Itwascoveredbylowsucculentplants，ofthesamekindwiththosegrowingonthesea-shore。TheColorado，atthepasswherewecrossedit，isonlyaboutsixtyyardswide；generallyitmustbenearlydoublethatwidth。
Itscourseisverytortuous，beingmarkedbywillow-treesandbedsofreeds：
inadirectlinethedistancetothemouthoftheriverissaidtobenineleagues，butbywatertwenty-five。Weweredelayedcrossinginthecanoebysomeimmensetroopsofmares，whichwereswimmingtheriverinordertofollowadivisionoftroopsintotheinterior。AmoreludicrousspectacleIneverbeheldthanthehundredsandhundredsofheads，alldirectedoneway，withpointedearsanddistendedsnortingnostrils，appearingjustabovethewaterlikeagreatshoalofsomeamphibiousanimal。Mare’sfleshistheonlyfoodwhichthesoldiershavewhenonanexpedition。Thisgivesthemagreatfacilityofmovement；forthedistancetowhichhorsescanbedrivenovertheseplainsisquitesurprising：Ihavebeenassuredthatanunloadedhorsecantravelahundredmilesadayformanydayssuccessively。
TheencampmentofGeneralRosaswasclosetotheriver。Itconsistedofasquareformedbywaggons，artillery，strawhuts，etc。Thesoldierswerenearlyallcavalry；andIshouldthinksuchavillainous，banditti-likearmywasneverbeforecollectedtogether。Thegreaternumberofmenwereofamixedbreed，betweenNegro，Indian，andSpaniard。Iknownotthereason，butmenofsuchoriginseldomhaveagoodexpressionofcountenance。I
calledontheSecretarytoshowmypassport。Hebegantocross-questionmeinthemostdignifiedandmysteriousmanner。BygoodluckIhadaletterofrecommendationfromthegovernmentofBuenosAyres[5]tothecommandantofPatagones。ThiswastakentoGeneralRosas，whosentmeaveryobligingmessage；andtheSecretaryreturnedallsmilesandgraciousness。