 Chapter 5 of A Voyage in the Sunbeam by Anna Brassie This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by W. Cross, Taos, New Mexico. The River Plate Blue, glossy green and velvet black. They coiled and swam and every track was a flash of golden fire. Tuesday, September 5th. We got underway at 6am and soon baited you to Rio, where we have spent so many happy days and to our friends on board HMS Voulage and Reddy with whom we interchanged salutes and passing. It was a dull, wet morning and we could not see much of the beauties we were leaving behind us. The peak of Tijuca and the summit of the Corcavado were scarcely visible and the sugar loaf and gavia looked cold and gray in the early mist. It was not long before we were rolling on the bar and then tumbling about in very uncomfortable fashion in the rough sea outside. One by one we all disappeared below, where most of us remained during the greater part of the day. As for me, I went to bed for good at 6 o'clock in the evening but was called up again at 10 to see some large bonitos playing about the boughs of the yacht. It was really worth the trouble of getting up and climbing quite into the boughs of the vessel to watch them as they gambled and frisked about, brightly illumined by the phosphorescence of the water, now swimming together steadily in pairs or fours, now starting in sudden pursuit of one of their number who would make an independent rush forward in advance of his companions. Saturday, September 9th. The last three days have been showery with squalls which have freshened to a gale and we are now scutting along under all-storm canvas followed by crowds of cape pigeons and cape hens and a few albatrosses. Towards this evening, however, the wind fell light and we got up steam in order to be prepared for any emergency as a calm is frequently succeeded on this coast by a pampero and we are now approaching a lee shore. Sunday, September 10th. Tom has been on deck nearly all night. The shore is very low and difficult to distinguish and the lights are badly kept. If the lighthouse keeper happens to have plenty of oil and is not out shooting or fishing, he lights his lamp. Otherwise, he admits to perform this rather important part of his duties. The lighthouses can therefore hardly be said to be of much use. About five a.m. Kindred rushed down into our cabin and woked Tom, calling out, land to the leeward, sir, and then rushed up on deck again. The first glimmer of dawn had enabled him to see that we were running straight on to the low sandy shore every three miles off, a very strong current having set us ten miles out of our course. The yacht's head was accordingly at once put round and steaming seaward we soon left all danger behind. The sun rose brilliantly and the weather during the day was very fine. Morning service was impossible owing to the necessity for a constant observation of the land, but after making the lighthouse on Santa Maria we had prayers at 4.30 p.m. with the hymn for those at sea. At night we made the light on Flores, burning brightly, and before morning those in the harbor of Montevideo. Monday, September 11th. After making the Flores light we proceeded slowly and dropped our anchor in the outer roads of Montevideo at 4 a.m. At 7 o'clock we got it up again and by 8 we're anchored close to the shore. We found that our arrival was expected and the health officer's boat was soon alongside. Next came an officer from the United States man of war frolic with polite messages and offers of service and then a steam launch belonging to the Pacific Company and another from the consul, Major Monroe, with piles of letters and newspapers for us. Montevideo, as seen from the water, is not an imposing looking place. On the opposite side of the entrance to the harbor rises a hill called the Cerro, 450 feet high, from which the town derives its name and further inland on the townside is another eminence, 200 feet high, called the Cerrito. With these exceptions the surrounding country looks perfectly flat without even a tree to break the monotony. Soon after breakfast we went ashore in more senses of the word than one for they have commenced to build a mole for the protection of small vessels which in its unfinished state is not yet visible above the water. The consequence was that at a distance of about half a mile from the landing steps we rode straight on to the submerged stonework but fortunately got off again very quickly without having sustained any damage. On landing we found ourselves opposite the custom house, a fine building with which we afterwards made a closer acquaintance. There is a large and very good hotel here, L'Hôtel Orientale. It is a handsome building outside and the interior is full of marble quartz, stone corridors, and lofty rooms deliciously cool in the hottest weather. Having procured a carriage, Tom and I and the children drove through the streets which are wide and handsome though badly paved and so full of holes that it is a wonder how the springs of a carriage can last a week. The houses seem built chiefly in the Italian style of architecture with fine stucco fronts and in many cases marble floors and facings while the courtyards seen through the grills blazed with flowers. All the lower windows were strongly barred a precaution by no means unnecessary against the effects of the revolutions which are of such frequent occurrence in this country. To enable the inhabitants the better to enjoy the sea breeze the tops of the houses are all flat which gives the town from a distance somewhat of an eastern appearance. There are a great many Italian immigrants here and most of the building and plastering work is done by them. The Passeo del Molino is the best part of the town where all the rich merchants reside in Quintas surrounded by pretty gardens. They are very fantastic in their ideas of architectural style and appear to bestow their patronage impartially not to say indiscriminately upon Gothic cathedrals, Alhambra palaces, Swiss cottages, Italian villas and Turkish mosques. Except for this variety the suburb has somewhat the appearance of the outskirts of many of the towns on the Riviera with the same subtropical surroundings. These are however hard times on the river plate and more than half the Quintas are deserted and falling into ruins. On our way back by the Union Road we met a great many of the native bullet carts going home from market. These huge conveyances are covered with hides and are drawn by teams of from 2 to 12 bullocks yulked in pairs and driven by a man on horseback who carries a sharp pointed goat with which he prods the animals all round at intervals. Dressed in a full white linen shirt and trousers with his bright poncho and curious saddle gear he forms no unimportant figure in the picturesque scene. In the large marketplace there are hundreds of these carts with their owners encamped around them. When we at last arrived on board the yacht again at three o'clock we found that the miseries of coaling were not yet over and that there had been numerous visitors from the shore. Everything on deck looked black while below all was pitch dark and airless. Every opening and crevice having been closed and covered with turpaulin to keep out the cold dust. It took seven hours to complete the work instead of two as was hoped and promised so our chance of starting today is over. This seemed more disappointing because had we foreseen the delay we might have made other arrangements for seeing more on shore. Tuesday September 12th the anchor was up and we were already beginning to steam away when I came on deck this morning just in time to see the first faint streaks of dawn appearing in the grey sky. The river plate here is over a hundred miles wide and its banks are very flat so there was nothing to be seen except the two little hills of Cerro and Cerrito and the town of Montevideo fast vanishing in the distance. The channels are badly buoyed and there are shoals and wrecks on all sides. The light ships are simply old hulks with no special marks by which to distinguish them and as they themselves look exactly like wrecks they are not of much assistance in the navigation which is very confusing and sometimes perilous. Once we very nearly ran aground but discovered just in time that the vessel we were steering for with confidence was only a wreck on a dangerous shoal and that the light ship itself was further ahead. The yacht was immediately put about and we just skirted the bank and turning. The weather improved during the day and a fine sunset was followed by a clear starlet night at 10.30 p.m. we dropped our anchor outside all the other vessels in the roads at Buenos Aires eight miles from the shore. The light ship only carried an ordinary riding light like any other vessel so that it was almost impossible unless you knew the port very well to go in closer to the land at night. Wednesday, September 13th daylight did not enable us to distinguish the town for the river here is wide and the banks are low and we were lying a long way from the shore outside a great many fine-looking ships at anchor in the roads. About nine o'clock a German captain in a large whale boat came alongside and told us we were nearly eight miles from Buenos Aires. Tom arranged with him to take us ashore and accordingly we soon started. The water was smooth and there was a nice breeze and we sailed gallantly along for about two hours until we reached the town. After anchoring we trend-shipped ourselves into a small boat in which we were rode to some steps at the end of the long rickety mole where we landed. Some of the planks of the pier were missing leaving great holes big enough to fall through and others were so loose that when you stepped upon one end of them the other flew up