the surrounding country was a swamp, wliieli m siumncr,
(Occciuher) wlu'u the snow molts on the Cordillera, is ovor-
tlowod by the river. My chicr amusement was watching
the Indian families as they came to buy little articles at the
rancho, where we staid. It was supposed that General Rosas
had about six hundred Indian allies. The men were a tall,
tine race, yet it was afterwards easy to see in the Ruegian
savage tiie same eountenauce rendered hideous by cold, want
of ibod, and less civilization. Some autliors, in defining the
primary races of mankind, have separated these Indians into
two classes : but I cannot think this is eorreet. Among the
young women or chinas, some deserve to be called even
beautiful. Their hair was coarse, but bright and black ;
and they wore it in two plaits hanging down to the waist.
They had a high colour, and eyes that glistened with brilliancy
; their legs, feet, and arms were small and elegantly
fornmd; their anldes, and sometimes their waists, were ornamented
by broad bracelets of blue beads. Nothing could be
more interesting than some of the family groups. A mother
with one or two daughters would often come to our rancho,
mounted on the same horse. They ride like men, hut with
their knees tucked up much higher. This habit, perhaps,
arises from their being accustomed, when travelling, to ride
the loaded horses. The duty of the women is to load and
unload the horses; to make the tents for the n igh t; in short
to be, like the wives of all savages, useful slaves. The men
fight, hunt, take care of the horses, and make the riding gear.
One of their chief indoor occupations is to knock two stones
together till they become round. The bolas is a very important
weapon to the Indian ; for with it he catches his
-zarne, and also his horse which roams free over the plain. In
fighting, his first attempt is to throw the horse of his adver-
sa”ry with the bolas, and when entangled by the fall to kill him
with the chuzo. If the balls only catch the neck or body of
an animal, they are often carried away and lost. As the
making the stones round is the labour of two days, the
manufacture of the balls is a very common employment.
Several ot the men and women had their faces painted red,
but I never saw the horizontal liands which are so common
among the Fucgians. Their chief jiridc consists in having
everything made of silver; I liavc seen a cacique with his
spurs, stirrujis, handle of his knife, and bridle made of this
metal: the head-stall and reins being of wire, were not
thicker than whipcord; and to sec a fiery steed, wheeling
about under the command of so light a chain, gave to the
horsemanship a remarkable character of elegance.
General Rosas intimated a wisli to see me; a circumstance
which 1 was afterwards very glad of. He is a man of an extraordinary
character, and has a most predominant influence
in the country, wliich it seems probable he will use to its
jirosperity and advancement. He is said to be the owner of
seventy-four square leagues of land, and to have about three
hundred thousand head of cattle. His estates are admirably
managed, and are far more productive of corn than any
others. He first gained his celebrity by his laws for his
own estancias, and by disciplining several hundred men, so
as to resist with success the attacks of the Indians. There
are many stories current about the rigid manner in which
his laws were enforced. One of these was, that no man,
on penalty of being put into the stocks, should carry his
knife on a Sunday: this day being the principal one for
gambling and drinking, many quarrels arose, which from the
general manner of fighting with the knife often proved fatal.
One Sunday the Governor came in great form to pay the
Estancia a visit, and General Rosas, in his hurry, walked out
to receive him with his knife, as usual, stuck in his belt.
The steward touched his arm, and reminded him of the law ;
upon which turning to the Governor, he said he was extremely
sorry, but that he must go into the stocks, and that
till let out, he possessed no power even in his ovm house.
After a little time the steward jvas persuaded to open the
stocks, and to let him out, hut no sooner was this done,
than he turned to the steward and said, “ You now hai-e
broken the laws, so you must take my place in the stocks.”
A . .