Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-04-13


by the aire These effects are readil
reduced by poulticing, and have neve
occasioned serious afflicton. Indeed
we are so accustomed TO its visits, that i
affords more matter foramusement thai
otherwise, except when 1t invades
large quantity of glassware, as it some
times does on festal occasions
One day, while enjoying a short stroll
near the buildings, and admiring tn,
gambols of flock of goats, I becam,
sensible of sudden change in the tenn
perature, having passed, as it seemed tC
me, from warm to cold one. Takin!
one step backward, +! again found my
self in the warm current. / then ad
vanced half pace, aud, extending my
arms horizo 1taIiy, perceived a marked
difference between the current of all
which passed my right hand and tha
which famed my left. The phenomenon
so excited my curiosity that | sent s
gdWchO to fetch me a thermometer
which showed that, within the space o
six inches there was difference Of ter
degrees, Fahrenheit, between the two
currents. This strange disparity lasted
nearly half an hour after first discov-
cred it; how long it had existed before,
| had no means Of ascertaiuing. On
mentioning it to Fairfield, he replied
that it was not q remarkable occurrence
on the pamp0S, but could give no sntli.
cient reason for its existence. My dear
Con, Bucuos Ayres is full of surprises
to an American or European. Imagine
my aslonishment at hearing Fairfield
give the order to slaughter u dozen bull
locks and repair q certain portion of the
road with their carca 'ses | thought at
first that he was poking fun at me, and
testing the extent Of my crcdulity, but
he was in downright earnest. The
country is so level that you can't fill a
hole in one place without digging hole
in another; and as beef is worth almost
nothing, and the flesh will not ro in the
opeu air, the sides of slaughtered cattle
ere used to repair the roads when quilted,
the hides, horns, aud ,allow being first
removed, and the olfals disposed of by
feeding them to the buzzards, of which
there are immense numbers. The flesh
becomes hard as leather, and reslsts
the wear and tear of carts and animals
with remarkable endurance. When laid
down it is loosely covered with sand,
which works in and becomes solidded
with the flesh. A guard is maintained
for one or Two days, to keep the buz-
yards from destroying the whole; but ii
indurates so radidly>that it is not posi-
BILE for the buzzardS to tear it after for
ty-eight hour. By Jove, old felow,
after seeing roads meuded with fresh
beef, | thought myself prepared for al
mos, any extraordinary occurrence, but
had yet something still more strange
to witness. A Spanlard named Don Ja.
ciu;o Romero, was putting up Quinto
about twelve miles distant, and Fairfield
proposed that we should pay him visit.
On arriving, | perceived several large
brick-kilns in operation, aud, being Gu.
rious to know what kind of fuel was
used-as there was no wood to be had,
aud the cost of carting Goals from the
city was too great to admit of its being
employcd-l went up TO one of the kilus
and was horrifed as well as amazed to
see them feeding the fire with live sheep.
The animals had been shorn TO save the
wool, and were then pitched into ter
rlble furnace, where they were consumed
rapidly by the fierce heat eugendcred by
their fat, with which they were heavily
loaded. A single instant in that buru
ing vortex sufliced to cause sufiocatiou,
aud | doubt whether the poor victims
ever experienced much pain. There are
millions of sheep in Buenos AyreS, aud
although the custom Of burning them in
brick kius obtains all over the country
their number increases A fine, animal
can be bought, after shearing, for twenty
cents.
You can readily imagine, old fellow,
the extreme ennul which overcomes a
man Of my disposition when clustered,
so to speak, for three or four weeks in
a Buenos Ayreau quinta. Fairfield
showed me every attention, and would
moi listen to any proposition 10 reference
to my leaving. My business in Buenos
Ayres had been fully accomplished, aud
there was nothing to call be back there.
Spectacles of brutally-murdered men
aud women, and the disordered, fever
ish, overawed condition of society, had
no charms for me. Finding that two oI
Fairfeld's men were natives of Chill
had families there, and were extremely
anxious to return-the idea took poses
sion of the to attempt crossing the ludi'
an territory, and make my way to Val,
paraiso. The two men-Pedro and
Rodriquez-agreed to keep me company
and act as my servants, tor certain
consideration. By Jove, you ought tc
have seen Fairfield, when l broached
this project. Are you mad, crazy, be-
rett of all your senses? Do you contem
plate suicide ?" he asked in amazement
"Nether one nor the other; never more
serious in my life. | am determined tc
90, even if 90 alone" For two oil
three days he endeavorcd to dissuade mt
from what he considered the peril o
certain death but finding me resolved
he said: "Wheuever you choose to de
part, instruct Rodriguez to select all lh'
horses and equipments you may neec
for your mad journey, and let Pedo bal