And as so many species, both living and extinct, of these same genera
inhabit and have inhabited the Old World, it seems most probable that
the North American elephants, mastodons, horse, and hollow-horned
ruminants migrated, on land since submerged near Behring's Straits,
from Siberia into North America, and thence, on land since submerged in
the West Indies, into South America, where for a time they mingled with
the forms characteristic of that southern continent, and have since
become extinct.
While travelling through the country, I received several vivid
descriptions of the effects of a late great drought; and the account of
this may throw some light on the cases where vast numbers of animals of
all kinds have been embedded together. The period included between the
years 1827 and 1830 is called the "gran seco," or the great drought.
During this time so little rain fell, that the vegetation, even to the
thistles, failed; the brooks were dried up, and the whole country
assumed the appearance of a dusty high road. This was especially the
case in the northern part of the province of Buenos Ayres and the
southern part of St. Fe. Very great numbers of birds, wild animals,
cattle, and horses perished from the want of food and water. A man
told me that the deer [8] used to come into his courtyard to the well,
which he had been obliged to dig to supply his own family with water;
and that the partridges had hardly strength to fly away when pursued.
The lowest estimation of the loss of cattle in the province of Buenos
Ayres alone, was taken at one million head. A proprietor at San Pedro
had previously to these years 20,000 cattle; at the end not one
remained. San Pedro is situated in the middle of the finest country;
and even now abounds again with animals; yet during the latter part of
the "gran seco," live cattle were brought in vessels for the
consumption of the inhabitants. The animals roamed from their
estancias, and, wandering far southward, were mingled together in such
multitudes, that a government commission was sent from Buenos Ayres to
settle the disputes of the owners. Sir Woodbine Parish informed me of
another and very curious source of dispute; the ground being so long
dry, such quantities of dust were blown about, that in this open
country the landmarks became obliterated, and people could not tell the
limits of their estates.
I was informed by an eye-witness that the cattle in herds of thousands
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