Music Welcome to the newscast. The podcast is on to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share it with a friend. This episode is brought to you by an intricate wilderness of lakes. Tonight, we'll read from the sixth chapter of British naturalist Charles Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle. This chapter explores more of Darwin's journey from Baha' Blanca to Buenos Aires. He reflects on the landscape, vegetation, and wildlife of the region, which is marked by vast desolate plains and dry shrub land. Darwin notes the scarcity of water, the presence of thorny bushes, and the occasional sighting of wildlife like armadillos. He also encounters the indigenous people of the area and reflects on their customs and ways of life, contrasting them with those of European settlers. This chapter captures his growing curiosity and sense of discovery as the observes and analyzes the natural history of South America with scientific enthusiasm. The voyage of the Beagle is the title most commonly given to the book published in 1839 as Darwin's journal and remarks, bringing him considerable fame and respect. If you'd like to start from the beginning, the first of this series aired on June 10th,

2024. marks, bringing him considerable fame and respect. If you'd like to start from the beginning,

the first of this series aired on June 10th, 2024, and the most recent episode prior to

this in August of 2024. Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes. Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed. Now, take a few deep breaths. September 18th. I hired a gaujo to accompany me on my ride to Buenos Aires, though with some difficulty as the father of one man

was afraid to let him go, and another, who seemed willing, was described to me as so fearful that I was afraid to take him, for I was told that even if he saw an ostrich at a distance, he would mistake it for something else. And would fly like the wind away. The distance to Buenos Aires is about 400 miles, and nearly the whole way through an uninhabited country. We started early in the morning, ascending a few hundred feet from the basin of green turf on which the Bahia Blanca stands. We entered on a wide desolate plain. It consists of crumbling rock, which from the dry nature of the climate supports only scattered tuffes of withered grass, without a single bush or tree to break the Minotinus uniformity. The weather was fine, but the atmosphere remarkably hazy. I thought the appearance foreboded a gale, but the gout-cho said it was owing to plane at some great distance in the interior being on fire. After a long gallop, having changed horses twice, we reached the Rio sauce. It is a deep, rapid little stream, not above 25 feet wide. The second post on the road to Buenos Aires stands on its banks. A little above, there's a fjord for the horses, where the water does not reach to the horses belly. But from that point, in its course to the sea, it is quite impassable, and hence makes a most useful barrier. In significant as this stream is, a Jesuit falconer, whose information is generally so very correct, figures it as a considerable river. With respect to its source, I do not doubt that this is the case for the Goucho's assured me that in the middle of the dry summer, this stream, at the same time with the Colorado has periodical floods, which can only originate in the snow melting on the Andes. It is extremely improbable that a stream so small as the sauce then was, should traverse the entire width of the continent. And indeed, if it were the residue of a large river, its waters, as in other ascertained cases, would be saline. During the winter, we must look to the springs round the Sierra of Antana as the source of its pure and limpid stream. I suspect the plains of Patagonia, like those of Australia, are traversed by many water courses, which only performed their proper parts at certain periods. Probably this is the case with the water which flows into the head of Port Desire. And likewise, with the Rio Chupet, as it was early in the afternoon when we arrived, we took fresh horses and a soldier for a guide, and started for the Sierra de la Ventana. This mountain is visible from the anchorage at Behia Blanca, and Captain Fitzroy calculates its height to be 3,340 feet, and altitude very remarkable on this eastern side of the continent. I am not aware that any foreigner, previous to my visit, had ascended this mountain, and indeed, very few of the soldiers at Baha'i Blanca knew anything about it.

Hence, we heard of beds of coal, of gold and silver, of caves and of forests, all of which inflamed my curiosity only to disappointed. The distance from the poster was about six leagues over a level plane of the same character as before. The ride was, however, interesting, as the mountain began to show its true form. When we reached the foot of the main ridge, we had much difficulty in finding any water, and we thought that we should have been obliged to have passed the night without any. At last, we discovered some by looking close to the mountain. Throughout the distance, even of a few hundred yards, the streamlets were buried and entirely lost in the friable calcyristone. I do not think nature ever made a more solitary desolate pile of rock. It well deserves its name, or tato, or separated. The mountain is steep, extremely rugged, and broken. And so entirely destitute of trees and even bushes that we actually could not make a skewer to stretch out our meat over the fire of thistle stalks. The strange aspect of this mountain is contrasted by the sea-like plain, which not only abuts against its steep sides, but likewise separates

the parallel ranges. The uniformity of the coloring gives an extreme quietness to the view. The whitish grey of the quartz rock and the light brown of the withered grass of the plain, being unrelieved by any brighter tint.

From custom, one... and the light brown of the withered grass of the plain, being unreleaved by any brighter tint.

