hold, made the dogs lie down, and 
then crawled on his hands and knees to reconnoitre. He 
remained in this position for some time, and at last, bursting 
out in laughter, exclaimed, “ Mugeres ! ” (women 1 ) He knew 
