[81] =una atmósfera cargada de electricidad=. "On a second night we
witnessed a splendid scene of natural fireworks; the masthead and yard
arm ends shone with St. Elmo's light; and the form of the vane could
almost be traced, as if it had been rubbed with phosphorus. The sea
was so highly luminous that the tracks of the penguins were marked by
a fiery wake, and the darkness of the sky was momentarily illuminated
by the most vivid lightning."--DARWIN, _The Voyage of the Beagle_,
describing the entrance to the estuary of the Plata.
[82] =como el pelo contrariado del gato=, _like a cat's hair when
stroked the wrong way_.
[83] =la vista=, subject of the verbs =gira=, =reconcentra=,
=encuentra=, in the preceding lines.
[84] =Paraná= and =Uruguay= (next line). Two rivers. V. map.
[85] =arrojan=. Strictly speaking, the subject is =ceibos y palmas=,
though the meaning is clearly that _all_ the trees overhanging the
banks, _i.e._, the aromo and the orange tree, shower their flowers.
[86] =flor del aire=, _flower of the air_; popular name for a
plant of the genus Tillandsia, very common in Argentina. There are
many varieties, with flowers of different colors. The striking
characteristic of this plant is that it will grow without having its
roots in the ground, getting its sustenance from the air when tied to
or suspended from anything.
[87] =Guazú=, one of the rivers of the Paraná delta.
[88] =es un canto frigio=. The well-known archeologist, Sir William
Mitchell Ramsay, in his article on Phrygia in the _Encyclopædia
Britannica_ says: "The scenery is generally monotonous; even the
mountainous districts rarely show striking features or boldness of
character; where the landscape has beauty it is of a subdued melancholy
character. The circumstances of the country are well calculated to
impress the inhabitants with a sense of the overwhelming power of
nature and of their complete dependence on it. Their mythology, so far
as we know it, has a melancholy and mystic tone, and their religion
partakes of the same character."
[89] =Rousseau= (Jean Jacques), the celebrated French philosopher of
the eighteenth century (1712-1778), in his youth wrote a _Dissertation
on Modern Music_, in which he attempted to introduce a new system of
musical notation.
[90] =Copiapó=, city in Chile. V. map.
[91] =no lo han de haber adoptado=, _cannot have adopted it_.
[92] =y lo populariza... exige=, _and popularizes it by the audiences
which his song gathers_.
[93] =andaluz genuino=. Most of the Spanish colonizers of Argentina
were Andalusians. To this day their influence is noticeable in the
pronunciation of Spanish throughout South America. The most striking
difference in the pronunciation of the Castilians and that of the
Andalusians is that the latter pronounce the =z=, and the =c= when
followed by =e= or =i=, like an =s=. The Andalusians do not make the
=s= as sibilant as the Castilians; with them it is very often a light
aspirate sound.
[94] =algunos= refers to =especialidades= in the preceding sentence. It
is made masculine because the word is used to denote males, _i.e._, the
=tipos= and =caracteres= which are described in detail later on.
[95] =guerra civil=. The revolutionary struggle between Buenos Aires
and the provinces of the interior, which broke out close upon the heels
of Argentine independence, is referred to here. V. Introduction.
[96] =es de muy buena silla=, _she is a very good mount_.
[97] =ha pasado ayer=. A Spaniard would say here =pasó ayer=. This use
of the perfect instead of the preterite is a common Gallicism in South
America.
[98] =sierra de San Luis=, in the province of San Luis. V. map.
[99] =fallarle=, _pass sentence against him_. =Le= is dative of
disadvantage.
[100] =que=, object of =considera=.
[101] =si le sucedía momentáneamente extraviarse=, _if he happened to
lose the track for a moment_.
[102] "=¡Dónde te _mi-as-dir_!=" stands for "=¡Dónde te me has de ir!="
_Where do you think you will get away from me?_
[103] =unas hierbas=, _some blades of grass_.
[104] =_baquiano_=, also spelled =baqueano=. This adjective is derived
from the verb =vaquear=, which in Argentina means to round up cattle.
