THE PATAGONIANS.
APPEARANCE--WEAPONS--HORSEMANSHIP.
POSITION OF PATAGONIA -- STATURE OF THE INHABITANTS -- SIGNIFICATION
OF THE NAME -- HORSE FURNITURE -- THE STIRRUP AND BOOT -- AN
INGENIOUS SPUR -- THE GIRTH AND ITS CONSTRUCTION -- PRIMITIVE BUCKLES
-- THE BRIDLE AND ITS ACCOMPANYING WHIP -- THE PATAGONIAN AND SPANISH
BITS -- SIZE AND STRENGTH OF THEIR HORSES -- HORSE-RACING -- THE
BOLAS, THEIR CONSTRUCTION, AND DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF FORM -- WAR IN
PATAGONIA -- THE SPARE HORSES AND THEIR USE -- THE RETURN FROM BATTLE
-- A HUNTING EXPEDITION -- CHASING THE GUANACO -- A TERRIFIED HERD --
THE DISADVANTAGE OF CURIOSITY -- DECOY GUANACOS -- PARTRIDGE CATCHING
-- THE POWER OF FASCINATION.
Separated from Tierra del Fuego by a strait so narrow that in certain
spots human beings might converse across the water, is the land called
Patagonia.
It derives this now familiar title from a nickname given to the
inhabitants by Magellan’s sailors. As we shall presently see when
treating of their costume, the Patagonians wear a sort of gaiter to
protect their ankles against thorns. These gaiters are made of the
furry skin of the guanaco, the long hair spreading out on either side
of the foot. The sailors, ever ready to ridicule any custom new to
them, remarked this conspicuous part of the dress, and nicknamed the
natives Patagones, _i. e._ duck-feet, a name which has ever since
adhered to them, and even been applied to their country.
The narrow armlet of sea, to which reference has been made, divides two
lands utterly opposed to each other, and inhabited by people totally
distinct in appearance and habits. Tierra del Fuego has scarcely
a level spot in it, but is composed of even set ravines clothed
with trees, and precipitous, snow-clad mountains. Patagonia, on the
contrary, abounds in vast level plains, unfertile and without a tree on
them.
The human inhabitants of these countries are as different as the lands
themselves, the Fuegians being below the average height, and the
Patagonians above it. Yet, just as the Fuegian is not such an absolute
dwarf, as has often been stated, the Patagonian is not such an absolute
giant, a regiment of English Lifeguards being as tall as an equal
number of Patagonians. It is true that if a Patagonian regiment of
picked men were raised they would overtop even the Guardsmen, but the
old tales about an average of seven or even eight feet are unworthy of
credit. Some of the older voyagers even attribute to the Patagonians
a much loftier stature, saying that some of them were twelve feet
in height, and that when one of them stood with his legs apart, an
ordinary man could walk between them without stooping.
The color of the Patagonians is somewhat like that of the Fuegians,
being a dark copper brown, the reddish hue coming out well on any
part of the skin that happens to be less dirty than others. The hair
is coarse, long and black, and is allowed to hang loosely about their
faces, being merely kept out of their eyes by a small fillet of guanaco
hair. There is scarcely any eyebrow, a deficiency which always gives an
unpleasant expression to the eyes, and indeed, even in the old men, the
face is almost devoid of hair. The face is roundish, the width being
increased by the great projection of the cheek-bones, and the chin is
rather broad and prominent. The small, restless eyes, are black, as
is the hair, and rather hidden under the prominent brows. The nose is
narrow between the eyes, but the nostrils are broad and fleshy. The
mouth is large, and the lips rather thick, but altogether the face
is not a bad one. The illustration on the 1163d page, of a Patagonian
man and woman furnishes a striking contrast with the Fuegians, their
neighbors.
The dress of the Patagonians is simple, but sufficient, and in this
respect they form a great contrast to the absolutely naked Fuegians
of the opposite shores. The chief part of the costume consists of a
large mantle made of guanaco skins. The guanaco is, as the reader may
possibly be aware, one of the llama tribe, and is about the size of a
deer. It is covered with a thick woolly coat, the long hair of which is
valuable, not only to the Patagonians, but to Europeans, by whom it is
made into various fabrics.
