VI 
HOSPITALITY 
119 
a quarter of a mile apart from the other. A fine male ostrich 
being turned by the headmost riders, tried to escape on one 
side. The Gauchos pursued at a reckless pace, twisting their 
horses about with the most admirable command, and each man 
whirling the balls round his head. At length the foremost 
threw them, revolving through the air: in an instant the 
ostrich rolled over and over, its legs fairly lashed together by 
the thong. 
The plains abound with three kinds of partridge, 1 two of 
which are as large as hen pheasants. Their destroyer, a small 
and pretty fox, was also singularly numerous ; in the course of 
the day we could not have seen less than forty or fifty. They 
were generally near their earths, but the dogs killed one. When 
we returned to the posta, we found two of the party returned 
who had been hunting by themselves. They had killed a puma, 
and had found an ostrich’s nest with twenty-seven eggs in it. 
Each of these is said to equal in weight eleven hens’ eggs ; so 
that we obtained from this one nest as much food as 297 hens’ 
eggs would have given. 
September 14 th .—As the soldiers belonging to the next posta 
meant to return, and we should together make a party of five, 
and all armed, I determined not to wait for the expected troops. 
My host, the lieutenant, pressed me much to stop. As he had 
been very obliging —• not only providing me with food, but 
lending me his private horses—-I wanted to make him some 
remuneration. I asked my guide whether I might do so, but he 
told me certainly not ; that the only answer I should receive 
probably would be, cc We have meat for the dogs in our country, 
and therefore do not grudge it to a Christian.” It must not be 
supposed that the rank of lieutenant in such an army would at 
all prevent the acceptance of payment : it was only the high 
sense of hospitality, which every traveller is bound to acknow¬ 
ledge as nearly universal throughout these provinces. After 
galloping some leagues, we came to a low swampy country, which 
extends for nearly eighty miles northward, as far as the Sierra 
Tapalguen. In some parts there were fine damp plains, covered 
with grass, while others had a soft, black, and peaty soil. There 
1 Two species of Tinamus, and Endrornia elegans of A. d’Orbigny, which can 
only be called a partridge with regard to its habits. 
