THE Argentine Pampas extend from the thirty-fourth to the fortieth degree of southern latitude1. The word PAMPA, of Araucanian origin, signifies grass plain, and justly applies to the whole region. The mimosas growing on the western part, and the substantial herbage on the eastern, give those plains a peculiar3 appearance. The soil is composed of sand and red or yellow clay, and this is covered by a layer of earth, in which the vegetation takes root. The geologist4 would find rich treasures in the tertiary strata5 here, for it is full of antediluvian6 remains7 — enormous bones, which the Indians attribute to some gigantic race that lived in a past age.
The horses went on at a good pace through the thick PAJA-BRAVA, the grass of the Pampas, par2 excellence8, so high and thick that the Indians find shelter in it from storms. At certain distances, but increasingly seldom, there were wet, marshy9 spots, almost entirely10 under water, where the willows11 grew, and a plant called the Gygnerium argenteum. Here the horses drank their fill greedily, as if bent12 on quenching13 their thirst for past, present and future. Thalcave went first to beat the bushes and frighten away the cholinas, a most dangerous species of viper14, the bite of which kills an ox in less than an hour.
For two days they plodded15 steadily16 across this arid17 and deserted18 plain. The dry heat became severe. There were not only no RIOS, but even the ponds dug out by the Indians were dried up. As the drought seemed to increase with every mile, Paganel asked Thalcave when he expected to come to water.
“At Lake Salinas,” replied the Indian.
“And when shall we get there?”
“To-morrow evening.”
When the Argentines travel in the Pampas they generally dig wells, and find water a few feet below the surface. But the travelers could not fall back on this resource, not having the necessary implements19. They were therefore obliged to husband the small provision of water they had still left, and deal it out in rations20, so that if no one had enough to satisfy his thirst no one felt it too painful.
They halted at evening after a course of thirty miles and eagerly looked forward to a good night’s rest to compensate22 for the fatigue23 of day. But their slumbers24 were invaded by a swarm25 of mosquitoes, which allowed them no peace. Their presence indicated a change of wind which shifted to the north. A south or southwest wind generally puts to flight these little pests.
Even these petty ills of life could not ruffle26 the Major’s equanimity27; but Paganel, on the contrary, was perfectly28 exasperated29 by such trifling30 annoyances31. He abused the poor mosquitoes desperately32, and deplored33 the lack of some acid lotion34 which would have eased the pain of their stings. The Major did his best to console him by reminding him of the fact that they had only to do with one species of insect, among the 300,000 naturalists35 reckon. He would listen to nothing, and got up in a very bad temper.
He was quite willing to start at daybreak, however, for they had to get to Lake Salinas before sundown. The horses were tired out and dying for water, and though their riders had stinted36 themselves for their sakes, still their ration21 was very insufficient37. The drought was constantly increasing, and the heat none the less for the wind being north, this wind being the simoom of the Pampas.
There was a brief interruption this day to the monotony of the journey. Mulrady, who was in front of the others, rode hastily back to report the approach of a troop of Indians. The news was received with very different feelings by Glenarvan and Thalcave. The Scotchman was glad of the chance of gleaning38 some information about his shipwrecked countryman, while the Patagonian hardly cared to encounter the nomadic39 Indians of the prairie, knowing their bandit propensities40. He rather sought to avoid them, and gave orders to his party to have their arms in readiness for any trouble.
Presently the nomads41 came in sight, and the Patagonian was reassured42 at finding they were only ten in number. They came within a hundred yards of them, and stopped. This was near enough to observe them distinctly. They were fine specimens43 of the native races, which had been almost entirely swept away in 1833 by General Rosas, tall in stature44, with arched forehead and olive complexion45. They were dressed in guanaco skins, and carried lances twenty feet long, knives, slings46, bolas, and lassos, and, by their dexterity47 in the management of their horses, showed themselves to be accomplished48 riders.
