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ACROSS PATAGONIA.
Across Patagonia BY
LADY FLORENCE DIXIE
,\
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM SKETCHES BY JULIUS BEERBOHM ENGRAVED BY WHYMPER AND PEARSON
LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON ^txhUsfftXB in ©rtjinarg to I^er
Majestg
tl^e
©ueeit
1880
TAe rights of Translation and Reproduction are reserved.
TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS,
ALBERT EDWARD, PRINCE OF WALES, THIS
WORK
DESCRIPTIVE OF SIX MONTHS' WANDERINGS OVER UNEXPLORED
AND UNTRODDEN GROUND, IS
BV KIND PERMISSION RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESSES OBLIGED AND OBEDIENT SERVANT,
THE AUTHOR.
CONTENTS. CHAPTER WHY PATAGONIA? LISBON
GOOD-BYE
I.
THE START
THE ISLAND OF PALMA
DIRTY WEATHER
PERNAMBUCO Pages i-ii
CHAPTER BAHIA
RIO DE JANEIRO
UPSET
RIO
n.
HARBOUR
A TROPICAL NIGHT
TIJUCA
THE TOWN
SAFETY AT LAST
I
CHAPTER BEAUTIES OF RIO
AN
MORE UPSETS
MONTE VIDEO
TIERRA DEL FUEGO
HI.
—STRAITS
OF MAGELLAN
ARRIVAL AT SANDY POINT
PARATIONS FOR THE START
2-2 5
OUR OUTFIT
— OUR
PRE-
GUIDES 26-39
CHAPTER THE START FOR CAPE NEGRO
—CAPE NEGRO
IV.
RIDING ALONG THE STRAITS
THE FIRST NIGHT UNDER
CANVAS
CONTENTS. UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS
— ROUGH RIDING
OUR GUESTS
A NOVEL PICNIC
......
NIGHT
THERE WAS A SOUND OF REVELRY BY
CHAPTER DEPARTURE OF OUR GUESTS
Pages 40-51
V.
THE START FOR THE PAMPAS
AN UNTOWARD ACCIDENT SANT EFFECTS OF THE WIND
A DAY's SPORT
— OFF
UNPLEA-
CAPE GREGORIO. 52-61
CHAPTER VISIT
TO THE INDIAN CAMP
PHYSIQUE
OSITY
VI.
A PATAGONIAN
COSTUME
WOMEN
PROMINENT CHA-
AN INDIAN INCROYABLE
RACTERISTICS
INDIAN CURI-
SUPERSTITIOUS-
NESS
62-73
CHAPTER
......
THE PRAIRIE FIRE
CHAPTER UNPLEASANT VISITORS AGAIN OIL
"
SPEED THE PARTING GUEST
AN OSTRICH EGG
HUNGRY
74-80
VHI.
i'aRIA MISLEADS US
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CHASE
A GUANACO AT LAST
HOME
VH.
AS HUNTERS
OFF
STRIKING
WIND AND HAIL
AN EXCITING RUN "
"
THE DEATH
FAT-BEHIND-THE-EYE."
81-99
CHAPTER ELASTIC LEAGUES
IX.
THE LAGUNA BLANCA
OSTRICH-HUNTING
AN EARTHQUAKE
.....
IOO-II5
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
X.
— IBIS
DEPARTURE FROM LAGUNA BLANCA A
A WILD-CAT-
INDIAN LAW
FERTILE CANADON
OUR FIRST PUMA
A NUMEROUS
GUANACO HERD
AGAIN LOSES THE WAY
A MOON RAINBOW
A PAMPA
—WEATHER
A MONOTONOUS RIDE RATIONS
SCENERY IS
i'aRIA
SURPRISE
THE CORDILLERAS
NEVER WEARY
"
to the rescue
A
STRANGE
MOSQUITOES
i'aRIA
.
OPTIMIST I 2
.
AND
8-1 3 7
Xn. SHORT FUEL
FEATURES OF PATAGONIAN
HEAT AND GNATS
GUANACO STALKING SHOT
WISDOM
A DREARY LANDSCAPE
"
A PUMA AGAIN
THE
DAMPNESS, HUNGER, GLOOM HIS INGENUITY
CHAPTER A
HERMIT
A NEW EMOTION
CHORLITOS
CHAPTER
A GOOD
Pages 1x6-1 27
XI.
WILD FOWL ABUNDANT
PESSIMIST
DISCOM-
A MYSTERIOUS DISH
...... CHAPTER
SOUP
AND EQUITY
COWARDICE OF THE PUMA
FORTS OF A WET NIGHT
RUN
RAIN
xi
1
3 8-1 5 O
XHI.
SCENE
A DILEMMA
CALIFATE
BERRIES
MOSQUITOES
A GOOD 151-161
CONTENTS.
xii
CHAPTER AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY NEEDLES
ARY
PASSING THE BARRIER
A GOOD RUN
FOXES
ROUGHING
XIV. OUR FOREST SANCTU-
A VARIED MENU
A BATH
IT
CLEOPATRa'S
Pages 162-173
CHAPTER
XV.
EXCURSIONS INTO THE MOUNTAINS
DESTROYER
— THE
WILD-HORSES
74-1 83
THE
EQUINE COMBAT
STRUGGLE RENEWED
THE
RETREAT OF THE WILD HORSES
CHAPTER
1
XVI.
AN
WILD STALLION VICTORIOUS
—
DEER
TRACKS
CHAPTER AN ALARM
MAN THE
......
WILD HORSE
DILLERAS
MYSTERIES OF THE COR-
1
.
.
84- 1 89
XVII.
EXCURSION TO THE CLEOPATRA NEEDLES
A
BOG
DIFFICULT TRAVELLING
A
STRANGE PHE-
ING RIVER
NOMENON
A
FAIRY
THE
HAUNT
WILD
HORSES AGAIN
BLUE
LAKE
THE
THEIR
AGILITY
PEAKS
THE PROMISED LAND
CHAPTER WE THINK OF RETURNING THE LAST OF THE
.
.
CLEOPATRA
.
190-2OO
XVIII.
GOOD-BYE TO THE CORDILLERAS
WILD HORSES
STORMY
NIGHT
BISCUIT
UTILITY OF FIRE-SIGNALS
A
A WIND-
CALAMITY
THE .
MOSQUITOES LAST .
OF 2
A
OUR
01-212
CONTENTS,
CHAPTER AN UNSAVOURY MEAL
ISIDORO
SCARCE
xiii
XIX.
EXPENSIVE LOAVES
DISAPPOINTMENT
NIGHT
SURPRISES
CAMP
Pages 213-223
CHAPTER THE HORSES LOST RATIONS
A
!
STRANGE HUNT
A DAMP NIGHT
HOME NEWS
SHORT
STERN CHASE
CABO NEGRO AGAIN
REPUTABLE APPEARANCE
-n.
A
FOUND
THE CABEZA DEL MAR
CHAPTER
OF PUCHO
XX.
UNPLEASANT PROSPECTS
MYSTERY SOLVED
CABO NEGRO
US
NO MEAT IN THE
CONTINUED FASTING
SUPPERLESS
GUANACO
THE
SAFELY ACROSS
224-238
.
XXI.
CIVILISATION AGAIN
DIS-
THE COMING
PUCHO MISSING
PUCHO'S CHARACTERISTICS
OUR
.
239-25
I
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PUCHO
.
Crossing the Cabeza del
a guanaco The
Mar
Frontispiece
on the look-out
Straits of
Indian Camp
guanacos
.
Magellan
Page
I
To face page 40
"Collecting the 'tropilla'
The
.
Title
— saddling UP"
.... ..... ....
LAST DOUBLE
„
56
64 96 112
The Puma's death-spring
146
Ravine entrance to the Cordilleras
162
The
166
"
Cleopatra Needles
Encampment
in
"
.
the Cordilleras
"
The Wild-horse glen "
"
We were
.
168 178
the first who ever burst on
to that silent sea "
.
198
—
A GUANACO ON THE LOOK-OUT.
CHAPTER
I.
WHY PATAGONIA? — GOOD-BYE — THE START— DIRTY WEATHER LISBON
''
— THE
Patagonia
such a place cannibals!"
ISLAND OF PALMA
— PERNAMBUCO.
who would ever think ?" "Why, you will be
!
of going to
eaten up by
''What on earth makes you choose
such an outlandish part of the world to go to ?"
"What
can be the attraction?"
''Why,
it
is
thousands of miles away, and no one has ever
been there before, except Captain Musters, and one or two other adventurous
madmen
!"
WHY PATAGONIA
?
These, and similar questions and exclamations I
heard from the
ances,
when
lips
told
I
of
my
friends
them of
my
and acquaint-
intended trip to
Patagonia, the land of the Giants, the land of the fabled
attraction in going to an
away
miles
What was the outlandish place so many
Golden City of Manoa.
?
contained in
The answer its own words.
(
Precisely because
was an outlandish place and so it.
its
Palled for the
'
surroundings,
where
I
I
might be as
Many
possible.
of
far
moment with wanted far
my
away,
comes over one
pleasures of
life
of
artificiality
;
and
civilisation
to escape
it
chose
I
somewhere,
removed from them as
readers have doubtless
the dissatisfaction with oneself, and everybody that
was
to the question
felt
else,
at times in the midst of the
when one wearies
modern existence
;
of the shallow
when what was
once excitement has become so no longer, and a longing grows up within one to taste a more vigorous emotion than that afforded by the mono-
tonous round of society's so-called "pleasures." Well,
round
for
it
was
in this state of
I
suitable.
that
I
cast
some country which should possess the
qualities necessary to satisfy finally
mind
decided upon
my requirements,
and
Patagonia as the most
Without doubt there are wild countries
more favoured by Nature
in
many ways.
But
t
WHY PATAGONIA nowhere where
there an area of 100,000 square
is
you may gallop over, and where,
miles which
you are
whilst enjoying a healthy, bracing climate, safe
from the persecutions of
fevers, friends,
obnoxious animals, telegrams,
tribes,
No-
you so completely alone.
else are
else
.?
savage
letters,
and
every other nuisance you are elsewhere liable to
be exposed
To these
to.
attractions
was added the
thought, always alluring to an active mind, that there too
I
should be able to penetrate into vast wilds,
man.
virgin as yet to the foot of
Scenes of
infinite
beauty and grandeur might be lying hidden silent solitude of the
in the
mountains which bound the
barren plains of the Pampas, into whose mysterious
I
was
to
be the
pleasure, for
And
no one as yet had ever ventured.
recesses
it is
me, as
it
first to
true
;
behold them
!
