Monte Video--Maldonado--Excursion to R. Polanco--Lazo and Bolas
--Partridges--Geology--Absence of trees--Cervus campestris--River
hog--Tucutuco--Molothrus, cuckoo-like habits--Tyrant-flycatcher
--Mocking-bird--Carrion hawks--Tubes formed by lightning--House
struck.
MALDONADO.
JULY 5TH, 1832.--In the morning we got under way, and stood out of
the splendid harbour of Rio de Janeiro. In our passage to the Plata,
we saw nothing particular, excepting on one day a great shoal of
porpoises, many hundreds in number. The whole sea was in places
furrowed by them; and a most extraordinary spectacle was presented,
as hundreds, proceeding together by jumps, in which their whole
bodies were exposed, thus cut the water. When the ship was running
nine knots, these animals could cross and recross the bows with the
greatest ease, and then dash away right ahead. As soon as we entered
the estuary of the Plata, the weather was very unsettled. One dark
night we were surrounded by numerous seals and penguins, which made
such strange noises, that the officer on watch reported he could
hear the cattle bellowing on shore. On a second night we witnessed
a splendid scene of natural fireworks; the mast-head 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 lastly, the darkness of the sky was momentarily
illuminated by the most vivid lightning.
When within the mouth of the river, I was interested by observing how
slowly the waters of the sea and river mixed. The latter, muddy and
discoloured, from its less specific gravity, floated on the surface
of the salt water. This was curiously exhibited in the wake of the
vessel, where a line of blue was seen mingling in little eddies, with
the adjoining fluid.
JULY 26TH.--We anchored at Monte Video. The Beagle was employed in
surveying the extreme southern and eastern coasts of America, south
of the Plata, during the two succeeding years. To prevent useless
repetitions, I will extract those parts of my journal which refer to
the same districts, without always attending to the order in which we
visited them.
MALDONADO is situated on the northern bank of the Plata, and not
very far from the mouth of the estuary. It is a most quiet, forlorn,
little town; built, as is universally the case in these countries,
with the streets running at right angles to each other, and having
in the middle a large plaza or square, which, from its size, renders
the scantiness of the population more evident and more unsociable.
It possesses scarcely any trade; the exports being confined to a few
hides and living cattle. The inhabitants are chiefly landowners,
together with a few shopkeepers and the necessary tradesmen, such
as blacksmiths and carpenters, who do nearly all the business for a
circuit of fifty miles round. The town is separated from the river by
a band of sand-hillocks, about a mile broad: it is surrounded on all
other sides, by an open slightly-undulating country, covered by one
uniform layer of fine green turf, on which countless herds of cattle,
sheep, and horses graze. There is very little land cultivated even
close to the town. A few hedges, made of cacti and agave, mark out
where some wheat or Indian corn has been planted. The features of the
country are very similar along the whole northern bank of the Plata.
The only difference is, that here the granitic hills are rather
more boldly pronounced. The scenery is very uninteresting; there is
scarcely a house, an enclosed piece of ground, or even a tree, to
give it an air of cheerfulness. Yet, after being imprisoned for some
time in a ship, there is a charm in the unconfined feeling of walking
over boundless plains of turf. Moreover, if your view is limited
to a small space, many objects possess beauty. Some of the smaller
birds are brilliantly coloured; and the bright green sward, browsed
short by the cattle, is ornamented by dwarf flowers, among which a
plant, looking like the daisy, claimed the place of an old friend.
What would a florist say to whole tracts so thickly covered by the
_Verbena melindres_, as, even at a distance, to appear of the most
gaudy scarlet?
I staid ten weeks at Maldonado, in which time a nearly perfect
collection of the animals, birds, and reptiles, was procured. Before
making any observations respecting them, I will give an account of a
little excursion I made as far as the river Polanco, which is about
seventy miles distant, in a northerly direction. I may mention, as a
proof how cheap every thing is in this country, that I paid only two
dollars a day, or eight shillings, for two men, together with a troop
of about a dozen riding-horses. My companions were well armed with
pistols and sabres; a precaution which I thought rather unnecessary;
but the first piece of news we heard was, that, the day before, a
traveller from Monte Video had been found dead on the road, with his
throat cut. This happened close to a cross, the record of a former
murder.
On the first night we slept at a retired little country-house; and
there I soon found out, that I possessed two or three articles,
especially a pocket compass, which created unbounded astonishment.
In every house I was asked to show the compass, and by its aid,
together with a map, to point out the direction of various places.
It excited the liveliest admiration that I, a perfect stranger,
should know the road (for direction and road are synonymous in this
open country) to places where I had never been. At one house a young
woman, who was ill in bed, sent to entreat me to come and show her
the compass. If their surprise was great, mine was greater, to find
such ignorance among people who possessed their thousands of cattle,
and “estancias” of great extent. It can only be accounted for by
the circumstance that this retired part of the country is seldom
visited by foreigners. I was asked whether the earth or sun moved;
whether it was hotter or colder to the north; where Spain was, and
many other such questions. The greater number of the inhabitants had
an indistinct idea that England, London, and North America, were
different names for the same place; but the better informed well knew
that London and North America were separate countries close together,
and that England was a large town in London! I carried with me some
promethean matches, which I ignited by biting; it was thought so
wonderful that a man should strike fire with his teeth, that it was
usual to collect the whole family to see it: I was once offered a
dollar for a single one. Washing my face in the morning, caused much
speculation at the village of Las Minas; a superior tradesman closely
cross-questioned me about so singular a practice; and likewise why
on board we wore our beards; for he had heard from my guide that
we did so. He eyed me with much suspicion; perhaps he had heard of
ablutions in the Mahomedan religion, and knowing me to be a heretick,
probably he came to the conclusion that all hereticks were Turks. It
is the general custom in this country to ask for a night’s lodging
at the first convenient house. The astonishment at the compass, and
my other feats in jugglery, was to a certain degree advantageous, as
with that, and the long stories my guides told of my breaking stones,
knowing venomous from harmless snakes, collecting insects, &c., I
repaid them for their hospitality. I am writing as if I had been
among the inhabitants of central Africa: Banda Oriental would not be
flattered by the comparison; but such were my feelings at the time.
