We allowed those who had driven to the spot a few moments in which to
dismount and greet the neat little mistress of the ranch, with whom we
had already made friends, and her pretty children. The roofing of this
little ranch and its out-houses was most interesting. It was carried out
entirely with trunks of palm trees. These, split in half and cleared of
all sap, made very effective roofing, placed alternately in concave and
convex form, so that the ridges of the two lengths of trunk placed bark
upward rest in the hollow of the intervening trunk. Naturally, all rain
water drains off the convex half into the concave trunk and flows down
these gullies into the water course formed of another hollowed palm
trunk running along the lower edge of the roof. A more suitable and
rainproof roof could scarcely be designed. The mistress of the house was
most anxious to entertain us to tea, but, having picked up our guide
from Vera, who it was arranged should meet us here with letters, we
could not spare time for further delay, and once more started off with
the guide ahead of us.
After leaving the ranch we turned to the eastward, and before long
passed over the Calchaqui river (which is more generally known as the
Golondrino here). This was not a difficult matter.
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