It is very plentiful in this country, fortunately for the Patagonians,
to whom the guanaco is the very staff of life, the creature that
supplies him with food, clothes, and dwelling. Sometimes it is seen in
great droves of several hundreds in number, but it generally associates
in smaller herds of twenty or thirty individuals. It is a shy animal,
as well it may be, considering the many foes that are always ready
to fall upon it; and as it is swift as well as shy, great skill is
required in capturing it, as will presently be seen.
The guanaco-skin mantle is very large, and when folded round the body
and clasped by the arms, falls as low as the feet; and when a tall
Patagonian is seen in this mantle, which adds apparently to his height,
he presents a very imposing appearance. Generally, the mantle is
confined round the waist by a belt, so that when the wearer chooses, he
can throw off the upper part of it, his hands remaining at liberty for
action. Under the mantle he wears a small apron.
Next come the curious gaiters, which have been already mentioned. At
first sight they look like boots reaching from the knee downward, but
when examined more closely, they are seen to be devoid of sole, having
only a strap that passes under the middle of the foot, so that the heel
and toes and great part of the sole are left unprotected. The reason of
this structure is, that the Patagonian is nearly always on horseback,
and the toe is made to project beyond the gaiter in order to be placed
in the stirrup, which is very small and triangular.
As the Patagonians are so devoted to horsemanship no sketch of
this people would be adequate without an account of their horse
accoutrements. I have a complete set in my possession. The saddle is
made of four pieces of wood, firmly lashed together with raw-hide
thongs, and both the front and back of the saddle are alike. From the
sides depend the stirrups, which are appended to leathern thongs, and
are made in a very simple manner. A hole is made at each end of a
stout leathern strap, and a short piece of stick about half an inch
in diameter is thrust through them, being retained in its place by a
groove near each end. The strap being attached by its middle to the
thongs which act as stirrup-leathers, the article is complete.
As the space between the grooves is rather less than three inches, it
necessarily follows that the Patagonian horseman can only insert his
great toe in the stirrup. This, however, is sufficient hold for him, as
he is an admirable though careless looking rider, the greater part of
his life, from childhood upward, having been spent on horseback.
The spur is as primitive as the stirrup, and exactly resembles in
principle the prick-spurs of the ancient knights. It consists of two
pieces of stick, exactly like those employed for the stirrups, and two
short straps of cowhide. A hole is made at each end of the strap, and
the sticks are pushed through them, being held in their places, like
those of the stirrups, by a groove cut half an inch from their ends, so
that the two sticks are held parallel to each other.
To the upper ends of each stick a leathern thong is applied, and these
thongs, being tied over the instep, hold the spur in its place. At
the other ends of the sticks holes are bored, into each of which a
sharp iron spike is inserted. In my own specimen, the maker has been
economical of his iron, and has only inserted spikes in one of the
sticks, so that when the spurs are worn with the spiked stick inward,
they are quite as effective as if both sticks were armed. Still, the
hole for the reception of the spikes has been bored in all the sticks,
and there is no doubt that the Patagonian who made the spurs would have
inserted the spikes at some time or other.
The spur is worn as follows: The armed sticks come on either side of
the foot, the strap which is next to the spiked ends goes round the
heel, the other strap passes under the hollow of the foot, and the
hide thongs are tied over the instep. Such a spur as this is not only
an effective but a cruel instrument, really as bad as the huge metal
spurs, with rowels four inches in diameter, which the Gauchos wear. It
is impossible to see this simple form of spur without recalling the old
story of “Sandford and Merton,” and referring to the adventure of Tommy
Merton, who, on being forbidden to use spurs, stuck pins into the heels
of his boots, and was run away with in consequence.
