348 LAVA BISTIUCT— ‘ BASALT GLEN.’ April
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ments had in falling not only scattered themselves over the
adjacent plain, but into the bed of the river, in such a manner
as to make the passage exceedingly dangerous ; because large
angular masses, in some places showing above the stream in
others hidden beneath, but so near the surface that the water
eddied and swelled over them, menaced destruction to the
hoats as they were with difficulty dragged through the eddying
rapid ; sometimes the rope caught under or around one
of those masses, and caused much trouble. Near the spot
where we stopped at noon there is a glen, quite different in
character from any place we had passed.* Indeed, upon entering
the lava district, or that part of the country over which
lava formerly flowed, there was no longer a Patagonian aspect
around. Steep precipices, narrow, winding vallies, abundance
of huge angular fragments of lava, a more rapid and narrower
river, and plains of solid lava overlying the whole surface
of the country, make this district even worse in its appearance
than the eastern coast of Patagonia. Excepting in an
occasional ravine nothing grows. Horses could not travel far,
the ground being like rough iron ; and water, excepting that
of the river and its tributary in Basalt Glen, is very scarce.
The glen above mentioned is a wild looking ravine, bounded
hy black lava cliffs. A stream of excellent water winds
through it amongst the long grass, and a kind of jungle at
the bottom. Lions or rather pumas shelter in it, as the
recently tom remains of guanacoes showed us. Condors inhabit
the basaltic cliffs. Near the river some imperfect columns
of basalt give to a remarkable rocky height, the semblance of
an old castle. Altogether it is a scene of wild loneliness quite
fit to be the breeding place of lions.f
No signs of human visitors were discovered: indeed, the
nature of the country must almost prevent horsemen from
traversing these regions, there is so little food and such bad
ground: only in glens or ravines such as this can any grass
or bushes be found. Guanacoes absolutely swarm upon the
* ‘ Basalt Glen.’ t- “ Leonum arida nutrix.”