CHAPTER XII.

A MONOTONOUS RIDE--A DREARY LANDSCAPE--SHORT FUEL RATIONS--THE CORDILLERAS--FEATURES OF PATAGONIAN SCENERY --HEAT AND GNATS--A PUMA AGAIN--"THE RAIN IS NEVER WEARY"--DAMPNESS, HUNGER, GLOOM--I'ARIA TO THE RESCUE-- HIS INGENUITY 138-150