—an
egotistical
but the idea had a great charm
has had for
many
Thus,
others.
under the combined influence of the above considerations,
it
be the chosen
My
was decided field
of
that Patagonia
my new
was
to
experiences.
party consisted of Lord Queensberry and
Lord James Douglas,
my
two brothers,
band, and myself, and a friend, Mr.
J.
my
hus-
Beerbohm,
whose book, Wanderings in Patagonia, had
just
We
only
been published when we took one servant with
left
us,
England.
knowing that English
GOOD-BYE. servants inevitably prove a nuisance and hindrance
when a
in expeditions of the kind,
great deal of
''roughing it" has to be gone through, as they
have an unpleasant knack of
falling
at inoppor-
ill
tune moments.
Our
outfit
was soon completed, and shipped,
together with our other luggage, on board the
good ship "Britannia," which
sailed
from Liverpool
on the nth December 1878.
We
ourselves were
going overland to join her at Bordeaux, as we
came an unpleasant friends.
I
duty,
Then
England.
thereby had a day longer in
taking leave of our
On
hate saying good-bye.
the eve of
a long journey one cannot help thinking of the uncertainty of everything
in
this
The
world.
voice that bids you God-speed may, before you return, perhaps
each friend
be
who
silent for ever.
The
face of
grasps your hand vividly recalls
some scene of pleasant memory.
Now it
reminds
you of some hot August day among the purple hills
of Scotland,
excellent lunch,
when a good
bag,
before an
had been followed by some more
than usually exciting sport.
The Highlands had
never looked so beautiful, so merry a party had never clambered down the moors homeward, so successful a jolly
day had never been followed by so
an evening
;
and then, with a
sigh, as
your
GOOD-BYE. friend leaves you,
yourself, " Shall
Now
again ?"
climb the moors shire that your
you ask
I
to Leicester-
it is
The merry
memory reverts.
ever
blast
of the huntsman's horn resounds, the view-halloa rings out cheerily on the bright crisp air of a fine
hunting morning; the fox got a good on," he
and your friend has
start,
the
fly
horse in hand, and settle
ber that run,
how
flew together, each
recall
each fence you
you topped, and
all,
while, with a forced smile
luckily
the old farm-yard,
where the gallant fox yielded up
remark, you part
you remem-
you both got so
and above
your
to ride over the
timber-rail
that untempting bottom safely over,
down
you
easily
together!"
fence, take
first
How distinctly
broad grass country.
Come
''
too.
shouts, "let us see this run
Side by side you
and
"gone away," you have
is
his
Mean-
life.
and a common-place
and together, perhaps, you may
;
never hear the huntsman's horn, never charge the ox-fence, never strive to be foremost in the chase
again
!
With I
I
these thoughts passing through
began to wonder why
remembered
for the
features of the past,
I
wanted
moment
to leave
my mind England.
only the pleasant
and remembering them, forgot
the feelings and circumstances which had prompted
me
to
embark on
my
present enterprise.
The
THE START. Stern sex will possibly reprehend this exhibition of
May
female fickleness of purpose. palliation that
than
it
my
has taken
me
to write this
— On
" Britannia,"
We
Pauillac.
?
a cold, rainy afternoon
we steamed down from Bordeaux to join the
in its
weakness scarcely lasted longer
December.
14//^
urge
I
in
a
tender
little
which was anchored
off
were soon alongside, and were
welcomed on board by Captain Brough, under whose guidance we
inspected, with a
interest, the fine ship
for
some
time.
It
which was
to
good deal of be our
would be superfluous
for
home
me
to
describe the excellent internal arrangements on
board
few of
;
my
readers,
I
imagine, but are
acquainted, either from experience or description,
with the sumptuous and comfortable fittings-up of
an Ocean passenger-steamer.
Soon the anchor was up in motion,
propeller was
and our nerves had hardly recovered
from the shock
which
—the
inflicted
by the report of the gun
fired the parting salute, ere
scarcely
distinguishable
astern.
By
in
the
Pauillac
mist
the time dinner was over
altogether out of sight of land, the rain falling
heavily,
and
prognostications
weather were being indulged
Giving a
last
look at the night,
in I
was
and rain
we were was of
by the
still
dirty
sailors.
turned into the
DIRTY WEATHER. captain's
cosy deck-house,
companions deep
where
As
took a hand. it
and wranglings
in the intricacies
of a rubber at whist, in which
my
found
I
I,
too, presently
time went on, indications that
was getting rather rough were not wanting,
in
the swaying of the ship and the noise of the wind
but so comfortable were
we
in
our
with the curtains drawn and lamps
little lit,
;
cabin,
that
we
were quite astonished when the captain paid us a visit at about nine o'clock, and told us that
was blowing a regular
it
gale.
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the ship heeled suddenly over under a tremendous
shock,
which
was followed by a
We
mighty rush of water along the decks. out, thinking
we must have
ran
The
struck a rock.
night was as black as pitch, and the roaring of the wind, the shouts of the sailors, and the
wash
of the water along the decks, heightened with their deafening noise, the anxiety of the
Fortunately the shock
we had
experienced had
no worse cause than an enormous struck
the
ship
forward,
smashing whatever opposed
moment.
sea,
which had
and swept right its
aft,
destructive course,
and bending thick iron stanchions as
if
they had
been mere wires.
As soon
as
the
hubbub attendant on
this
LISBON.
somewhat subsided, thankful
incident had
had been no worse, we returned whist,
which occupied us
which hour, the ship, first
we turned
night of
The
lights
''all
game
to our
it
at
eleven o'clock, at
till
out" being the order of
into our cabins to sleep the
many on board
the " Britannia."
next day was fine and sunny, and so the
we reached Lisbon, three Bordeaux, when it grew rather
weather continued
till
days after leaving
At Lisbon we remained a day, taking
rough again. in coal
that
and fresh provisions
weighed anchor, not shores of the
— and
drop
to
New World
it
then once more again
till
the
have been
should
reached. Just as
it
was beginning
morning of the second day I
to
dawn on
after leaving Lisbon,
was awakened by the speed of the
reduced to half
its
does one become
vessel being
usual ratio, for so accustomed
in a short
time to the vibration
of the screw, that any change from
ordinary
its
Looking
force immediately disturbs one's sleep.
out of
my
close
to land, so, dressing hurriedly,
deck.
an
cabin-window
We
island,
the
seemed
to
I
could see that I
we were went on
be but a stone's-throw from
whose bold rugged heights rose up
darkly against the pale light that shone in the
morning sky.
At one
point of the
shore the
THE ISLAND OF PALMA. revolving
light
intervals,
growing
a beacon
of
fainter
and
flashed
redly
at
fainter each time,
as day slowly broke, and a golden haze began to
In the darkness the
flood the eastern horizon.
looked like a huge bare rock, but day-
island light
showed
The
vegetation.
by the
clothed
it
little
in
presence of
luxuriant
tolerably
man was
indicated
white houses, which could be dis-
tinguished nestling in crannies of
its
apparently
This was the island of Palma,
steep green slopes.
one of the Canary group, and small though looked,
it
numbers a good many
it
and
inhabitants,
furnishes a fair contingent of emigrants to the
River Plate, where
" Canarios," as
they are called,
are favourably looked upon, being a skilful, in-
dustrious race.
The days
slipped quickly by, and soon, as
neared the equator, hot.
Christmas
Day
began
it
to
grow
we
intensely
spent in the tropics did not
rightly appear as such,
though we kept
orthodox manner, the head -steward quite a banquet, at which
it
in the
preparing
much merriment reigned,
and many speeches were spoken.
We
arrived
at
Pernambuco
on
the
28th
December, but did not go on shore, as we were only stopping in the port a couple of hours, and
were
told,
moreover, that there
is
nothing to be
PERNAMBUCO.
lo
seen
when one
watching
the
extensiveness of their
with that of Solomon
white
''
Brazilian
fresh
The
with us to Rio.
get-up might have vied glory
in all his
and
trousers,
amused ourselves
some
of
arrival
who were going
passengers,
hats,
We
there.
is
"
—but
seemed
frock-coats
Not
ludicrously out of place on board ship.
tall
less
funny was the
effusiveness of their affectionate
leave-takings.
At parting they clasped
their
friends to their breasts, interchanging kisses in the
most pathetic manner, and evincing an absence of mauvaise honte in the presence of us bystanders,
was
which
at
once
Autres pays, autres
and
edifying
refreshing.
mcettrs.
Some boatmen came alongside, bringing baskets of the celebrated
We
bought some of
delicious in
Pernambuco white pineapples.
my
:
it
is
opinion,
the
only
" the flashing
fruit"
which we thought fruit
which,
European
kinds.
tropical
can vie with
''Luscious tropical
does
this fruit,
sounds very
Southern Cross
;
"
well,
as
but nearer
acquaintance with both proves very disappointing,
and dispels any of the
illusions
one
may have
acquired respecting them, from the over-enthusiastic descriptions of imaginative travellers.
Very
soon the captain came off shore again, with the mails,
etc.
A
bell
was rung, the
fruit -vendors
\
PERNAMBUCO. were bundled over the side of the
and
vociferating,
—
last kisses
ii
ship, chattering
were interchanged
by the Brazilian passengers and
their friends,
up
went the anchor, round went the screw, bang
went our parting
salute, and,
!
thank God, we are
off again, with a slight breeze stealing coolingly
over
us,
doubly grateful after the
which oppressed us while at anchor.
stifling
heat
BAHIA.
12
CHAPTER
II.
BAHIA— RIO DE JANEIRO— RIO HARBOUR— THE TOWN— AN UPSET — TIJUCA — A TROPICAL NIGHT — MORE UPSETS— SAFETY AT LAST.
A
DAY
anchor '*
after
leaving
again
;
this
Bahia de todos
sions of which
Bahia
one. land,
Pernambuco we dropped time
in
los Santos," the
make
itself
its
ample dimen-
name a not
built
is
magnificent
the
on a high ridge of
which runs out into the
and forms a
sea,
The town
point at the entrance of the harbour. is
half hidden
inapposite
among huge banana
trees
and
cocoanut palms, and seen from on board looks picturesque enough.
