Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis

Taking passage on a packet boat, Darwin makes Monte Video and the Beagle, which is not to set sail for a time. He decides to ride into the countryside and witnesses a gaucho crossing a deep river with a reluctant horse. The gaucho slips behind the horse, hangs onto the tail and splashes water at the horse's face each time it tries to turn around. This method of crossing proves successful and amuses Darwin.

The people of Uruguay show Darwin hospitality, letting him stay at various outposts and ranches. He notices signs of the recent revolutions, such as a church used as a powder magazine and blown up when a bolt of lightning hit it. However, now the country has settled down for the time being and grows in prosperity.

Darwin learns at one ranch how shepherd dogs are trained for...