The next day we rode to the village of Las Minas. The country was
rather more hilly, but otherwise continued the same; an inhabitant
of the Pampas no doubt would have considered it as truly Alpine.
The country is so thinly inhabited, that during the whole day we
scarcely met a single person. Las Minas is much smaller even than
Maldonado. It is seated on a little plain, and is surrounded by
low rocky mountains. It is of the usual symmetrical form; and
with its whitewashed church standing in the centre, had rather a
pretty appearance. The outskirting houses rose out of the plain like
isolated beings, without the accompaniment of gardens or courtyards.
This is generally the case in the country, and all the houses have,
in consequence, an uncomfortable aspect. At night we stopped at a
pulperia, or drinking-shop. During the evening a great number of
Gauchos came in to drink spirits and smoke cigars: their appearance
is very striking; they are generally tall and handsome, but with a
proud and dissolute expression of countenance. They frequently wear
their moustaches, and long black hair curling down their backs. With
their brightly-coloured garments, great spurs clanking about their
heels, and knives stuck as daggers (and often so used) at their
waists, they look a very different race of men from what might be
expected from their name of Gauchos, or simple countrymen. Their
politeness is excessive: they never drink their spirits without
expecting you to taste it; but whilst making their exceedingly
graceful bow, they seem quite as ready, if occasion offered, to cut
your throat.
On the third day we pursued rather an irregular course, as I was
employed in examining some beds of marble. On the fine plains of
turf we saw many ostriches (_Struthio Rhea_). Some of the flocks
contained as many as twenty or thirty birds. These, when standing on
any little eminence, and seen against the clear sky, presented a very
noble appearance. I never met with such tame ostriches in any other
part of the country: it was easy to gallop up within a short distance
of them; but then, expanding their wings, they made all sail right
before the wind, and soon left the horse astern.
At night we came to the house of Don Juan Fuentes, a rich landed
proprietor, but not personally known to either of my companions. On
approaching the house of a stranger, it is usual to follow several
little pieces of etiquette: riding up slowly to the door, the
salutation of Ave Maria[1] is given, and until somebody comes out,
and asks you to alight, it is not customary even to get off your
horse. Having entered the house, some general conversation is kept
up for a few minutes, till permission is asked to pass the night
there. This is granted as a matter of course. The stranger then takes
his meals with the family, and a room is assigned him, where with
the horsecloths belonging to his recado (or saddle of the Pampas)
he makes his bed. It is curious how similar circumstances produce
such similar results in manners. At the Cape of Good Hope the same
hospitality, and very nearly the same points of etiquette, are
universally observed. The difference, however, between the character
of the Spaniard and that of the Dutch boor is shown, by the former
never asking his guest a single question beyond the strictest rule
of politeness, whilst the honest Dutchman demands where he has been,
where he is going, what is his business, and even how many brothers,
sisters, or children he may happen to have.
Shortly after our arrival at Don Juan’s, one of the large herds
of cattle was driven in towards the house, and three beasts were
picked out to be slaughtered for the supply of the establishment.
These half-wild cattle are very active; and knowing full well the
fatal lazo, they led the horses a long and laborious chase. After
witnessing the rude wealth displayed in the number of cattle, men,
and horses, Don Juan’s miserable house was quite curious. The floor
consisted of hardened mud, and the windows were without glass; the
furniture of the sitting-room boasted only of a few of the roughest
chairs and stools, with a couple of tables. The supper, although
several strangers were present, consisted of two huge piles, one of
roast beef, the other of boiled, with some pieces of pumpkin: besides
this latter there was no other vegetable, and not even a morsel of
bread. For drinking, a large earthenware jug of water served the
whole party. Yet this man was the owner of several square miles of
land, of which nearly every acre would produce corn, and, with a
little trouble, all the common vegetables. The evening was spent in
smoking, with a little impromptu singing, accompanied by the guitar.
The signoritas all sat together in one corner of the room, and did
not sup with the men.
So many works have been written about these countries, that it is
almost superfluous to describe either the lazo or the bolas. The
former consists of a very strong, but thin, well-plaited rope, made
of raw hide. One end is attached to the broad surcingle, which
fastens together the complicated gear of the recado, or saddle used
in the Pampas; the other is terminated by a small ring of iron or
brass, by which a noose can be formed. The Gaucho, when he is going
to use the lazo, keeps a small coil in his bridle hand, and in the
other holds the running noose, which is made very large, generally
having a diameter of about eight feet. This he whirls round his head,
and by the dexterous movement of his wrist keeps the noose open;
then, throwing it, he causes it to fall on any particular spot he
chooses. The lazo, when not used, is tied up in a small coil to the
after part of the recado. The bolas, or balls, are of two kinds: the
simplest, which is chiefly used for catching ostriches, consists of
two round stones, covered with leather, and united by a thin plaited
thong, about eight feet long. The other kind differs only, in having
three balls united by the thongs to a common centre. The Gaucho holds
the smallest of the three in his hand, and whirls the other two round
and round his head; then, taking aim, sends them like chain shot
revolving through the air. The balls no sooner strike any object,
than, winding round it, they cross each other, and become firmly
hitched. The size and weight of the balls varies, according to the
purpose for which they are made: when of stone, although not so large
as a big apple, yet they are sent with such force as sometimes to
break the leg even of a horse. I have seen the balls made of wood,
and as large as a turnip, for the sake of catching these animals
without injuring them. The balls are sometimes made of iron, and
these can be hurled to the greatest distance. The main difficulty in
using either lazo or bolas, is to ride so well, as to be able at full
speed, and while suddenly turning about, to whirl them so steadily
round the head, as to take aim: on foot any person would soon learn
the art. One day, as I was amusing myself by galloping and whirling
the balls round my head, by accident the free one struck a bush; and
its revolving motion being thus destroyed, it immediately fell to the
ground, and like magic caught one hind leg of my horse; the other
ball was then jerked out of my hand, and the horse fairly secured.
Luckily he was an old practised animal, and knew what it meant;
otherwise he would probably have kicked till he had thrown himself
down. The Gauchos roared with laughter; they cried they had seen
every sort of animal caught, but had never before seen a man caught
by himself.