In the course of their work, the =baquianos=, or cattlemen, acquired an
intimate knowledge of the country, and it was only natural, therefore,
that the pathfinders, the sense in which the word is used here, should
come from their midst. To-day it is also used to denote a person who is
an expert in anything.
[105] =Imaginaos=. The final =d= of the second person plural imperative
is dropped in reflexive verbs.
[106] =el camino que lleva=, _the road he is following_.
[107] =si no los hay=, _if there aren't any_.
[108] =el camino ha de ir al Sur=, _the road must be to the south_.
[109] =lago o arroyo de agua salada o dulce=. Salt streams and lakes
are common in Argentina, particularly in the central provinces. "One
day I rode to a large salt lake, or salina, which is distant fifteen
miles from the town. During the winter it consists of a shallow lake of
brine, which in summer is converted into a field of snow-white salt....
One of these brilliantly white and level expanses, in the midst of the
brown and desolate plain, offers an extraordinary spectacle."--DARWIN,
_The Voyage of the Beagle_.
[110] =El general Rosas=. V. Introduction.
[111] =lo=. Cf. 29, 2.
[112] =Cuando se aproxima=. The subject is =el enemigo=.
[113] =observa los polvos=, _observes the clouds of dust_.
[114] =el jefe obra bajo este dato=, _the chief makes his plans in
accordance with this information_.
[115] =las aciertan=, _succeed in them_.
[116] =Creeráse=. The object pronoun is placed after the verb for
stylistic effect. The student should avoid this use.
[117] =El general Rivera=. José Fructuoso Rivera (1790-1854), famous
gaucho leader of the revolutionary movement in Uruguay. He was twice
elected to the presidency of his country. Defeated in 1845 by Urquiza,
he fled to Brazil.
[118] =Banda Oriental=. V. 5, 1.
[119] =Oribe= (Manuel), one of the famous "Thirty-three" liberators of
Uruguay. V. Introduction.
[120] =Lavalleja= (Juan Antonio), leader of the liberating expedition
of the "Thirty-three".
[121] =con toda su ciencia=. The possessive adjective =su= refers to
=Ojo de Halcón= and =el Trampero=, which are different names for the
hero in Cooper's _Leatherstocking Tales_.
[122] =La justicia=, _i.e._, its emissaries, the police.
[123] =enlaza una vaca=.... This is hardly so to-day, save perhaps
occasionally in the depths of the pampas. But in the days of Sarmiento
it was far from being an uncommon event. Cf. 9, 22.
[124] =se provee _de los vicios_=. He supplies himself with tobacco
and _mate_. In the simple life of the gaucho, tobacco and _mate_ are
luxuries, vices (!).
[125] =entra en baile con su pareja, confúndese en las mudanzas del
_cielito_=, _joins in the dance with his partner, mingles with the
others in the steps of the =cielito=_.
[126] =su morada sin limites=, _i.e._, =los cardales=, the thistle
fields of the pampa.
[127] =en la provincia=, _i.e._, in whichever province the =gaucho
malo= may be living, or better, roving.
[128] =Si no se le pide=, _If he is not asked_.
[129] =a menos que él lo solicite=. =Él= refers to =alguno=; =lo=,
to =acercársele=; trans., _unless the traveler wishes the gaucho to
approach him_.
[130] =valiente Rauch=, popular hero and gaucho leader; comparable to
Custer in American history.
[131] =catástrofe de Facundo=. Reference to the assassination of this
rival of Rosas. He was murdered by the outlaw gaucho Santos Pérez
at the instigation of Rosas. His death was a favorite theme of the
=cantores=.
[132] =el infeliz=, a term of mild contempt, _the poor fellow_.
[133] =de lo que tiene sobre su cabeza=, _i.e._, the cultured city
element.
[134] =de lo que tiene a los pies=, _i.e._, the semicivilized gaucho
element of the country.
[135] =Dondequiera que=, _Wherever_.
[136] No es fuera de propósito recordar aquí las semejanzas notables
que presentan los argentinos con los árabes. En Argel, en Orán, en
Máscara y en los aduares del desierto, ví siempre a los árabes reunidos
en cafés, por estarles prohibido el uso de los licores, apiñados en
derredor del cantor, generalmente dos que se acompañan de la vihuela a
duo, recitando canciones nacionales plañideras como nuestros tristes.