After breakfast our party
went on shore, accompanied by the for
captain,
and
an hour or so we walked about the streets
and markets of the lower town, which stands the base of the
found
it
as
ridge
dirty
above mentioned.
and ugly as could well
and our sense of smell had no done
to
it
little
at
We be,
violence
by the disagreeable odours which
BAHIA, pervaded the
13
There was a great deal of
air.
movement going on everywhere, and swarmed with black
and female,
male
slaves,
the streets
carrying heavy loads of salt meat, sacks of
and other merchandise
and from the ware-
to
They
houses which lined the quays. to
all
seemed
be very happy, to judge by their incessant
and
chatter I
rice,
laughter,
and not overworked
either,
should think, for they were most of them plump the wonien
enough,
especially
them almost inconveniently
being
fat.
many
Finding
to detain us in the lower town,
we had
transported to the upper
an
of
little
ourselves
hydraulic
lift,
which makes journeys up and down every
five
in
minutes.
Then we got
into
a mule-tramway,
bowled us along the narrow pace.
Soon getting
streets at a
which
famous
clear of the dirty town,
we
drove along a pleasant high-road, on either side of which
stood
pretty
little
villas,
shaded by
palms and banana-trees, and encircled by trim well-kept
gardens,
tropical flowers.
bright
Now
with a profusion of
and then we could catch
a glimpse of the sea too, and as
we found
the
we went
tram was taking us out to the
extreme point of the ridge mentioned Before
along
we reached
it
we had
to
above.
change our
RIO
14
DE JANEIRO.
conveyance once or
came
as
twice,
we
occasionally
worked
to a descent so steep that carriages
up and down by hydraulic machinery had been established to ply in conjunction with the ordinary
mule-trams.
At
we were
last
set
down
close to
the seashore, near a lighthouse which stands in a
commanding
position on the point.
The view
which was now before us was a splendid one
immense bay the
the
;
lay at our feet,
and beyond spread
with
tiny white sails of
ocean, dotted
the
numberless catamarans, as the queer native
fish-
ing-boats are called, which looked like white gulls resting on
But the heat
blue waters.
its
in the
open was so overpowering that we soon had to take refuge in a
little
some luncheon,
cafd close by,
after
where we had
which we went back to
Bahia the way we had come, by no means sorry to get
on board the
Half
cool, clean ship again.
an hour after our arrival the anchor was weighed,
and we steamed
New
off,
en route for Rio de Janeiro.
Christmas Day, was
Year's Day, like
and we celebrated
passed at
sea,
festivitv.
Altogether our
life
most agreeable one, thanks attentions of the captain
and
it
much
on board was a
to the kindness his officers,
days flew by with surprising rapidity. after leaving
with
Bahia we sighted land
and
and the
Four days
off Rio, at
an
RIO
DE JANEIRO.
nothing of the scenery, o'clock,
of
Anxious
hour of the morning.
early
my
and
certainly
had risen
I
to repent
had passed Cape
were steaming along a
line of coast
Frio,
hung over the high peaks and
and
which runs
Thick
from the cape up to the opening of the bay. mists
lose
to
about four
at
had no reason
I
We
eagerness.
15
hills,
shroud-
ing their outlines, and along the shore the surf
broke with a sullen roar against the base of the cliffs
all
which
fell
was grey and
which
for a
down
abruptly
to the sea.
glow of cliffs
yet
But presently the sun,
indistinct.
long time had been struggling with
the mists, shone victoriously forth
peared as
As
by magic,
if
sunrise, a
;
disclosing,
the fog disap-
bathed
in the
grand scene of palm-covered
and mountains, which
rose,
range beyond
range, as far as the eye could reach.
In front of
us lay Rio Harbour, with the huge Pao de Agucar, or Sugar Loaf Mountain, standing like a gigantic sentry at
its
entrance.
In shape
the article of grocery from which
and
rises abruptly, a solid
to a height of
1270
sidered inaccessible,
feet.
it is it
exactly like
takes
its
mass of smooth Its
name, rock,
summit, long con-
was reached by some English
middies a few years ago.
Much
to the
anger and
disgust of the inhabitants of Rio, these adven-
turous youngsters planted the
Union Jack on the
6
THE RIO HARBOUR.
1
highest point of the Loaf, and there
one daring to go up breeze swept
to take
away.
it
it
down,
it till
floated,
a patriotic
Directly opposite
Fort Santa Cruz, which, with
its
1
past
and threading
it,
through the numerous bay,
we
craft
is
the
20 guns, forms
the principal defence of the harbour.
were gliding
no
Soon we our way
which studded the
presently dropped anchor in front of Rio,
and found ourselves
at
examine the
leisure to
harbour, one of the finest and largest in the world.
Covering a space of sixteen miles south direction,
at
its
a north and
gradually widens from about
it
three-quarters of a mile at
miles
in
its
entrance to fifteen
The town
head.
stands
on the
western side of the bay, at about two miles from its
entrance.
It
is
backed by a high range of
mountains, and, as seen from the bay, nestling
amidst oceans of green, presents a most pleasing appearance.
The harbour
is
dotted with
islands,
and
villages,
country seats, and plantations.
As soon duties
we
all
its
as the captain
shores
are
scattered
had got through
his
took our places In his boat, and started
off for the shore.
stone causeway,
On
landing at a slippery, dirty,
we were surrounded by
a crowd
who jabbered and grinned and gestiMaking our way like so many monkeys.
of negroes, culated
along
little
RIO.
we
through their midst, place,
17
passed by the market-
and then, threading a number of
we
Httle streets,
at last got into the
hot, dirty,
main
street of
the town, which was rather broad, and shaded on either side
The
by a row of
trees.
public buildings at Rio are
all
distin-
They
guished by their peculiar ugliness.
are
mostly painted yellow, a hue which seems to
everywhere here, possibly
prevail
in
order to
harmonise with the complexion of the inhabitants.
The
general
cathedral forms no exception to the
rule.
thinking that
We
entered
we might
it
a moment,
for
some good
possibly see
pictures
from the time of the Portuguese do-
minion.
But we found everything covered up
in
brown
holland.
or whatever
cated could
Nossa Senhora da Francisca,
virgin
was evidently
to,
see
the
saint
could
great deal more than was agreeable. did hot tity.
envy the saints
To my mundane
smacked strongly of tions.
lessly in
We about,
the town
and started
is
dedi-
curl-papers, and
in
though we
nothing,
church
their
smell
a
Truly
I
odour of sanc-
nostrils this
garlic
we
same odour
and other abomina-
soon got tired of wandering aim-
and feeling
little
desire
to
stop
any longer, we hired a carriage off for
a
little
c
place called Tijuca,
8
RIO.
1
which
lies
among
high up
the
behind
hills
Rio.
Our coach was drawn by
four fine mules,
galloped along the streets at a rattling and
much one
as the driver
was evidently an
—an undesirable pace.
him, but were told that
country to drive at that
who
— inas-
unskilful
We remonstrated with
it
was the custom of the So, in deference to
rate.
we went
the ''custom of the country," on
at full
gallop, shaving lamp-posts, twisting
round sharp
corners, frightening foot-passengers,
and narrowly
missing upsetting, or being upset by, other vehicles
which came I
in the
way.
was quite thankful when we
clear of the town.
most
beautiful scenery,
my
a
enjoyment of
we
driving
and the
though con-
heat,
to Interfere
After a couple of hours'
It.
halted to give the mules a rest near
brook, which
little
road lay amongst the
was not oppressive enough
siderable,
with
The
at last got safely
came
rippling out from the
shady mass of vegetation which lined the road. I
sat
down under a banana
wander feet.
in lazy
We
tree, letting
my
eyes
admiration over the scene at our
had gradually got
to a
good height
above Rio, and through a frame of leaves and flowers
I
could
see
the town,
studded with tiny green
islands,
the
blue
bay
and beyond, the
AN
UPSET.
rugged mountains, with a a silver
veil
When
19
hanging Hke
light mist
over their purple slopes.
the mules were sufficiently rested
got into the carriage, and starting at a brisk it
was not long before we got at the foot of which,
hill,
Before reaching
Tijuca.
had
a rather
lies
stiff incline
be descended, and one of the wheelers,
to
either
trot,
summit of a
to the
in a little valley, it
we
blown or obstinate, refused
carriage back.
The
to hold the
driver insisted that the ani-
mal was only showing temper, and commenced to flog
Foreseeing the
it.
the carriage, and
He
left
result,
man
the
we
all
to his
got out of
own
devices.
persisted in whipping the recalcitrant mule,
and, as might have been expected, he presently started the other animals off at their It
full
gallop, leaving
comrade the option of following
suit or falling.
chose the latter course, and after a good deal of
slipping and sliding,
went down with a tremendous
crash.
The
bolted,
and we soon
other three, taking fright, immediately lost
driver in a cloud of dust.
the
as fast as
hill
safety
of the
hurried along, harness,
we
sight of carriage
We
followed on
and
down
could, rather anxious for the
we
driver.
Here and
we came
across a piece of broken
there,
as
and presently, on turning a sharp corner,
we suddenly came upon
the overturned carriage,
TIJUCA.
20
the mules struggling and kicking in a confused heap, and the driver, unhurt but frightened, sitting in the grass
by the
Assistance
side of the road.
having been procured from Tijuca, which was close
hand, the mules were freed, and
at
carriage raised off the dragged mule, which
expected to find
no sooner were
ever,
To
killed.
the
we
our surprise, how-
limbs at liberty than
its
it
sprang up and began to crop the grass
in utter
unconcern as to the numerous wounds
over
body.
A
all
its
horse in such a state would have been
completely cowed, and would probably never have
been of any use again.
Leaving the driver position,
to
we walked down
make
the best of his
to the
Hotel Whyte,
orange-groves at Tijuca.
among palms and The building, with its
clean cool rooms, shaded
by verandahs, looked
which
snugly ensconced
lies
particularly inviting after the establishments
we
had been
be
in at Rio,
and
it
waited on by Englishmen staff
was pleasant
too, to
—the proprietor and
being of that nationality.
A little
his
stream runs
past the hotel, feeding a basin which has been
hewn
out of the rock, where visitors can refresh
themselves with a plunge, a privilege of which the
gentlemen of our party were not slow to After
I
had rested a
little
I
profit.
strolled
away
TIJUCA.
among
21
my
the woods, feasting
eyes on the beauty
and novehy of the vegetation, and on the ful
glimpses of scenery
occasionally stumbled
I
across, to attempt to describe
be doing them an paradise had covering.
was about
I
which would only
But that even
injustice.
drawbacks
its
to
delight-
was not long
I
this
in dis-
throw myself on a
soft
green bank, fringed with gold and silver ferns
and
begonias,
scarlet
stretched
that
when suddenly my
sparkling rivulet,
along
a
terrier
little
darted at something that was lying on the bank,
and pursued
The
her back. Cross,
and as I
whose I
When
'*
bite
a second,
till
something
"
is
my
I
got back
I
with
I
brought
ground
deadly
this
in the
above mentioned, which refreshed sat
to safer
fatal,
had been spared a
had a swim
Soon afterwards we
call
was a snake of the
my steps
stars that
acquaintance
my
almost instantaneously
quickly retraced
thanked
closer
for
it
down
reptile.
rocky basin
me wonderfully.
to dinner, winding
up the day by a cheery musical evening. Before going to bed, enticed by the beauty of the night,
I
strolled for
an hour or more among
the woods at the back of the hotel, and gradually, attracted
my way
by the noise of to a
little
falling waters,
cataract, which,
I
made
coming from
some rocky heights above, dashed foaming
into a
A TROPICAL NIGHT.