During the two succeeding days, I reached the furthest point which
I was anxious to examine. The country wore the same aspect, till at
last the fine green turf became more wearisome than a dusty turnpike
road. We every where saw great numbers of partridges (_Tinamus
rufescens_). These birds do not go in coveys, nor do they conceal
themselves like the English kind. It appears a very silly bird. A
man on horseback by riding round and round in a circle, or rather in
a spire, so as to approach closer each time, may knock on the head
as many as he pleases. The more common method is to catch them with
a running noose, or little lazo, made of the stem of an ostrich’s
feather, fastened to the end of a long stick. A boy on a quiet old
horse will frequently thus catch thirty or forty in a day. The flesh
of this bird, when cooked, is delicately white.
On our return to Maldonado, we followed rather a different line of
road. Near Pan de Azucar, a landmark well known to all those who
have sailed up the Plata, I stayed a day at the house of a most
hospitable old Spaniard. Early in the morning we ascended the Sierra
de las Animas. By the aid of the rising sun the scenery was almost
picturesque. To the westward the view extended over an immense level
plain as far as the mount, at Monte Video, and to the eastward, over
the mammillated country of Maldonado. On the summit of the mountain
there were several small heaps of stones, which evidently had lain
there for many years. My companion assured me that they were the
work of the Indians in the old time. The heaps were similar, but on
a much smaller scale, to those so commonly found on the mountains
of Wales. The desire to signalize any event, on the highest point
of the neighbouring land, seems an universal passion with mankind.
At the present day, not a single Indian, either civilized or wild,
exists in this part of the province; nor am I aware that the former
inhabitants have left behind them any more permanent records, than
these insignificant piles on the summit of the Sierra de las Animas.
The geological structure of the country is very simple. On the
crest of every hill, granitic or ancient schistose rocks protrude;
the intervening spaces being concealed by a great thickness of
a red argillaceous earth. This at first sight would be mistaken
for ordinary detritus; but on closer examination it is found to
contain small concretionary balls of a friable limestone or marl,
and to possess other peculiar characters. It extends over the whole
province, and in some places is very remarkable, from containing the
remains of several great extinct animals. This red earthy substance
is part of the formation which composes those immense plains of
Buenos Ayres, denominated the Pampas. For its origin, we must look to
a period when the estuary of the Plata, occupying far wider limits,
covered all the surrounding low countries with its brackish waters.
Signs of the gradual elevation of the land can in many places be
discovered on the shores of the river; and it is probable that the
red earthy mass is, geologically speaking, of no very ancient date.
The general, and almost entire absence of trees in Banda Oriental
is remarkable. Some of the rocky hills are partly covered by
thickets, and on the banks of the larger streams, especially to the
northward of the Las Minas, willow-trees are not uncommon. Near the
Arroyo Tapes I heard of a wood of palms; and one of these trees, of
considerable size, I saw near the Pan de Azucar, in lat. 35°. These,
and the trees planted by the Spaniards, offer the only exceptions
to the general scarcity of wood. Among the introduced kinds may be
enumerated poplars, olives, peach, and other fruit-trees: the peaches
succeed so well, that they afford the main supply of firewood to the
city of Buenos Ayres. Extremely level countries, such as the Pampas,
seldom appear favourable to the growth of trees. This may possibly be
attributed either to the force of the winds, or the kind of drainage.
In the nature of the land, however, around Maldonado, no such reason
is apparent; the rocky mountains afford protected situations,
enjoying various kinds of soil; streamlets of water are common at
the bottoms of nearly every valley; and the clayey nature of the
earth seems adapted to retain moisture. It has been inferred with
much probability, that the presence of woodland is determined by the
annual amount of moisture; yet in this province abundant and heavy
rain falls during the winter; and the summer, though dry, is not so
in any excessive degree.[2] We see nearly the whole of Australia
covered by lofty trees, yet that country possesses a far more arid
climate. Hence we must look to some other cause. The trees of Brazil
cannot travel so far southward, on account of the colder climate; nor
does there exist any other wooded country whence a migration could
take place: we are therefore driven to the conclusion that herbaceous
plants, instead of trees, were created to occupy that wide area,
which within a period not very remote, has been raised above the
waters of the sea.
Considering South America alone, we should be tempted to believe
that trees could not possibly flourish, excepting in a very humid
climate. The limit of the forest land certainly follows, in a most
remarkable manner, that of the damp winds.[3] In the southern part of
the continent, where the western gales, charged with moisture from
the Pacific, prevail, every island on the broken west coast, from
lat. 38° to the extreme point of Tierra del Fuego is densely covered
by impenetrable forest. On the eastern side of the Cordillera, over
the same extent of latitude, where a blue sky and a fine climate
prove that the atmosphere has been drained of its moisture, the arid
plains of Patagonia support a scanty vegetation. Within the limits
of the constant south-east trade-wind, the bulk of the eastern parts
of the continent is ornamented by magnificent forests: the west
coast, however, from lat. 4° south to lat. 32°, may be described as a
desert. In this case, as before, all the vapour has been condensed by
the snow-clad pinnacles of the Andes. In these two areas, determined
by the prevalent winds, the forest and desert lands occupy reversed
positions with respect to the great mountain axis. Between their
limits a broad intermediate band, which is neither desert nor
woodland, stretches across the entire continent. Central Chile and
the Provinces of La Plata are included in this division. On the west
coast, about four degrees south of the equator, where the trade-wind
loses its regularity, and heavy torrents of rain periodically fall,
the desert coast of Peru assumes near Cape Blanco the character of
luxuriance so celebrated at Guayaquil and on the shores of Panama.
After these facts, it will perhaps appear a sufficient answer to
the question, to state that according to the South American type of
vegetation, the climate of Banda Oriental is too dry for the growth
of trees. But this reasoning, I apprehend, must not be extended
to a general statement including other countries. The Falklands
offer a more perplexing case even than Maldonado. Situated under
the same latitude with Tierra del Fuego, and only between two and
three hundred miles distant from it, possessed of an entirely
similar climate, with a geological formation almost identical, with
favourable situations, and the same kind of peaty soil, yet these
islands can scarcely boast of a plant deserving the title even of a
bush; whilst in Tierra del Fuego, it is impossible to find an acre
of land not covered by the densest forest. In this case, both the
direction of the heavy gales of wind and of the currents of the sea
are favourable to the transport of seeds. Canoes and other works
of art, and trunks of trees, drifted from Tierra del Fuego, are
frequently thrown on the shores of the Western Island. Hence perhaps
it is that there are many plants common to the two countries: but
with respect to trees, even some attempts which have been made to
transplant them, have failed.
