Blanco y Colorado: Old Days among the Gauchos of UruguayTetley, William C.
History
Blanco y Colorado: Old Days among the Gauchos of Uruguay
Tetley, William C.
Uruguay -- Description and travel; Uruguay -- Social life and customs
Finally, he came over to Uruguay, drifted to the "Cerro del Pichinango"
during the war of "Oribe," where he had remained ever since. So long as
all went well, he was attentive to duty inside the house; clean and tidy
in preparing the meals; indeed, never happier than when fully employed
with his scrubbing brush and an ample supply of soap and water. One of
his great pleasures was to hoist the Union Jack on the small standard on
the top of the azotea on feast-days and holidays, when he would again
lower it at sunset, the same as he would have done on board ship. His
failing compelled me to keep all Canya, or white rum, under lock and key,
although I was instructed to deal him out his daily allowance twice
during the day; when the sun got over the fore-yard, as he was wont to
express it, and at sundown. Outside he chiefly employed himself in
chopping and splitting up wood for the stove in the kitchen, with his
two axes, of which he took great care, and of which he was apparently
very proud.
We happened to have a spell of fine weather during the first few days
after I arrived at the "Cerro," so I was enabled to see things generally
better than I could otherwise have done.
PART II.
EL CERRO DEL PICHINANGO.
The Cerro del Pichinango comprised something over sixteen thousand
acres, on which fed twenty thousand sheep, two thousand head of cattle,
and three hundred and fifty horses. The sheep were divided into seven
flocks, not counting a small flock of Southdowns at the Cerro. Each
flock had its own area of camp, over which to feed, and was located at
its own "puesto," where its "puestero," or shepherd, lived and looked
after it. The cattle grazed at will all over the estate, which was quite
open, without fences of any kind, here and there, in large groups, and
often in small points of twenty or thirty animals. There was good
pasturage, and abundant water. The river Rosario, which bordered the
estate on the West, did not run in a straight line, but curved in its
course, while at the South-West corner it took a much larger curve,
forming almost a semi-circle, and here the woods were wider than
hitherto. All this gave the scenery quite a park-like aspect, which was
very attractive. On the Southern side the river Pichinango did the same,
the woods which bordered its banks being even more beautiful, hung with
creepers and flowering plants, the river winding peacefully in between.
Here, too, fish could be caught, and the carpincho, or water-pig, was
able to enjoy himself undisturbed to his heart's content. Moreover, a
considerable stream called the Canyada Grande, passed right through the
centre of the estate, running for the most part clean and pure over a
stony and rocky bed. La Concordia, where Mr. Dampier lived with his
family, was situate at the opposite end of the estancia to the Cerro.
The house stood on elevated ground overlooking the river Rosario, and
its woods on the west, while towards the south it commanded a distant
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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