22
broad basin, and swirling and bubbling over a stony bed, disappeared below in the shadows of a
The moon, which was now
lonely glen.
brightly, cast a pale
myriads of
fireflies
Not
sparks.
gleam over
shining
and
waters,
its
flashed around like showers of
a sound was heard save the roar of
the water, and hardly a breath of wind stirred the
For a long
giant foliage of the sleeping forests.
time
I
sat giving
ences of
my
myself up to the softening
influ-
surroundings, and thinking, amidst
the splendour of that
warm
tropical night, of the
dear old country far away, now, no doubt, covered with Ice and snow.
As we had
to be
on board the steamer by
twelve o'clock the next morning, the carriages
were ordered
for eight o'clock,
by which time we
were up and had breakfasted.
The
captain,
husband, brother, and myself, took our seats
my in
a
carriage
drawn by two mules, Queensberry and
Mr.
following
B.
In
a Victoria.
Having
said
good-bye to Mr. Whyte, we told our driver to start,
cautioning him, as he was the same Jehu
who had
driven us so recklessly the day before, to
be more
careful.
But again,
able reason, he cracked his full
gallop.
lightning
for
some unaccount-
whip and started
Again the mules
we went down a
bolted,
little
off at
and
incline
like
which
MORE
UPSETS.
23
Then which we
leads from the hotel to the road.
a sharp
turn had to be made, seeing
held on
grim death to the carriage, an upset being
like
now
On we
palpably inevitable.
went
carriage heeled over, balanced itself for a
on
two
its
left
— the
moment
wheels, and then, catching the
corner of a stone bridge, over
it
went with a
burying us four luckless occupants beneath hurling the driver into the brook below.
crash, it,
and
Happily
the shock had thrown the mules as well, for had
they galloped on, huddled as
among
we were
pell-mell
the wheels of the carriage, the accident
must have ended
in
some
As it was, we The driver, who
disaster.
had a most miraculous escape.
meanwhile had picked himself, drenched and fallen,
crest-
out of the brook, came in for a shower of
imprecations, which his stupidity
had well earned
for him.
and recklessness
He made some
feeble
attempts at an explanation, but no one understood him, and he only aggravated the virulence of our righteous wrath.
However, something had
to
be done, and
we w^ere to reach the steamer by twelve o'clock. The Victoria was now the only conveyance left, and we could not all get into it. As
quickly,
if
luck would have diligence
it,
whilst
we were
was seen coming along the
debating, a road, and, as
MORE
24
it
UPSETS.
proved, there were sufficient vacant seats to
accommodate B.
and
all
our party,
myself going
quiet,
and
steadier sort of
man
we
creature,
first start all
felt
the
in
Victoria.
Mr.
The
us that the mules were
driver having assured perfectly
— Queensberry,
he
himself
appearing
a
than the other unfortunate
more
at ease,
and certainly
went smoothly enough.
at
But, strange
we were doomed to incur a third upset. When we came to a steep descent, instead of to say,
driving slowly, our coachman, for
some
inexplicable
reason, actually urged his animals into a gallop.
We
called to
him
to stop, but that
beyond
his power, the
and, to
make matters
mercy of
mules having again bolted, still
more
broke, leaving us
the reins
accidents.
side of a steep
hill,
was already
The
desperate, one of
completely at the
road
wound down
the
and each time the swaying
we
carriage
swung round one of
were
imminent danger of being dashed over
in
the sharp curves
down a precipice three hundred feet The peril of this eventuality increased
the roadside, in depth.
with our momentum, and, as the lesser of two evils,
we had
riage.
This we did
fortunately,
bruised,
jumping out of the
car-
at a convenient spot,
and
to choose
though we were
no bones were
all
severely cut and
broken.
In
another
SAFETY AT
LAST.
25
second the coach and driver would have disappeared over the precipice had not one of the
mules suddenly
and, acting as a drag on
fallen,
the coach, enabled the driver to check the other
mule just
in the nick of time.
To meet
with three accidents in twenty-four
hours was rather too
much
of a good thing, and
vowing that we had had enough of manship to
last
rest of the
way on
us
all
our
lives,
Brazilian coach-
we completed
foot, arriving
two hours
the
after
the appointed time, on board the old " Britannia."
We
presented a very strange appearance,
clothes
torn
and
dust-stained,
covered with cuts and bruises little
court-plaster soon put us
were on deck again at
;
in
and
faces
but a bath and a all
right,
time to have a
Rio as we steamed away.
our
our
and we
last
look
26
BEAUTIES OF
RIO.
CHAPTER
III.
— MONTE VIDEO— STRAITS OF MAGELLAN — TIERRA DEL FUEGO — ARRIVAL AT SANDY POINT — PREPARATIONS FOR THE START — OUR OUTFIT— OUR GUIDES.
BEAUTIES OF RIO
I
COULD not repress a pang of regret as we
There may
steamed slowly out of Rio Harbour. be scenes more impressively sublime
;
there are,
without doubt, landscapes fashioned on a more gigantic scale
;
by the side of the Himalayas or
the Alps, the mountains around Rio are insignifi-
cant enough, and one need not go out of England in
search
for
charming and romantic scenery.
But nowhere have the rugged and the tender, the wild and the
soft,
been blended into such exquisite
union as at Rio, and contrasts, that, to its
it is
my
this quality of unrivalled
mind, gives to that scenery
charm of unsurpassed
loveliness.
Nowhere
else is there such audacity, such fierceness
even
of outline, coupled with such multiform splendour of colour, such fairy-like delicacy of • detail.
precious jewel
is
As
a
encrusted by the coarse rock, the
BEAUTIES OF smiling bay
lies
encircled
RIO.
27
by frowning mountains
of colossal proportions and the most capricious
In the production of this work the most
shapes.
opposite powers of nature have been laid under
The
contribution.
awful work of the volcano
the
immense boulders of rock which
to
the
clouds
in
clothed in a brilliant
from
spun
web
of tropical vegetation,
and
sunshine
revels in manifold creation,
up
have been
masses,
irregular
piled
lie
;
Here nature
mist. life
multiplies itself a
million fold, the soil bursts with exuberance of
and
fertility,
animal
life
the
profusion
of
beggars description.
vegetable
Every
and
tree
is
clothed with a thousand luxuriant creepers, purple
and scarlet-blossomed
;
they in their turn support
myriads of lichens and other verdant parasites.
The
plants shoot
glitter
up with marvellous
rapidity,
and
with flowers of the rarest hues and shapes,
or bear quantities of luscious
eye and sweet to the with the
hum
taste.
fruit,
pleasant to the
The
air
resounds
of insect-life; through the bright
green leaves of the banana skim the sparkling
humming-birds, and gorgeous butterflies of enor-
mous
size float,
glowing with every colour of the
rainbow on the flower-scented breezes. all this
But over
beauty, over the luxuriance of vegetation,
over the softness of the tropical
air,
over the
— MONTE
28
VIDEO.
splendour of the sunshine, over the perfume of the flowers, Pestilence has cast her fatal miasmas, and, like the sword of Damocles, the yellow fever
hangs threateningly over the head of those who dwell ever,
among is
Nature, how-
these lovely scenes.
not to be blamed for this drawback to one
of her
most charming
With
creations.
drainage and cleanlier habits amongst tion, there is
annually scourges
with the black art
its
brush and Windsor soap craft
''
at
The
this
only
Four days
need be used."
Rio we arrived
people, no acquaintance
necessary.
is
popula-
why Rio should not be a To exorcise the demon
no reason
perfectly healthy place.
who
its
better
scrubbingthe witch-
is
after leaving
Monte Video, but
as
we came
from an infected port we were put into quarantine,
much to
to our disgust,
go on
cargo to a
we
shore.
Island,
we had discharged what
After
Monte Video, we proceeded
carried for
little
and were of course unable
where we were
quarantine passengers, amongst brother
Monte Video
for
the next steamer.
was a bare rocky inviting,
and
I
a
fortnight,
The little
on
it.
stop
in
following us
by
to
quarantine island, which
place, did not look at all
certainly did not
his three-days' stay
whom was my
who wanted
Queensberry,
land the
to
He
envy
told
me
my
brother
afterwards
I
THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.
29
had never passed such a miserable time
that he in all his
the internal domestic arrangements
life,
being most primitive.
The days
swiftly enough, as
had got comparatively
it
and we were able to have
all
cool,
kinds of games on
After seven days at sea, early one morning
deck.
we
Monte Video passed
after leaving
Cape
sighted
Virgins, which
commands
the
north-eastern entrance to the Straits of Magellan.
The
south-eastern point
Santo
is
called
Cape Espiritu
the distance between the two capes being
;
about twenty-two miles.
Whilst we were threading
the intricate passage of the First Narrows, which are not
more than two miles broad,
interest the land
miles to see
I
had come so many thousand
— Patagonia
dreary enough
it
scanned with
I
Desolate and
at last!
looked, a succession of bare
plateaus, not a tree nor a shrub visible
anywhere
;
a grey, shadowy country, which seemed hardly of this world;
such a landscape, in
fact,
as one might
expect to find on reaching some other planet.
Much
as
I
had been astonished by the glow and
exuberance of tropical it
had made on
to the
vague
by the
my mind
feelings of
sight of the
before me.
life
at Rio, the impression
had
to yield in intensity
awe and wonder produced
huge barren
solitudes
now
TIERRA DEL FUEGO.
30
After passing the Second Narrows, Elizabeth
named by
Island, so sight.
Its
in
shores were covered with wild -fowl
and sea-birds,
chiefly shag.
Flocks
through which we passed,
of these
and the water
birds kept flying round the ship, itself,
came
Sir Francis Drake,
literally
teemed
with gulls and every imaginable kind of sea-fowl.
We
were soon abreast of Cape Negro, about
fourteen miles from
Sandy
Point.