The girth is a singularly ingenious piece of work. The strength of the
girth itself is prodigious. At first sight it looks as if it were a
single broad belt of leather, but a nearer inspection shows that it is
made of twenty-two separate cords, each about the eighth of an inch in
thickness, laid side by side, and united at intervals by several rows
of similar cords of strings. Each of these cords is made of two strands
of raw hide, probably that of guanaco, and looks as strong as ordinary
catgut. Buckles are unknown to the Patagonian, who has invented in
their stead a mode of tightening the girth by passing straps through
holes, hauling upon them, and fastening off the ends.
The bit and bridle are equally ingenious. It consists of a squared
bar of iron four and a half inches long, the ends of which are passed
through holes in doubled pieces of hide, and hammered when cold into a
sort of rivet-like shape, so as to retain the leather in its place. To
the lower part of the leathers are attached a couple of stout thongs,
which are passed under the lower jaw of the horse, and then tied, so
that they keep the bit in its place, and at the same time act as a sort
of curb.
To the upper part of the leathers are fixed the long plaited thongs
which are used as reins, and which seem strong enough to hold an
elephant, much more a horse. The Patagonian uses no separate whip, but
has a long double strap of stout hide, which is fixed to the junction
of the reins, so that there is no danger of losing it.
This is the ordinary bit of a Patagonian hunter, but those who can
obtain it like to use the cruel Spanish bit, which they fit up in their
own way with thongs of plaited hide. One of these bits is shown in
illustration No. 4 on the following page. The principal distinguishing
point about these bits is the large iron ring, which passes over
the horse’s jaw, and gives to the rider a leverage so powerful that
he could break the jaw of any horse without making any very great
exertion. By the use of this bit, the horse is soon taught to stop
almost suddenly, to wheel in a very limited area, and to perform the
various evolutions which are needed in carrying out the pursuit in
which the Patagonian depends for much of his livelihood.
The reins which are attached to this bit are of enormous strength,
and are plaited in a square form, so that no amount of pulling which
any horse could accomplish would endanger them. The whip is attached
to these reins like that of the last mentioned apparatus, but is more
severe, thicker, and heavier, and is made of a long and broad belt of
hide, cut into four strips, which are plaited together, flat and narrow
strips about four inches long answering as the lash. It will be seen
that the Patagonian is by no means merciful to his beast, but that he
uses a bit, spur, and whip which are, though so simple in appearance,
more severe in practice than those which have a far more formidable
aspect.
The horses which he rides are descended from those which were
introduced by the Spaniards, and which have multiplied so rapidly as
almost to deserve the name of indigenous animals. They are of no great
size, being under fifteen hands high, and belonging to that well-known
mustang breed which is more celebrated for strength and endurance than
for aspect, qualities which are indispensable in an animal that has to
carry so heavy a rider after creatures so fleet as the guanaco or the
rhea.
The Patagonians are fond of racing, but never make their courses longer
than a quarter of a mile. The reason for these short races is, that
their horses are not required to run for any length of time at full
speed, but to make quick and sudden dashes, so as to enable the rider
to reach his prey, and hurl the singular missiles with which he is
armed.
There is yet an article needed to complete the equipment of a
Patagonian. This is the celebrated “bolas,” a weapon which looks almost
contemptible, but in practised hands is exceptionably formidable. It
consists of two or sometimes three balls at the end of hide thongs. The
form most in use is that which is represented in illustration No. 3 on
the next page. The native name for the two-ball bolas is _somai_, and
that for the three-ball weapon is _achico_.
The first point in making the bolas is to procure the proper balls, and
the second to prepare the proper rope to which they are fastened. The
ordinary balls are made of stone, and are nearly as large as cricket
balls. They are made by the women, who pass much of their time in
supplying the men with these necessaries of life. To cut and grind
one of these stones is a good day’s work, even for an accomplished
workwoman.
A still more valuable ball is made of iron, which has the advantage of
being so much heavier than stone that the ball is considerably smaller,
and therefore experiences less resistance from the air, a quality which
is of the first consequence in a missile weapon. The most valuable are
those which are made of copper, as is the case with the specimen from
which the illustration is taken. Each of these balls weighs eighteen
ounces, in spite of its small size, so that the weapon is a very
formidable one.
