se of the lookers-on.

Neither of our cocheros could resist the further opportunity of figures
of eight as we drove off on the hard sand, but we believe they were not
encouraged in these exhibitions by their passengers, and, skirting the
North part of the lake they came to a little ranch where they had
arranged to meet the three walkers, who had discovered divers
interesting specimens of animal, vegetable and mineral kinds during
their very pleasant stroll round the lake. Here they were sitting at
the ranch awaiting the arrival of the coaches, and they introduced the
newcomers to a marvellous collection of tame birds with whom they had
made acquaintance. The owners of the ranch had six or seven birds of
different kinds, which flew about and pitched on anyone's shoulder or
hand, or on the carriages, and were most friendly; in fact, one big bird
was so willing to become attached to us that we could scarcely persuade
it to leave the coach when we were ready to drive on.

We allowed those who had driven to the spot a few moments in which to
dismount and greet the neat little mistress of the ranch, with whom we
had already made friends, and her pretty children. The roofing of this
little ranch and its out-houses was most interesting. It was carried out
entirely with trunks of palm trees. These, split in half and cleared of
all sap, made very effective roofing, placed alternately in concave and
convex form, so that the ridges of the two lengths of trunk placed bark
upward rest in the hollow of the intervening trunk. Naturally, all rain
water drains off the convex half into the concave trunk and flows down
these gullies into the water course formed of another hollowed palm
trunk running along the lower edge of the roof. A more suitable and
rainproof roof could scarcely be designed. The mistress of the house was
most anxious to entertain us to tea, but, having picked up our guide
from Vera, who it was arranged should meet us here with letters, we
could not spare time for further delay, and once more started off with
the guide ahead of us.

After leaving the ranch we turned to the eastward, and before long
passed over the Calchaqui river (which is more generally known as the
Golondrino here). This was not a difficult matter.

After crossing the Calchaqui we enter quite a new country, the land is
perceptibly higher, the grasses are finer and trees begin to appear.
First we came to the tall palm trees on the edge of the forest,