La rienda de los árabes es tejida de cuero y con azotera, como las
nuestras; el freno de que usamos es el freno árabe, y muchas de
nuestras costumbres revelan el contacto de nuestros padres con los
moros de la Andalucía. De las fisonomías no se hable: algunos árabes he
conocido que jurara haberlos visto en mi país.--EL AUTOR.
(=Orán=, port in Algeria.
=Máscara=, town in Algeria, to the southeast of Orán.
=azotera=. In Argentina reins are often made long enough so that the
ends may be used as a whip; these constitute the =azotera=.
=no se hable=, _let us not speak_.)
[137] =con ser=, _though being_.
[138] =no está libre de=..., _is not free from having some accounts to
settle with the police_.
[139] =lo del rapto=, _the story of the abduction_.
[140] =el poncho=. The poncho used by the gauchos is a thick woolen
blanket of oblong shape, with a slit in the center so that it may fall
over the wearer's shoulders. It is an inseparable accouterment of the
gaucho. It is his winter coat, his raincoat, and his shield to boot,
for in his dueling, to which he is much given, the gaucho fights with
the knife in one hand and the poncho wrapped around the other hand and
arm.
[141] =se veía salir=, _there was seen emerging_.
[142] =tomado de la cola=, _clinging to the tail_.
[143] =la sangrienta lucha=, _i.e._, the struggle between the
unitarians and federalists. V. Introduction.
[144] =Andando esta historia=, _As this history goes on_.
[145] =En el capítulo primero=, _i.e._, of the author's _Facundo_, from
which this and the preceding selection are taken.
[146] =No se olvide=, _Let it not be forgotten_.
[147] =que en éstos=. Translate as if it were =y que en éstos=.
[148] =a su tiempo=, _at the proper time_.
[149] =ocupa=. The subject is =labrador=.
[150] =lo variado=, _the variety_.
[151] =Todo lo contrario=, _Just the opposite_.
[152] =Los límites de la propiedad no están marcados=. Later on, when
Sarmiento became president, he introduced wire fences to indicate the
boundary lines of the _estancias_.
[153] =aunque no sepan qué hacerse=, _though they may not know what to
do with themselves_.
[154] =la corbata=. To a gaucho the cravat is the mark of the city man.
[155] =El año 41=, _i.e._, 1841.
[156] =¡Cómo me ha de ir!= _How do you suppose!_
[157] =estas dos frases=, _i.e._, =¡En Chile! ¡y a pie!= _In a foreign
land! and on foot!_ Chile, moreover, being a mountainous country, ill
suits the gaucho accustomed as he is to the plains of Argentina. Being
horseless is of course always a calamity for a gaucho, whether in the
pampa or far from it.
[158] =se dan=. V. 2, 9.
[159] =dónde se le han visto rastros al león=, _where the tracks of the
lion_ (_puma_) _have been seen_.
[160] =se fraterniza=, lit., _it is fraternized_; trans., _there
drinking and the prodigality of those with means induce comradeship_.
[161] =empiezan a echarse=, _begin to be laid_.
[162] =la Península=, _i.e._, Spain.
[163] =¡guerra a cuchillo!= _war to the knife!_ The Spanish general,
José Palafox Melfi, defender of the city of Zaragoza against the
besieging troops of Napoleon (1808-1809), being asked by the French
general to surrender, answered with the famous words above mentioned.
For this heroic defense of Zaragoza he was made Duke of Zaragoza.
[164] =a más de un arma=, _besides being a weapon_.
[165] =a la par de jinete=. After the words =a la par= the words =de
hacer alarde= are understood and =ser= is understood before =jinete=
and =valiente=.
[166] =una esgrima=, _a form of dueling_.
[167] =Así se ve a estos gauchos=, _thus these gauchos are seen_.
[168] =por brillar=. V. 18, 15.
[169] =si _corre a la partida_=, _if he gets the better of the rural
guards_.