The thong to which the balls are attached is nine feet in length,
and is made in the following manner: two pairs of thongs of raw
hide are cut, and, while they are still fresh and wet, each pair is
twisted together so as to form a two-stranded rope. These ropes are
again twisted into one, so that the aggregate strength of the four is
enormous.
Round each of the balls is then laid a circular piece of guanaco hide,
with holes bored all round the edge. The ends of the thongs being
passed through the holes and laced tightly, the raw hide is drawn
over the balls, and encloses them in a sort of pocket, as is seen by
the enlarged figure in the illustration. This specimen is one of the
three-ball weapons. In this case a third thong five feet six inches
in length has been twisted, one end fastened to a ball, and the other
interlaced with the strands of the first thong exactly at its centre.
We have now the three-ball bolas, which is made in such a manner that,
when the thongs are grasped at their points of junction, two of the
balls hang at equal depths from the hand, and the third is just a foot
below them.
[Illustration: (1.) STIRRUPS AND SPURS. (See page 1196.)]
[Illustration: (2.) LASSOS. (See page 1197.)]
[Illustration: (3.) PATAGONIAN BOLAS. (See page 1174.)
_leather plait_]
[Illustration: (4.) SPANISH BIT AND PATAGONIAN FITTINGS. (See page
1174.)]
The bolas is to the Patagonian what the kris is to the Malay, the
boomerang to the Australian, the lasso to the Gaucho, the club to the
Fijian, and the bow to the Andamaner. From early childhood upward no
Patagonian is without this weapon, which seems to him an absolute
necessity of existence. Generally he carries it twisted round his
waist, like an officer’s sash of the olden days, the balls dangling at
the side like the tassels of the sash.
It is, however, coiled on the body with such consummate skill that
it can be cast loose with a turn of the hand, the eye being fixed on
the object of attack, and in a moment the Patagonian is fully armed.
Putting aside warfare, which in Patagonia is scarcely known, the
tribes, or rather the families, not being strong enough to wage real
war upon each other, the so-called battles are unworthy of any name
except that of skirmishes, which among themselves seem to do no great
harm, however formidable they may be to opponents who happen to be
unacquainted with the mode of fighting practised by the Patagonians.
For example, a dozen trained riflemen, on foot, who could thoroughly
depend on each other, would overmatch ten times their number of mounted
Patagonians, who, every whit as brave as themselves, are ignorant of
discipline, and fight every man for his own hand.
Let the riflemen once allow the Patagonians to come within thirty
yards, and they would be annihilated; but as long as the foe could be
kept out of throwing distance, they are comparatively harmless.
When a Patagonian intends to attack either a human enemy, or some
animal of chase, or even, as often happens, some wild beast or bird,
he slips the ever-ready bolas from his waist, grasps the thongs at
their point of union, drives his primitive spurs into the flanks of his
rough-coated steed, and dashes off at full gallop, whirling the bolas
round his head by a dexterous movement of his flexible wrist.
As soon as he comes within throwing distance, which materially varies
according to the strength of the thrower and the structure of the
bolas, he hurls his singular weapon with unerring skill. No sooner
does it leave his hand than the centrifugal force causes the balls to
diverge, and they fly round and round in the air with a motion exactly
resembling that which an English street acrobat imparts to a couple
of padded balls at the ends of a string, when he wants to clear the
ground.
Urged by the stalwart arm of the Patagonian, the bolas flies straight
to its mark, and no sooner does it strike it, than the impetus
communicated to the balls causes the thongs to twist round the
unfortunate victim, and bring him at once to a halt. Indeed, should
a man be struck by the bolas, he may congratulate himself if in
three minutes afterwards he finds himself alive, neither having been
strangled by the cords twisting round his neck, nor brained by the
heavy balls coming in contact with his skull.
The skill which the Patagonians attain is really marvellous. At any
distance short of fifty yards a victim marked is a victim slain. So
terrific is the gripe of the bolas thong, that Europeans who have been
struck with it have been found to suffer from weals as well marked as
if they had been made by the stroke of a “cow-hide” whip upon the bare
flesh.