They appeared to have stopped for the purpose of holding a council with each other, for they shouted and gesticulated at a great rate. Glenarvan determined49 to go up to them; but he had no sooner moved forward than the whole band wheeled round, and disappeared with incredible speed. It would have been useless for the travelers to attempt to overtake them with such wornout horses.
“The cowards!” exclaimed Paganel.
“They scampered50 off too quick for honest folks,” said McNabbs.
“Who are these Indians, Thalcave?” asked Paganel.
“The Gauchos!” cried Paganel; and, turning to his companions, he added, “we need not have been so much on our guard; there was nothing to fear.”
“How is that?” asked McNabbs.
“Because the Gauchos are inoffensive peasants.”
“You believe that, Paganel?”
“Certainly I do. They took us for robbers, and fled in terror.”
“I rather think they did not dare to attack us,” replied Glenarvan, much vexed52 at not being able to enter into some sort of communication with those Indians, whatever they were.
“That’s my opinion too,” said the Major, “for if I am not mistaken, instead of being harmless, the Gauchos are formidable out-and-out bandits.”
“The idea!” exclaimed Paganel.
And forthwith commenced a lively discussion of this ethnological thesis — so lively that the Major became excited, and, quite contrary to his usual suavity53, said bluntly:
“I believe you are wrong, Paganel.”
“Wrong?” replied Paganel.
“Yes. Thalcave took them for robbers, and he knows what he is talking about.”
“Well, Thalcave was mistaken this time,” retorted Paganel, somewhat sharply. “The Gauchos are agricul-turists and shepherds, and nothing else, as I have stated in a pamphlet on the natives of the Pampas, written by me, which has attracted some notice.”
V. IV Verne
[illustration omitted] [page intentionally54 blank]
“Well, well, you have committed an error, that’s all, Monsieur Paganel.”
“What, Monsieur McNabbs! you tell me I have committed an error?”
“An inadvertence, if you like, which you can put among the ERRATA in the next edition.”
Paganel, highly incensed55 at his geographical56 knowledge being brought in question, and even jested about, allowed his ill-humor to get the better of him, and said:
“Know, sir, that my books have no need of such ERRATA.”
“Indeed! Well, on this occasion they have, at any rate,” retorted McNabbs, quite as obstinate57 as his opponent.
“Sir, I think you are very annoying to-day.”
“And I think you are very crabbed58.”
Glenarvan thought it was high time to interfere59, for the discussion was getting too hot, so he said:
“Come, now, there is no doubt one of you is very teasing and the other is very crabbed, and I must say I am surprised at both of you.”
The Patagonian, without understanding the cause, could see that the two friends were quarreling. He began to smile, and said quietly:
“It’s the north wind.”
“The north wind,” exclaimed Paganel; “what’s the north wind to do with it?”
“Ah, it is just that,” said Glenarvan. “It’s the north wind that has put you in a bad temper. I have heard that, in South America, the wind greatly irritates the nervous system.”
“By St. Patrick, Edward you are right,” said the Major, laughing heartily60.
But Paganel, in a towering rage, would not give up the contest, and turned upon Glenarvan, whose intervention61 in this jesting manner he resented.
“And so, my Lord, my nervous system is irritated?” he said.
“Yes, Paganel, it is the north wind — a wind which causes many a crime in the Pampas, as the TRAMONTANE does in the Campagna of Rome.”
“Crimes!” returned the geographer62. “Do I look like a man that would commit crimes?”
“That’s not exactly what I said.”
“Tell me at once that I want to assassinate63 you?”
“Well, I am really afraid,” replied Glenarvan, bursting into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, in which all others joined.
Paganel said no more, but went off in front alone, and came back in a few minutes quite himself, as if he had completely forgotten his grievance64.
At eight o’clock in the evening, Thalcave, who was considerably65 in advance of the rest, descried66 in the distance the much-desired lake, and in less than a quarter of an hour they reached its banks; but a grievous disappointment awaited them — the lake was dried up.