During our stay at Maldonado I paid particular attention to the
mammalia and birds. Of the latter I procured, within the distance of
a morning’s walk, no less than eighty species, of which many were
exceedingly beautiful--I think even more so than those of Brazil. The
other orders were not neglected. Reptiles were numerous, and nine
different kinds of snakes were taken. Of the indigenous mammalia,
the only one now left of any size, which is common, is the _Cervus
Campestris_. This deer is exceedingly abundant throughout the
countries bordering the Plata. It is found in Northern Patagonia as
far south as the Rio Negro (lat. 41°); but further southward none
were seen by the officers employed in surveying the coast. It appears
to prefer a hilly country; I saw very many small herds, containing
from five to seven animals each, near the Sierra Ventana, and among
the hills north of Maldonado. If a person crawling close along the
ground, slowly advances towards a herd, the deer frequently, out of
curiosity, approach to reconnoitre him. I have by this means killed,
from one spot, three out of the same herd. Although so tame and
inquisitive, yet when approached on horseback, they are exceedingly
wary. In this country nobody goes on foot, and the deer knows man as
its enemy, only when he is mounted and armed with the bolas. At Bahia
Blanca, a recent establishment in Northern Patagonia, I was surprised
to find how little the deer cared for the noise of a gun: one day
I fired ten times, from within eighty yards, at one animal; and it
was much more startled at the ball cutting up the ground than at the
report of the rifle. My powder being exhausted, I was obliged (to my
shame as a sportsman be it spoken), to get up and halloo till the
deer ran away.
The most curious fact with respect to this animal, is the
overpoweringly strong and offensive odour which proceeds from the
buck. It is quite indescribable: several times whilst skinning the
specimen which is now mounted at the Zoological Museum, I was almost
overcome by nausea. I tied up the skin in a silk pocket-handkerchief,
and so carried it home: this handkerchief, after being well washed,
I continually used, and it was, of course, as repeatedly washed;
yet every time, for a space of one year and seven months, when
first unfolded, I distinctly perceived the odour. This appears an
astonishing instance of the permanence of some matter, which in its
nature, nevertheless, must be most subtile and volatile. Frequently,
when passing at the distance of half a mile to leeward of a herd, I
have perceived the whole air tainted with the effluvium. I believe
the smell from the buck is most powerful at the period when its horns
are perfect, or free from the hairy skin. When in this state the
meat is, of course, quite uneatable; but the Gauchos assert, that if
buried for some time in fresh earth, the taint is removed. I have
somewhere read that the islanders in the north of Scotland treat the
rank carcasses of the fish-eating birds in the same manner.
The order Rodentia is here very numerous in species: of mice alone I
obtained no less than eight kinds.[4] The largest gnawing animal in
the world, the _Hydrochærus Capybara_ (the water-hog), is here also
common. One which I shot at Monte Video weighed ninety-eight pounds:
its length, from the end of the snout to the stump-like tail, was
three feet two inches; and its girth, three feet eight. These great
Rodents are generally called “carpinchos:” they occasionally frequent
the islands in the mouth of the Plata, where the water is quite salt,
but are far more abundant on the borders of fresh-water lakes and
rivers. Near Maldonado three or four generally live together. In the
daytime they either lie among the aquatic plants, or openly feed on
the turf plain.[5] When viewed at a distance, from their manner of
walking and colour, they resemble pigs: but when seated on their
haunches, and attentively watching any object with one eye, they
reassume the appearance of their congeners, the cavies. Both the
front and side view of their head has quite a ludicrous aspect, from
the great depth of their jaw. These animals, at Maldonado, were very
tame; by cautiously walking, I approached within three yards of four
old ones. This tameness may probably be accounted for, by the Jaguar
having been banished for some years, and by the Gaucho not thinking
it worth his while to hunt them. As I approached nearer and nearer
they frequently made their peculiar noise, which is a low abrupt
grunt; not having much actual sound, but rather arising from the
sudden expulsion of air: the only noise I know at all like it, is
the first hoarse bark of a large dog. Having watched the four from
almost within arm’s length (and they me) for several minutes, they
rushed into the water at full gallop, with the greatest impetuosity,
and emitted, at the same time, their bark. After diving a short
distance they came again to the surface, but only just showed the
upper part of their heads. When the female is swimming in the water
and has young ones, they are said to sit on her back. These animals
are easily killed in numbers; but their skins are of trifling value,
and the meat is very indifferent. I have never heard of the carpincho
being found south of the Plata; but as I see in a map that there is
a Laguna del Carpincho high up the Rio Salado, I suppose such must
have occurred. On the islands in the Rio Parana they are exceedingly
abundant, and afford the ordinary prey to the Jaguar.
The Tucutuco (_Ctenomys Braziliensis_) is a curious small animal,
which may be briefly described as a Rodent, with the habits of a
mole. It is extremely abundant in some parts of the country,[6] but
is difficult to be procured, and still more difficult to be seen,
when at liberty. It lives almost entirely under ground, and prefers
a sandy soil with a gentle inclination. The burrows are said not to
be deep, but of great length. They are seldom open; the earth being
thrown up at the mouth into hillocks, not quite so large as those
made by the mole. Considerable tracts of country are so completely
undermined by these animals, that horses, in passing over, sink
above their fetlocks. The tucutucos appear, to a certain degree, to
be gregarious. The man who procured the specimens for me had caught
six together, and he said this was a common occurrence. They are
nocturnal in their habits; and their principal food is afforded
by the roots of plants, which is the object of their extensive and
superficial burrows. Azara says they are so difficult to be obtained,
that he never saw more than one. He states that they lay up magazines
of food within their burrows. This animal is universally known by
a very peculiar noise, which it makes when beneath the ground. A
person, the first time he hears it, is much surprised; for it is
not easy to tell whence it comes, nor is it possible to guess what
kind of creature utters it. The noise consists in a short, but not
rough, nasal grunt, which is repeated about four times in quick
succession; the first grunt is not so loud, but a little longer,
and more distinct than the three following: the musical time of the
whole is constant, as often as it is uttered.[7] The name Tucutuco is
given in imitation of the sound. In all times of the day, where this
animal is abundant, the noise may be heard, and sometimes directly
beneath one’s feet. When kept in a room, the tucutucos move both
slowly and clumsily, which appears owing to the outward action of
their hind legs; and they are likewise quite incapable of jumping
even the smallest vertical height. Mr. Reid, who dissected a specimen
which I brought home in spirits, informs me that the socket of the
thigh-bone is not attached by a ligamentum teres; and this explains,
in a satisfactory manner, the awkward movements of their hinder
extremities. When eating, they rest on their hind legs and hold the
piece in their fore paws; they appeared also to wish to drag it into
some corner. They are very stupid in making any attempt to escape;
when angry or frightened, they uttered the tucutuco. Of those I kept
alive, several, even the first day, became quite tame, not attempting
to bite or to run away; others were a little wilder.
