Insignificantasthisstreamis，theJesuitFalconer，whoseinformationisgenerallysoverycorrect，figuresitasaconsiderableriver，risingatthefootoftheCordillera。Withrespecttoitssource，IdonotdoubtthatthisisthecasefortheGauchosassuredme，thatinthemiddleofthedrysummer，thisstream，atthesametimewiththeColoradohasperiodicalfloods；whichcanonlyoriginateinthesnowmeltingontheAndes。ItisextremelyimprobablethatastreamsosmallastheSaucethenwas，shouldtraversetheentirewidthofthecontinent；andindeed，ifitweretheresidueofalargeriver，itswaters，asinotherascertainedcases，wouldbesaline。DuringthewinterwemustlooktothespringsroundtheSierraVentanaasthesourceofitspureandlimpidstream。IsuspecttheplainsofPatagonialikethoseofAustralia，aretraversedbymanywater-courseswhichonlyperformtheirproperpartsatcertainperiods。ProbablythisisthecasewiththewaterwhichflowsintotheheadofPortDesire，andlikewisewiththeRioChupat，onthebanksofwhichmassesofhighlycellularscoriaewerefoundbytheofficersemployedinthesurvey。
　　Asitwasearlyintheafternoonwhenwearrived，wetookfreshhorses，andasoldierforaguide，andstartedfortheSierradelaVentana。ThismountainisvisiblefromtheanchorageatBahiaBlanca；andCapt。FitzRoycalculatesitsheighttobe3340feet——analtitudeveryremarkableonthiseasternsideofthecontinent。Iamnotawarethatanyforeigner，previoustomyvisit，hadascendedthismountain；andindeedveryfewofthesoldiersatBahiaBlancaknewanythingaboutit。Henceweheardofbedsofcoal，ofgoldandsilver，ofcaves，andofforests，allofwhichinflamedmycuriosity，onlytodisappointit。Thedistancefromthepostawasaboutsixleaguesoveralevelplainofthesamecharacterasbefore。
　　Theridewas，however，interesting，asthemountainbegantoshowitstrueform。Whenwereachedthefootofthemainridge，wehadmuchdifficultyinfindinganywater，andwethoughtweshouldhavebeenobligedtohavepassedthenightwithoutany。Atlastwediscoveredsomebylookingclosetothemountain，foratthedistanceevenofafewhundredyardsthestreamletswereburiedandentirelylostinthefriablecalcareousstoneandloosedetritus。IdonotthinkNatureevermadeamoresolitary，desolatepileofrock；——itwelldeservesitsnameof_Hurtado_，orseparated。Themountainissteep，extremelyrugged，andbroken，andsoentirelydestituteoftrees，andevenbushes，thatweactuallycouldnotmakeaskewertostretchoutourmeatoverthefireofthistle-stalks。[1]Thestrangeaspectofthismountainiscontrastedbythesea-likeplain，whichnotonlyabutsagainstitssteepsides，butlikewiseseparatestheparallelranges。Theuniformityofthecolouringgivesanextremequietnesstotheview，——thewhitishgreyofthequartzrock，andthelightbrownofthewitheredgrassoftheplain，beingunrelievedbyanybrightertint。Fromcustom，oneexpectstoseeintheneighbourhoodofaloftyandboldmountain，abrokencountrystrewedoverwithhugefragments。Herenatureshowsthatthelastmovementbeforethebedoftheseaischangedintodrylandmaysometimesbeoneoftranquillity。UnderthesecircumstancesIwascurioustoobservehowfarfromtheparentrockanypebblescouldbefound。OntheshoresofBahiaBlanca，andnearthesettlement，thereweresomeofquartz，whichcertainlymusthavecomefromthissource：thedistanceisforty-fivemiles。
　　Thedew，whichintheearlypartofthenightwettedthesaddle-clothsunderwhichweslept，wasinthemorningfrozen。Theplain，thoughappearinghorizontal，hadinsensiblyslopeduptoaheightofbetween800and900
　　feetabovethesea。Inthemorning9thofSeptembertheguidetoldmetoascendthenearestridge，whichhethoughtwouldleadmetothefourpeaksthatcrownthesummit。Theclimbingupsuchroughrockswasveryfatiguing；thesidesweresoindented，thatwhatwasgainedinonefiveminuteswasoftenlostinthenext。Atlast，whenIreachedtheridge，mydisappointmentwasextremeinfindingaprecipitousvalleyasdeepastheplain，whichcutthechaintransverselyintwo，andseparatedmefromthefourpoints。Thisvalleyisverynarrow，butflat-bottomed，anditformsafinehorse-passfortheIndians，asitconnectstheplainsonthenorthernandsouthernsidesoftherange。