"  December  6th.  At  sunrise  on  the  road  to  Herradura,  which  is
on  the  south  side  of  the  Tercero — four  leagues.  Some  little  cul-
tivation of  wheat ;  but  here,  as  in  Tucuman,  it  is  subject  to  the
pulvo.  Met  a  tropa  of  sixty  carretas  from  Kosario  for  Cordova.
At  the  little  village  of  Ballesteras,  twelve  miles  from  Herradura,
the  post-road  for  Mendoza  branches  off;  and  nine  leagues  beyond
we  passed  through  the  little  pueblo  Fraile  Muerto,  situated  near
the  river.  The  inhabitants  of  this  village,  as  well  as  many  Cor-
dovases,  believe  the  Tercero  navigable  from  Kosario  to  this  point,
but  no  effort  has  been  made  to  establish  the  fact.*  It  could  un-
doubtedly be  descended  by  flat  boats.  At  the  posta  we  met  a
tropa  of  mules  from  the  Province  of  San  Juan,  bound  to  Kosario,
laden  with  flour,  dried  and  preserved  fruits,  peaches,  figs,  raisins.
It  made  ten  leagues  per  day,  each  little  animal  having  a  burden
of  from  fourteen  to  seventeen  arobas.  To  Saladillo — eight  leagues
— a  desolate  dilapidated  village  of  mud  houses,  the  banks  of  the
Tercero  were  sparsely  wooded  with  algorroba,  with  long  intervals
of  a  scrubby  growth  which  marked  its  windings.  This  place  is
surrounded  by  a  mud  wall  and  ditch,  intended  in  years  past  as  a
protection  against .  Indians.  The  savages,  however,  no  longer
make  incursions  into  this  district,  for  neither  village  nor  surround-

*  I  have  already  stated  the  grounds  on  which  Mr.  Campbell  based  an  opinion
that  it  is  impracticable.
428  INHOSPITALITY.