The man who caught them asserted that very many are invariably found
blind. A specimen which I preserved in spirits was in this state; Mr.
Reid considers it to be the effect of inflammation in the nictitating
membrane. When the animal was alive I placed my finger within half
an inch of its head, and not the slightest notice was taken: it
made its way, however, about the room nearly as well as the others.
Considering the subterranean habits of the tucutuco, the blindness,
though so frequent, cannot be a very serious evil; yet it appears
strange that any animal should possess an organ constantly subject
to injury. The mole, whose habits in nearly every respect, excepting
in the kind of food, are so similar, has an extremely small and
protected eye, which, although possessing a limited vision, at once
seems adapted to its manner of life.
Birds of many kinds are extremely abundant on the undulating
grassy plains around Maldonado. Several species, of the genus
Cassicus, allied to our starlings in habits and structure, and of
Tyrant-flycatchers, and a mocking-bird, from their numbers, give a
character to the ornithology. Some of the Cassici are very beautiful,
black and yellow being the prevailing colours, but _Oriolus ruber_,
Gme., offers an exception, in having its head, shoulders, and thighs
of the most splendid scarlet. This bird differs from its congeners in
being solitary. It frequents marshes, and, seated on the summit of a
low bush, with its mouth wide open, utters a plaintive agreeable cry,
which can be heard at a long distance.
Another species,[8] of a purplish-black colour, with a metallic
lustre, feeds on the plain in large flocks, mingled with other
birds. Several may often be seen standing on the back of a cow or
horse. While perched on a hedge, and pluming themselves in the sun,
they sometimes attempt to sing, or rather to hiss: the noise is very
peculiar; it resembles that of bubbles of air passing rapidly from
a small orifice under water, so as to produce an acute sound. Azara
states that this bird, like the cuckoo, deposits its eggs in other
birds’ nests. I was several times told by the country people, that
there was some bird with this habit; and my assistant in collecting,
who is a very accurate person, found a nest of the sparrow[9] of
the country, with one egg in it larger than the others, and of a
different colour and shape. Mr. Swainson[10] has remarked that with
the exception of the _Molothrus pecoris_, the cuckoos are the only
birds which can be called truly parasitical; namely, such as “fasten
themselves, as it were, on another living animal, whose animal heat
brings their young into life, whose food they alone live upon,
and whose death would cause theirs during the period of infancy.”
The _Molothrus pecoris_ is a North-American bird, and is closely
allied in general habits, even in such peculiarities as standing
on the backs of cattle (as its name implies), and in appearance,
with the species from the plains of La Plata; it only differs in
being rather smaller and of a different colour, yet the two birds
would be considered by every naturalist as distinct species. It is
very interesting to see so close an agreement in structure, and
in habits, between allied species coming from opposite parts of a
great continent. It is also very remarkable, that the cuckoos and
the molothri, although opposed to each other in almost every habit,
should agree in the one strange one of their parasitical propagation.
The molothrus, like our starling, is eminently sociable, and lives
on the open plains without art or disguise:[11] the cuckoo, as every
one knows, is a singularly shy bird; it frequents the most retired
thickets, and feeds on fruit and caterpillars. In structure these
birds are likewise widely removed from each other.
I will only mention two other birds, which are very common, and
render themselves prominent from their habits. The _Saurophagus
sulphureus_ is typical of the great American tribe of
Tyrant-flycatchers. In its structure it closely approaches the true
shrikes, but in its habits may be compared to many birds. I have
frequently observed it, hunting a field, hovering over one spot like
a hawk, and then proceeding on to another. When thus seen suspended
in the air, it might very readily at a short distance be mistaken
for one of the Rapacious order; its stoop, however, is very inferior
in force and rapidity. At other times the Saurophagus haunts the
neighbourhood of water, and there, like a kingfisher, remaining
stationary, it catches any small fish which may come near the
margin. These birds are not unfrequently kept either in cages, or
in courtyards with their wings cut. They soon become tame, and are
very amusing from their cunning odd manners, which were described to
me, as being similar to those of the common magpie. Their flight is
undulatory, for the weight of the head and bill appear too great for
the body. In the evening the Saurophagus takes its stand on a bush,
often by the road-side, and continually repeats, without change, a
shrill and rather agreeable cry, which somewhat resembles articulate
words. The Spaniards say it is like the words, “Bien te veo” (I see
you well), and accordingly have given it this name.
A mocking-bird, _Orpheus modulator_, called by the inhabitants
Calandria, is remarkable, from possessing a song far superior to
that of any other bird in the country: indeed, it is nearly the
only bird in South America which I have observed to take its stand
for the purpose of singing. The song may be compared to that of
the Sedge warbler, but is more powerful; some harsh notes and some
very high ones, being mingled with a pleasant warbling. It is heard
only during the spring. At other times its cry is harsh and far from
harmonious. It frequents thickets and hedges, is very active, and
whilst quickly hopping about, often expands its tail. Near Maldonado
these birds were tame and bold; they constantly attended in numbers
the country-houses, to pick the meat which was hung up on the posts
or walls: if any other small bird joined the feast, the Calandria
directly chased it away. On the wide uninhabited plains of Patagonia
another closely allied species, _O. Patagonica_ of D’Orbigny,
which frequents the valleys clothed with spiny bushes, is a wilder
bird, and has a slightly different tone of voice. It appears to me
a curious circumstance, as showing the fine shades of difference
in habits, that, judging from this latter respect alone, when I
first saw this second species, I thought it was different from the
Maldonado kind. Having afterwards procured a specimen, and comparing
the two without particular care, they appeared so very similar,
that I changed my opinion; but now Mr. Gould[12] says that they are
certainly distinct; a conclusion in conformity with the trifling
difference of habit, of which, however, he was not aware.