almost into your face. Our first business was to secure the services of a pilot to take us up to Rosario. The best man on the river was sent for but when he came he did not recommend our undertaking the voyage as the water is very low at present and we might get stuck on a sand bank and be detained for some days although no further harm would be likely to occur to us. We decided therefore as our time is precious to give up the idea of making the expedition in the yacht and to go in the ordinary riverboat instead. Under the guidance of some gentlemen we then went to the central railway station to send off some telegrams and thence to the river plate bank. The treasury contained 600,000 pounds and British sovereigns locked up in three strong safes besides paper money and securities to the amount of two million pounds. It was the Rosario branch of this bank which was recently robbed of 15,000 pounds by an armed government force an unprecedented proceeding in the history of nations and one that might have led to the interference of foreign powers. There was time afterwards to go round and see something of the city which like many other South American towns were built in square blocks all the streets running exactly at right angles to one another. There is a fine plaza or grand square in which are situated the cathedral, theater, etc. the center being occupied by a garden containing statues and fountains. The various banks with their marble facings, Corinthian columns and splendid halls are magnificent buildings and look more like palaces than places of business. Some of the private houses too seemed very handsome. On the outside they are all faced with marble to a certain height from the ground the interior consisting of courtyard within courtyard being rather like that of a Pompeian house. We next went to the agricultural show which though not an imposing affair to our eyes appeared really very creditable to those who had organized it. The horses and cattle looked small but there were some good specimens of sheep especially the Rambanelus and Negretus whose long fine wool was however meant to be discovered by first turning aside a thick plaster of mud beneath which it was concealed. We saw also some curious animals natives of the country such as vicunius, llamas, bizcaches and various kinds of deer a very mixed lot of poultry and dogs and two magnificent Persian cats. Another department of the show was allotted to the commercial products of the country animal, vegetable and mineral the whole forming a very interesting collection. In re-embarking the disagreeable process of this morning had to be repeated rickety pier, rotten steps and small boat included before we reached the whale boat after which we had an eight-mile sail out to the yacht it was a cold dull night and getting on board proved rather difficult work owing to the rough sea. Thursday September 14th the pilot came on board at seven o'clock to take us in near the shore but after all we found ourselves obliged to anchor again five miles off no ship drawing more than ten feet can get inside the sandbanks which makes it a wretched place to lie in especially as the weather at this time of year is very uncertain. You may go ashore from your ship on a fine clear morning and before you return a gale may have sprung up accompanied by a frightful sea. Open boats are therefore quite unsafe a state of things which has given rise to the existence of a class of fine boats specially built for the service which attend to all the ships lying in the roads they are half decked will sail in any weather and can be easily managed by two men. About ten o'clock we went ashore again in the whale boat which Tom had engaged to wait on us during our stay and made the best of our way to a warehouse to look at some ponchos which are the speciality of this part of South America. Everybody wears one from the beggar to the highest official the best kind of ponchos are very expensive being made from a particular part of the finest hair of the vacuña hand woven by women in the province of Katamarka. The genuine article is difficult to get even here. In the shops the price usually varies from 30 pounds to 80 pounds but we were shown some at a rather lower price from 20 pounds to 60 pounds each. They are soft as silk perfectly waterproof and will wear it is said forever. We met a fine looking man in one of beautiful quality yesterday he told us that it originally cost 20 pounds in Katamarka 20 years ago and that he gave 20 pounds for it second hand 10 years ago and with the exception of a few slight tears it is now as good as ever. Before we came here we were strongly advised in case we should happen to go on a rough expedition up country not to be tempted to take with us any good ponchos. As the gauchos are half red Indians of the Pampas who are great connoisseurs of these articles and can distinguish them from each other, the material of which they are made is of the closest texture and as the hair has never been dressed or dyed it retains all its natural oil and original color the latter varying from a very pretty yellow fawn to a pale cream color. The majority of the ponchos worn here are however made at Manchester of a cheap and inferior material they look exactly like the real thing at first sight but are neither so light nor so warm nor do they wear at all well. Occasionally they are made of silk but more often of bright colored wool. In shape a poncho is simply a square shawl with a hole in the middle for the head of the wearer. On horseback the appearance is particularly picturesque and it forms also a convenient cloak which comes well over the saddle before and behind and leaves the arms though covered perfectly free. The natives as a rule wear a second poncho generally of a different color tucked into the waistband of their long full linen drawers calzoncios so as to make a pair of short baggy over trousers a poor man is content with a shirt, drawers and two ponchos a rich man has many rows of fringe and frills of lace at the bottom of his calzoncios and wears a short coat with silver buttons and a gorgeous silver belt covered with dollars. His horse finnings and massive stirrups and nothing of his enormous spurs will be of solid silver and his arms inlaid with the same metal he will sometimes give as much as from 10 pounds to 20 pounds for a pair of stirrups alone and the rest of his dress and equipment is proportionately expensive. The cost of the silver articles is little more than the value of the metal itself which is of very pure quality and is only roughly worked by the Indians or gauchos but as Manchester provides the ponchos they are the most beautiful in Birmingham the salary and fittings especially those in use in the neighborhood of towns after inspecting the ponchos we breakfasted with some friends and about noon started in the train for Campana the line passes at first through the streets of Buenos Aires and thence into the open country beautifully green and undulating like the waves of the sea near the town and the suburb of Belgrano are a great many peach tree plantations the fruit of which is used for gardening pigs while the wood serves for roasting them there is also some scrubby brushwood and a few large native trees but these are soon left behind and are succeeded by far spreading rich pasture land and occasional lagoons we saw for the first time the holes of the biscochus or prairie dogs outside which the little prairie owls keep guard there appeared to be always one and generally two of these birds standing like sentinels to each hole with their wise looking heads on one side pictures of prudence and watchfulness the bird and the beast are great friends and are seldom to be found apart we also passed several enormous flocks of sheep and herds of cattle most of them quite unattended though some were being driven by men on horseback there were quantities of plovers and a great many partridges of two kinds large and small and the numerous lagoons were covered with and surrounded by waterfowl of all kinds wild swans and ducks snipe, white storks gray herons, black cormorants and scarlet flamingos the last names standing at the edge of the water catching fish and occasionally diving below the surface on the very top of some of the telegraph posts were the nests of the oven bird looking like carved round blocks of wood placed there for ornament these nests are made of mud with a vertical in form the interior being divided into two quite distinct chambers Kampana was reached by four o'clock the train running straight on to the pier alongside of which the two vessels were lying was steam up passengers baggage and freight were immediately transferred from the train to the boats and we soon found ourselves steaming along in the Uruguay between the willow hung banks of the broad Piranha the country though otherwise flat and interesting looks very pretty just now in its new spring coat of bright green we passed several small towns amongst others San Pedro and San Nicholas which are quite important looking places with a good deal of shipping and occasionally stopped to pick up passengers who would come in boats and steam launches from far distant villages situated on the goons which our steamer could not enter just before arriving at each stopping place we had a race with the providor and whenever she became visible at a bend in the river half a ton more coal was immediately heaped on to our fires by the captain's order a piece of reckless extravagance for do what they would they could not make us gain five minutes the competition is however very fierce and I suppose the two companies will not be satisfied until they have ruined one another whereas if each would run a steamer on alternate days they in the public would