[170] =si su conducta posterior=..., _i.e._, Rosas protected murderers
because he himself turned out to be the greatest of murderers later on
when he became dictator.
[171] =En cuanto a los juegos de equitación=. Darwin, speaking of the
horsemanship of the gaucho, says: "General Rosas is also a perfect
horseman--an accomplishment of no small consequence in a country where
an assembled army elected its general by the following trial: a troop
of unbroken horses, being driven into a corral, were let out through a
gateway, above which was a crossbar; it was agreed that whoever should
drop from the bar on one of these wild animals, as it rushed out, and
should be able, without saddle or bridle, not only to ride it, but also
to bring it back to the door of the corral, should be their general.
The person who succeeded was accordingly elected; and doubtless made
a fit general for such an army. This extraordinary feat has also been
performed by Rosas."
[172] =Uno le arroja un tiro de bolas=, _Some one takes a shot at him
with the bolas_. The _bolas_ used by the gauchos to catch cattle and
game are of two kinds; they may consist of two round stones covered
with leather and united by a leather thong about seven or eight feet
long; or they may consist of three balls united to a common center.
The balls differ in size and weight, depending on the kind of game the
gauchos wish to catch. They are twirled around the head and hurled
at the feet of the fleeing animal. Light bolas of the first kind are
called =lives=. Cf. 82, 12.
[173] =vese salir al jinete corriendo=, _the rider is seen to emerge
running_.
[174] =que han parado en bandidos=, _who have ended by becoming
bandits_.
[175] =van a perderse en el crimen=, _are lost in crime_.
[176] =que conquistara=, trans., _that once conquered_.
[177] =Lagos Pontinos=, _the Pontine Marshes_, the low country
surrounding Rome.
[178] =los Zumalacárregui, los Mina=. Tomás de Zumalacárregui
(1788-1835) and Javier Mina (1789-1817) were intrepid guerrilla
fighters who distinguished themselves in the Peninsular War against
Napoleon, and later died in struggles against their own compatriots.
[179] =Sierra Leona=, British colony on the western coast of Africa,
between French Guinea and Liberia.
[180] =que=, apocopated form of =porque=.
[181] =capataz de carretas=, _foreman of a train of ox-carts_. For
boldness and ruggedness these foremen may well be compared with the
American pioneers who crossed the prairies in the forties.
[182] =algún famoso de tiempo atrás=, _some one famous in former days_.
[183] =Por supuesto, que=. The =que= is redundant.
[184] =suele haber=, _there are wont to be_.
[185] =lo=. Cf. 29, 2.
[186] =lo arbitrario=, _the arbitrariness_.
[187] =sin que sus secuaces duden de ello=, _without his followers
doubting it_. The student must bear in mind that, whereas _without_
in English is used only as a preposition, in Spanish its equivalent
=sin= is used as a conjunction when, as in this case, it is followed
by =que=. Spanish clauses introduced by =sin que=, therefore, must be
translated by the preposition _without_ plus the _gerund_ of the verb.
[188] =comandante de campaña=, an officer exercising both civil and
military authority in the country; trans., _country prefect_.
[189] =Todavía una circunstancia nueva=, _Still another circumstance_.
[190] =en su obediencia=. =Su= refers to =el gobierno=.
[191] =Así el gobierno papal=. The pontificate of Gregory XVI
(1831-1846) was notoriously ill-advised.
[192] =el sultán=. Mustafa IV in 1806, by imperial firman, ratified
the election of Mehemet Ali by the sheiks to the pashalik of Egypt.
Mehemet Ali (1769-1849), pasha and afterwards viceroy of Egypt, though
an illiterate of humble birth, was an extraordinarily clever and astute
man. It was only through the intervention of the powers that in 1849,
after the rout of the Ottoman forces at the battle of Nezib, he was
forced to be satisfied with only the hereditary Viceroyalty of Egypt.
[193] =destronase=. The subject is =Mehemet Ali=.
[194] =revolución=, _i.e._, the social revolution after the war of
independence.
[195] =López e Ibarra, Artigas y Güemes, Facundo y Rosas=. V.
Introduction.