I will conclude these few ornithological observations with an
account of the various carrion-feeding hawks which frequent the
extratropical parts of South America. The number, tameness, and
disgusting habits of these birds, make them pre-eminently striking
to any one accustomed only to the birds of Northern Europe. In this
list may be included four species of the Caracara or Polyborus,
the Turkey-buzzard, the Gallinazo, and the Condor. The Caracaras
are, from their structure, placed among the eagles: we shall soon
see how ill they become so high a rank. In their habits they well
supply the place of our carrion-crows, magpies, and ravens; a tribe
of birds which is totally wanting in South America. To begin with
the _Polyborus Braziliensis_: this is a common bird, and has a wide
geographical range; it is most numerous on the grassy savannahs of
La Plata (where it goes by the name of Carrancha), and is far from
unfrequent throughout the sterile plains of Patagonia. In the desert
between the rivers Negro and Colorado, numbers constantly attended
the line of road to devour the carcasses of the exhausted animals
which chanced to perish from fatigue and thirst. Although thus common
in these dry and open countries, and likewise on the arid shores of
the Pacific, it is nevertheless found inhabiting the damp impervious
forests of West Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. The Carranchas,
together with the _Polyborus Chimango_, constantly attend in numbers
the estancias and slaughtering-houses. If an animal dies on the
plain the Gallinazo commences the feast, and then the two Caracaras
pick the bones clean. These birds, although thus commonly feeding
together, are far from being friends. When the Carrancha is quietly
seated on the branch of a tree, or on the ground, the Chimango often
continues for a long time flying backwards and forwards, up and down,
in a semicircle, trying each time, at the bottom of the curve, to
strike its larger relative. The Carrancha takes little notice, except
by bobbing its head. Although the Carranchas frequently assemble
in numbers, they are not gregarious; for in desert places they may
be seen solitary, or more commonly by pairs. Besides the carrion
of large animals, these birds frequent the borders of streams and
sea-beaches, to pick up whatever the waters may cast on shore. In
Tierra del Fuego, and on the west coast of Patagonia, they must
exclusively live on such supplies.
The Carranchas are said to be very crafty, and to steal great numbers
of eggs. They attempt also, together with the Chimango, to pick off
the scabs from the sore backs of the horses and mules. The poor
animal, on the one hand, with its ears down and its back arched;
and, on the other, the hovering bird, eyeing, at the distance of a
yard, the disgusting morsel, form a picture, which has been described
by Captain Head with his own peculiar spirit and accuracy. The
Carranchas kill wounded animals; but Mr. Bynoe saw one seize in the
air a live partridge, which escaped, and was for some time chased
on the ground. I believe this circumstance is very unusual: at all
events there is no doubt that the chief part of their sustenance
is derived from carrion. A person will discover the _Necrophagous_
habits of the Carrancha, by walking out on one of the desolate
plains, and there lying down to sleep. When he awakes, he will see,
on each surrounding hillock, one of these birds patiently watching
him with an evil eye. It is a feature in the landscape of these
countries, which will be recognised by every one who has wandered
over them. If a party goes out hunting with dogs and horses, it will
be accompanied, during the day, by several of these attendants.
After feeding, the uncovered craw protrudes; at such times, and
indeed generally, the Carrancha is an inactive, tame, and cowardly
bird. Its flight is heavy and slow, like that of an English rook. It
seldom soars; but I have twice seen one at a great height gliding
through the air with much ease. It runs (in contradistinction to
hopping), but not quite so quickly as some of its congeners. At times
the Carrancha is noisy, but is not generally so: its cry is loud,
very harsh and peculiar, and may be likened to the sound of the
Spanish guttural _g_, followed by a rough double _r r_. Perhaps the
Gauchos, from this cause, have called it Carrancha. Molina, who says
it is called Tharu in Chile, states, that when uttering this cry,
it elevates its head higher and higher, till at last, with its beak
wide open, the crown almost touches the lower part of the back. This
fact, which has been doubted, is quite true; I have seen them several
times with their heads backwards in a completely inverted position.
The Carrancha builds a large coarse nest, either in a low cliff, or
in a bush or lofty tree. To these observations I may add, on the
high authority of Azara, that the Carrancha feeds on worms, shells,
slugs, grasshoppers, and frogs; that it destroys young lambs by
tearing the umbilical cord; and that it pursues the Gallinazo, till
that bird is compelled to vomit up the carrion it may have recently
gorged. Lastly, Azara states that several Carranchas, five or six
together, will unite in chase of large birds, even such as herons.
All these facts show that it is a bird of very versatile habits and
considerable ingenuity.
The _Polyborus Chimango_ is considerably smaller than the last
species. It is common on both sides of the continent, but does not
appear to extend so far northward as the last species. It is found
in Chiloe, and on the coast of Patagonia, and I have seen it in
Tierra del Fuego. We have already remarked that it feeds on carrion,
in common with the Carrancha. It is generally the last bird which
leaves the skeleton; and may often be seen within the ribs of a cow
or horse, like a bird in a cage. The Chimango often frequents the
sea-coast and the borders of lakes and swamps, where it picks up
small fish. It is truly omnivorous, and will eat even bread, when
thrown out of a house with other offal: I was also assured that they
materially injure the potato crops in Chiloe, by stocking up the
roots when first planted. In the same island I myself saw them by
scores following the plough, and feeding on the worms and larvæ of
insects. I do not believe they ever kill birds or animals. They are
more active than the Carranchas, but their flight is heavy; I never
saw one soar; they are very tame; are not gregarious; commonly perch
on stone walls, and not upon trees; and frequently utter a gentle,
shrill scream.