be equally benefited the fares are exceedingly reasonable and less than three pounds for the whole journey from Buenos Aires to Rosario including all charges Friday September 15th a violent storm of thunder and lightning apparently just above our heads woke us at six o'clock this morning torrents of rain followed and continued to fall until we dropped our anchor at Rosario at eight forty five a.m. just as we were in the middle of breakfast in our cozy little stern cabin half an hour later we landed though the rain still came down in sheets but the steamer was now alongside the pier and close carriages had been provided a few minutes drive through ill paved streets brought us to the hotel universe a handsome spacious building with marble courtyards full of trees plants and flowers into which all the sitting rooms open above our galleries round which the various bedrooms are in like manner ranged it all looked nice and cool and suitable for hot weather but it was certainly rather drowty on such a cold pouring wet day and all our efforts to make our large room in which there were four immense windows at all comfortable were vain Rosario like Buenos Aires is built in squares the streets are generally well paved with black and white marble but the roadways are composed of little round stones that are full of holes and inequalities so that in crossing the road after heavy rain one steps from the tratoir into a very slough of despond the universal tramway runs down the center of every street after luncheon we made a fresh start for carcarania by a special train to which were attached two goods vans full of horses and a carriage truck containing a most comfortable American carriage in shape not unlike a Victoria only much lighter and with very high wheels after a short journey through a rich flat grass country we arrived at Roldon the first colony of the central Argentine land company here we all alighted the horses were taken out of the vans saddled, bridled and harnessed and the gentleman rode and I drove round the colony along what are generally roads but today were sheets of water we saw many colonists of every grade from those still occupying the one roomed wooden cottages originally supplied by the land company standing in the midst of ill cultivated fields to those who had built for themselves good houses in the town or nice cottages with pretty gardens surrounded by well-tilled lands the drive ended at the mill belonging to a retired officer of the British army who was settled here with his wife and two dear little children here we had tea in a pleasant chat and then returned to the train and proceeded to carcarania the next station on the line now however instead of the rich pasture lands and flourishing crops which we had hitherto seen on all sides our road lay through a desolate looking district bearing two evident signs of the destructive power of the locust people traveling with us tell us that less than a week ago the pasture here was as fresh and green as could be desired and the various crops were a foot high but that in the short space of a few hours the care and industry of the last ten months were rendered utterly vain and useless and the poor colonists found their verdant fields converted into a barren waste by these rapacious insects carcarania may be called the Richmond one might almost say the Brighton of Rosario it stands on a river the carcarania to the banks of which an omnibus runs twice a day from the railway station during the season to take people to bathe near the station is also an excellent little hotel containing a large dining room and a few bedrooms kept by two French women and here the Rosarians come out by train to dine and enjoy the fresh air it was quite dark by the time we arrived so that we could not see much of the flourishing little colony which has been formed here we therefore paddled across the wet road to the inn where despite the somewhat rough surroundings we enjoyed a capital dinner cooked in the true French style they are specially celebrated here for their asparagus but the locusts had devoured all but a very few stocks besides which they were held responsible on the present occasion for the absence of other vegetables and salad yesterday there was a grand wedding party near here the complete success of which was we were told somewhat marred by the fact that for six hours in the very middle of the day it became absolutely necessary to light candles owing to the dense clouds of locusts about a league and extent by which the air was darkened trains are even stopped by these insects occasionally for they appear to like a hard road and when they get on the line their bodies make the rails so greasy that the engines will not bite moreover they completely obscure the lights and signals so that the men are afraid to proceed the only remedy therefore is to go very slowly proceeded by a truckload of sand which is scattered freely over the rails in front of the engine horses will not always face a cloud of locusts even to get to their stables but turn round and stand doggedly still until it has passed after dinner we once more stepped into our special train in which we arrived at Rosario at about half past nine o'clock thoroughly tired out end of chapter five chapter six of A Voyage in the Sun Beam by Anna Brassie this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Davy Cross, Taos, New Mexico Life on the Pampas there's tempest in yon horned moon and lightning in yon cloud but hark the music mariners the wind is piping loud Saturday, September 16 waking at half past five we busied ourselves until nine o'clock when we again started in a special train for Carcarania after a short stop at Roldon it was reached two hours later and breakfast was followed by a long ride through the land company's colony and from thence to Candelaria a purely Spanish settlement I freely confess that I had hardly believed all the stories they told me last night about the terrible doings of the locusts and thought they must have been slightly exaggerated it all seemed too dreadful to be true as if one of the plagues of Egypt had been revived by the wand of an evil magician in this somewhat incredulous mood I rashly said that although I was very sorry to hear of the visit of these destructive creatures as they were unfortunately here I should like to see them my wish was shortly to be gratified for in the course of our ride we saw in the distant sky what looked very much like a heavy purple thunder cloud but which the experienced pronounced to be a swarm of locusts it seemed impossible but as we proceeded they met us first singly and then in gradually increasing numbers until each step became positively painful owing to the smart blows we received from them heads, faces, and hands we stopped for a time at Mr. Holt's large Estancia where notwithstanding the general appearance of prosperity the traces of the ravages of the locusts were only too visible on remounting to proceed on our journey we found that the cloud had approached much nearer the effect produced by its varying position being most extraordinary as the locusts passed between us and the sun they completely obscured the light with the sun's rays shining directly on their wings they looked like a golden cloud such as one sometimes sees in the transformation scene of a pantomime and at a greater distance when viewed from the top of a slight eminence they looked like a snow storm or a field of snow white margarites which had suddenly taken to themselves wings when on the ground with their wings closed they formed a close mass of little brown specks completely hiding the ground and crops with grass and grain in riding over them though not a quarter of their number could rise for want of space in which to spread their wings they formed such a dense cloud that we could see nothing else and the horses strongly objected to face them they got into one's hair and closed and gave one the creeps all over I am sure I shall often dream of them for some time to come and I have quite made up my mind that I never wish to see another locust I have however secured some fine specimens for anyone who was curious about them the land we passed through appeared to be well farmed we spoke to several of the colonists especially to one Italian family living in a little mud rancho with a tile roof they were all gathered together to witness the dying agonies of one of their best cows perishing from the effects of the drought the rest of the animals in the corral looked I am sorry to say thin and miserable they tended soon to follow their companion's example the poor people nevertheless seemed very cheery and contented and hospitably gave us each a drink of some remarkably muddy water after a 30 mile ride under a hot sun fortunately on the easiest of horses we were none of us sorry to stop for a short time at Carcarania and obtain some refreshment before proceeding horses, carriage and all by train to Rosario another colony on the line arrived at the latter place I thought I had had enough riding for the first day and therefore visited the various farms and houses in the carriage the rest of the party going as before on horseback after a round of about 15 miles we returned to the station where we were kindly received by the sister of the station master an excellent dinner was provided for us in the refreshment room before we entered our special train and Rosario was reached at about 10 o'clock Sunday, September 17th a kind friend sent his carriage to take us to the English church a brick building built to replace the small iron church that existed here previously and only opened last month the service was well performed and the singing of the choir excellent we paid a visit to the Sunday schools after luncheon