[196] =la ciudad=, _i.e._, Buenos Aires.
[197] =el camino que él había traído=, _the path he had followed_.
[198] =otros tantos=, _so many_. The naming of such worthless men
as those mentioned to the post of prefect was the equivalent of
eliminating that number of prefects.
[199] =la revolución de las ciudades=, _i.e._, against the Spaniards.
[200] =la desasociación=, _i.e._, =de la campaña=.
[201] =en la desocupación=, _originating in idleness_.
[202] =Estos focos=, _i.e._, =la pulpería=, =la estancia=, =la venta=.
[203] =en Facundo Quiroga=,... For translation rearrange the sentence
thus: =últimamente en Facundo Quiroga veremos= (understood) =la campaña
triunfante en todas partes sobre las ciudades, y éstas, siendo=
(understood) =dominadas en su espíritu, gobierno, civilización,
veremos= (understood) =formarse, al fin, el gobierno=, etc. In the
series =espíritu, gobierno, civilización= the conjunction =y= is
omitted by asyndeton.
[204] =montaña=, _i.e._, the Andes.
[205] =Santiago del Estero=. V. map.
[206] =descollaran=, _had excelled_.
[207] =Cuzco=, city in Peru, capital of the ancient empire of the
Incas. V. map.
[208] =Es su... vagabunda=, _The entire forest traversed by him in his
wanderings is the scene of his activities_.
[209] =Si parece que=, etc., _It seems indeed as if the treble string,
etc._
[210] =_Zupay_=. It is of interest to note in this connection that the
gaucho of the pampa calls this spirit =Mandinga=, who, although evilly
inclined toward men, does at times do them favors.
[211] =Salamanca=. The University of Salamanca was famous in the Middle
Ages as a great center of learning. Its motto was _Salamanca, maestra
de todas las ciencias_. In the thirteenth century Pope Alexander IV,
by a bull, made it one of the four great academies of the world. In
Argentina, the word =Salamanca= has become synonymous with learning
used for evil purposes, and means both witchcraft and the school where
witchcraft is taught.
[212] "=payar=". Music plays an important part in all the gatherings
among Argentine countrymen. Two =payadores=, or bards, engage in a
musical contest: each man sings in turn, accompanying himself on the
guitar on any improvised subject, and at the end the audience expresses
its approval of the winner by its applause.
[213] =enano de la siesta=, _the dwarf of the noonday nap_. Tradition
has it that ghosts walk about in the quiet hours of the noonday nap.
This is not surprising if one bears in mind the deep stillness that
pervades small Spanish-American towns, particularly those in the
interior.
[214] =montes saladinos=, _saline mountains_. Cf. 42, 14.
[215] =evoca=. The subject is =ave= in the preceding sentence.
[216] =Turay=, Quichua for _brother_.
[217] =atrapado a garrote=, _clubbed to death_.
[218] =pescado en fisga en el remanso del río=, _harpooned in the still
waters of the river_.
[219] =si no=, _if not_; _or else_.
[220] _=ashpa-mishqui=_, _=tiu-simi=_, _=cayanes=_, _=queyas=_, _also
=moro-moros=_ (83, 3), Quichua names of different varieties of bees.
[221] =en escasez=, _without game_.
[222] =boleada a lives=, _brought down with light =bolas=_. Cf. 64, 5.
[223] =tupo=, Quichua name for a measure of any sort; trans., _jar_.
[224] =el locro de su refrigerio habitual=, _his customary ration of
=locro=_.
[225] The brother has taken a position on some branch of the tree
beneath =la horqueta más alta=, so that he could pull on his lasso in
the manner of a pulley. From this point, when his sister had reached
the =horqueta más alta=, he could pretend he was going up, although in
reality he was going down.
[226] =En progresiva nitidez de sombra=, _With gradual and clear-cut
shadows_.
[227] Note omission of =es= after =ninguna=.
[228] =payador=. Cf. 79, 16.
[229] "=payadas de contrapunto=". A contest such as the one described
in the note to page 79, line 16, is called a =payada de contrapunto=.
[230] =Hácese... silencio=, _Silence falls again_.
