NeartheGuardiawefindthesouthernlimitoftwoEuropeanplants，nowbecomeextraordinarilycommon。Thefennelingreatprofusioncoverstheditch-banksintheneighbourhoodofBuenosAyres，MonteVideo，andothertowns。ButthecardoonCynaracardunculushasafarwiderrange：[9]itoccursintheselatitudesonbothsidesofthe，Cordillera，acrossthecontinent。IsawitinunfrequentedspotsinChile，EntreRios，andBandaOriental。Inthelattercountryalone，verymanyprobablyseveralhundredsquaremilesarecoveredbyonemassofthesepricklyplants，andareimpenetrablebymanorbeast。Overtheundulatingplains，wherethesegreatbedsoccur，nothingelsecannowlive。Beforetheirintroduction，however，thesurfacemusthavesupported，asinotherparts，arankherbage。Idoubtwhetheranycaseisonrecordofaninvasiononsograndascaleofoneplantovertheaborigines。AsIhavealreadysaid，InowheresawthecardoonsouthoftheSalado；butitisprobablethatinproportionasthatcountrybecomesinhabited，thecardoonwillextenditslimits。ThecaseisdifferentwiththegiantthistlewithvariegatedleavesofthePampas，forImetwithitinthevalleyoftheSauce。AccordingtotheprinciplessowelllaiddownbyMr。Lyell，fewcountrieshaveundergonemoreremarkablechanges，sincetheyear1535，whenthefirstcolonistofLaPlatalandedwithseventy-twohorses。Thecountlessherdsofhorses，cattle，andsheep，notonlyhavealteredthewholeaspectofthevegetation，buttheyhavealmostbanishedtheguanaco，deerandostrich。Numberlessotherchangesmustlikewisehavetakenplace；thewildpiginsomepartsprobablyreplacesthepeccari；packsofwilddogsmaybeheardhowlingonthewoodedbanksoftheless-frequentedstreams；andthecommoncat，alteredintoalargeandfierceanimal，inhabitsrockyhills。AsM。d’Orbignyhasremarked，theincreaseinnumbersofthecarrion-vulture，sincetheintroductionofthedomesticanimals，musthavebeeninfinitelygreat；
andwehavegivenreasonsforbelievingthattheyhaveextendedtheirsouthernrange。Nodoubtmanyplants，besidesthecardoonandfennel，arenaturalized；
thustheislandsnearthemouthoftheParana，arethicklyclothedwithpeachandorangetrees，springingfromseedscarriedtherebythewatersoftheriver。
WhilechanginghorsesattheGuardiaseveralpeoplequestionedusmuchaboutthearmy，——IneversawanythingliketheenthusiasmforRosas，andforthesuccessofthe“mostjustofallwars，becauseagainstbarbarians。”
Thisexpression，itmustbeconfessed，isverynatural，fortilllately，neitherman，womannorhorse，wassafefromtheattacksoftheIndians。
Wehadalongday’srideoverthesamerichgreenplain，aboundingwithvariousflocks，andwithhereandthereasolitaryestancia，anditsone_ombu_tree。Intheeveningitrainedheavily：onarrivingataposthouseweweretoldbytheowner，thatifwehadnotaregularpassportwemustpasson，forthereweresomanyrobbershewouldtrustnoone。Whenheread，however，mypassport，whichbeganwith“ElNaturalistaDonCarlos。”
hisrespectandcivilitywereasunboundedashissuspicionshadbeenbefore。
Whatanaturalistmightbe，neitherhenorhiscountrymen，Isuspect，hadanyidea；butprobablymytitlelostnothingofitsvaluefromthatcause。
September20th——WearrivedbythemiddleofthedayatBuenosAyres。
Theoutskirtsofthecitylookedquitepretty，withtheagavehedges，andgrovesofolive，peachandwillowtrees，alljustthrowingouttheirfreshgreenleaves。IrodetothehouseofMr。Lumb，anEnglishmerchant，towhosekindnessandhospitality，duringmystayinthecountry，Iwasgreatlyindebted。
ThecityofBuenosAyresislarge；[10]andI
shouldthinkoneofthemostregularintheworld。Everystreetisatrightanglestotheoneitcrosses，andtheparallelonesbeingequidistant，thehousesarecollectedintosolidsquaresofequaldimensions，whicharecalledquadras。Ontheotherhand，thehousesthemselvesarehollowsquares；alltheroomsopeningintoaneatlittlecourtyard。Theyaregenerallyonlyonestoryhigh，withflatroofs，whicharefittedwithseatsandaremuchfrequentedbytheinhabitantsinsummer。InthecentreofthetownisthePlaza，wherethepublicoffices，fortress，cathedral，etc。，stand。