From custom, one expects to see in the neighborhood of a lofty and bold mountain,

a broken country strut over with huge fragments. Here, nature shows that the last movement before

the bed of the sea is changed into dry land may sometimes be one of tranquility. Under these circumstances, I was curious to observe how far from the parent rock any pebbles could be found. On the shores of Bihia Blanca and near the settlement, there were some of quartz which certainly must have come from this source. The distance is 45 miles. The dew, which in the early part of the night, wetted the saddle clothes under which we slept, was in the morning frozen. The plane, though appearing horizontal, had insensibly sloped up to a height of between 800 and 900 feet above the sea. In the morning, the 9th of September, the guy told me to ascend the nearest ridge, which he thought would lead me to the four peaks that crown the summit. The climbing up such rough rocks was very fatiguing. The sides were so indented that what was gained in one five minutes was often lost in the next. At last when I reached the ridge, my disappointment was extreme, and finding a valley as deep as the plain, which cut the chain transversely in two, and separated me from the four points. This valley is very narrow, but flat bottomed, and it forms of fine horse pass for the Indians, as it connects the plains on the northern and southern sides of the range. Having descended, and ball-crossing it, I saw two horses grazing. I immediately hid myself in the long grass and began to reconneter. But as I could see no signs, I proceeded cautiously on my second descent. It was late in the day, and this part of the mountain, like the others, was steep and rugged. I was on the top of the second peak by two o'clock, but got there with extreme difficulty. Every twenty yards I had the cramp in the upper part of both thighs, so that I was afraid I should not have been able to have got down again. It was also necessary to return by another road, as it was out of the question to pass over the

saddle-pack. I was therefore obliged to give up the two higher peaks. Their altitude was but little greater, and every purpose of geology had been answered, so that the attempt was not worth the hazard of any further exertion.

I presume the cause of the cramp was the great change in the kind of muscular action, from that of hard riding to that of still harder climbing. It is a lesson worth remembering, as in some cases it might cause much difficulty. I have already said that the mountain is composed of white quartz rock, and with it, a little glossy clay slate is associated. At the height of a few hundred feet above the plain, patches of conglomerate adhered in several places to the solid rock. They resembled in hardness, and in the nature of the cement, the masses which may be seen daily forming on some coasts. I do not doubt these pebbles were in a similar manner aggregated at a period when the great calcissus formation was depositing beneath the surrounding sea. We may believe that the jagged and battered forms of the hard quartz yet show the effects of the waves of an open ocean. I was, on the whole, disappointed with this ascent. the view was insignificant, a plane like the sea, but without its beautiful color and defined outline. The scene, however, was normal, and a little danger like salt to a meat gave it a relish, the danger was very little was certain, for my two companions made a good fire. I reached the place of our bivyak by sunset, and drinking much mote, and smoking several cigarettes soon made up my bed for the night. The wind was very strong and cold, but I never slept more comfortably. September 10th, in the morning, having fairly scutted before the gale, we arrived by the middle of the day. In the road, we saw great numbers of deer. The plane, which abuts against the Sierra, is traversed by some curious gullies, of which one was about 20 feet wide, and at least 30 deep. We were obliged in consequence to make a considerable circuit before we could find a pass. We stayed the night at the post-a, the conversation, as was generally the case, being about the indigenous tribes. The Sierra Ventana was formerly a great place of resort, and three or four years ago there was much fighting here. September 11th. Proceeding to the third poster in company with the lieutenant who commanded it, the distance is called 15 leagues, but it is only guesswork and is generally overstated. The road was uninteresting over a dry grassy plain, and on our left hand, at a greater or less distance, there were some low hills, a continuation of which we crossed close to the posta. Before our arrival we met a large herd of cattle and horses guarded by fifteen soldiers. But we were told many had been lost. It is very difficult to drive animals across the plains, for if in the night a puma or even a fox approaches, nothing can prevent the horses dispersing in every direction, and a storm will have the same effect. A short time since, an officer left Buenos Aires with 500 horses. and when he arrived at the army, he had under 20. Soon afterwards, we perceived by the cloud of dust that a party of horsemen were coming towards us. When far distant, my companions knew them to be indigenous by their long hair streaming behind their backs. They turned out to be a party of Bernanteo's friendly tribe going to a salina for salt. They eat much salt. Their children having it like sugar. This habit is very different from that of the Spanish gouchos, who, leading the same kind of life, eats scarcely any, according to Mungo Park. It is people who live on vegetable food who have an unconquered desire for salt.

They gave us good, humid nods as they passed at full gallop, driving before the metrupe of horses, and followed by a train of lanky dogs. 12th and 13th. I stayed at this post a two days, waiting for a troop of soldiers, which General Rosas had the kindness to send to inform me who would shortly travel to Buenos Aires. He advised me to take the opportunity of the escort. In the morning, we rode to some neighboring hills to view the country and to examine the geology. After dinner, the soldiers divided themselves into two parties for a trial of skill with the bolas. Two spears were struck in the ground, twenty-five yards apart. But they were struck and entangled only once and four or five times. The balls can be thrown 50 or 60 yards, but with little certainty. This however does not apply to a man on horseback. When the speed of the horse is added to the force of the arm. It is said that they can be world with the fact to the distance of 80 yards. In the morning we all salad forth to hunt. Although we had not much success, there were some animated jazze. Soon after starting the party separated, and so arranged their plans that had a certain time of the day, in guessing which they show much skill, they should all meet from different points of the compass on a plain piece of ground, and this drive together the wild animals. day I went went out hunting in Bahia Blanca, but the men there merely rode in a crescent, each being the quarter of a mile apart from the other. When we returned to the posta, we found two of the party returned to had been hunting by themselves.

They had found an ostrich's nest with 27 eggs in it.

Each of these is said to equal and weight 11 hens eggs,

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