The third species of Polyborus[13] is remarkable from the confined
localities which it frequents: we met with it only in one valley
in Patagonia. The last species which we have to mention is the
_Polyborus Novæ Zelandiæ_. This bird is exceedingly numerous over the
whole of the Falkland Islands, which appear to be its metropolis.
I was informed by the sealers, that they are found in the Diego
Ramirez rocks and the Ildefonso isles, but never on the mainland of
Tierra del Fuego. Nor do they occur on Georgia or the more southern
islands. In many respects these hawks resemble in their habits the
Carranchas. They live on the flesh of dead animals and on marine
productions; and on the Ramirez rocks their whole sustenance must
depend on the sea. They are extraordinarily tame and fearless, and
haunt the neighbourhood of houses for offal. If a hunting party
kills an animal, a number soon collect and patiently await, standing
on the ground on all sides. After eating, their uncovered craws
are largely protruded, giving them a disgusting appearance. They
readily attack wounded birds: a cormorant in this state having taken
to the shore, was immediately seized on by several, and its death
hastened by their blows. The Beagle was at the Falklands only during
the summer, but the officers of the Adventure, who were there in
the winter, mention many extraordinary instances of the boldness
and rapacity of these birds. They actually pounced on a dog that
was lying fast asleep close by one of the party; and the sportsmen
had difficulty in preventing the wounded geese from being seized
before their eyes. It is said that several together (in this respect
resembling the Carranchas) wait at the mouth of a rabbit-hole, and
together seize on the animal when it comes out. They were constantly
flying on board the vessel when in the harbour; and it was necessary
to keep a good look out to prevent the leather being torn from the
rigging, and the meat or game from the stern. These birds are very
mischievous and inquisitive; they will pick up almost any thing from
the ground; a large black glazed hat was carried nearly a mile, as
was a pair of the heavy balls, used in catching cattle. Mr. Usborne
experienced during the survey a more severe loss, in their stealing
a small Kater’s compass in a red morocco leather case, which was
never recovered. These birds are, moreover, quarrelsome and very
passionate; tearing up the grass with their bills from rage. They
are not truly gregarious; do not soar; their flight is heavy and
clumsy; on the ground they run with extreme quickness, very much
like pheasants. They are noisy, uttering several harsh cries; one of
which is like that of the English rook; hence the sealers always so
call them. It is a curious circumstance that, when crying out, they
throw their heads upwards and backwards, after the same manner as
the Carrancha. They build on the rocky cliffs of the sea-coast, but
only in the small islets, and not in the two main islands. This is a
singular precaution in so tame and fearless a bird. The sealers say
that the flesh of these birds when cooked, is quite white, and very
good eating.
We have now only to mention the turkey-buzzard (_Vultur aura_), and
the Gallinazo. The former is found wherever the country is moderately
damp, from Cape Horn to North America. Differently from the
_Polyborus Braziliensis_ and _Chimango_, it has found its way to the
Falkland Islands. The turkey-buzzard is a solitary bird, or at most
goes in pairs. It may at once be recognised from a long distance,
by its lofty, soaring, and most elegant flight. It is well known to
be a true carrion feeder. On the west coast of Patagonia, among the
thickly-wooded islets and broken land, it lives exclusively on what
the sea throws up, and on the carcasses of dead seals. Wherever these
animals are congregated on the rocks, there the vultures may be seen.
The Gallinazo (_Cathartes atratus_) has a different range from the
last species, as it never occurs to the southward of lat. 41°. Azara
states that there existed a tradition that these birds, at the time
of the conquest, were not to be found near Monte Video, but that they
subsequently followed the inhabitants from more northern districts.
At the present day they are numerous in the valley of the Colorado,
which is three hundred miles due south of Monte Video. It seems
probable that this additional migration has happened since the time
of Azara. The Gallinazo generally prefers a humid climate, or rather
the neighbourhood of fresh water; hence it is extremely abundant
in Brazil and La Plata, while it is never found on the desert and
arid plains of Northern Patagonia, excepting near some stream. These
birds frequent the whole Pampas to the foot of the Cordillera, but
I never saw or heard of one in Chile: in Peru they are preserved as
scavengers. These vultures certainly may be called gregarious, for
they seem to have pleasure in society, and are not solely brought
together by the attraction of a common prey. On a fine day a flock
may often be observed at a great height, each bird wheeling round and
round without closing its wings, in the most graceful evolutions.
This is clearly done for sport-sake, or perhaps is connected with
their matrimonial alliances.
I have now mentioned all the carrion-feeders, excepting the condor,
an account of which will be more appropriately introduced when we
visit a country more congenial to its habits than the plains of La
Plata.
In a broad band of sand-hillocks which separate the Laguna del
Potrero from the shores of the Plata, at the distance of a few
miles from Maldonado, I found a group of those vitrified, siliceous
tubes, which are generally supposed to have been formed by lightning
entering the loose sand. These tubes resemble in every particular
those from Drigg, in Cumberland, described in the Geological
Transactions.[14] The sand-hillocks of Maldonado, not being protected
by vegetation, are constantly changing their position. From this
cause the tubes projected above the surface; and numerous fragments
lying near, showed that they had formerly been buried to a greater
depth. Four sets entered the sand perpendicularly: by working with my
hands I traced one of them two feet deep; and some fragments which
evidently had belonged to the same tube, when added to the other
part, measured five feet three inches. The diameter of the whole
was nearly equal, and therefore we must suppose that originally it
extended to a much greater depth. These dimensions are however small,
compared to those of the tubes from Drigg, one of which was traced to
a depth of not less than thirty feet.