Herealso，theoldviceroys，beforetherevolution，hadtheirpalaces。
Thegeneralassemblageofbuildingspossessesconsiderablearchitecturalbeauty，althoughnoneindividuallycanboastofany。
Thegreat_corral_，wheretheanimalsarekeptforslaughtertosupplyfoodtothisbeef-eatingpopulation，isoneofthespectaclesbestworthseeing。Thestrengthofthehorseascomparedtothatofthebullockisquiteastonishing：amanonhorsebackhavingthrownhislazoroundthehornsofabeast，candragitanywherehechooses。Theanimalploughingupthegroundwithoutstretchedlegs，invaineffortstoresisttheforce，generallydashesatfullspeedtooneside；butthehorseimmediatelyturningtoreceivetheshock，standssofirmlythatthebullockisalmostthrowndown，anditissurprisingthattheirnecksarenotbroken。Thestruggleisnot，however，oneoffairstrength；thehorse’sgirthbeingmatchedagainstthebullock’sextendedneck。Inasimilarmanneramancanholdthewildesthorse，ifcaughtwiththelazo，justbehindtheears。Whenthebullockhasbeendraggedtothespotwhereitistobeslaughtered，thematadorwithgreatcautioncutsthehamstrings。Thenisgiventhedeathbellow；anoisemoreexpressiveoffierceagonythananyIknow。Ihaveoftendistinguisheditfromalongdistance，andhavealwaysknownthatthestrugglewasthendrawingtoaclose。Thewholesightishorribleandrevolting：thegroundisalmostmadeofbones；andthehorsesandridersaredrenchedwithgore。[1]Icallthesethistle-stalksforthewantofamorecorrectname。IbelieveitisaspeciesofEryngium。
M。A。d’Orbignyvol。i。p。474saysthatthecardoonandartichokearebothfoundwild。Dr。HookerBotanicalMagazine，vol。lv。p。2862，hasdescribedavarietyoftheCynarafromthispartofSouthAmericaunderthenameofinermis。Hestatesthatbotanistsarenowgenerallyagreedthatthecardoonandtheartichokearevarietiesofoneplant。Imayadd，thatanintelligentfarmerassuredmethathehadobservedinadesertedgardensomeartichokeschangingintothecommoncardoon。Dr。HookerbelievesthatHead’svividdescriptionofthethistleofthePampasappliestothecardoon，butthisisamistake。CaptainHeadreferredtotheplant，whichIhavementionedafewlineslowerdown，underthetitleofgiantthistle。WhetheritisatruethistleIdonotknow；
butitisquitedifferentfromthecardoon；andmorelikeathistleproperlysocalled。
Itissaidtocontain60，000inhabitants。
MonteVideo，thesecondtownofimportanceonthebanksofthePlata，has15，000。PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter7TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterNextChapterChapter7-BuenosAyresandSt。FeSEPTEMBER27th——IntheeveningIsetoutonanexcursiontoSt。
Fe，whichissituatednearlythreehundredEnglishmilesfromBuenosAyres，onthebanksoftheParana。Theroadsintheneighbourhoodofthecityaftertherainyweather，wereextraordinarilybad。Ishouldneverhavethoughtitpossibleforabullockwaggontohavecrawledalong：asitwas，theyscarcelywentattherateofamileanhour，andamanwaskeptahead，tosurveythebestlineformakingtheattempt。Thebullockswereterriblyjaded：itisagreatmistaketosupposethatwithimprovedroads，andanacceleratedrateoftravelling，thesufferingsoftheanimalsincreaseinthesameproportion。WepassedatrainofwaggonsandatroopofbeastsontheirroadtoMendoza。Thedistanceisabout580geographicalmiles，andthejourneyisgenerallyperformedinfiftydays。Thesewaggonsareverylong，narrow，andthatchedwithreeds；theyhaveonlytwowheels，thediameterofwhichinsomecasesisasmuchastenfeet。Eachisdrawnbysixbullocks，whichareurgedonbyagoadatleasttwentyfeetlong：
thisissuspendedfromwithintheroof；forthewheelbullocksasmalleroneiskept；andfortheintermediatepair，apointprojectsatrightanglesfromthemiddleofthelongone。
Thewholeapparatuslookedlikesomeimplementofwar。
September28th——WepassedthesmalltownofLuxanwherethereisawoodenbridgeovertheriver——amostunusualconvenienceinthiscountry。
WepassedalsoAreco。Theplainsappearedlevel，butwerenotsoinfact；
