Guanaco of the aborigines of Chile.
“The Guanaco abounds over the whole of the temperate parts of South
America, from the wooded islands of Tierra del Fuego, through Patagonia,
the hilly parts of La Plata, Chile, even to the Cordillera of Peru. I
saw several of these animals in Navarin Island, forty miles north of
Cape Horn; the Guanaco, therefore, has, with the exception of a fox and
mouse, inhabitants of the same island, the most southern range of all
American quadrupeds. Although preferring an elevated site, it yields in
this respect to its near relative the Vicuña. On the plains of Southern
Patagonia, we saw them in greater numbers than in any other part.
Generally they go in small herds, from half a dozen to thirty together;
but on the banks of the Santa Cruz, we saw one herd, which must have
contained at least five hundred. On the northern shores of the Strait of
Magellan they are also very numerous. The Guanacoes are generally wild
and extremely wary: Mr. Stokes told me, that he one day in Patagonia saw
through a glass a herd of these beasts, which evidently had been
frightened, and were running away at full speed, although their distance
was so great that they could not be distinguished by the naked eye.
“The sportsman frequently receives the first intimation of their
presence, by hearing from a long distance their peculiar shrill neighing
note of alarm. If he then looks attentively, he will, perhaps, see the
herd standing in a line on the side of some distant hill. On
approaching, a few more squeals are given, and then off they set, at an
apparently slow but really quick canter, along some narrow beaten track
to a neighbouring hill. If, however, by chance he should abruptly meet a
single animal, or several together, they will generally stand
motionless, and intently gaze at him;—then, perhaps, move on a few
yards, turn round, and look again. What is the cause of this difference
in their shiness? Do they mistake a man in the distance for their chief
enemy the puma? Or does curiosity overcome their timidity? That they are
curious is certain, for if a person lies on the ground, and plays
strange antics, such as throwing up his feet in the air, they will
almost always approach by degrees to reconnoitre him. It is an artifice
that was repeatedly practised with success by the sportsman of the
Beagle, and it had moreover the advantage of allowing several shots to
be fired, which were all taken as parts of the performance. On the
mountains of Tierra del Fuego, and in other places, I have more than
once seen a Guanaco on being approached, not only neigh and squeal, but
prance and leap about in the most ridiculous manner, apparently in
defiance, as a challenge. These animals are very easily domesticated,
and I have seen some in this state near the houses in northern
Patagonia, although at large on their native plains. They are, when thus
kept, very bold, and readily attack a man, by striking him from behind
with both knees. It is asserted, that the motive for these attacks is
jealousy on account of their females. The wild Guanacoes, however, have
no idea of defence; and even a single dog will secure one of these large
animals, till the huntsman can come up. In many of their habits they are
like sheep in a flock. Thus when they see men approaching in several
directions on horseback, they soon become bewildered, and know not which
way to run. This circumstance greatly facilitates the Indian method of
hunting, for they are thus easily driven to a central point, and are
encompassed.
“The Guanacoes readily take to the water; several times at Port Valdes
they were seen swimming from island to island. Byron, in his voyage,
says he saw them drinking salt water. Some of our officers likewise saw
a herd apparently drinking the briny fluid from a Salina near Cape
Blanco; and in several parts of the country, if they do not drink salt
water, I believe they drink none at all. In the middle of the day, they
frequently roll in the dust, in saucer-shaped hollows. The males often
fight together; one day two passed quite close to me, squealing and
trying to bite each other; and several were shot with their hides deeply
scored. Herds appear sometimes to set out on exploring parties: at Bahia
Blanca, where within thirty miles of the coast these animals are
extremely scarce, I one day saw the tracks of thirty or forty, which had
come in a direct line to a muddy salt water creek. They then must have
perceived, that they were approaching the sea, for they had wheeled with
the regularity of cavalry, and had returned back in as straight a line,
as they had advanced. The Guanacoes have one singular habit, the motive
of which is to me quite inexplicable, namely, that on successive days
they drop their dung on one defined heap. I saw one of these heaps,
which was eight feet in diameter, and necessarily was composed of a
large quantity. Frezier remarks on this habit as common to the Guanaco
as well as to the Llama;[13] he says it is very useful to the Indians,
who use the dung for fuel, and are thus saved the trouble of collecting
it.
“The Guanacoes appear to have favourite spots for dying in. On the banks
of the Santa Cruz, the ground was actually white with bones in certain
circumscribed spaces, which generally were bushy and all near the river.
On one such spot I counted between ten and twenty heads. I particularly
examined the bones; they did not appear, as some scattered ones which I
had seen, gnawed or broken as if dragged together by a beast of prey.
The animals in most cases, must have crawled, before dying, beneath and
amongst the bushes. Mr. Bynoe informs me, that during the last voyage,
he observed the same circumstances on the banks of the Rio Gallegos. I
do not at all understand the reason of this; but I may add, that the
Guanacoes which were wounded on the plains near the Santa Cruz
invariably walked towards the river. This quadruped seems particularly
liable to contain in its stomach bezoar stones. The Indians who trade at
the Rio Negro, bring great numbers to sell as Remedios or quack
medicines; and I saw one old man with a box quite full of them, large
and small.”—D.