An excellent description of the various kinds of bolas is given by
Captain King:--
“Sometimes two balls, each of which has a cord about a yard in length,
are fastened to the thong of the larger set. This is to entangle
the victim more effectually. They do not try to strike objects with
these balls, but endeavor to throw them so that the thong shall hit a
prominent part; and then, of course, the balls swing round in different
directions, and the thongs become so ‘laid up’ (or twisted), that
struggling only makes the captive more secure.
“They can throw them so dexterously as to fasten a man to his horse, or
catch a horse without harming him. If an animal is to be caught without
being thrown down suddenly--an inevitable consequence of these balls
swinging round his legs while at full speed--a _somai_ is thrown upon
his neck. The two balls hang down, and perplex him so much by dangling
about his fore-legs that his speed is much checked, and another set of
balls or a lasso may be used to secure without throwing him down. The
lasso is not much used, so adroit, are they with the balls.
“A formidable missile weapon is the single ball, called by the
Spaniards ‘bola perdida.’ This is similar to the other in size and
substance, but attached to a slighter rope about a yard long. Whirling
this ball, about a pound in weight, with the utmost swiftness around
their heads, they dash it at their adversary with almost the force of
a shot. At close quarters it is used, with a shorter scope of cord, as
an efficient head-breaker. Several of these original and not trifling
offensive weapons are kept in readiness by each individual, and many
a Spaniard, armed with steel and gunpowder, has acknowledged their
effect.”
The raids which are dignified by the name of warfare are more for
plunder than conquest, inasmuch as the Patagonian cares nothing for
territory, of which he has enough and to spare, and almost nothing for
military fame. Sometimes he wants plunder; sometimes he means to make a
hunting expedition into a district held by another tribe; and sometimes
he prepares a short campaign against an inimical tribe in revenge for a
real or fancied insult.
When preparing for such an excursion, or while expecting the attack of
another tribe, the Patagonians keep themselves in constant preparation
for war. They put on three of their thickest mantles in order to deaden
the blow of the bolas, or withstand the point of the spear and arrow.
These mantles are not wrapped round them in the ordinary fashion of
peace, but are worn like ponchos, the head being thrust through a hole
in the middle. The innermost mantle is of guanaco skin, with the hairy
side inward, while the others are simple leather, without hair, the
place of which is taken by paint. Their heads are guarded by conical
caps, made of hide, and often adorned by a tuft of feathers from the
rhea.
Those who are wealthy enough purchase a sort of armor composed of a
thick hide tunic, with a high collar and short sleeves, and a hat or
helmet made of double bull’s hide. This garment is very heavy and
clumsy, but it will resist every weapon except bullets, and will make
even the blow of the “bola perdida” fall harmless. Those who are too
poor to possess a horse, and are obliged to fight on foot, carry
shields made of several layers of hide sewed together.
Sometimes they come unexpectedly upon enemies, and a skirmish is the
immediate result. In this case they mostly fling aside their cumbrous
mantles, and fight without any clothing except the girdle and their
spurs. When they make expeditions against inimical districts, they
take spare horses with them, one of which is intended to bear the
plunder as they return, and to take its share in carrying the warrior
to battle. As soon as the Patagonian finds that his weight is beginning
to tell upon the horse which he rides, he vaults upon the other without
checking them in their gallop, and thus makes sure of a fresh and
unwearied horse upon going into action. The second horse is afterward
used for the conveyance of slaves, skins, weapons, and other booty.
As they return, they fling off the cumbrous armor of coats and mantles,
and ride, according to their fashion, naked to the waist, the innermost
mantle being retained in its place by a leathern thong, which acts as
a belt. In some of these expeditions a whole troop of loose horses is
driven in front of the warriors, and when a man feels his own horse
becoming wearied, he rides alongside one of the loose horses, shifts
the bit, and leaps on the fresh animal, not troubling himself about the
saddle.