and then drove to the quinta of Baron Alvier the road lies through the town past the race course crowded with gouchos bringing up scratch races amongst themselves and on over undulating planes and water courses into the open country sometimes there was a track, sometimes none in some places the pastures were luxuriously green in others the ground was carpeted with white lilac and scarlet rubina just coming into bloom for it is still early spring here here and there came a bear patch completely cleared by the locusts who had also stripped many of the fine trees in the garden of the quinta on the gateposts at the entrance were the nests of two oven birds like those we had already seen on the telegraph posts so exactly spherical as to look like ornaments in one of the shrubberies a fine jaguar was shut up in a cage who looked very like a tiger though he had evidently just had his dinner he was watching with greedy interest the proceedings of some natives in charge of a horse an animal which he esteems a great delicacy for curable on our way across the camp we saw a great quantity of the seeds of the martinia proboscadia mouseburs as they call them devil's claws or toenails they are curious looking things as the annexed woodcut will show frank bucklin has a theory and very likely a correct one that they are created in this peculiar form for the express purpose of attaching themselves to the long tails of the wild horses that roam about the country in troops of hundreds they carry them thousands of miles and disseminate the seed wherever they go at large in search of food and water when we returned to rosario we noticed a great crowd still on the race course and we're just in time to see the finish of one race written barebacked and for a very short distance all the races are short and as the natives are always engaging in these little contests of speed the horses get into the habit of extending themselves directly you put them out of a walk but the least touch is sufficient to stop them immediately and I never saw horses better broken than they are here the most fearful bits are used for the purpose but when once this is accomplished the mere inclination of the body or the slightest pressure of the finger upon the bridle is sufficient to guide them they will maintain for almost any length of time a quick canter what they call here a little gallop at the rate of three leagues ten miles an hour without showing the slightest sign of fatigue they don't like being mounted and always fidget a little then but are quite quiet directly or in the saddle I rode several horses which had never carried a lady before but after the first few minutes they did not seem to mind the riding habit in the least they evidently dislike standing still unless you dismount and throw the rain on the ground when they will remain stationary for hours Monday September 18th the early part of this morning was spent in much the same way as on Saturday Tom going as before to the land company's office while Stuy remained at home to write at nine o'clock we proceeded to the station and started in our comfortable railway carriage for Tortugas we formed quite a large party altogether and the journey over the now familiar line past Roldan, Carcarania and Canyada de Gomez was a very pleasant one at Tortugas we left the train and paid a visit to one of the overseers of the colony and his cherry little French wife who was around had been expecting us all day on Saturday a few weeks ago this lady's sister was carried off by Indians with some other women and children after riding many leagues she seized her opportunity pushed the Indian who was carrying her off his horse turned the animals head round and galloped back across the plane hotly pursued until within a mile or two of the colony by the rest of the band it was a plucky thing for a little bit of a woman to attempt with a great powerful savage who deservedly looked upon in the village as quite a heroine the journey between Rosario and Cordova occupies 12 hours by the ordinary train and as Frail Muerto is exactly halfway between the two places the trains going in either direction commenced their journey at the same hours 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. by which means the passengers meet each other here in time to breakfast and dine together there is a fine bridge over the river near Frail Muerto but the place is principally celebrated as having been the site of the Henleite colony which caused disappointment to so many young men of family who were induced to come out here from England and to go upcountry with no other result than the loss of all their money the scheme was supposed to be perfect in all its details but proved upon a closer acquaintance to be utterly worthless the Iron Church at Rosario is still standing which the members of the expedition took up there and we have also met some of the young men themselves at various times the train did not reach Cordova until 7.30 p.m. and it was therefore too late for us to see much of the approach to the city but tomorrow we intend to do a good deal in that way in the middle of the night we were aroused by a violent thunderstorm the lightning was most vivid and illuminated our room with many colors the rain fell heavily flooding everything and making the streets look like rivers in the courtyard of the hotel like a lake it is one of the oldest time one of the most unhealthy of the cities of South America for it is built in the hollow of the surrounding hills where no refreshing breezes can penetrate traveling in Brazil is like passing through a vast hot house filled with gorgeous tropical vegetation in forms of insect life in the neighborhood of Montevideo you might imagine yourself in a perpetual greenhouse here it is like being in a vast garden in which the greenest of turf the brightest of bedding out plants in the most fragrant flowering shrubs abound each country therefore possesses its own particular beauty equally attractive in its way shortly after leaving Cordova we passed through an Indian village but except at this point we did not meet many natives during our ride one poor woman however whom we did unfortunately encounter had a fall from her horse owing to the animal being frightened at the umbrella I carried yet my own horse had after a very brief inspection quietly submitted to the introduction of this novelty into the equipment of his rider we found that the hotel on the caldera for which we were bound was shut up but one of the party had the keys and an excellent lunch quickly made its appearance the view from the veranda over the river to the sierras beyond was very fine it had become quite hot by this time and I was much interested in seeing all our horses taken down to the water to bathe we were perfectly familiar with the process and the river being shallow they picked out all the nice holes between the boulders where they could lie down and be completely covered by the water just as we were starting to return black clouds gathered from all around the lightning flash the thunder muttered and big drops began to fall but the storm was not of long duration and we escaped the worst part of it that we had ample evidence of its severity during our homeward ride in the slippery ground we stopped halfway to see the drowning out of some poor little bizcatchas from their holes the water had been turned into their dwellings by means of trenches and as the occupants endeavored to make their escape at the other end they were pounced upon by men and dogs the prairie owls meanwhile hovering disconsolemnly overhead two of the gentlemen of our party each managed to purchase a living bizcatcha which was then wrapped up in a handkerchief and conveyed home to several creatures and are easily tamed it was late when we reached Cordova but I was anxious to visit the observatory before our departure as it is one of the best though not by any means the largest in the world Professor Gould, the astronomer is away just at present but we were kindly received by Mrs. Gould who conducted us over the building they have a fine collection of various instruments and some wonderful photographs of the principal stars Saturn with his ring with his four moons Venus, Mercury, etc if we could have stayed longer we might have seen much more but it was now quite dark and we had only just time for a short visit to the observing room itself our ride down to the city in the dark would have been exceedingly risky if our horses had been less sure-footed for the roads had been washed away in many places but we reached the bottom of the observatory hill in safety and shortly afterwards arrived at the hotel just in time for dinner we drove to the station where we found all our own party assembled and many more people who had come to see us off I was given the Chilean bit used for the horse I rode today as a remembrance of my visit it is a most formidable looking instrument of torture and one which I am sure my dear little steed did not in the least require but I suppose the fact of having once felt it when being broken in is sufficient for a lifetime for the horses here have certainly the very lightest mouths I ever met with a gift of a young puma or small lion was also waiting for me it is about four months old and very tame but considering the children I think it will be more prudent to pass it on to the zoo in London the train started at 8.30 p.m. and took an hour to reach Rio Segundo where we found tea and coffee prepared after that we proceeded to make our arrangements for the night some of the gentlemen sleeping in the saloon carriages and someone beds made up in the luggage van Tom and I turned into our two cozy little births and knew nothing more until we were called at 4.30 a.m. at Cagnada de Gomez