Here the
racter of the country suddenly changes, for
Negro
is
cha-
Cape
the point of the last southerly spur of
the Cordilleras, which runs along the coast, join-
ing the main ridge beyond Sandy Point.
All
these spurs, like the Cordilleras themselves, are
clothed with beech forests and thick underwood of the magnolia species, a vegetation, however,
which ends as abruptly as the spurs, from the thickly-wooded sides of which, to the completely bare plains, there
As we went
is
no graduation whatever.
along
we passed
a couple of
canoes containing Fuegians, the inhabitants of the Tierra del Fuego, but they were too far off to enable I
me
to
judge of their appearance, though
should have liked to have had a good look at
them.
They
doubt justly winter,
are reputed to be cannibals, so.
I
and no
have even been told that
when other food
is
scarce,
they
kill
in
off
ARRIVAL AT SANDY POINT.
31
men and women, though of they prefer a white man if obtainable. At one o'clock we cast anchor off
their
own
Point.
old
This settlement
whom
Chilians, to
Magellanes.'*
It
it
is
called officially
belongs,
"
Sandy-
by the
La Colonia de
was formerly only a penal colony,
but in consequence of the great increase of
through the
course
traffic
Straits, the attention of the Chilian
Government was drawn
to the importance the
place might ultimately assume, and, accordingly,
grants of land and other inducements were offered to emigrants.
But the colony up
to the present
has never flourished as was expected, and during a mutiny which took place there in 1877,
many
of
the houses were burned down, and a great deal of
property destroyed. in
As
the steamer was to leave
two hours, we began preparations
for landing,
but meantime the breeze, which had sprung up shortly after our arrival, freshened into a gale,
the sea grew so rough that
it
and
was impossible
to
lower a boat, and the lighters that had come off shore to fetch away cargo dared not go back.
The
gale lasted
all
the night, calming
day and the greater part of
down a
o'clock in the morning.
ingly
made
being that
to get us
little
Every
towards three
effort
was accord-
on shore, the alternative
we should have
to
go on with the
—
ARRIVAL AT SANDY POINT.
32
Steamer to Valparaiso, the Company's regulations not allowing more than a certain length of time to
As may be
be spent at Sandy Point.
we by no means
liked the idea of such a possible
and
consummation,
imagined,
was
weather
the
eagerly
scanned, whilst our luggage and traps were being hurried over the sides, as a fresh increase in the strength of the wind would have been
At
last all
was ready
the captain and
officers, to
we
the voyage
w^ere so
enjoyment of our
trip
we
;
said
fatal.
good-bye
to
whose kindness during
much indebted
on board the
"
for our
Britannia"
and climbing down the gangway took our seats in the boat
which was
quite sad as
we rowed away,
the good ship which as a home,
to carry us ashore.
and
for
I
felt
leaving behind us
we had come
which
I
to look
upon
at least felt almost
a
personal affection.
After a long
wind and
tide
during which the contrary
pull,
bade
fair
to
set
efforts
of the four strong sailors
ashore,
we
at last
down wooden at
Sandy
nought the
who rowed
came alongside the
pier,
Point.
at
us
old tumble-
which forms the landing-stage
We
succeeded
in
reaching
its
end without incurring any mishap, though we ran considerable risk from the
which
it
bristled, in the
many dangers
with
shape of sudden yawning
SANDY holes,
POINT.
and treacherously
however, had the merit
it is
true
in
This
shifting planks.
pier,
—of being
33
—a questionable one
keeping with the appear-
ance and condition of the whole colony to which it
served as a warning introduction.
there
may be
possibly
probable
is
;
places
drearier-looking
than the town of Sandy Point, but it
suppose
I
I
do not think
and as we walked over the sand-
covered beach
in
front
of the settlement, and
surveyed the gloomy rows of miserable wooden the
huts,
silent,
moment, not a
solitary streets,
single living being
where, at that
was
to
be seen,
save some hungry-looking ostrich -hound,
agreed that the epithet of
*'
and
fuller
all
God-forsaken hole"
was the only description that did merits of this desolate place,
we
justice to the
— nor did subsequent
acquaintance with
it
by any means
induce us to alter this unfavourable opinion.
Proceeding under the guidance of Mr. Dunsmuir, the English
Consul,
hundred yards from the
we
pier, at
halted about two
a house which,
were informed, was the principal shop and inn
we
in the
was not an ambitious establishment.
Its
interior consisted of a ground-floor containing
two
place.
It
rooms, of which one served as a shop, and the other as a sitting-room.
This
last
apartment we secured
as a storeroom for our luggage and equipments, and
D
SANDY
34
we
there also
Sandy
POINT.
ate our meals during our sojourn in
The upper
Point.
portion of this magnifi-
was a kind of
cent dwelling
loft,
one corner
in
my
was a small compartment, which
of which
Through
brother and Mr. B. used as a bedroom. the kindness of Mr.
Dunsmuir
my
husband and
myself were lodged very comfortably
in his
own
house.
Our
first
experience of " roughing
shape of the breakfast with which innkeeper supplied
us,
being over,
up through the grass-grown
it,"
in the
Pedro the
we sauntered
streets of the colony
house of Mr. Dunsmuir, from which, as
to the
stands on high ground,
it
we obtained a good view
of the Straits and the opposite shores of the Tierra
The
del Fuego.
anchor,
and
"
Britannia" had already weighed
a long time
for
steaming away through the
we watched her
Straits,
gradually smaller and smaller, she
appeared
now
in the
first
time
I
me
growing
at last
haze of the distant horizon.
that the last link, as
which bound
till,
to old
began
it
dis-
And
were, of the chain
England was gone,
for the
to fully realise the fact that
we
were ten thousand miles away from our home and our friends, alone amidst strange faces and wild scenes
;
and
it
required almost an effort to banish
the impression that the whole thing
was a dream,
PREPARATIONS FOR THE START. was presently
from which
I
myself back
in
Our
England
anxiety to leave
awaken and
to
Sandy Point
we
we had
to
to
make
much
be done that we
to
should not be ready to start for at
There were guides
least four days.
good dogs
as soon as
but even with every wish to get
;
away, there was so calculated
find
again.
possible hastened preparations
before starting
35
to be found,
be bought, and, above
suitable
all,
Numbers
horses to be hired or purchased.
of
these latter animals were brought for our inspection,
from among which we selected about
of whose merits and failings at
a later occasion.
We
I
shall
fifty,
have to speak
found the charges for
everything ridiculously high, and though no doubt
we were cheated on
all sides,
there was nothing to
be done but to accept the prices and conditions
demanded, as guides were not
other necessities procurable nowhere
A
whole day was spent
provisions
and
equipments
from England, and
and the
plentiful,
in
else.
unpacking the
we had brought
in putting
them
into canvas
bags, so as to be conveniently portable on horse-
back.
For the
benefit of those
who may contem-
plate an expedition similar to ours,
following
list
took with
us.
give the
I
of the articles and provisions
We
limited ourselves,
I
may
we say
OUR OUTFIT.
36
en passant,
to
indispensable,
such things as were absolutely disadvantages
the
from
arising
being burdened with unnecessary luggage on such a trip being self-evident d'abri), 2 hatchets, I
frying-pan,
flour,
—Two small tents
pail,
i
i
(tentes
iron pot for cooking,
saucepan, biscuits, coffee, tea, sugar,
oatmeal, preserved milk, and a few tins of
butter, 2
To
of
i
:
kegs of whisky.
we added a sack of yerba mate, which herb we all orrew so fond that we the above
ultimately used
and
coffee,
it
to the
although
complete exclusion of tea
at
first
we by no means
agreed with the enthusiastic description of
its
merits given by Mr. B., at whose recommendation
a
we had taken Our personal
it.
outfit consisted,
in addition to
few changes of woollen underclothing,
in
a
guanaco-fur mantle, a rug or two, a sheath-knife
and revolver rifles
;
besides,
we had brought
of course, the guns and
The
for sporting purposes.
cartridges for the latter, of which
we had
a great
number, formed the heaviest item of weight notwithstanding the care
we had used
culations, so as not to take
in
;
but
our
cal-
more provisions than
we wanted, the goodly pile which was formed when all our luggage was heaped together was rather alarming, and
we found
that twelve horses
OUR GUIDES. at least
would be required
we were
37
to carry
it.
Fortunately
able to procure three mules, who, between
them, carried more than six horses could have done, without, moreover, suffering half as
much
as
the latter in condition from fatigue, or the severe
heat which
we
occasionally encountered.
We selected who
our guides from
We
offered their services.
among
a
number
chose four
two
;
Frenchmen, an Argentine gaucho, and a nondean inhabitant of Sandy Point,
script creature,
I'
Aria
by name, who had accompanied Captain Musters on
his expedition.
This
I'
Aria was a dried-up-
looking being of over sixty, but he proved a useful
He
servant, notwithstanding his age.
beautiful rider; and, considering his years, fully active in
Sandy
as he
and enduring.
Point, however,
he became a
that
he was of
when once we
total abstainer,
during the whole of the
was
offered to him.
wonder-
As long as we remained
was never by any chance
strange to say,
was a
trip,
left
little
use to
sober,
us,
though,
the settlement,
and stoutly refused, to take
His
face,
any liquor the skin of
which, from long exposure to wind and weather,
had acquired the consistency of parchment, was one mass of wrinkles, and burnt almost black by the sun, while the watchful, cunning expression of his twinkling
bead -like eyes added to
his wild
OUR GUIDES.
38
appearance,
Mephistophelian
the
which earned
for
him
agent
for Patagonia."
forty
years of his
character
the sobriquet of "
He
The
pampa, and was,
Hfe on the
Gregorio gave us most
served us
and
through the
all
forty,
and added
his craft as gaucho, a slight
the
and
with untiring zeal
trip
to the other
Of
satisfaction,
He was a good-looking man,
fidelity.
devil's
had passed more than
therefore, well qualified to act as guide. others,
of
of about
accomplishments of
knowledge of English.
His ordinary occupation was that of an Indian trader,
and
at
one time of his career he had owned
a small schooner, with which he used to go seal-
hunting
in the season.
Francois,
whose
One
of the Frenchmen,
original profession
had been that
of a cook, proved most useful to us in that capacity,
and played the changes on what would otherwise have been a
slightly
and ostrich meat,
monotonous
in a
career, like Gregorio's,
diet of
guanaco
marvellous manner.
His
had been a chequered one.
After having served during the Franco-Prussian
war as a Chasseur d'Afrique, he
left
his country
with three companions to start some business in
South America, on the
failure of
his attention to ostrich-hunting.
handsome
little
fellow,
which he turned
He was a cheery,
and was possessed, more-
over, of an excellent voice,
and whether
at
work
\
OUR GUIDES.
