The Calchaqui must drain at least 150,000 acres of land, and the Rio
Concha has a watershed of about 60 or 70 thousand acres. It is not known
what the area of the watershed of the Salado is, but it must be immense;
therefore it can be understood that the meeting-place of the waters of
these three rivers is an interesting spot geographically, and we were
all glad to have seen it. On our arrival at the Water Meet we had our
first introduction to the native "asado," and we all hoped it would not
be the last. The peons collected (apparently from nowhere), in less time
than it takes to write about, sticks and odds and ends for a fire, over
the ashes of which they broiled the meat, holding it over the heat on
long skewers of wood. The meat was brought to us cooked, still on these
skewers, and each one cut off, or had cut off for them by The Jehu, the
portion he or she preferred, and a very hearty and merry meal was made
by all. The resulting silence of repletion was only broken by a murmur
from The Saint of "My heart is full," which sentiment, anatomically
amended, was echoed by all.
[Illustration: _Expanse of Alfalfa_.]
When active exertion was once more possible everyone repaired to the
banks of the Waters Meet, and a spot being found where there were no
dead fish lying about, the ladies (under the tutorship of Our Guest and
The Jehu) indulged in a little rifle-shooting at bottles.
Pages:
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228