the lamp had gone out and we found it rather difficult work dressing and packing and cold and dark but it was soon done and a cup of hot coffee in the refreshment room afterwards made us feel quite comfortable then we all separated Captain Dunlop to join his ship Tom to complete his report on the colonies of the central Argentine land company which he is preparing in compliance with the request of the directors in London while the rest of the party awaited the arrival of the wagonette which was to take us to the Estancia of Las Rosas Wednesday, September 20 at 6.30 a.m. the wagonette arrived a light but strong unpainted vehicle drawn by a pair of active little well bred horses both of whom had been raced in their day there were but a few leagues of cultivated ground to be passed before we reached to the broad undulating solitary pompous where for some time the only visible signs of life were to be found in the Teru Terro birds a sort of plover who shrieked discordantly as we disturbed their repose the partridges large and small put up by the retriever who accompanied us some prairie fowls a great many hawks of all sizes and the pretty little white birds with their two immense tail feathers four times the length of their bodies the first glimpse of the far spreading prairie was most striking in all its variations of color the true shade of the pompous grass when long is a light dusty green when short it is a bright fresh green but it frequently happens that owing to the numerous prairie fires either accidental or intentional nothing is to be seen but a vast expanse of black charred ground here and there relieved by a few patches of vivid green where the grass is once more springing up under the influence of the rain the road or rather track was in a bad condition owing to the recent wet weather and on each side of the five kinyatas or small rivers which we had to forward there were deep morasses through which we had to struggle as best we could with the mud up to our axle trees just before arriving at the point where the stream had to be crossed the horses were well flogged and urged on at a gallop which they gallantly maintained until the other side was reached then we stopped to breathe the horses and to repair damages generally finding that a trace had given way or that some other part of the harness had shown signs of weakness on one occasion we were delayed for a considerable time by the breaking of the splinter bar to repair which was a troublesome matter indeed I don't know how we should have managed it if we had not met a native lad who sold us his long lasso to bind the pieces together again it was a lucky racquantre for us as he was the only human being we saw during the whole of our drive of 30 miles except the peon who brought us a change of horses halfway in the course of the journey we passed a large Estancia the road to which was marked by the dead bodies and skeletons of the poor beasts who had perished in the late droughts hundreds of them were lying about in every stage of decay those more recently dead being surrounded by vultures and other carrion birds the next kenyatta that we crossed was choked up with the carcasses who struggled thus far for a last strength and had then not had sufficient strength left to extricate themselves from the water herds of miserable looking half-starved cattle were also to be seen the cows very little larger than their calves and all apparently covered with the same rough shaggy coats the pasture is not fine enough in this part of the country to carry sheep but deer are frequently met with a little later we began to approach cultivated land and a mile or two further brought us to a broad road with high palings on either side down which we drove and through the yard to the door of the Estancia the house is a one-story building one room wide with a veranda in front and at the back one side of which faces the yard the other a well-kept garden full of violets and other spring flowers and roses just coming into bloom there are several smaller detached buildings in which the sleeping apartments are situated which are also provided with verandas and barred windows having visited the various rooms in company with our hosts we sat down to a rough but substantial breakfast to which full justice was done traveling all night and a ride of 30 miles in the fresh morning air have a tendency to produce a keen appetite and the present occasion proved no exception to that rule after breakfast I rested and wrote some letters while the gentleman inspected the farm instead the owner of the Estancia has the best horses in this part of the country and has taken great pains to improve their breed as well as that of the cattle and sheep by importing thoroughbreds from England unlike the Arabs neither natives nor settlers here think of riding mares and it is considered quite a disgrace to do so they are therefore either allowed to run wild in troops or are used to trample out corn or to make mud for bricks they are also frequently killed and boiled down for the sake of their hides and tallow the value of which does not amount to more than about 10 shillings per head large herds of them are met with at this time of the year on the pompous attended by a few horses and accompanied by their foals the natives of these parts pass their lives in the saddle horses are used for almost every conceivable employment from hunting and fishing to brick making and butter churning even the very beggars ride about on horseback I have seen a photograph of one with the police certificate of mendicancy hanging round his neck taken from life for Sir Woodbine Parrish every domestic servant has his or her own horse as a matter of course and the maids are all provided with habits in which they ride about on Sundays from one Estancia to another to pay visits in fishing the horses ridden into the water as far as he can go and the net or rod is then made use of by his rider at Buenos Aires I have seen the poor animals all but swimming to the shore with heavy carts and loads from the ships anchored in the inner roads for the water is so shallow that only very small boats can go alongside the vessels and the cargo is therefore transferred directly to the carts to save the trouble and expense of transshipment in out of the way places on the Pampas where no churns exist butter is made by putting milk into a goat skin bag attached by a long lasso to the saddle of a peon who is then set to gallop at a certain number of miles with the bag bumping and jumping along the ground after him about four o'clock the horses much larger and better bred animals than those we have been riding lately were brought round from the corral mine was a beauty easy gentle and fast we first took a canter round the cultivated ground about 300 acres in extent and in capital condition Lucerne grows here splendidly and can be cut seven times a year as we left the yard Mr. Neald's man asked if he would take the dogs he replied in the negative but I suppose he must have referred to the greyhounds only for we were certainly accompanied on the present occasion by eleven dogs of various sorts and sizes those left behind being shut up and kept without food in anticipation of the stag hunt tomorrow we rode over the race course where the horses are trained and on to the partridge ground the larger kind of these birds are extremely stupid and are easily ridden down by a horseman or caught in a noose they rise three times and after the third flight they are so exhausted and terrified that it is easy to dismount and catch them with the hand as they lie panting on the long grass partridge hunting is considered good sport it is necessary to keep your eye constantly fixed upon the bird and to watch where he settles and then to gallop to the spot as hard as possible leaving your horse to look after himself amid the long grass and this manoeuvre has to be repeated until it lasts the unfortunate bird is overtaken and caught as we were riding along the dogs found and killed a Biscaccia in a bank just as Mr. Elliot had pulled it out and had laid it dead in the field its little companion owl arrived and appeared to be in the most dreadful state of mind it shrieked and cried as it hovered over us and finally selected a small white fox terrier who I think really had been principally concerned about his death as the object of its vengeance pouncing down upon his head and giving him two or three good pecks at the same time flapping its wings violently the other dogs drove it off but more than half an hour afterwards while we were looking at some horses nearly a mile from the spot the plucky little owl returned to the charge and again swooped down upon the same dog with a dismal cry and administered a vigorous peck to him all together it was a striking and interesting proof of the attachment existing between these curious birds and beasts the object of the owl in the present instance clearly being to revenge if possible the death of its friend on our return to the farm we went all round the place and found that everything was being made secure for the night after which we watched all the servants come in one by one for their daily ration of grog and then retired to dress for dinner shortly after which being thoroughly tired out I retired to my bedroom attended by a very kind old Irish woman who had been deputed to look after me my mind was at first somewhat disturbed by the discovery of one or two enormous toads and long armed spiders in my apartment but they fortunately did not interfere with my repose for I slept like a top all the rooms being on the ground floor it is almost impossible entirely to exclude intruders of this description I admired very much what I took to be two fine ponchos of a delicate fawn color used