Somepartswereclothedbylowthickets，andotherswiththosesucculentplants，whichluxuriateonlywheresaltabounds。Badasthecountrywas，ostriches，deer，agoutis，andarmadilloes，wereabundant。Myguidetoldme，thattwomonthsbeforehehadamostnarrowescapeofhislife：hewasouthuntingwithtwoothermen，atnogreatdistancefromthispartofthecountry，whentheyweresuddenlymetbyapartyofIndians，whogivingchase，soonovertookandkilledhistwofriends。Hisownhorse’slegswerealsocaughtbythebolas，buthejumpedoff，andwithhisknifecutthemfree：whiledoingthishewasobligedtododgeroundhishorse，andreceivedtwoseverewoundsfromtheirchuzos。Springingonthesaddle，hemanaged，byamostwonderfulexertion，justtokeepaheadofthelongspearsofhispursuers，whofollowedhimtowithinsightofthefort。Fromthattimetherewasanorderthatnooneshouldstrayfarfromthesettlement。
IdidnotknowofthiswhenIstarted，andwassurprisedtoobservehowearnestlymyguidewatchedadeer，whichappearedtohavebeenfrightenedfromadistantquarter。
WefoundtheBeaglehadnotarrived，andconsequentlysetoutonourreturn，butthehorsessoontiring，wewereobligedtobivouacontheplain。
Inthemorningwehadcaughtanarmadillo，whichalthoughamostexcellentdishwhenroastedinitsshell，didnotmakeaverysubstantialbreakfastanddinnerfortwohungrymen。Thegroundattheplacewherewestoppedforthenight，wasincrustedwithalayerofsulphateofsoda，andhence，ofcourse，waswithoutwater。Yetmanyofthesmallerrodentsmanagedtoexistevenhere，andthetucutucowasmakingitsoddlittlegruntbeneathmyhead，duringhalfthenight。Ourhorseswereverypoorones，andinthemorningtheyweresoonexhaustedfromnothavinghadanythingtodrink，sothatwewereobligedtowalk。Aboutnoonthedogskilledakid，whichweroasted。Iatesomeofit，butitmademeintolerablythirsty。Thiswasthemoredistressingastheroad，fromsomerecentrain，wasfulloflittlepuddlesofclearwater，yetnotadropwasdrinkable。Ihadscarcelybeentwentyhourswithoutwater，andonlypartofthetimeunderahotsun，yetthethirstrenderedmeveryweak。Howpeoplesurvivetwoorthreedaysundersuchcircumstances，Icannotimagine：atthesametime，Imustconfessthatmyguidedidnotsufferatall，andwasastonishedthatoneday’sdeprivationshouldbesotroublesometome。
Ihaveseveraltimesalludedtothesurfaceofthegroundbeingincrustedwithsalt。Thisphenomenonisquitedifferentfromthatofthesalinas，andmoreextraordinary。InmanypartsofSouthAmerica，wherevertheclimateismoderatelydry，theseincrustationsoccur；butIhavenowhereseenthemsoabundantasnearBahiaBlanca。Thesalthere，andinotherpartsofPatagonia，consistschieflyofsulphateofsodawithsomecommonsalt。