They Are Leeches, Bugs, Mosquitos,
Gad-Flies, Etc., All Compounded Into One Venomous Insect!
These
voracious green ticks, the size of a bug, are indeed a terrible
scourge.
They fasten on the body in scores, and when pulled away,
either the piece of flesh comes with them or the head of the carapata
is torn off. It was easy to pick a hundred of these bugs off the
body at night, but it was not easy to sleep after the ordeal! The
poor horses, brushing through the branches on which the ticks wait
for their prey, were sometimes half covered with them!
As we continued our journey, a house was a rare sight, and soon we
came to "the end of Christianity," as Timoteo said, and all
civilization was left behind. The sandy road became a track, and then
we could no longer follow the path, for there was none to follow.
Timoteo had traversed those regions before in search of the mate
plant, however, and with my compass I kept the general direction.
After about ten days' travel, during which time we had many reminders
that the flesh-pots had been left behind, "Che cane o" (I am tired)
was frequently heard. Game was exceedingly scarce, and it was
possible to travel for days without sighting any animal or ostrich.
We passed no houses, and saw no human beings. For two days we
subsisted on hard Indian corn. Water was scarce, and for a week we
were unable to wash.
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