Through the heart of Patagonia . g the next dav or two we continued to travel over thesame waterless stony pampa ; there were pigmy hillocks, manyguanaco and a lagoon of wonderful shades of blue, also the windahead, and dust blowinir back into our eves. We crossed theRiver Olin and pushed on for the River Chico. ()ne cold nightas we sat round the fire some one su«2rested we should ha\ c anexhibition of our effects when we reached Santa Cruz. Beyond abroken cup or two, a bouibilla. and a shattered kettle, we couldproduce little else. It was hinted that l)arckhausens trousersmight figure in it,
Through the heart of Patagonia . g the next dav or two we continued to travel over thesame waterless stony pampa ; there were pigmy hillocks, manyguanaco and a lagoon of wonderful shades of blue, also the windahead, and dust blowinir back into our eves. We crossed theRiver Olin and pushed on for the River Chico. ()ne cold nightas we sat round the fire some one su«2rested we should ha\ c anexhibition of our effects when we reached Santa Cruz. Beyond abroken cup or two, a bouibilla. and a shattered kettle, we couldproduce little else. It was hinted that l)arckhausens trousersmight figure in it, and I offered to contribute my old coat. Before reaching the River Hcrlgrano we came in sight of atroop of horses being driven across the [lampa l)y a couple ot 174 THROUGH THE HEAR F OF PATAGONIA Gauchos. At first si^ht we thought them a mirage. On inquiryI was tokl that my friend Seiior Waag was in command, newsat which 1 was naturallv deHofhted. I had made Mr. Waaosacquaintance in Buenos Aires, and we had arranged to meet in. kivi;k Lii:i.(;KANo Patagonia if possible. Mr. Waag was on the Argentine BoundaryCommission, and has done more valuable geographical work in theCordillera than any other man. Beintr told that he was only acouple of hours behind the troop, I galloped on to meet him, for 1heard that his wacrcron had broken down, and so made sure ofcoming upon him. After a few hours going, I arrived at thecamp of his assistants, where were two Italian engineers, and alsosome piratical-looking/(^;//<:\v in red caps making bread in an ovendue into the ground. Ihit Mr. Waao^ himself was not there,havjng gone off the track to camp in a cafiadon. I was greatlydisappointed, for I had looked forward to this meeting. However, we were greedy to hear news of the outer world,from which we had been cut off for four months. We were farbehind the times. I think our first question was about the warand Kruger. We learned that he was in Europe and that guerillawarfire was still croino-
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