The clumps were of the most brilliant green, and they made a pleasing miniature-likeness of broken forest land.

When the thistles are full grown, the great beds are impenetrable, except by a few tracks, as intricate as those in a labyrinth.

These are only known to the robbers, who at this season inhabit them, and sally forth at night to rob and cut throats with impunity.

Upon asking at a house whether robbers were numerous, I was answered, "The thistles are not up yet;"-- the meaning of which reply was not at first very obvious.

There is little interest in passing over these tracts, for they are inhabited by few animals or birds, excepting the bizcacha and its friend the little owl.
The bizcacha is well known to form a prominent feature in the zoology of the Pampas.