1 latitude | |
n.纬度,行动或言论的自由(范围),(pl.)地区 | |
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2 par | |
n.标准,票面价值,平均数量;adj.票面的,平常的,标准的 | |
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3 peculiar | |
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的 | |
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4 geologist | |
n.地质学家 | |
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5 strata | |
n.地层(复数);社会阶层 | |
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6 antediluvian | |
adj.史前的,陈旧的 | |
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7 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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8 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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9 marshy | |
adj.沼泽的 | |
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10 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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11 willows | |
n.柳树( willow的名词复数 );柳木 | |
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12 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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13 quenching | |
淬火,熄 | |
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14 viper | |
n.毒蛇;危险的人 | |
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15 plodded | |
v.沉重缓慢地走(路)( plod的过去式和过去分词 );努力从事;沉闷地苦干;缓慢进行(尤指艰难枯燥的工作) | |
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16 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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17 arid | |
adj.干旱的;(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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18 deserted | |
adj.荒芜的,荒废的,无人的,被遗弃的 | |
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19 implements | |
n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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20 rations | |
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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21 ration | |
n.定量(pl.)给养,口粮;vt.定量供应 | |
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22 compensate | |
vt.补偿,赔偿;酬报 vi.弥补;补偿;抵消 | |
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23 fatigue | |
n.疲劳,劳累 | |
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24 slumbers | |
睡眠,安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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25 swarm | |
n.(昆虫)等一大群;vi.成群飞舞;蜂拥而入 | |
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26 ruffle | |
v.弄皱,弄乱;激怒,扰乱;n.褶裥饰边 | |
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27 equanimity | |
n.沉着,镇定 | |
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28 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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29 exasperated | |
adj.恼怒的 | |
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30 trifling | |
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的 | |
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31 annoyances | |
n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 );烦恼;打扰;使人烦恼的事 | |
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32 desperately | |
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地 | |
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33 deplored | |
v.悲叹,痛惜,强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34 lotion | |
n.洗剂 | |
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35 naturalists | |
n.博物学家( naturalist的名词复数 );(文学艺术的)自然主义者 | |
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36 stinted | |
v.限制,节省(stint的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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37 insufficient | |
adj.(for,of)不足的,不够的 | |
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38 gleaning | |
n.拾落穗,拾遗,落穗v.一点点地收集(资料、事实)( glean的现在分词 );(收割后)拾穗 | |
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39 nomadic | |
adj.流浪的;游牧的 | |
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40 propensities | |
n.倾向,习性( propensity的名词复数 ) | |
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41 nomads | |
n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 );流浪者;游牧生活;流浪生活 | |
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42 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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43 specimens | |
n.样品( specimen的名词复数 );范例;(化验的)抽样;某种类型的人 | |
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44 stature | |
n.(高度)水平,(高度)境界,身高,身材 | |
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45 complexion | |
n.肤色;情况,局面;气质,性格 | |
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46 slings | |
抛( sling的第三人称单数 ); 吊挂; 遣送; 押往 | |
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47 dexterity | |
n.(手的)灵巧,灵活 | |
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48 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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49 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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50 scampered | |
v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51 gauchos | |
n.南美牧人( gaucho的名词复数 ) | |
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52 vexed | |
adj.争论不休的;(指问题等)棘手的;争论不休的问题;烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
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53 suavity | |
n.温和;殷勤 | |
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54 intentionally | |
ad.故意地,有意地 | |
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55 incensed | |
盛怒的 | |
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56 geographical | |
adj.地理的;地区(性)的 | |
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57 obstinate | |
adj.顽固的,倔强的,不易屈服的,较难治愈的 | |
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58 crabbed | |
adj.脾气坏的;易怒的;(指字迹)难辨认的;(字迹等)难辨认的v.捕蟹( crab的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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59 interfere | |
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰 | |
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60 heartily | |
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很 | |
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61 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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62 geographer | |
n.地理学者 | |
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63 assassinate | |
vt.暗杀,行刺,中伤 | |
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64 grievance | |
n.怨愤,气恼,委屈 | |
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65 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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66 descried | |
adj.被注意到的,被发现的,被看到的 | |
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