t that is in him, not only earns a great reward for himself in
the gradual development and growth of that land, but has deserved well
of mankind in general, and will, some day, receive his "Well done," than
which there is no higher praise, as surely as those whose lives have
been spent in the more public fields of civilisation or in military
prowess.

For some, obscure reason it is generally supposed that the man who
spends his life in agricultural pursuits is bound to have his mental
abilities dulled by the continuous round of duties connected with the
land and the care of animals. The origin of this idea is difficult to
imagine, unless it be that agriculture is the oldest and most necessary
pursuit of mankind; but surely the man who has to keep a perpetual watch
on wind, weather and workers, animal and vegetable kingdom and natural
phenomena, and be ready to anticipate any change, besides being
thoroughly in touch with all the latest improvements, mechanical and
material, in reference to his calling, and conversant with the ruling
prices in the best markets, cannot be held to be a man whose perceptions
are becoming blunted by his business. It is certainly true that there
are many who do "let things go," but that class is not confined to
agriculturists alone, and in agriculture, as in all other callings,
those who "let things slide" very shortly find that most things have
slid away from them irrevocably. Certainly the Argentine is no place for
the man disinclined for exertion. She holds rewards, and great rewards;
but only for the resolute who are prepared to lead a strenuous and
self-denying life of labour, exposure and fatigue, and who come to her
determined to win the best from her rich lands, and to take every
opportunity as it comes in their way for improving their knowledge.

Plans were made for to-morrow's journey; there was talk, if the day was
fine and the way possible, of going first south-east to the tannin
factory at La Gallareta, then due north to Las Gamas, but it was feared
that the recent heavy rains in this district would have made the
undertaking of the two journeys on one day inadvisable, and the Indian
guide persuaded the "leaders" that it would be wiser to go straight to
Las Gamas to-morrow and leave the visit to the factory for Monday. This
would give Tuesday for Santa Lucia and Wednesday for Vera. Sarnosa and
Olmos could be visited from one or the other of these two estancias,
and, leaving Vera