When the Patagonian goes out hunting, he carries no weapon except the
bolas and a knife, the latter being considered rather as a tool than
a weapon. Should he see a herd of guanacos, he makes silently toward
them, imitating the cry of the young one in distress, and doing all
in his power to attract the animals. Anything very strange is sure to
attract them, just as it attracts cows, which are horribly afraid of
the new object, but, victims of a sort of fascination, are led nearer
and nearer by a spirit of curiosity, for which they pay with their
lives. When a small herd--say six or eight--of guanacos is seen, they
can generally be enticed within range of the bolas by a hunter on foot,
who steals as near them as he can manage to do without alarming them,
and then plays various antics, such as lying on his back and kicking
his legs in the air, tying a strip of hide or a bunch of feathers to a
stick, and waving it about. The inquisitive creatures seem unable to
resist the promptings of their curiosity, and, though they are really
afraid of the strange object, come closer and closer, until the hunter
is able to hurl the terrible bolas at them.
When, however, the herd is a large one, the guanacos are much more
timid, and, until the introduction of the horse, the Patagonians could
seldom do much with them. Now, however, the possession of the horse,
together with their knowledge of the guanaco’s disposition, enables
them to capture and kill great numbers of the animals.
In this mode of chase the Patagonians make use of two characteristics
which belong to the guanaco. In the first place, it is a hill-loving
animal, and when pursued, or even afraid of pursuit, leaves the plains
and makes for some eminence. Like all gregarious animals, the guanacos
invariably have sentinels posted on the most elevated points, and trust
their safety to their watchfulness, the squeal of alarm being instantly
followed by the flight of the herd. Knowing this peculiarity, the
hunters are sure that if a herd of guanacos be in the plain, and a hill
be near them, the animals will be almost certain to take to it.
The second characteristic is, that the guanacos, when thrown into
confusion, entirely lose their presence of mind, running a few steps in
one way and then a few steps in another, being quite unable to fix upon
any definite plan of escape.
A large party of hunters, sometimes nearly a hundred in number, arm
themselves with their long, light, cane-shafted spears, called chuzos,
summon their dogs, and set off toward the spot where a herd of guanacos
is known to be. Having fixed upon some grassy hill, half of the hunters
push forward and take up a position on the further side, while the
others drive the guanacos gently toward their well-known grazing
place.
[Illustration: PATAGONIANS HUNTING GAME. (See page 1181.)]
As soon as the animals are fairly on the hill, the hunters spread out
so as to enclose them in a semicircle, and then dash forward, driving
the herd up the hill. The detached band on the other side, as soon as
they hear the shouts, spread themselves out in a similar manner, the
two bodies completely surrounding the hill, so that when the guanacos
reach the summit they find themselves environed by enemies.
After the usual custom in such cases, the guanacos lose all presence
of mind, some running one way, some another, mutually hindering each
other’s escape, so that the hunters are able to pierce with their long
spears the finest animals, and thus secure in a very short space of
time so great a number, that they are amply supplied with skins and
meat.
Although they carry the spear on these occasions, they are not without
the bolas, it being used for capturing the young guanacos, which are
kept in a domesticated state like sheep. Now and then a guanaco, which
possesses more sense than its comrades, takes a line of its own, and
dashes through the circle of its enemies. Still it has but little
chance of escaping, for round the circle of horsemen there is another
circle of men on foot, accompanied by dogs. As soon as a guanaco breaks
through the first circle, it is instantly seized by the dogs, which
terrify it to such an extent that it is unable to move, and neither
tries to escape nor resist.
On the preceding page is a spirited engraving which represents
Patagonian scenery, and the natives in their favorite pursuit of
hunting game. The hot chase, the flying bolas, the bewildered guanacos
are vividly pictured.
The young guanacos which have been mentioned as being domesticated are
not solely intended to furnish food, or even bred merely for the sake
of their skins. They are employed for the sake of decoying the adult
animals. Taking the young guanaco to the feeding grounds, the hunter
ties it to a bush, and then conceals himself behind it. By imitating
the mother’s cry, he induces the captive to utter the plaintive
bleating sound by which a young one calls for its mother. This is a
sound which the adult guanacos cannot resist, and as soon as they come
within twenty yards or so of the bush, the bolas is launched, and the
animal at which it is aimed falls to the ground, enveloped in the fatal
coils.
