himself—a truly agreeable surprise to all
of us.

It turned out that an old Cazique, who was
a very old friend of the young Estanciero,
having heard of his presence in our caravane,
could not abstain from indulging himself with
a visit. On hearing this, of course the least
we could do was to turn ourselves up all hands
in the endeavour to entertain our guests, who,
counting women and children, amounted to
nearly a hundred persons. As those Indians
eat nothing but horseflesh, all we could do
was to provide the wherewithal for their
repast. We could give them horses or mares,
but they must kill them, and cook them, and
eat them without our assistance.

Some mares were brought from the nearest
onanada, or troop of wild horses, after about
half an hour's sharp chase. They were
presented in due form, and in due form they
were received. Some were killed, cooked, and
eaten, also in due form, I suppose: but,
certainly, with very little of what we call
ceremony. When I mention that the blood of the
animal is esteemed the chief delicacy, the
reader will not require me to describe the
repast in detail.

AN ADVENTURE WITH A LIZARD.

The immense plains of grass and other
vegetation, which are interpersed with lakes,
and of which La Plata is chiefly composed,
give life to innumerable animals of the lizard
tribe.

The Lagarto, or lizard, is at home in all
parts of the Sierra de St. Catherina, and is of
various sizes, from the little animal of scarcely
four inches in length, to the magnitude of six
feet in length. Its colours are most beautiful
and diversified. In the hot summer days they
appear to like to congregate and bask upon
the mountains, where the reflection of the
rays of the sun upon their brilliant-coloured
and translucent skins impart a striking effect.
I have often, upon approaching a mountain
where they disported themselves in the
sunshine, making it almost vivid with their
brilliancy, seen them, in their fright at my
approach, suddenly and rapidly rush away
from all sides of it, producing the same visual
sensation and effect as a flash of lightning
unexpectedly passing over the shining surface
of large sheets of downward-rolling waters.
It is very difficult to catch them, on account
of the rapidity of their movements. I remember
a circumstance happening to myself, while
in the Sierra, which will exemplify one of the
few ways to kill a lagarto.

On a very hot summer afternoon, I was
returning from a visit I had paid to a neighbour,
and passing near a solitary puesto (the
house for a capatan, a steward or overseer of
a certain part of the lands belonging to an
Estancia), I resolved to dismount from my
horse, in order to refresh myself at the puesto
with a draught of water. Finding that the
inhabitants had not returned from their
occupations in the fields, I entered the little
kitchen, and much fatigued, with my eyes full
of dust. At the opposite end was a very small
door, through which alone any light penetrated
the kitchen. At the time I entered, the sun
shone vividly through the door, giving a
lively appearance to what otherwise would be
in fact a little black hole. My entry was not
attended with any noise, for I wore potroboots
—the entire boot being made of leather
manufactured from the soft skin of the
hindlegs of a potro, or young horse,—a lucky
circumstance for myself; for on looking
around for the never-missing jarro, or water-
pot, I perceived—what I may truly say
quite amazed me—an enormous lizard, of the
largest class, close to my feet! Undisturbed
by my entry, there it lay, sleeping quietly
before the scarce-extinguished fire, enjoying,
doubtless, in its repose, the warmth of the
rays of the sun falling upon him, so as to
show the beauty and brilliancy of his colours
in dazzling reflection. A moment's consideration
determined me how to act. I quietly
withdrew to the yard, armed myself with a
sturdy stick, which is the only weapon fit
for attacking a lizard, and re-entered the
kitchen, and quietly and carefully took up my
position behind the lizard, leaving the door
wide open. My reason for taking a position
in its rear was, because I had been told by
Guachos that the bite of a lizard is really
dangerous, and that it will never relinquish
whatever it may get hold of with its teeth.
I did not forget, however, that there was also
considerable danger in the rear, on account of
its capability of severe mischief with its tail,
which is formidably armed with very hard-
pointed thorns. Having taken these precautions,
I struck a tremendous blow at the
animal's head. It was, indeed, fortunate for
me that I stood in its rear; for as soon as the
blow was struck, before I could raise the stick
to strike again, the lizard made such a leap as
seemed impossible, several times while in the
air opening and shutting its mouth most
frightfully. On descending, it dealt the most
furious blows on the ground with its formidable
tail. It then departed slowly from the
kitchen. After repeated blows of equal severity,
I at length killed him, without having
received any injury. I soon stripped off his
skin, which was one of the finest I ever saw.

I should state that the skin of these lizards,
especially those of the large class, are very
much esteemed, and are used, as a curiosity,
in covering sundry ornamental articles of
household furniture. The difficulty of catching
the lizards doubtless enhances the value of
their skins, which are in themselves
sufficiently beautiful to be esteemed as curiosities.

THE SIERRA DE ST. CATHERINA.

To the stranger viewing the district of La
Plata, known as the Sierra de St. Catherina,
for the first time, the whole range of country
presents the most surprising aspect. Pursuing