as tablecloths but upon closer examination I found that they were made of the finest silk and learned afterwards that they were imported from England I don't know why the same material should not be employed for a similar purpose at home but I believe that those manufactured hitherto have been designed expressly for the South American market to which they are exported in considerable quantities Thursday September 21st at five o'clock when I awoke it was so misty that I could only see about halfway across the yard by six the hour at which we were to have started on our hunting expedition matters had improved a little but it was still considered unsafe to venture out for fear of being lost on the vast plains which surrounded us an hour later however it was reported that the fog was clearing off and a little before eight o'clock we started horses, riders, and dogs all appeared to be in the highest spirits the former jumping and frisking about hardly daining to touch the ground the latter tearing after one another embarking at every stray bird they met the pack numbered 17 and could hardly be called a level lot of hounds comprising as it did two deer hounds, five well-bred greyhounds two retrievers, one setter one spaniel, one french poodle two fox terriers, one black and tan terrier, and two animals of an utterly indescribable breed but they all did their work well as the event proved even the shaggy fat old french poodle arrived in each case before the deer was cut up two deer were soon described in the distance and we cantered steadily towards them at the rate of about ten miles an hour until the dogs winded and sighted them then directly the first short yelp was heard every horse extended himself in an instant galloping away as hard as he could go almost literally vente ter they were nearly all thoroughbreds and had been raced so that the speed was something delightful but it only lasted ten minutes at the end of which time the dogs ran into one of the deer and thus put a temporary stop to our enjoyment he proved to be a fine buck and was soon killed his legs were cut off for trophies but his horns being like velvet the head was not worth having some of the dogs pursued the doe but failed to pull her down and returned half an hour later fatigued and panting it had become hot by this time so we rode to the nearest water to enable the animals to drink and bathe and then started afresh at a sharp canter there were plenty of biscacha holes and boggy places to be avoided but we allowed the horses to take care of themselves and us in this respect and occupied ourselves almost exclusively in looking for fresh deer for some time we found nothing then too spring out of the long grass close to the canyatta which they crossed and on reaching the other side started off in different directions the pack pursued and divided some going after each animal I and two others of the party followed the doe and after another short burst of ten minutes at a tremendous pace we ran into and killed her as soon as she had been dispatched we wanted to follow the buck in pursuit of which the rest of the riders had gone but there was now nothing to be seen from him or them flat as the country looked the slight undulations of the ground quite hid them from our view after riding about for two hours in various directions looking and listening most patiently we abandoned the search and despair and returned to the house where we found that our friends had already arrived they had enjoyed the best run they have had for many months seven miles from point to point but the dogs had laid down deadbeat at the end of the first six miles the horseman their animals tailing off one by one until only two remained in it at all having mutually agreed to let the stag live till another day to afford perhaps as good a run and as much pleasure to someone else they there upon also abandoned the chase and turned their horses heads homewards after a change of dress we proceeded to pack up preparatory to our departure and then had breakfast after which we baited due to our kind hosts and started in the wagon at to retrace our steps to the station it was very bright and hot and the sun and wind had already begun to have a visible effect upon the vegetation of the pompous the streams were much more passable and we reached Canada de Gomez at about half past five in a shorter time than it had taken us to perform the outward journey yesterday on reaching Rosario at about ten o'clock we found several friends waiting to receive us with invitations to tea but we felt too tired and body and too disreputable in appearance to accept them and preferred going straight to our hotel and to bed End of Chapter 6 Chapter 7 of A Voyage in the Sunbeam by Anna Brassie this LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Davi Cross, Taos, New Mexico more about the Argentine Republic the twilight is sad and cloudy the wind blows wild and free and like the wings of seabirds flash the white caps of the sea Friday, September 22 Mr. Fisher called for me at 8am to drive me in his little carriage to the railway yard and workshops and then to pay some farewell visits we also went to see the market and to get some photographs of Rosario after which breakfast, packing up and paying the bill occupied our time until one o'clock when we started for the steamer to return to Buenos Aires On our arrival alongside the provador, I found that nearly all our Rosario friends had come down to the landing place to see us off and had brought all manner of remembrances for me and the children Flowers in perfusion, a tame cardinal bird for Muriel, a pair of dear little long-tailed green paracets the skin of a seal shot at the Alexandria Colony a beautiful poncho, an Argentine bit whip and stirrups a pinch of skin two pretty little muletas a sort of armadillo, very tame and often kept in the houses here as a pet and several other presents all of which, when I look at them at home will serve to remind me of the kind donors and of the happy days spent in the Argentine Republic it was not long before we were off and steaming slowly a stern of the Uruguay this boat is not so large nor so fast as the Uruguay though the difference in speed would probably amount to more than 15 minutes in the 24 hours her saloon and deck are not so good but her sleeping cabins are much larger and more comfortable the Italian captains are equally agreeable on both steamers the civility is the same and the fares and food are precisely similar so that there is not much left to influence one in the choice of vessels we had a pleasant party at an excellent dinner in the evening the captain only regretting that we had not and the opera company went down from Rosario to Buenos Aires they had a very cheery evening and some good music which Tom told us afterwards he thoroughly enjoyed there were no musicians on board tonight and not any temptation to sit up late which was perhaps as well one of the reasons for our going back this way being that we wish to have an opportunity of seeing the River Tigre which we should reach in the early morning on the upward journey we had to save time embarked at Campania which is situated above that river Saturday, September 23 at 4.30 a.m. the captain called me being anxious that I should not miss any of the beauties of the Tigre on my arrival on deck he kindly had a chair placed for me right in the boughs provided me with rugs and wraps and sent for some hot coffee which was particularly acceptable as the morning air was fresh and chilly the sky was flushed with rosy clouds four runners of one of the most beautiful sunrises imaginable the river itself is narrow and monotonous the branches of the willow tree on either bank almost sweeping the sides of the steamer the center channel is fairly deep but we managed to run aground once though we only drew nine feet and in turning a sharp corner it was necessary to send a boat ashore with a rope to pull the vessels head round at half past six we reached the port of Tigre where we found many fine ships waiting for the tide to go up the river some delay occurred while the passengers luggage was being examined but in about half an hour we were able to land and walk to the railway station through an avenue of shady trees round the trunks of which the wisteria now in full bloom was climbing and past several houses whose pretty gardens were ablaze with all sorts of flowers at the station I found a letter from Tom telling me we were expected to breakfast at a quinta not far from Buenos Aires for about an hour and a half we ran through a rich and fertile country quite the garden of Buenos Aires until we arrived at the station where we were to alight here Mr. Coughlin met us and drove us to his house which is charmingly situated in the midst of a grove of olive trees formerly surrounding the palace of the viceroys after breakfast the gardener cut us a fine bouquet of roses and violets and we walked to the tramway and were conveyed by one of the cars smoothly and quickly to the city the contrast between this mode of travelling and riding in an ordinary carriage through the ill-paved streets is very striking it is really less fatiguing to walk than to adopt the latter mode of conveyance and I believe that but for the look of the thing most people would prefer to do so how the vehicles themselves stay on the jolting I cannot imagine for they are all large and handsome and must suffer tremendous strains at noon we went with Mr. Coughlin to see the market in the museum the market is a large open building well supplied with everything at moderate prices meat, game, fruit, vegetables and flowers being especially cheap and good house rent and fine clothes what myriole would call dandy things are very dear in Buenos Aires but