The power of the bolas is eminently shown in the chase of the rhea, or
American ostrich. This bird is as swift and wary as the true African
ostrich, and, but for the bolas, the hunters would scarcely be able to
secure it. In the chase of this bird the Patagonians employ the same
device which is used in capturing the guanacos. They know that the rhea
shares with the guanaco the tendency to become confused and uncertain
in its movements when it is pressed simultaneously from opposite
directions. They therefore try to surround the herd and converge upon
it, or, at all events, two or three of them attack it from opposite
quarters, driving it first one way and then another, so that the bird
becomes so perplexed that it cannot make up its mind to run in one
direction, and escape its foes by its superior speed, but allows them
to come within range of the bolas, when its fate is sealed.
The hunters also know that, in common with all the ostrich tribe, and,
indeed, with many wild animal of chase, the rhea always runs against
the wind. It is therefore easy for them to ascertain the direction
which the bird will take, and by sending two or three horsemen
several miles windward the retreat of the bird is easily cut off. The
Patagonian can even kill the little cavies with the bolas, so accurate
is his aim.
The reader may easily imagine that such a weapon as this would be
serviceable in warfare. When the Patagonian uses it in battle, he does
not always fling it, apparently because he does not like to deprive
himself of his weapon. Sometimes he dashes alongside of a foe, and
throws one of the balls at him, just as if he were throwing a stone,
retaining the other ball in his hand, so as to recover the weapon after
the blow has sped. When the Patagonian carries the three-ball bolas,
which has already been described, he uses the third ball, which, as may
be remembered, is attached to the longest thong, as an English robber
uses his “life-preserver,” or an American his “slung-shot.”
Another mode of procuring game is practised by the Patagonians, and is
identical with that which is used by the North Africans in taking the
partridge, the South Africans in killing the bustard, as well as by the
inhabitants of other parts of the earth. There is a sort of partridge
which is common on the plains, and is called the Pampas partridge. Its
scientific name is _Nothuria major_. The weapon, or rather implement,
required for this sport is a very simple one. It is nothing more than a
light reed, some eight feet in length, at the end of which is a noose
composed of a strip cut from the side of a long feather. This noose
has sufficient pliability to be drawn tight when pulled and sufficient
elasticity to keep itself open.
Furnished with this implement, the Patagonian looks out for a partridge
on the ground and, when he finds one, begins riding round and round
it in an ever decreasing circle. The bird is much perplexed by this
conduct, and, instead of flying away, it simply crouches closely to the
ground. By degrees, the young hunter--this sport being only practised
by boys--comes so close to the bird that he slips the noose over its
neck, and, before it can spread its wings for flight, jerks it into the
air.
An expert bird catcher will secure three or four birds in an hour by
this curious mode of hunting, which may be pursued on foot as well as
on horseback. The only drawback to it lies in the very limited time
during which it can be attempted. It has been found that, if the shadow
of the hunter should fall upon the partridge, the bird seems to shake
off the strange feeling which paralyzes its energies, and flies away
before it can be captured. Consequently, the sport can only be pursued
so long as the sun is toward the meridian; and as soon as the shadows
lengthen sufficiently to throw them on the bird, the young hunter
abandons his sport. All practical naturalists are aware of the alarm
caused by a shadow falling on some animal which they are watching or
trying to capture; and entomologists in particular have learned that,
to approach most insects, it is necessary to keep the insect between
themselves and the sun.
As to the strange sort of fascination which forces the bird to crouch
instead of flying away, it exists in very many birds, of which the
domestic poultry or any of the common cage-birds are familiar examples.
Any one who is accustomed to deal with these birds can take one, stand
it or lay it on a table, go away, and return after an absence of hours,
knowing that the bird will not dare to move. During the time that I
kept and bred canaries, I used to free them from the dreaded red mite
by sprinkling insect powder under their feathers, laying them on a
piece of paper covered with insect powder, and leaving them there for
an hour or two, until the powder had destroyed all the parasites.