39
by the camp-fire, or riding on the march, was
He owned
always to be heard singing merrily.
two very good ostrich-dogs Scotch deer-hound called
**
;
one,
a handsome
Leona," the other a
black wiry dog called " Loca," a cross between
an African greyhound and an English lurcher. Gregorio had only one dog, but
managing
to run
it
was the best
down an
of the
lot,
singly,
a feat which requires immense stamina and
often
ostrich
gameness, and which none of the other dogs
were able to perform.
As that I
,
for
all
to Guillaume
need say nothing, except
I
our party disliked him very much.
After four days' hard work our preparations departure were nearly completed, though a
little
yet remained to be done.
ever, to get out of start off
Point,
we
resolved to
with the greater part of the packs and
horses,
and
in the
beech-wood
miles
Sandy
Anxious, how-
to await the
away from the
at
coming of the remainder
Cabo Negro, some
colony.
fifteen
— ;
THE START FOR CAPE NEGRO.
40
CHAPTER
IV.
—
THE START FOR CAPE NEGRO RIDING ALONG THE STRAITS CAPE NEGRO — THE FIRST NIGHT UNDER CANVAS UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS
— — OUR GUESTS—A NOVEL PICNIC — ROUGH-
RIDING— THERE WAS A SOUND OF REVELRY BY NIGHT.
Early
in the
morning the horses were driven up
and saddled, some trouble being experienced with
who were
the pack-mules,
slightly restive, taking
rather unkindly to their loads at
As
our guides were
requisite
number of
busy hunting up the
horses,
preparations for the journey,
with us for the time that at
Cabo Negro,
Gregorio's, to
and
finishing their
we took another man
we should have
as well as a
help
first.
to drive
After a hurried breakfast
to
remain
little
boy, a son of
the
horses along.
we got
into the saddle
the pack-horses were driven together, not without a great deal of trouble, for they were as yet stran-
gers to each other, and every or two would bolt
off,
now and then one
a signal to the whole troop
to disperse all over the place, so that nearly
an
I
RIDING ALONG THE STRAITS.
41
hour had elapsed before we had got well clear of the colony, and found ourselves
riding over an
undulating grassy stretch, en route for the pampas.
Our way
lay over this plain for about an hour,
and then, having forded a small stream, we entered the outskirts of the beechwood forests that line the
The
Straits.
green, the sky clear
and
was
fresh
and
blue, the air sun-lit
and
foliage of the trees
buoyant, and everything seeming to augur favourably for the success of our best of
trip,
we were
all in
the
spirits.
Our road
Straits of Magellan, along
beach, in
some
we had now
down
presently brought us
whose narrow
to the strip of
places barely three yards broad,
to ride
in single
file.
Along the
coast the land terminates abruptly, and the trees
and bushes form an impenetrable
comes down almost
to the water's edge.
after point shoots out into the sea,
monotonous resemblance to the
we advanced,
thicket,
which Point
each bearing a
other, though, as
the vegetation that covered
grew more and more stunted and
scanty,
them till
at
last
the trees and bushes disappeared altogether,
v.
and
after
^^
journeying along under the shadow of some steep
^B ^1
bluffs,
a three hours' ride
ourselves
on which the only vegetation was a pro-
fusion of long coarse grass.
L
we found
Innumerable species
CAPE NEGRO,
42
of gulls and albatrosses were disporting themselves
on the blue water, and seemed
little
alarmed at our
approach, lazily rising from the water a
we went their
moment
as
past them, to resume almost immediately
fishing
carried there
along the beach,
All
operations.
by the sea from the opposite
side,
I
noticed great quantities of the cooked shells of crayfish, the
The
meal.
many
remains of Tierra del
visible opposite,
and
Fuego
a Fuegian- Indian
itself
was
distinctly
we
at different points
could
columns of smoke rising up into the
see
tall
air,
denoting the presence of native encampments,
just as
Magellan had seen them four hundred years
before, giving to the island,
name
it still
on that account, the
bears.
At Cabo Negro we stopped little
still
for a
moment
at a
farmhouse, and partook of some mate, which
was hospitably
offered us
then mounting again,
we
by the farmer's
wife,
and
galloped over a broad
grassy plain where some sheep and cattle were grazing, its crest,
we came to a steep wooded hill. On under some spreading beeches, we resolved till
to pitch our camp, water being near at hand,
the position otherwise favourable.
and
In a short time
the pack-horses were relieved of their loads, and
neighing joyfully, they galloped away to graze in the plain
we had just
crossed.
Our
tents
were
THE FIRST NIGHT UNDER CANVAS. pitched,
and having made up our beds
set
about preparing dinner.
abundant, a roaring cheerily,
fire
them, so
by night-time, we
as to have everything ready
began to
in
43
Wood being
was soon blazing away
some meat we had brought from Sandy
Point was put into the iron pot, together with
some the
rice,
fire,
onions,
not a
etc.,
little
and then we lay down round
by our day's
fatigued
exertions;
but inhaling the grateful odours arising from the pot, with the expectant avidity of appetites
which
the keen Patagonian air had stimulated to an unusual extent.
By the time dinner was over night had set in. The moon had risen, and the clear star-lit sky gave assuring promises of a continuance of weather.
A
fine
slight breeze stirred the branches
we
overhead, and in the distance
could hear the
lowing of the cattle on the plains, and the faint tinkling of the bells of the brood-mares.
The
strange novelty of the scene seemed to influence
us
all,
and the men smoked
Before going to bed
I
went
their pipes in silence.
for
a short
stroll to
the
shores of a broad lagoon which lay at the foot of the
hill
on which our camp was pitched.
Its
waters glittered brightly in the moonlight, but the
woods which surrounded
dark.
it
were sombre and
Occasionally the sad plaintive cry of a grebe
-
UNEXPECTED ARRIVALS.
44
———
»
broke the
'
silence, startling
time
I
of a
human being
camp
heard
it,
found
I
for
my
example
bed, an
it
me
not a
sounds exactly
first
like the wail
Going back
pain.
in
the
little
to the
companions preparing to go to
was not slow
I
and
to follow,
soon, wrapt up in our guanaco-fur robes, with our
we were
saddles for pillows, It
all fast
had been agreed that the next morning one
of our party should go back to see
asleep.
how
Sandy
the guides were getting on, and Mr. B.
having volunteered to perform that at
Point, to
task,
I
rose
an early hour to get him his breakfast and see
him
off
on
Then, whilst
his journey.
and husband went out with wild -duck,
to friends
letters
down
at
to the Straits, it
and with
difficulty
myself
home.
Late
in
returned, bringing
and we speedily
This done,
that
managed
the
I
last
rode
into the
got quite numbed,
I
to
afternoon
dry and dress the
sportsmen
an excellent bag with them,
set about plucking a
and making other preparations as, that
guns to shoot
and had a plunge
was so cold
water, but
brother
myself writing a few
busied
I
their
my
few birds,
for dinner.
Just
meal being over, we had settled ourselves
comfortably round
the
fire,
prepared
lazily
enjoy the lovely evening, our camp-servant,
had been on the look-out
for
the
to
who
return
of
OUR GUESTS. Mr.
B.,
reported
a
that
45
troop
about
of
As
horsemen were coming our way. traders do not parties,
go out
to the
he was quite at a
people could be
them.
We
all
loss to
who were
night, especially as they
last
such large
in
who
imagine
the
had no pack-horses with
got up and went to have a look at
hill
we
armed with guns and began
Indian
riding out so late at
As
these mysterious horsemen.
the foot of our
pampas
ten
they approached
could see that they were
rifles,
all
a circumstance which
to suggest unpleasant recollections of the
Sandy Point mutiny.
Could
another outbreak had occurred,
men were
it
be
that
and that these
escaping to the pampas
?
If so,
they
might possibly make a descent on us
in passing,
and supply any deficiencies
own
from ours. affairs,
to
outfit
This was a rather startling state of
and we were hurriedly holding counsel as
what was the best course
circumstances, up,
their
in
to take
under the
when our dogs suddenly
and began barking
furiously.
started
Then came
the
sound of horses' hoofs, and brushing through the tall furze,
two horsemen galloped straight towards
our camp, followed, as the sound of voices told us,
by the
rest of the party.
In another second
the two foremost ones reined up in front of us,
turning out to be, not bloodthirsty mutineers, but
OUR GUESTS.
46
A few words
Mr. Dunsmuir and Mr. Beerbohm. explained
The
all.
officers of the " Prlnz Adalbert,"
of-war,
some
party was composed of
which had anchored
German man-
a
Sandy Point
at
that
morning, Mr. B. having gone on board and
them out
vited
to our
camp
for
in-
a day's shooting.
we who now
Delighted at this solution of the situation,
new
hurried to welcome our
guests,
arrived
tired
and hungry
Among
their
number were H.I.H. Prince Henry
who was on
of Prussia,
after
their long
a cruise in the
ride.
Prinz
''
Adalbert," and her commander. Captain Maclean.
Fresh logs were added to the blazing
meat was
set to roast,
every preparation
fire,
soup put on to cook, and
made
for a
good supper
— an
easy task, as the officers had brought plentiful of
supplies
We
all
kinds of provisions with them.
then lay round
evidently quarters,
how
new-comers
the
cosy sylvan
and by the novelty of the strange
Patagonia, of I
fire,
by our
charmed
quite
they had
which
the
all
little
anticipated
picnic,
making
in
places in the world.
was much amused
Mr.
at
B.'s
account of
the expedition had been initiated.
He
had
got into Sandy Point at about nine o'clock, and at ten the " Prinz offing.
Adalbert
"
was signalled
in the
A NOVEL As soon
47
cast anchor he
went on
having been previously acquainted with
board,
the
had
as she
PICNIC.
and
captain,
at
explained
breakfast
his
presence in such an out-of-the-way part of the
world as Sandy Point, by an account of our intended
and
trip,
come out
the officers to
asked the captain and
finally
themselves what open-air
He
like.
had
ten horses, the
saddles, for,
Point
own numbers
required.
at
necessity for
of horses, few have case,
to find as in
Sandy
more than
they are loth
any moment may be of pressing
However, by dint of
themselves.
ingenious combinations, for
made
This was an
though many people
one saddle, and such being the
what
officers
was another thing
it
many
to lend
persuading them
he went on shore to hunt up
number
but
try for
Patagonia was
and whilst the
their preparations,
;
in
life
little difficulty in
to accept his offer,
easy matter
camp and
to our
some kind of an apology
a saddle was fitted to each horse, and the
whole party at
officer carried
and, as
their trip in high
a blanket or rug with him,
some shooting was expected, a gun and
some ammunition. went
on
and very well pleased with everything.
spirits,
Each
last set off
well,
For the
the air was
scenery novel
and
first
two hours
warm and
interesting,
sunny,
and a
zest
all
the
was
ROUGH-RIDING,
48
given to the expedition by
its
unconventional
character and the suddenness with which
had
it
been improvised.