all the necessaries of life are certainly cheap people of the middle and lower classes live much better here than they do at home and the development of bone and muscle in large families of small children owing to the constant use of so much meat and strong soup is very remarkable when once they have attained the age at which they can run about children get on very well but the climate and the difficulty of obtaining a proper supply of milk in hot weather often prove fatal to infants it is very difficult to get good servants here as they can easily obtain much higher pay in other capacities and are very soon enabled to set up in business for themselves returning to the hotel we collected our parcels and had some lunch and then proceeded to the pier where we found the children waiting for us to embark in the gig and we soon arrived safely on board the sun beam at about half past six Tom and Maybell returned from their expedition to the largest and most comfortable Estancia in the country where they were received most hospitably and enjoyed themselves very much after dinner some of our party left in the whale boat being anxious to be present at Madame Alma Zelia's benefit performance at the opera for which I fear they arrived too late after all whilst we were waiting at the railway station today some of the bouquets which were to be presented at the theater tonight arrived by train the flowers were arranged in all manner of strange shapes and devices full size tables and chairs music stands and musical instruments and many other quaint conceits comprised entirely of grey Neapolitan violets marked out with Camillas and other colored flowers Sunday, September 24th most of us went ashore in the whale boat at ten o'clock to attend the English church reopened today for the first time for some months after our own service we met many friends and walked to the Roman Catholic Cathedral the streets were full of well-appointed carriages and in the interior of the building we found a great many well-dressed ladies and a few men Mass had not commenced and a constant stream of worshipers was still entering but we remained only for a short time and then returned to the mole by this time the wind had freshened considerably and several of our friends tried to persuade us to remain on shore but as we knew Tom was expecting us and we wanted to get the things we required for our next journey we thought it better to go off it took us two hours and a half beating against the wind to reach the yacht seasick and drenched to the skin directly we got outside the bar the sea was very bad and each wave broke more or less over the little half-deck under which the children had been packed away for shelter seeing how rough it was out at the anchorage far worse than near the shore Tom had quite given us up for it was now half past three and was preparing to come ashore bringing our things with him on board the yacht we found an unfortunate French maid who had come off early in the morning to spend the day and have dinner with our people but who were now lying prostrate and ill in the cabin champagne and luncheon revived us a little and Tom hurried us off to get ashore again by daylight before the weather became worse it was a very pleasant twenty-minute sail to the shore racing along before the wind with two reefs in the mainsail quite a different thing from beating out the tide was high and the captain therefore steered for the pier he hoped to land us unfortunately however he missed it and as it was impossible to make another tack out all that could be done was to let go the anchor to save running ashore and wait until they sent out a small boat to fetch us this took some little time during which we pitched and tossed about in a very disagreeable fashion when the boat did at last arrive she turned out to be a wretched little skiff rode by two men with very indifferent oars and only capable of taking three passengers at a time Tom went first taking with him the two children and the two poor seasick maids and the boat at once put off for the land Tom steering it was terrible to watch them from the whale boat and when one tremendous sea came and the skiff broached too I thought for a moment that all was over as did everyone who was watching our proceedings from the pier I could not look anymore till I heard shouts that they were safe ashore the boat returned for us this time provided with better oars and we were soon landed in safety if not in comfort and a third and last trip brought ashore the rest of the party and the luggage Tom remaining at the tiller Mr. Coughlin had come down to meet us but seeing the peril of the first boat had gone away until he heard we were all landed and now returned to congratulate us on our narrow escape and present safety after we had rested for a short time in the waiting room we had to recover from our fright and shake our dripping garments we went to the hotel de la paix where we dined and at ten o'clock we walked down to the railway station where a large number of people had already assembled some of whom were to accompany us to Azul while others had only come to see us off everything had been most comfortably arranged for us in the special train the interior fittings of two second-class American carriages had been completely taken out divided into compartments each containing a cozy little bed had been substituted wash stands, looking glasses, etc had been provided and a profusion of beautiful flowers filled in every available spot in a third car, two tables occupying its entire length with seats on one side of each table had been placed and here it was intended that we should breakfast lunch and dine Monday, September 25th soundly, speaking for the children and myself until we were aroused at six o'clock this morning by the agreeable intelligence that we had reached our destination Azul is about 300 miles south of Buenos Aires on the southern railway it is a small and primitive place in itself but is situated in the midst of splendid pastures both for rearing sheep and cattle of which there are large flocks and herds whilst we were waiting for breakfast we walked a little distance to see a troop of mares treading mud for bricks it was a curious but rather sad sight inside a circular enclosure some 50 yards in diameter about 50 half starved animals up to their hoofs in very sloppy mud were being driven round about and up and down as fast as they could go by a mounted peon assisted by five or six men on foot outside the enclosure armed with long heavy whips which they used constantly had foals which were tied up a little distance off and which kept up a piteous whinnying as an accompaniment to the lashings and crackings of the whips on our way back to the station we saw a horse attached to a light gig bolt across the pampas at full gallop vainly pursued by a man on horseback first one wheel came off and then the other then the body of the gig was left behind and then the shafts and most of the harness followed suit until it last, as we afterwards heard the runaway reached his home about five miles off with only his bridle remaining at nine o'clock the breakfast spell rang and we found an excellent repast spread out for us on two long tables an hour later we started in seven large carriages and proceeded first to make the tour of the town afterwards visiting the bank and a fine new house in the course of construction by a native built entirely of white marble from Italy then we paid a visit to some Indians an old chief and his four wives who have settled quietly down in a toldo near the town they were not bad looking and appeared fairly comfortable as they squatted in the open air around the fire above which was suspended a large iron pot containing to judge by the look and smell a most savoury preparation we next went to a store where we picked up a few curiosities and then drove to the mill of Azul, a new establishment of which the inhabitants of the town are evidently very proud there is a pretty walk by the mill stream overhung with willows and close by is another toldo inhabited by more Indians leaving the town we now proceeded about two leagues across the pompous to Mr. Freyr's Estancia he is a farmer on a very extensive scale and possesses about 24,000 sheep and 500 horses besides goodly herds of cattle the locusts have not visited this part of the country and the pastures are consequently in fine condition after the late rains while the sheep look proportionately well we passed a large Graceria or place where sheep are killed at the rate of 7 in a minute and are skinned, cut up and boiled down for tallow in an incredibly short space of time the residue of the meat being used in the furnace's fuel running about loose outside four or five curly horned rams between two of which a grand combat took place apparently conducted in strict accordance with the rules of fighting etiquette the two animals began by walking round and round, eyeing each other carefully and then retiring backwards a certain distance which might have been measured out for them they stopped so exactly simultaneously then gazing steadfastly at one another for a few moments as if to take aim forward with tremendous force dashing their foreheads together with a crash that might have been heard a mile away it seemed marvelous that they did not fracture their skulls for they repeated the operation three or four times before Mr. Freyer could get a man to help to stop the fight when the two combatants were led off in a very sulky state to be locked up apart arrangements had been made for us to see as much of station life as possible during our short visit the peon's dinner had been put back in order that we might witness their peculiar method of roasting or rather baking their food and