18th September 1833

The Salado
To the 11th& 12th Posta, a long ride, through a country similar to the last stage: We passed a small tribe of Indians going from Tapalguen to the Guardia del Monte for commerce. The women rode the horses with goods, these are of hides & articles woven by hand of wool, such as cloths or yergas & garters. The patterns are very pretty & brilliantly coloured. The workmanship is so good that an English merchant in Buenos Ayres declared that the ones, which I had, were of English manufacture. He was not convinced to the contrary, untill he observed that the tassels were tied up with split sinew.

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12th to 13th to 14th Posta: we had to ride for a long distance in water above the horses knees. By crossing the stirrups & riding Arab like with the legs cocked up, we managed to keep pretty dry. As it was growing dark we crossed the Salado; at present this time it was about 40 yards wide, but very deep; in the summer it becomes nearly dry, the little water being as salt as the sea. I ought to have mentioned that the 12th Posta, about 7 leagues to the South of the Salado, was the first Estancia where we saw cattle & a white woman. Having crossed the Salado, we slept at the Posta, which was one of the great Estancias of General Rosas. It was fortified & of such extent that arriving in the dark I thought it was a Town & fortress. There were immense herds of cattle, as well there might be, the General here having 74 square leagues of land. He used to have three or four hundred Peons working here & defied all the efforts of the Indians. I was treated very hospitably, & the morning started for Guardia del Monte.