But
after a time the
hard action of the horses
and the roughness of some of the saddles began have
to
officers
their
were
effect,
accustomed to
little
of implied cheerful unconcern,
a
camp
To
" ?
this question
wave of the hand
many
''
A
little
How
tones
far is
it
to
he would reply by
in the direction of
beyond that
Occain
first
one of the
which shoot out along the
points
saying,
''
of the
riding.
Mr. B. would be asked, at
sionally
the
many
especially as
Straits,
Then, as
point."
point after point was passed, and the answer to inquiries
continued,
still
beyond
that
as
before,
''
A
little
and
point," gradually the laughter
chat which had enlivened the outset of the trip
grew
more
constrained,
occasional
complete silence Intervening. of the riders would
and sigh of those
— and
move
Now
lapses
of
and then one
uneasily In the saddle
on the faces of many (especially
who rode
stirrupless saddles)
fell
In
time
an expression of fixed resignation to suffering,
which was not unherolc. this,
and
starting,
his conscience in
Mr. B. observed
began
to smite him.
all
At
an amiable endeavour to put every-
thing in a rosy
light,
he had slightly understated
ROUGH-RIDING.
49
now
the distance to our camp, and
the terrible
consequences of his rashness were already visiting
The
him. it
quasi-martyrs
was but too
whom
evident,
he was leading,
were only bearing up
against suffering by the comforting consciousness
He
that they must be close to the camp.
not undeceive them
;
he
could
himself wofully want-
felt
ing in courage enough to break the truth
and yet
;
the only alternative was to go on repeating the
now "
to him, as to
A little
everybody
beyond that
in fact
—that he had
lost the
he knew the road and Never, as he
only too well.
said,
had
palpably brought before him that the is
paved with good intentions
when mystifying road,
last,
all
hill
whose advent,
and
it
length
been so
way
to hell
his intentions,
best.
things
come
with a feeling of deep
point out our
;
its
way,
the party as to the length of the
had been of the
However,
formula,
His victims could
point."
only imagine one thing
though
else, hateful
to the
to an end,
relief,
and
at
he was able to
weary saddle-worn band,
as possible mutineers,
had thrown
us into such a panic.
By
the
time
Mr. B. had finished his story
supper was ready, and that important
fact
been duly announced, our hungry guests
and made a hearty meal.
E
The
strain
having fell
to,
which their
THERE WAS A SOUND OF REVELRY,
50
number put on the cuisine
capabilities of our batterie de
was fortunately relieved by a profusion of
tinned provisions
brought
wisely
Patagonian
of
all
kinds which they had
and under
them,
with
together with
beeches,
the
those native
were discussed asperges en jus, which
mutton,
had attained
their delicate flavour
under the mild
Dutch summer, pates elaborated
fostering of a
far
away among the blue Alsatian mountains, and substantial,
though withal subtly flavoured, sausages
from the fatherland
were
lit,
After supper pipes
itself.
and the wine-cup went round
freely,
the
woods resounding with laughter and song
till
nearly midnight, by which time most of the party
were beginning exertions, tents
and
to feel the effects of their day's
to long
we managed
to
for bed.
make up
In one of our four couches, on
which the Prince, the Captain, Count Seckendorff,
and another limbs,
The
officer respectively laid their
and went
to
sleep
weary
best they might.
as
Captain, a strong stout man, had suffered
more than any one from the have been a moot question whether
the
day's
ride,
in
enjoyment
and
it
must
his secret heart
had
not
been
somewhat dearly purchased.
The
others kept up the ball
still
later,
and
must have been quite two o'clock before the
it
last
THERE WAS A SOUND OF REVELRY. convive rolled himself fire,
and
that hour
silence
fell
up
in
Round a huge heap
blanket by the
over our camp.
peered out of
I
his
my
At about
tent at the scene.
smouldering
of
51
logs,
in
various attitudes, suggestive of deep repose, lay the forms of the sleepers
whom
chance had thus
strangely thrown together for one
dogs had risen from their
sleep,
and
night.
Our
in their turn
were making merry over whatever bones or other fragments of the feast they managed to ferret out.
A
few moonbeams struggled through the canopy
of leaves and branches overhead, throwing strange lights
and shadows over the camp, and the weird
effect of the
whole scene was heightened by the
mysterious wail of the grebe, which at intervals
came
up
in the air
like the voice of
an unquiet
floating
from the lake below, spirit.
DEPARTURE OF OUR GUESTS.
$2
CHAPTER DEPARTURE OF OUR GUESTS
— THE
V.
START FOR THE PAMPAS
—
AN UNTOWARD ACCIDENT— A DAY'S SPORT— UNPLEASANT EFFECTS OF THE WIND — OFF CAPE GREGORIO.
The our
sun had hardly risen the next morning ere
little
toilet
had
I
camp was again
Making a
astir.
stepped out and found that our guests
all risen,
and were busy
in getting their
and shooting accoutrements ready sport.
hasty-
As soon
coffee, the
for the
guns
coming
had partaken of some
as they
whole party started
below, and for an hour or
so,
off to the plains
till
their return, the
repeated reports of their guns seemed to indicate that
they were having
breakfast -time
good
Towards
sport.
they came back,
with their morning's work, though
fairly I
satisfied
am
inclined
to attribute this satisfaction to their evident desire to look at everything
nic
was
connected with their pic-
from an optimist point of view, as their bag in reality a
very small one, consisting only of
a few brace of snipe and wild -duck.
We
then
DEPARTURE OF OUR GUESTS. set to
work
to get
53
a good breakfast ready, at
which employment Prince Henry lent an
intelli-
gent hand, turning out some poached eggs in
We
excellent style.
had a very pleasant meal,
the officers expressing great regret that they were
unable to prolong their stay in our beechwood quarters, the steamer being obliged to continue
her journey that evening.
the horses were driven up and saddled,
last pipe,
and
Whilst they smoked a
about eight o'clock, Mr. B. and myself
at
accompanying them as guides, they mounted and set out
on the road homeward.
The
stiffiiess
consequent on their exertions of
made
the previous day must have
the sensations
they experienced on returning to the saddle anything
but
pleasant
decidedly uncheerful
ones,
and
spirit
at
the
seemed
start
a
prevail
to
among them but as we cantered along, and they warmed to their work, this uneasiness disappeared, ;
and soon
was
all
lovely,
were as merry as
possible.
The day
and the scenery looked to the best
advantage, the only drawback to our enjoyment of the ride being that the sun
After
we had gone
was rather too
several miles
we
got off
our horses to rest under the shade of some
by the
side of a
little
hot.
trees,
stream which came bubbling
out of the cool depths of the forest, emptying
DEPARTURE OF OUR GUESTS.
54
itself into
Here an
the adjacent Straits.
incident
occurred which might have been attended with inconvenient consequences.
One
horses suddenly took
head
it
into its
before any one could stop
it,
of the officer's to trot
off,
and,
disappeared round
a point in the direction of Sandy Point.
Mr. B.
got on his horse and started in pursuit, and in the meanwhile a time of
some suspense ensued,
the event of his being unsuccessful,
for, in
make
unfortunate would have had to of his
way on
foot.
However,
this
contingency was happily avoided reappeared, having
managed
;
some
the
best
unpleasant
Mr. B. soon
to catch the runaway,
not indeed without a great deal of trouble.
We
reached Sandy Point late
in the afternoon,
and very glad the whole party must have been to get there, for they were most of them completely
done their
up, and, considering the length of the ride,
rough horses and rougher saddles,
this
was
no wonder. After having said good-bye to the with
many
officers,
expressions of thanks on their part for
the unexpected diversion
our presence in that
outlandish part of the world had afforded them,
Mr. B. and
I
immediately set out to return to the
camp, which we managed to reach just as getting dark.
it
was
THE START FOR THE PAMPAS. Everything was now ready
and
it
55
for our journey,
was resolved that we should make a
We
the next morning.
in order to help the
were therefore up
guides as
much
start
early,
as possible
with the packing, which was quite a formidable undertaking.
It
took
fully three
hours to get our
miscellaneous goods and chattels stowed the pack-horses, whose last,
however,
all
and with a
saddle,
number was
was ready
At
thirteen.
we
;
away on
got into the
glance at the beechwood
last
camp, which had grown quite familiar and home-
we rode off, now fairly started on our journey into the unknown land that lay before us. like to us,
We
soon had our hands
full
to help the guides to
keep the horses together, a rather
The mules
in particular
difficult task.
gave great
trouble,
and
were continually leading the horses into mischief.
At one
time,
as
if
by preconcerted
whole troop dispersed
signal,
the
in different directions into
the wood, and there, brushing through the thick
underwood, many of the pack-horses upset their packs,
and trampled on the contents, whilst some
of the others turned
tail,
and coolly trotted back
to the pasture-ground they
had
just left at
Cabo
Negro. All this
was very provoking,
patience and a
but, with
a
little
good deal of swearing on the part
THE PAMPAS.
56
of the guides,
the refractory pack-horses were
was got together
re-saddled, the troop
by dint of out of the rolling
careful driving
wooded
we
again,
and
at last got safely
emerged on the
country, and
pampa, where there was
for
some distance
Indian track, along which the horses
a beaten
travelled with greater ease,
till,
gradually under-
standing what was required of them, they jogged
on
in front
sobriety,
of us with tolerable steadiness and
which was only occasionally disturbed by
such slight ebullitions as a free fight between
two of the
an abortive attempt on the
some hungry animal
part of
some
stallions, or
to
make
a dash for
particularly inviting- looking knoll of green
grass at a distance off the line of our march.
The
country
totally
different
behind
us.
we were now
crossing
character to that
Not a
tree or a shrub
anywhere, and while to the
left
rugged range of the Cordilleras, the right an
immense
horizon, rising
and
we had
was
to
left
be seen
of us lay the in front
plain stretched
and
away
to
to the
falling occasionally in slight
undulations, but otherwise completely
tonously level.
was of a
The
and mono-
ground, which was rather
swampy, was covered with an abundance of coarse green grass, amongst which we could see flocks of wild geese grazing in great
numbers.