The internal surface is completely vitrified, glossy, and smooth. A
small fragment examined under the microscope, appeared, from the
number of minute entangled air or perhaps steam bubbles, like an
assay fused before the blowpipe. The sand is entirely, or in greater
part, siliceous; but some points are of a black colour, and from
their glossy surface possess a metallic lustre. The thickness of the
wall of the tube varies from a thirtieth to a twentieth of an inch,
and occasionally even equals a tenth. On the outside, the grains of
sand are rounded, and have a slightly glazed appearance: I could not
distinguish any sign of crystallization. In a similar manner to that
described in the Geological Transactions, the tubes are generally
compressed, and have deep longitudinal furrows, so as closely to
resemble a shrivelled vegetable stalk, or the bark of the elm or cork
tree. Their circumference is about two inches, but in some fragments
which are cylindrical and without any furrows, it is double, or four
inches. The compression from the surrounding loose sand, acting
while the tube was still softened from the effects of the intense
heat, has evidently caused the creases or furrows. Judging from the
uncompressed fragments, the measure or bore of the lightning (if such
a term may be used), must have been about one inch and a quarter. At
Paris, M. Hachette and M. Beaudant[15] succeeded in making tubes, in
most respects similar to these fulgurites, by passing very strong
shocks of galvanism through finely-powdered glass: when salt was
added, so as to increase its fusibility, the tubes were larger in
every dimension. They failed both with powdered felspar and quartz.
One tube, formed with pounded glass, was very nearly an inch long,
namely, .982, and had an internal diameter of .019. When we hear
that the strongest battery in Paris was used, and that the effect on
a substance of such easy fusibility as glass, was to form tubes so
diminutive, we must feel greatly astonished at the power of a shock
of lightning, which, striking the sand in several places, has formed
a cylinder, in one instance of at least thirty feet long, and having
an internal bore, where not compressed, of full an inch and a half;
and this in a material so extraordinarily refractory as quartz!
The tubes, as I have already remarked, enter the sand nearly in a
vertical direction. One, however, which was less regular than the
generality, had a deviation from a right line, which amounted, at the
most considerable bend, to thirty-three degrees. From this same tube,
two small branches, about a foot apart, were sent off; one pointed
downwards, and the other upwards. This latter case is remarkable,
as the electric fluid must have turned back at the acute angle of
26°, to the line of its main course. Besides the four tubes which I
found vertical, and traced beneath the surface, there were several
other groups of fragments, the original site of which without doubt
was near. All occurred in a level area, sixty yards by twenty, of
shifting sand, situated among some high sand-hillocks; and at the
distance of about half a mile, from a chain of hills four or five
hundred feet in height. The most remarkable circumstance, as it
appears to me, in this case as well as in that of Drigg, and in one
described by M. Ribbentrop in Germany, is the number of tubes found
within such limited spaces. At Drigg, within an area of fifteen
yards, three were observed, and the same number occurred in Germany.
In the case which I have described, certainly more than four existed
within the space of the sixty by twenty yards. As it does not appear
probable that the tubes are produced by successive and distinct
shocks, we must believe that the lightning, shortly before entering
the ground, divides itself into separate branches.
The neighbourhood of the Rio Plata seems peculiarly subject
to electric phenomena. In the year 1793,[16] one of the most
destructive thunderstorms perhaps on record happened at Buenos
Ayres: thirty-seven places within the city were struck by lightning,
and nineteen people killed. From facts stated in several books of
travels, I am inclined to suspect that thunderstorms are very
common near the mouths of great rivers. Is it not possible that the
mixture of large bodies of fresh water with the salt may disturb the
electrical equilibrium? Even during our occasional visits to this
part of South America, we heard of a ship, two churches, and a house,
having been struck. Both the church and the house I saw shortly
afterwards: the house belonged to Mr. Hood, the consul-general at
Monte Video. Some of the effects were curious: the paper, for nearly
a foot on each side of the line where the bell-wires had run, was
blackened. The metal had been fused, and although the room was at
least fifteen feet high, the globules dropping on the chairs and
furniture, had drilled in them a chain of minute holes. A part of the
wall was shattered as if by gunpowder, and the fragments had been
blown off with force sufficient to dent the walls on the opposite
side of the room. The frame of a looking-glass was blackened, and
the gilding must have been volatilized, for a smelling-bottle,
which stood on the chimney-piece, was coated with bright metallic
particles, which adhered as firmly as if they had been enamelled.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The formal answer of the owner of the place is, “sin pecado
concebida”--(conceived without sin).
[2] Azara says, “Je crois que la quantité annuelle des pluies est,
dans toutes ces contrées, plus considérable qu’en Espagne.”--Vol. i.,
p. 36.
[3] Maclaren, art. _America_, Encyc. Britan.
[4] These have been named and described by Mr. Waterhouse at the
meetings of the Zoological Society. I must be allowed to take this
opportunity of returning my cordial thanks to Mr. Waterhouse, and to
the other gentlemen attached to that Society, for their kind and most
liberal assistance on all occasions.
[5] In the stomach and duodenum of a carpincho which I opened, I
found a very large quantity of a thin yellowish fluid, in which
scarcely a fibre could be distinguished. Mr. Owen informs me that a
part of the œsophagus is so constructed, that nothing much larger
than a crowquill can be passed down. Certainly the broad teeth and
strong jaws of this animal are well fitted to grind into pulp the
aquatic plants on which it feeds.
[6] The wide plains north of the Rio Colorado are undermined by these
animals; and near the Strait of Magellan, where Patagonia blends with
Tierra del Fuego, the whole sandy country forms a great warren for
the tucutuco.
[7] At the R. Negro, in Northern Patagonia, there is an animal of the
same habits, and probably a closely allied species, but which I never
saw. Its noise is different from the Maldonado kind; it is repeated
only twice instead of three or four times, and is more distinct and
sonorous: when heard from a distance, it so closely resembles the
sound made in cutting down a small tree with an axe, that I have
sometimes remained in doubt concerning it.
[8] Le Troupiale commun of Azara (vol. iii., p. 169)--a second
species of Molothrus.
[9] A Zonotrichia;--the _chingolo_ of Azara. The egg is rather less
than that of the missel-thrush; it is of a nearly globular form, but
with one end rather smaller than the other. The ground colour is a
pale pinkish-white, with irregular spots and blotches of a pinkish
brown, and others less distinct of a grayish hue. The egg is now in
the museum of the Zoological Society.
[10] Magazine of Zoology and Botany, vol. i., p. 217.
[11] See Azara, vol. iii., p. 170.
[12] Mr. Gould was not at the time aware that M. D’Orbigny had
described them as different.
[13] A species allied to “Montanus” of D’Orbigny, but distinct.
[14] Geolog. Transact., vol. ii., p. 528.
[15] Annales de Chimie et de Physique, tom. xxxvii., p. 319.
[16] Azara’s Voyage, vol. i., p. 36.