Year: 1879

have been those who imagine that there is an
Austrian language, but it is most improbable
that our author is one of these.


Such was the party with which he started
on his long journey. They had about fifty
horses and pack of dogs. Each morning
they chose fresh horse, catching him by
means of the lasso As they rode along they
were always on the lookout for ostriches,
which supplied them both with food aud with
feathers to trade with They had no adycn-
lures of any great moment till they reached
the banks Of the river Gallegos. This they
found so swollen by the floods that 1t was
hopeless to venture to cross it, Their pro-
visions were almost exhausted, and, though
they could always procure meat yet it was 80
lean that by itself 1t wns scarcely sufficient TO
support life They had no tent with them,
and there WIS not oven u bush to afford them
shelter. Hour after hour they sat exposed to
Il cold rain storm try ing to warm themselves
Mt a ro which gave ont little heat, but great
deal of smoke. They ruiu up the river and
down it TO try different fords, but all TO no
purpose. One night there was a heavy fall of
snow and they woke up to find themselves
covered 10y it, At length their provisions
were exhausted and they had nothing to de-
pend on but what they caught by hunting.
Weary Of the delay, Mr. Beerbohm and the
Frenchmau resolved, in spite of the warnings
of the others to try to cross the river on their
horses They made more than one trial but
without success. They were both nearly
drowned Mr. Beerbohm, in fact was swept
from his horse and was saved by catching
hold of n valise which was strapped to its
back. They then parted company with the
others and rode sixty miles off to another ford,
which for typographical reasons they
thought more favorable for their purposes.
They resolved to make another attempt by
driving their horses before them, and then
swimming over themselves. They took of
their clothes, and wrapped them up with all
the rest of their goods in their cloaks. These
they strapped on the horses backs. II the
horses reached the opposite shore their mas
ters would be Obliged to follow, rs stripped of
their clothes and exposed to n strong wind
that brought hail and snow, they could not
have lived many hours. The rashness Of the
attempt almost passes belief. Mr.. Beerbohm
was, he says, most anxious to catch the next
steamer, and was utterly weary Of his diet.
These reasons strong though they may have
been, were scarcely sufficient to Justify two
men, worn out with exposure and poor food,
in running such risks. Their first attempt
failed, as the horses were carried back by the
force of the current They passed some
more days in this miserable state, and got
still weaker. At length they made second





did the Frenchman. Mr.. Beerbohm was
swept back TO the shore whence he had start
ed. He managed to get to the fire which
they had left, and there warmed himself up
for another trial. This time he got over safe
ly. But their dangers were by no means over.
The next night they lost their horses and had
to make their way through the wilderness on
foot Happily in day or two, when their
strength was almost spent, they fell in with
Indians aud got food and horses TO continue
their journey. They might well have thought
they had gone through dangers enough, but
fate had not yet done her worst. The very
night of their arrival at Sandy Point the con
victs rose, burning the town aud numbering
the inhabitants. Our author had q narrow
escape, and only saved himself by hiding in
the depths OF forest till steamer arrived
and took him of. After such adventures as
these it is scarcely surprising that, when
friend asked him whether he would care to
go again to Patagonia he answered, shudder-
ing, by Jove no."