Havingdescended，andwhilecrossingit，Isawtwohorsesgrazing：Iimmediatelyhidmyselfinthelonggrass，andbegantoreconnoitre；butasIcouldseenosignsofIndiansIproceededcautiouslyonmysecondascent。Itwaslateintheday，andthispartofthemountain，liketheother，wassteepandrugged。Iwasonthetopofthesecondpeakbytwoo’clock，butgottherewithextremedifficulty；everytwentyyardsIhadthecrampintheupperpartofboththighs，sothatIwasafraidIshouldnothavebeenabletohavegotdownagain。Itwasalsonecessarytoreturnbyanotherroad，asitwasoutofthequestiontopassoverthesaddle-back。Iwasthereforeobligedtogiveupthetwohigherpeaks。Theiraltitudewasbutlittlegreater，andeverypurposeofgeologyhadbeenanswered；sothattheattemptwasnotworththehazardofanyfurtherexertion。Ipresumethecauseofthecrampwasthegreatchangeinthekindofmuscularaction，fromthatofhardridingtothatofstillharderclimbing。Itisalessonworth。remembering，asinsomecasesitmightcausemuchdifficulty。
　　Ihavealreadysaidthemountainiscomposedofwhitequartzrock，andwithitalittleglossyclay-slateisassociated。Attheheightofafewhundredfeetabovetheplainpatchesofconglomerateadheredinseveralplacestothesolidrock。Theyresembledinhardness，andinthenatureofthecement，themasseswhichmaybeseendailyformingonsomecoasts。
　　Idonotdoubtthesepebbleswereinasimilarmanneraggregated，ataperiodwhenthegreatcalcareousformationwasdepositingbeneaththesurroundingsea。Wemaybelievethatthejaggedandbatteredformsofthehardquartzyetshowtheeffectsofthewavesofanopenocean。
　　Iwas，onthewhole，disappointedwiththisascent。Eventheviewwasinsignificant；——aplainlikethesea，butwithoutitsbeautifulcolouranddefinedoutline。Thescene，however，wasnovel，andalittledanger，likesalttomeat，gaveitarelish。Thatthedangerwasverylittlewascertain，formytwocompanionsmadeagoodfire——athingwhichisneverdonewhenitissuspectedthatIndiansarenear。Ireachedtheplaceofourbivouacbysunset，anddrinkingmuchmate，andsmokingseveralcigaritos，soonmadeupmybedforthenight。Thewindwasverystrongandcold，butIneversleptmorecomfortably。
　　September10th——Inthemorning，havingfairlyscuddedbeforethegale，wearrivedbythemiddleofthedayattheSauceposta。Intheroadwesawgreatnumbersofdeer，andnearthemountainaguanaco。Theplain，whichabutsagainsttheSierra，istraversedbysomecuriousgullies，ofwhichonewasabouttwentyfeetwide，andatleastthirtydeep；wewereobligedinconsequencetomakeaconsiderablecircuitbeforewecouldfindapass。Westayedthenightattheposta，theconversation，aswasgenerallythecase，beingabouttheIndians。TheSierraVentanawasformerlyagreatplaceofresort；andthreeorfouryearsagotherewasmuchfightingthere。
　　MyguidehadbeenpresentwhenmanyIndianswerekilled：thewomenescapedtothetopoftheridge，andfoughtmostdesperatelywithgreatstones；
　　manythussavingthemselves。
　　September11th——Proceededtothethirdpostaincompanywiththelieutenantwhocommandedit。Thedistanceiscalledfifteenleagues；butitisonlyguess-work，andisgenerallyoverstated。Theroadwasuninteresting，overadrygrassyplain；andonourlefthandatagreaterorlessdistancethereweresomelowhills；acontinuationofwhichwecrossedclosetotheposta。Beforeourarrivalwemetalargeherdofcattleandhorses，guardedbyfifteensoldiers；butweweretoldmanyhadbeenlost。Itisverydifficulttodriveanimalsacrosstheplains；forifinthenightapuma，orevenafox，approaches，nothingcanpreventthehorsesdispersingineverydirection；andastormwillhavethesameeffect。Ashorttimesince，anofficerleftBuenosAyreswithfivehundredhorses，andwhenhearrivedatthearmyhehadundertwenty。