forinvariousplacesthehorizonwasdistant。Theestanciasareherewideapart；forthereislittlegoodpasture，owingtothelandbeingcoveredbybedseitherofanacridclover，orofthegreatthistle。Thelatter，wellknownfromtheanimateddescriptiongivenbySirF。Head，wereatthistimeoftheyeartwo-thirdsgrown；insomepartstheywereashighasthehorse’sback，butinotherstheyhadnotyetsprungup，andthegroundwasbareanddustyasonaturnpike-road。Theclumpswereofthemostbrilliantgreen，andtheymadeapleasingminiature-likenessofbrokenforestland。Whenthethistlesarefullgrown，thegreatbedsareimpenetrable，exceptbyafewtracts，asintricateasthoseinalabyrinth。Theseareonlyknowntotherobbers，whoatthisseasoninhabitthem，andsallyforthatnighttorobandcutthroatswithimpunity。Uponaskingatahousewhetherrobberswerenumerous，Iwasanswered，“Thethistlesarenotupyet；“——
themeaningofwhichreplywasnotatfirstveryobvious。Thereislittleinterestinpassingoverthesetracts，fortheyareinhabitedbyfewanimalsorbirds，exceptingthebizcachaanditsfriendthelittleowl。
Thebizcacha[1]iswellknowntoformaprominentfeatureinthezoologyofthePampas。ItisfoundasfarsouthastheRioNegro，inlat。41degs。，butnotbeyond。Itcannot，liketheagouti，subsistonthegravellyanddesertplainsofPatagonia，butprefersaclayeyorsandysoil，whichproducesadifferentandmoreabundantvegetation。NearMendoza，atthefootoftheCordillera，itoccursincloseneighbourhoodwiththealliedalpinespecies。Itisaverycuriouscircumstanceinitsgeographicaldistribution，thatithasneverbeenseen，fortunatelyfortheinhabitantsofBandaOriental，totheeastwardoftheriverUruguay：
yetinthisprovincethereareplainswhichappearadmirablyadaptedtoitshabits。TheUruguayhasformedaninsuperableobstacletoitsmigration：
althoughthebroaderbarrieroftheParanahasbeenpassed，andthebizcachaiscommoninEntreRios，theprovincebetweenthesetwogreatrivers。NearBuenosAyrestheseanimalsareexceedinglycommon。Theirmostfavouriteresortappearstobethosepartsoftheplainwhichduringone-halfoftheyeararecoveredwithgiantthistles，totheexclusionofotherplants。
TheGauchosaffirmthatitlivesonroots；which，fromthegreatstrengthofitsgnawingteeth，andthekindofplacesfrequentedbyit，seemsprobable。
Intheeveningthebizcachascomeoutinnumbers，andquietlysitatthemouthsoftheirburrowsontheirhaunches。Atsuchtimestheyareverytame，andamanonhorsebackpassingbyseemsonlytopresentanobjectfortheirgravecontemplation。Theyrunveryawkwardly，andwhenrunningoutofdanger，fromtheirelevatedtailsandshortfrontlegsmuchresemblegreatrats。Theirflesh，whencooked，isverywhiteandgood，butitisseldomused。
Thebizcachahasoneverysingularhabit；namely，draggingeveryhardobjecttothemouthofitsburrow：aroundeachgroupofholesmanybonesofcattle，stones，thistle-stalks，hardlumpsofearth，drydung，etc。，arecollectedintoanirregularheap，whichfrequentlyamountstoasmuchasawheelbarrowwouldcontain。Iwascrediblyinformedthatagentleman，whenridingonadarknight，droppedhiswatch；hereturnedinthemorning，andbysearchingtheneighbourhoodofeverybizcachaholeonthelineofroad，asheexpected，hesoonfoundit。Thishabitofpickingupwhatevermaybelyingonthegroundanywherenearitshabitation，mustcostmuchtrouble。Forwhatpurposeitisdone，Iamquiteunabletoformeventhemostremoteconjecture：itcannotbefordefence，becausetherubbishischieflyplacedabovethemouthoftheburrow，whichentersthegroundataverysmallinclination。Nodoubttheremustexistsomegoodreason；buttheinhabitantsofthecountryarequiteignorantofit。TheonlyfactwhichIknowanalogoustoit，isthehabitofthatextraordinaryAustralianbird，theCaloderamaculata，whichmakesanelegantvaultedpassageoftwigsforplayingin，andwhichcollectsnearthespot，landandsea-shells，bonesandthefeathersofbirds，especiallybrightlycolouredones。Mr。
Gould，whohasdescribedthesefacts，informsme，thatthenatives，whentheyloseanyhardobject，searchtheplayingpassages，andhehasknownatobacco-pipethusrecovered。