n6 
BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYRES 
CHAP, 
nothing can prevent the horses dispersing in every direction ; 
and a storm will have the same effect. A short time since, an 
officer left Buenos Ayres with five hundred horses, and when he 
arrived at the army he had under twenty. 
Soon afterwards we perceived by the cloud of dust, that a 
party of horsemen were coming towards us ; when far distant 
my companions knew them to be Indians, by their long hair 
streaming behind their backs. The Indians generally have a 
fillet round their heads, but never any covering ; and their 
black hair blowing across their swarthy faces, heightens to an 
uncommon degree the wildness of their appearance. They 
turned out to be a party of Bernantio’s friendly tribe, going to 
a salina for salt. The Indians eat much salt, their children 
sucking it like sugar. This habit is very different from that of 
the Spanish Gauchos, who, leading the same kind of life, eat 
scarcely any : according to Mungo Park, 1 it is people who live 
on vegetable food who have an unconquerable desire for salt. 
The Indians gave us good-humoured nods as they passed at 
full gallop, driving before them a troop of horses, and followed 
by a train of lanky dogs. 
September i2//2and 13//?.—I stayed at this posta two days, 
waiting for a troop of soldiers, which General Rosas had the 
kindness to send to inform me would shortly travel to Buenos 
Ayres ; and he advised me to take the opportunity of the 
escort. In the morning we rode to some neighbouring hills to 
view the country, and to examine the geology. After dinner 
the soldiers divided themselves into two parties for a trial of 
skill with the bolas. Two spears were stuck in the ground 
thirty-five yards apart, but they were struck and entangled 
only once in four or five times. The balls can be thrown fifty 
or sixty yards, but with little certainty. This, however, does 
not apply to a man on horseback ; for when the speed of the 
horse is added to the force of the arm, it is said that they can 
be whirled with effect to the distance of eighty yards. As a 
proof of their force, I may mention, that at the Falkland 
Islands, when the Spaniards murdered some of their own 
countrymen and all the Englishmen, a young friendly Spaniard 
was running away, when a great tall man, by name Luciano, 
1 Travels in Africa, p. 233. 