eating it but we were rather later than was expected and the men were so hungry that we were only able to see the end of the performance Mr. Freyer had also sent a long way across the pompous for some wild horses belonging to him in order that we might see them lassoed and Colonel Donovan had brought with him one of his best domedor or horse breakers that we might have an opportunity of seeing an unbroken colt caught and backed for the first time about a hundred horses were driven into a large corral and several gauchos and peon's some on horseback and some on foot exhibited their skill with the lasso by catching certain of the animals either by the fore leg, the hind leg or the neck as they galloped round and round at full speed the captured animal got a tremendous fall in each case and if the mounted horse was clever and active he and his rider were very likely to be thrown down also there was the risk too of the man receiving an injury from the lasso itself if it should happen to get round his body in which case he would probably be almost cut in half by the sudden jerk the next proceeding was to cast a lasso at a patro or unbroken colt who was galloping about in the very center of the troop at full speed his four legs were caught dexterously by the noose which brought him up or rather down instantly head over heels another lasso was then thrown over his head and drawn quite tight round his neck and a bridle composed of two or three thongs of raw hide was forced into his mouth by means of a slipknot rain a sheepskin saddle was placed on his back the man who was to ride him standing over him with one foot already in the stirrup all this time the poor horse was lying on the ground with his legs together frightened almost out of his life trembling in every limb and perspiring from every poor when the man was ready the horse's legs were loosened sufficiently to allow him to rise and he was then led outside the corral the lassoes were suddenly withdrawn and he dashed forwards springing and plunging upwards sideways downwards in every direction in the vain effort to rid himself of his unaccustomed load the man remained planted like a rock in the saddle pulling hard at the bridle while a second domidor mounted on a tame horse pursued the terrified animal striking him with a cruel whip to make him go in the required direction after about ten minutes of this severe exercise the captive returned to the corral exhausted and perfectly cowed and showing no desire to rejoin his late companions in order to complete the process of breaking him in we were told that it would be necessary to keep him tied up for two or three days, wrap a short of food and to repeat daily the operation of saddling bridling and mounting the difficulty being less on each occasion until at last he would become as quiet as a lamb we now saw our train approaching orders having been given for it to come as far as it could from the station to meet us we wished goodbye to Mr. Frere and his party and with many thanks to all got into our carriages and drove across the planes to the railway on our way we passed some large lagoons full of wild fowl and surrounded by scarlet flamingos and pelicans the ground we had to traverse was very boggy so much so that two of the carriages got stuck and their occupants had to turn out and walk at last we reached the train and climbed into the cars where we found an excellent lunch and prepared which we ate whilst the train dashed along at the rate of 40 miles an hour on a clock we stopped for tea and coffee and the children were put to bed by nine we had reached the junction for Buenos Aires where an engine met us and took most of our party into the city in one of the cars while we went on to Punta Lara the station for in Sonata on arriving we were met by several of our men who had been allowed to go ashore at Buenos Aires on Sunday morning and had not been able to rejoin the yacht since on Sunday night when they were to have returned it was time to get off even the whale boat was nearly dashed to pieces at anchor near the pier they spent the early part of Monday morning at hunting everywhere with the pilot for the lost steward and at last left the shore just in time to see the yacht steaming down the river with only half her crew on board and without a pilot it seems they had been waited for from eight o'clock until eleven it then became necessary to get under way for fear of losing the tide as it was the yacht had not been able to go to Sonata and was now lying in the river two miles out the station master having been informed of the state of affairs very kindly had steam got up in the railway tug to take us off the children with their nurses remained in bed in the car which was shunted into a siding until the morning the doctor staying on shore in charge the rest of us then set out for the yacht which we reached at one a.m. only to be greeted with the pleasing intelligence that no fresh provisions had arrived on board for the party of friends we were expecting the captain of the tug was good enough to promise to do what he could for us on shore but everything is brought here from Buenos Aires and it is too late to telegraph for a supply we cannot help fearing that something must have happened to our steward for he has always been most steady and respectable hither too and I fancy Buenos Aires is rather a wild place every inquiry is to be made and I can only trust the morning may bring us some news Tuesday September 26th the morning was fine with a nice breeze but the tide was so low that we should have been unable to get alongside the pier until 10 o'clock when Tom thought we should just miss our guests it was therefore decided that it would be better to send the steam tug to meet the special train especially as if we took the yacht in it would be impossible to get out again in the middle of the night when we had arranged to sail the steam tug came off early bringing two sheep, half a bullock and some wild ducks much to the relief of the cook's mind but there were no vegetables to be had on shore and of course it was too late to send Buenos Aires for any we had to do the best we could without them therefore and I really do not think anyone knew of the dilemma we had been in until they were told at the end of the day the servants all turned to and worked with a will but it was rather a different matter from having aboard in the Thames with our London servants and supplies to fall back on for our own part I think we all felt that the comparative scarcity of meat this morning was an agreeable change after our recent experiences animal food is so cheap and so good in this country that at every meal four or five dishes of beef or mutton dressed in various ways are provided in the camp as all the country round Buenos Aires is called people eat nothing but meat dried and hardly any flour with it especially in the more distant Estancias beef and mutton poultry and eggs form the staple food of the inhabitants very little bread is eaten and no vegetables and an attempt is rarely made to cultivate a garden of any sort this year too the ravages of the locusts have made vegetable food scarcer than ever and it must now be looked upon quite as a luxury by very many people for there can be little doubt that to live entirely on meat even of the best quality though probably strengthening must be exceedingly monotonous about one o'clock we saw the tug coming off again this time with her dex crowded we found she had brought us 15 ladies and 30 gentlemen more than we had expected on account of the shortness of the notice we had been able to give the luncheon was managed by dividing our guests into three parties the coffee and dessert being served on deck but I am afraid the last division got very hungry before their time arrived it could not however be helped and it is to be hoped that the examination of the various parts of the yacht and her contents served to while away the time everyone seemed to be pleased with the appearance of the vessel never having seen one like her before indeed the only yacht that has ever been here previously is the Ilthen which formally belongs to us Mr. Sinjin servant brought me a most magnificent bouquet composed entirely of violets arranged in the shape of a basket three feet in width full of Camillas and marked with my initials in Alisom altogether it was quite a work of art but almost overpoweringly sweet it was late before our friends began the task of saying goodbye no light matter where as in the present case it is doubtful whether or at any rate when we shall meet again at last they left us deeming round the yacht in the tug and giving us some hearty cheers as they passed the minister's flag was run up salutes were exchanged and the little steamer rapidly started off in the direction of the shore followed by a dense cloud of her own smoke through a telescope we watched our friends disembark at the pier and saw the train steam away and then we turned our thoughts to the arrangements for our own departure Wednesday September 27th a fine breeze was blowing this morning in a favourable direction for our start but as ten and eleven o'clock arrived and there were still no signs of the expected stores Tom was in despair and wanted to sail without them I therefore volunteered to go ashore in the gig and see what had happened to them and telegraph if necessary to Mr. Crabtree fortunately we met the tug on our way and returned in tow of her to the yacht then after settling a few bills and obtaining our bill of health we got the anchor up and proceeded down the river under control between one and two o'clock we commenced steaming and in the course of the evening we were clear of the river plate and fairly on our way to the straits of Magellan End of Chapter 7