　　Soonafterwardsweperceivedbythecloudofdust，thatapartyofhorsemenwerecomingtowardsus；whenfardistantmycompanionsknewthemtobeIndians，bytheirlonghairstreamingbehindtheirbacks。TheIndiansgenerallyhaveafilletroundtheirheads，butneveranycovering；andtheirblackhairblowingacrosstheirswarthyfaces，heightenstoanuncommondegreethewildnessoftheirappearance。TheyturnedouttobeapartyofBernantio’sfriendlytribe，goingtoasalinaforsalt。TheIndianseatmuchsalt，theirchildrensuckingitlikesugar。ThishabitisverydifferentfromthatoftheSpanishGauchos，who，leadingthesamekindoflife，eatscarcelyany；accordingtoMungoPark，[2]itispeoplewholiveonvegetablefoodwhohaveanunconquerabledesireforsalt。TheIndiansgaveusgood-humourednodsastheypassedatfullgallop，drivingbeforethematroopofhorses，andfollowedbyatrainoflankydogs。
　　September12thand13th——Istayedatthispostatwodays，waitingforatroopofsoldiers，whichGeneralRosashadthekindnesstosendtoinformme，wouldshortlytraveltoBuenosAyres；andheadvisedmetotaketheopportunityoftheescort。Inthemorningwerodetosomeneighbouringhillstoviewthecountry，andtoexaminethegeology。Afterdinnerthesoldiersdividedthemselvesintotwopartiesforatrialofskillwiththebolas。Twospearswerestuckinthegroundtwenty-fiveyardsapart，buttheywerestruckandentangledonlyonceinfourorfivetimes。Theballscanbethrownfiftyorsixtyyards，butwithlittlecertainty。This，however，doesnotapplytoamanonhorseback；forwhenthespeedofthehorseisaddedtotheforceofthearm，itissaid，thattheycanbewhirledwitheffecttothedistanceofeightyyards。Asaproofoftheirforce，Imaymention，thatattheFalklandIslands，whentheSpaniardsmurderedsomeoftheirowncountrymenandalltheEnglishmen，ayoungfriendlySpaniardwasrunningaway，whenagreattallman，bynameLuciano，cameatfullgallopafterhim，shoutingtohimtostop，andsayingthatheonlywantedtospeaktohim。JustastheSpaniardwasonthepointofreachingtheboat，Lucianothrewtheballs：theystruckhimonthelegswithsuchajerk，astothrowhimdownandtorenderhimforsometimeinsensible。
　　Theman，afterLucianohadhadhistalk，wasallowedtoescape。Hetoldusthathislegsweremarkedbygreatweals，wherethethonghadwoundround，asifhehadbeenfloggedwithawhip。Inthemiddleofthedaytwomenarrived，whobroughtaparcelfromthenextpostatobeforwardedtothegeneral：sothatbesidesthesetwo，ourpartyconsistedthiseveningofmyguideandself，thelieutenant，andhisfoursoldiers。Thelatterwerestrangebeings；thefirstafineyoungnegro；thesecondhalfIndianandnegro；andthetwoothersnon-descripts；namely，anoldChilianminer，thecolourofmahogany，andanotherpartlyamulatto；buttwosuchmongrelswithsuchdetestableexpressions，Ineversawbefore。Atnight，whentheyweresittingroundthefire，andplayingatcards，IretiredtoviewsuchaSalvatorRosascene。Theywereseatedunderalowcliff，sothatIcouldlookdownuponthem；aroundthepartywerelyingdogs，arms，remnantsofdeerandostriches；andtheirlongspearswerestuckintheturf。Furtherinthedarkbackground，theirhorsesweretiedup，readyforanysuddendanger。Ifthestillnessofthedesolateplainwasbrokenbyoneofthedogsbarking，asoldier，leavingthefire，wouldplacehisheadclosetotheground，andthusslowlyscanthehorizon。Evenifthenoisyteru-terouttereditsscream，therewouldbeapauseintheconversation，andeveryhead，foramoment，alittleinclined。
　　Whatalifeofmiserythesemenappeartoustolead！TheywereatleasttenleaguesfromtheSauceposta，andsincethemurdercommittedbytheIndians，twentyfromanother。TheIndiansaresupposedtohavemadetheirattackinthemiddleofthenight；forveryearlyinthemorningafterthemurder，theywereluckilyseenapproachingthisposta。Thewholepartyhere，however，escaped，togetherwiththetroopofhorses；eachonetakingalineforhimself，anddrivingwithhimasmanyanimalsashewasabletomanage。
　　Thelittlehovel，builtofthistle-stalks，inwhichtheyslept，neitherkeptoutthewindnorrain；indeedinthelattercasetheonlyeffecttheroofhad，wastocondenseitintolargerdrops。Theyhadnothingtoeatexceptingwhattheycouldcatch，suchasostriches，deer，armadilloes，etc。，andtheironlyfuelwasthedrystalksofasmallplant，somewhatresemblinganaloe。Thesoleluxurywhichthesemenenjoyedwassmokingthelittlepapercigars，andsuckingmate。Iusedtothinkthatthecarrionvultures，man’sconstantattendantsonthesedrearyplains，whileseatedonthelittleneighbouringcliffsseemedbytheirverypatiencetosay，“Ah！whentheIndianscomeweshallhaveafeast。”