[231] =Juan sin Ropa=, picturesque name given to the devil by the
gauchos.
[232] =le ha encontrado=, _i.e._, =a la leyenda=; trans., _has found in
it_.
[233] =la doctrina bíblica del _Génesis_=, _i.e._, the downfall of man.
[234] =su orgullo=, _i.e._, _the pride of_ =Santos Vega=.
[235] =Juan Díaz de Solís=, a famous Spanish explorer of the sixteenth
century who discovered the Río de la Plata, in 1516, and called it
Mar Dulce, thinking he had discovered a sea. Landing on the island of
Martín García, he was killed by the Charrúa Indians, a very warlike
tribe that occupied the Plata basin.
[236] =Sebastián Gaboto=. The name Cabot is usually connected with
Newfoundland, but it has historical importance for Argentina also.
Sebastian was the son of the well-known North American explorer, John
Cabot. He explored the Plata and Paraná rivers during the reign of
Charles V.
[237] =suyos=, _i.e._, =los hombres de don Nuño de Lara=.
[238] =brindando... amistad=, _in which Spaniards and Indians, mingling
freely, drank to the god of friendship_.
[239] =entrada ya la noche=, _when night had already fallen_.
[240] =luego que supo su cautividad=, _as soon as he learned of her
captivity_.
[241] =llegó a permitirles=, _went so far as to permit them_.
[242] =a saetazos=, _by arrow shots_.
[243] =pudo=. Translate as if it were =hubiera podido=.
[244] =_Corral_=. As with the English stage the first theatrical
performances in Argentina were produced in a courtyard, or open lot.
[245] =Una chispa... rancho=. Religious holidays in Catholic countries
are often celebrated with display of fireworks, particularly St. John's
day, June 24.
[246] "=pacui=". Quichua Indian name for owl, same as =kacuy=.
[247] =¿oísteis hablar de María?= _have you heard people speak of Mary?_
[248] =asomado=, _appearing or looking out_.
[249] =me habéis prometido=. The pronoun understood is =vos=,
equivalent here to =tú=. This usage is very common in Argentina. From a
very dignified form of address, employed as a rule in addressing kings,
it has come to be used in Argentina as the most familiar and colloquial
form of address.
[250] =Será=, trans., _Can it be?_ Note use of the future to denote
probability or possibility.
[251] =pero mientras más grande, mientras más sublime=..., =menos
digna=..., _but the greater, the more sublime_..., _the less worthy_....
[252] =confiada=, _trusting_ or _in confidence_.
[253] =¡Vaya un gran mérito!= _Well, that is indeed a great virtue!_
[254] =cámara=, _i.e._, =de diputados=, _chamber of deputies_.
[255] =¡Bendición del cielo!= _Thank heaven!_
[256] =¡Dejar la fría...!= The infinitive is used elliptically with
exclamatory force: trans., _What a joy to leave...!_
[257] =Manuela Rosas=. The daughter of the Dictator Juan Manuel Rosas.
[258] =si su amistad con la mía=, _if her friendship toward me_.
[259] =de esa austera integridad=, _i.e._, =de Alberto=.
[260] =contra él=, _i.e._, =Alberto=.
[261] =a lo alto de la sala=, _i.e._, the speaker's platform.
[262] =desolados=, _panic-stricken_.
[263] =Palermo=, a suburb of Buenos Aires.
[264] =como Isaac=. Reference to the sacrifice of Isaac. Cf. Genesis
22:9.
[265] =desolada=, _grief-stricken_.
[266] =la mostró=. The commoner usage (so also 100, 28, =rasgóla=) is
=le=.
[267] =Luján=. V. map.
[268] =pudiendo... momento=, _since he might be recognized and
denounced at any moment_.
[269] =Amigo también=, _Being also a friend_.
[270] =contestó... ofrecimiento=, _replied expressing his thanks for
the offer_.
[271] =De vuelta en su casa=, _When he had returned home_.
[272] =póngase en salvo=, _take refuge_.
[273] =Colonia=, city in Uruguay. V. map.
[274] =Mendoza=. San Martín made ready his army in this province prior
to the invasion of Chile. V. map.