The Voyage of the Beagle - The Original Classic Edition. Darwin Charles

living world within itself, adapted to these inland lakes of brine. A minute

       crustaceous animal (Cancer salinus) is said to live in countless numbers in the brine-pans at Lymington: but only in those in which the fluid has attained, from evaporation, considerable

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       strength--namely, about a quarter of a pound of salt to a pint of water. (4/4. "Linnaean Transactions" volume 11 page 205. It is remarkable how all the circumstances connected with the salt-lakes in Siberia and Patagonia are similar. Siberia, like Patagonia,

       appears to have been recently elevated above the waters of the sea. In both countries the salt-lakes occupy shallow depressions in the

       plains; in both the mud on the borders is black and fetid; beneath

       the crust of common salt, sulphate of soda or of magnesia occurs, imperfectly crystallised; and in both, the muddy sand is mixed with lentils of gypsum. The Siberian salt-lakes are inhabited by small crustaceous animals; and flamingoes ("Edinburgh New Philosical Journal" January 1830) likewise frequent them. As these circumstances, apparently so trifling, occur in two distant continents, we may feel sure that they are the necessary results of common causes.--See "Pallas's Travels" 1793 to 1794 pages 129 to

       134.) Well may we affirm that every part of the world is habitable! Whether lakes of brine, or those subterranean ones hidden beneath volcanic mountains--warm mineral springs--the wide expanse and depths of the ocean--the upper regions of the atmosphere, and even the surface of perpetual snow--all support organic beings.

       To the northward of the Rio Negro, between it and the inhabited country near Buenos Ayres, the Spaniards have only one small settlement, recently established at Bahia Blanca. The distance in a straight line to Buenos Ayres is very nearly five hundred British miles. The wandering tribes of horse Indians, which have always occupied the greater part of this country, having of late much harassed the outlying estancias, the government at Buenos Ayres

       equipped some time since an army under the command of General Rosas

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       for the purpose of exterminating them. The troops were now encamped

       on the banks of the Colorado; a river lying about eighty miles

       northward of the Rio Negro. When General Rosas left Buenos Ayres he

       struck in a direct line across the unexplored plains: and as the country was thus pretty well cleared of Indians, he left behind him, at wide intervals, a small party of soldiers with a troop of horses (a posta), so as to be enabled to keep up a communication with the capital. As the "Beagle" intended to call at Bahia Blanca,

       I determined to proceed there by land; and ultimately I extended my

       plan to travel the whole way by the postas to Buenos Ayres.

       AUGUST 11, 1833.

       Mr. Harris, an Englishman residing at Patagones, a guide, and five Gauchos who were proceeding to the army on business, were my companions on the journey. The Colorado, as I have already said, is nearly eighty miles distant: and as we travelled slowly, we were

       two days and a half on the road. The whole line of country deserves scarcely a better name than that of a desert. Water is found only

       in two small wells; it is called fresh; but even at this time of

       the year, during the rainy season, it was quite brackish. In the summer this must be a distressing passage; for now it was sufficiently desolate.

       The valley of the Rio Negro, broad as it is, has merely been

       excavated out of the sandstone plain; for immediately above the

       bank on which the town stands, a level country commences, which is

       interrupted only by a few trifling valleys and depressions. Everywhere the landscape wears the same sterile aspect; a dry

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       gravelly soil supports tufts of brown withered grass, and low scattered bushes, armed with thorns.

       Shortly after passing the first spring we came in sight of a famous tree, which the Indians reverence as the altar of Walleechu. It is situated on a high part of the plain; and hence is a landmark visible at a great distance. As soon as a tribe of Indians come in sight of it, they offer their adorations by loud shouts. The tree itself is low, much branched, and thorny: just above the root it

       has a diameter of about three feet. It stands by itself without any neighbour, and was indeed the first tree we saw; afterwards we met with a few others of the same kind, but they were far from common. Being winter the tree had no leaves, but in their place numberless threads, by which the various offerings, such as cigars, bread,

       meat, pieces of cloth, etc., had been suspended. Poor Indians, not having anything better, only pull a thread out of their ponchos, and fasten it to the tree. Richer Indians are accustomed to pour spirits and mate into a certain hole, and likewise to smoke upwards, thinking thus to afford all possible gratification to Walleechu. To complete the scene, the tree was surrounded by the

       bleached bones of horses which had been slaughtered as sacrifices. All Indians of every age and sex make their offerings; they then think that their horses will not tire, and that they themselves

       shall be prosperous. The Gaucho who told me this, said that in the time of peace he had witnessed this scene, and that he and others used to wait till the Indians had passed by, for the sake of

       stealing from Walleechu the offerings.

       The Gauchos think that the Indians consider the tree as the god

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       itself; but it seems far more probable that they regard it as the

       altar. The only cause which I can imagine for this choice, is its being a landmark in a dangerous passage. The Sierra de la Ventana

       is visible at an immense distance; and a Gaucho told me that he was

       once riding with an Indian a few miles to the north of the Rio Colorado, when the Indian commenced making the same loud noise, which is usual at the first sight of the distant tree, putting his

       hand to his head, and then pointing in the direction of the Sierra. Upon being asked the reason of this, the Indian said in broken Spanish, "First see the Sierra."

       About two leagues beyond this curious tree we halted for the night: at this instant an unfortunate cow was spied by the lynx-eyed Gauchos, who set off in full chase, and in a few minutes dragged her in with their lazos, and slaughtered her. We here had the four necessaries of life "en el campo,"--pasture for the horses, water

       (only a muddy puddle), meat and firewood. The Gauchos were in high

       spirits at finding all these luxuries; and we soon set to work at the poor cow. This was the first night which I passed under the open sky, with the gear of the recado for my bed. There is high

       enjoyment in the independence of the Gaucho life--to be able at any moment to pull up your horse, and say, "Here we will pass the

       night." The deathlike stillness of the plain, the dogs keeping

       watch, the gipsy-group of Gauchos making their beds round the fire, have left in my mind a strongly-marked picture of this first night, which will never be forgotten.

       The next day the country continued similar to that above described.

       It is inhabited by few birds or animals of any kind. Occasionally a

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       deer, or a Guanaco (wild Llama) may be seen; but the Agouti (Cavia

       Patagonica) is the commonest quadruped. This animal here represents our hares. It differs, however, from that genus in many essential respects; for instance, it has only three toes behind. It is also

       nearly twice the size, weighing from twenty to twenty-five pounds. The Agouti is a true friend of the desert; it is a common feature

       of the landscape to see two or three hopping quickly one after the other in a straight line across these wild plains. They are found

       as far north as the Sierra Tapalguen