Rough Notes Taken During Some Rapid Journeys Across the Pampas and Among the Andes |
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Aconcagua animal appearance arrived asked beautiful beef bridle Buenos Aires capatáz carriage Chili climate Cordillera Cornish Cornwall corrál countenance covered cross door dressed drive England English English peasant feet galloped Gaucho governor grass ground head holes horse's horses hundred Indians indolent instantly killed lady lasso legs live lode looked loose lying Maypo Mendoza miles miners mines Montoneros morning mountains mounted mouth mules never night occasionally ostriches Pampas party passed path peons Petorca pistols Pizarro plain Plata poncho poor portmanteaus post-hut postilion priests provinces ravine ridden riding road rode saddle San Luis Santiago scarcely scene seen Señor side singular situation sleep slept snow sometimes soon South America spot spurs stood stopped tired told torrent town travelling Uspallata Villa Nueva walk walls whole wild woman women yards young
Popular passages
Page 4 - ... thistles, which have suddenly shot up to a height of ten or eleven feet, and are all in full bloom. The road or path is hemmed in on both sides ; the view is completely obstructed ; not an animal is to be seen ; and the stems of the thistles are so close to each other, and so strong, that, independent of the prickles with which they are armed, they form an impenetrable barrier.
Page 156 - He was the finest mule we had, and, on that account, had twice as much to carry as any of the others. With his nose to the ground, literally smelling his way, he walked gently on, often changing the position of his feet, if he found the ground would not bear, until he came to the bad part of the Pass, when he stopped ; but the peons threw stones at him, and he continued his path in safety, and several others followed.
Page 24 - It is curious to see them invariably take off their hats to each other as they enter a room which has no window, a bullock's hide for a door, and but little roof. The habits of the women are very curious : they have literally nothing to do; the great plains which surround them offer them no motive to walk, they seldom ride, and their lives certainly are very indolent and inactive. They have all, however, families, whether married or not; and once when I inquired of a young woman employed in nursing...
Page 154 - ... the top of the mountain, either washes the path away, or covers it over with loose stones. In some places, the rock almost touches one's shoulder, while the precipice is immediately under the opposite foot, and high above head, are a number of loose...
Page 260 - ... to the rider, and from that moment no one seemed to take any further notice of him. The horse instantly began to jump in a manner which made it very difficult for the rider to keep his seat, and quite different from the kick or plunge of an English horse ; however, the Gaucho's spur soon set him going, and off he galloped, doing every thing in his power to throw his rider.
Page 154 - The path goes across this slope, and is very bad for about seventy yards, being only a few inches broad; but the point of danger is a spot, where the water, which comes down from the top of the mountain, either washes the path away, or covers it over with loose stones.
Page 84 - These animals are never to be seen in the day, but as soon as the lower limb of the sun reaches the horizon, they are seen issuing from their holes in all directions, which are scattered in groups like little villages all over the Pampas. The biscachos, when full grown, are nearly as large as badgers ; but their head resembles a rabbit, excepting that they have very large bushy whiskers. In the evening they sit outside their holes, and they all appear to be moralising. They are the most serious-looking...
Page 155 - He said, that he could get down to the water at a place about a hundred yards off, and wait there with his lasso, to catch any mule that might fall into the torrent; and he requested me to lead on his mule.
Page 221 - Nolasco, which is situated on one of the loftiest pinnacles of the Andes. A small solitary hut was before us, and we were accosted by two or three wretched -looking miners, whose pale countenances and exhausted frames seemed to assimilate with the scene around them. The view from the eminence on which 'we stood was magnificent, it was sublime ; but it was, at the same time, so terrific, that one could hardly help shuddering.
Page 105 - ... me he was unwilling to fire, as his gun was loaded with very small shot, and he therefore remained motionless, the lion standing on his poncho for many seconds ! At last the creature turned his head, and walking very slowly away about ten yards, he stopped and turned again. The man still maintained his ground, upon which the lion tacitly acknowledged his supremacy, and walked off.