ThenextdaywerodetothevillageofLasMinas。Thecountrywasrathermorehilly，butotherwisecontinuedthesame；aninhabitantofthePampasnodoubtwouldhaveconsidereditastrulyAlpine。Thecountryissothinlyinhabited，thatduringthewholedaywescarcelymetasingleperson。LasMinasismuchsmallereventhanMaldonado。Itisseatedonalittleplain，andissurroundedbylowrockymountains。Itisoftheusualsymmetricalform，andwithitswhitewashedchurchstandinginthecentre，hadratheraprettyappearance。Theoutskirtinghousesroseoutoftheplainlikeisolatedbeings，withouttheaccompanimentofgardensorcourtyards。Thisisgenerallythecaseinthecountry，andallthehouseshave，inconsequenceanuncomfortableaspect。Atnightwestoppedatapulperia，ordrinking-shop。
DuringtheeveningagreatnumberofGauchoscameintodrinkspiritsandsmokecigars：theirappearanceisverystriking；theyaregenerallytallandhandsome，butwithaproudanddissoluteexpressionofcountenance。
Theyfrequentlyweartheirmoustachesandlongblackhaircurlingdowntheirbacks。Withtheirbrightlycolouredgarments，greatspursclankingabouttheirheels，andknivesstuckasdaggersandoftensousedattheirwaists，theylookaverydifferentraceofmenfromwhatmightbeexpectedfromtheirnameofGauchos，orsimplecountrymen。Theirpolitenessisexcessive；
theyneverdrinktheirspiritswithoutexpectingyoutotasteit；butwhilstmakingtheirexceedinglygracefulbow，theyseemquiteasready，ifoccasionoffered，tocutyourthroat。
Onthethirddaywepursuedratheranirregularcourse，asIwasemployedinexaminingsomebedsofmarble。OnthefineplainsofturfwesawmanyostrichesStruthiorhea。Someoftheflockscontainedasmanyastwentyorthirtybirds。These，whenstandingonanylittleeminence，andseenagainsttheclearsky，presentedaverynobleappearance。Inevermetwithsuchtameostrichesinanyotherpartofthecountry：itwaseasytogallopupwithinashortdistanceofthem；butthen，expandingtheirwings，theymadeallsailrightbeforethewind，andsoonleftthehorseastern。