We
EL DESPUNTADERO. passed
covered with
freshwater lakes,
several
57
wild-fowl,
who
A
or two would occasionally hover over
hawk
flew up very wild at our approach.
our heads, and once the dogs started off in pursuit of a
grey fox that had incautiously shown
little
but except these, there was no sign of
itself;
animal
life
on the
seemingly interminable
silent,
plain before us.
After
we had
turned off to the
and soon the
we
ridden for several hours,
left,
facing the Cordilleras again,
came
plain
sudden end, a
to a
we
broken country now appearing, over which rode
till
nightfall,
when we- came
in sight of the
" Despuntadero," the extremity of Peckett's
bour, an
arm of the sea which runs
distance inland. night,
Here we were
and as we were
after our long ride,
all
to
for
camp
for the
still
lay
horses to
between us and
our camping -place as quickly as possible. to
some
rather tired and hungry
we urged on our
cover the distance that
Har-
But
"hasten slowly" would have been a wiser
course in this case, as in most others. trot at
The
rapid
which we now advanced disturbed the equi-
librium of one of the packs, the cords holding
which had already become
slack,
and down came
the whole pack, iron pot, tin plates, and
an awful
clatter,
whilst the
mare who
all,
with
carried
it.
AN UNTOWARD
58
ACCIDENT.
her wits, dashed off at a gallop,
terrified out of
spurring with her heels her late encumbrances,
and followed by the whole troop of her equally frightened companions.
The pampa was strewn rice, biscuits,
tered in
all
what we mare, again,
with broken bags; and
and other precious
When we
directions.
had picked up
and replaced the pack on the
could,
who in we were
stores lay scat-
meantime had been caught
the
further agreeably surprised
by the
sight of another packless animal galloping over the
brow of a
distant
hill,
followed at
by Gregorio, who was trying I'Aria
was descried
in
some
to lasso
distance it,
whilst
another direction, endea-
vouring to collect together another scattered sec-
Off
tion of our troop.
way
turning on the
whom we foal in
to drive
a secluded
to aid him,
up one of the mares,
accidentally found
by the guides
By
we scampered
grazing with
valley, " the
her
guides forgetting,
forgot."
the time
we got up
to I'Aria, the obstinacy
and speed of the refractory animals had evidently proved too much
him
sitting
a pipe.
for him,
inasmuch as we found
under a bush philosophically smoking
In answer to our query as to what had
become of the
horses, he
in the direction of
waved
his
a distant line of
hand vaguely hills,
and we
A BATS SPORT. were just setting
off
59
on what we feared would
prove a rather arduous quest when a welcome tinkle suddenly struck
our ears, and the troop
reappeared from the depths of a ravine, driven up
by Francisco, who had providentially come across
them
in
It
time to intercept their further
was
quite
dark as
we rode down and
camp by the shore
pitched our
of the inlet above
mentioned, under the lee of a
from a
had been
set
necessary in the region little
After the tents
up some of the men went
firewood, but there
for
was a
to
we were now
make a very
to look
scarcity of that
they could collect was half green.
we managed
not far
bluff,
tall
pool of fresh water.
little
flight.
fair fire
in,
and the
However, with
it,
and
our dinner was soon cooked and eaten, whereupon
we
retired to rest.
The
next morning was
day
to stop a
being plentiful
breakfast
— game, as Gregorio informed
in that region.
we took our guns and
the direction
of
a group
We
by some
were rewarded
for
After a light started off in
freshwater lakes
of
which lay beyond a range of camp.
and we resolved
encampment and
at our present
have some shooting, us,
fine,
hills
behind our
our arduous climb
excellent sport, wild geese, duck, etc.,
being very
plentiful,
and on our way back we
UNPLEASANT EFFECTS OF THE WIND,
6o
crossed
some
some marshy ground where there were
snipe, several brace of
In the afternoon,
it
which we bagged.
being rather hot and
sultry,
refreshed ourselves with a bath in the sea, and
we
then came dinner-time, and by half-past seven
were
in
The
bed and
some
asleep.
following day
A
northward.
we continued our journey
long day's ride brought us to
springs, called " Pozos
we camped
look at one another,
de
la
After
for the night.
time round the
for a short
we
Reina," where
we had
and had
fire,
we became aware
rested
leisure to
of a most
disagreeable metamorphosis that had taken place in
our
faces.
They were
swollen to an almost
unrecognisable extent, and had assumed a deep
purple hue, the
by a sharp
phenomenon being accompanied
itching.
The
boisterous wind which
we had encountered during
the day, and which
is
the standing drawback to the otherwise agreeable climate of Patagonia, was no doubt the cause of this
annoyance, combined possibly with our
salt-
water bath of the day previous. After a few days the skin of our faces peeled off completely, but the swelling did not for
some
time.
I
may make
the
selves with
masks
would advise any person who
same journey ;
go down
by taking
to provide
them-
this precaution
they
OFF CAPE GREGORIO.
save themselves a great deal of the discomfort
will
we
6i
suffered from the winds.
The
following
day we
left
**
de
Pozos
la
Reina/' and pushed forward as quickly as possible, as in
we had no meat
and had not yet arrived
left,
the country of the guanacos and ostriches.
The
Indians had very recently passed over
ground we were now crossing, and, as
all
usual,
the
had
swept away any game there might have been there.
The range where guanaco plentiful is
really
become
about eighty miles away from Sandy
Point.
Still
ostrich
or
we kept
a good look-out, and any
guanaco that
misfortune to show
might have had the
would have stood a
itself
poor chance of escape with some eight or nine
hungry dogs and a number of not
horsemen
on,
and we arrived
The
destination empty-handed.
spot
hazily visible in the distance.
an abundance of wood
camp being not
at our
we camped
Cape Gregorio, which
at lay directly in front of
Indian
keen
at its heels.
But the day wore
was
less
There was
the locality, and the
in
far
off,
we were conveniwe intended
ently situated in every respect, as
paying these interesting continuing our journey.
people a
visit
before
THE INDIAN CAMP.
VISIT TO
62
CHAPTER VISIT
TO THE INDIAN CAMP PHYSIQUE
ISTICS
VI.
—A PATAGONIAN— INDIAN CURIOSITY
—COSTUME
WOMEN
PROMINENT CHARACTER-
—AN INDIAN INCROYABLE—SUPERSTITIOUSNESS.
Since we
left
Sandy Point our dogs had had no
regular meal, and had subsisted chiefly on rice
and
biscuits,
a
kind
of
which,
food
being
accustomed to meat only, was most uncongenial to their tastes
For
we
and unprofitable
to their bodies.
their sakes, therefore, as well as for our
looked forward to our
visit
camp, apart from other motives of hopes of obtaining a last
sufficient
the Indian
interest, in the
supply of meat to
we should
for all of us, until
to
own,
arrive in the
promised land of game. After breakfast the horses were saddled, and taking some sugar, tobacco, and other articles for bartering purposes,
we
set
out for the
Indian
camp, accompanied by Gregorio and Guillaume. I'Aria and Storer were
and Francisco went
left in
off
charge of our camp,
with the dogs towards
A PATAGONIAN. Cape Gregorio,
some
the hope of falling in with
The weather was
stray ostrich or guanaco.
and
fine,
in
for
once
63
we were
able to rejoice in the
absence of the rough winds which were our
We
annoyance.
had not gone
daily-
when we saw
far
a rider coming slowly towards us, and in a few
minutes real
we found
ourselves in the presence of a
Patagonian Indian.
when he got
We reined
close to us, to
our horses
in
have a good look at
him, and he doing the same, for a few minutes stared at
him
we
to our hearts content, receiving in
•return as minute
and
from him.
careful a scrutiny
Whatever he may have thought of
us,
him a singularly unprepossessing
object, and, for
the sake of his race,
specimen of
it.
we thought
we hoped an unfavourable
His dirty brown
face, of
which
the principal feature was a pair of sharp black eyes,
was half-hidden by tangled masses of un-
kempt over
held together by a handkerchief tied
hair,
his
enveloped
forehead, in
and
his
burly
was
a greasy guanaco-capa, considerably
the worse for wear.
His
feet
were
of his heels was armed with a
little
of curious
body
bare, but
wooden
and ingenious handiwork.
one
spur,
Having
completed his survey of our persons, and ex-
changed a few guttural grunts with Gregorio, of which the purport was that he had
lost
some
THE CAMP.
64
horses and was on their search, he galloped away, and, glad to find
some
to admire the easy grace with
well-bred looking
little
its
able
which he sat his
horse, which,
siderably below his weight,
do
we were
virtue in him,
though con-
was doubtless able
to
master good service.
Continuing our way several
mounted
we
presently observed
Indians, sitting motionless
on
on the summit of a
tall
their horses, like sentries,
ridge ahead of us, evidently watching our move-
At our approach
ments.
they disappeared over
the ridge, on the other side of which lay their*
Cantering
camping- ground.
came
in sight of the entire
was pitched either side
flowing
we soon
Indian camp, which
a broad valley-plain, flanked on
in
by steep
down
forward
its
dozen big hide
bluffs,
and with a
stream
There were about a
centre. tents,
little
front of
in
which stood
crowds of men and women, watching our approach with lazy curiosity.
Numbers
were disporting themselves
we had Indians,
of
little
children
in the stream,
to ford in order to get to the tents.
more
inquisitive than their brethren,
which
Two came
out to meet us, both mounted on the same horse,
and saluted us with much grinning and jabbering.
On
our arrival in the camp
we were soon
encircled
by a curious crowd, some of whose number gazed
INDIAN CURIOSITY.
65
at us with stolid gravity, whilst others laughed
and gesticulated as they discussed our appearance harsh guttural language, with a vivacious
in their
manner which was quite
variance with the
at
received traditions of the solemn bent of the
Our accoutrements and
Indian
mind.
seemed
to excite great interest,
At
riding-boots
being objects of attentive examina-
in particular tion,
my
clothes
and apparently of much serious speculation. they were content to observe them from
first
a distance, but presently a
by the
elders, to
boy was delegated
advance and give them a closer
This he proceeded to do, coming
inspection.
me
towards
little
with great caution, and
when near
enough, he stretched out his hand and touched
This
the boots gently with the tips of his fingers. exploit
was greeted with roars of laughter and
ejaculations,
and emboldened by
now ventured
its
success,
many
some
enter-
to follow his example,
prising spirits extending their researches to the
my ulster, take my hand
texture of
and one even going so
as to
in
little
bracelet
I
wore
his,
far
whilst subjecting a
to a profound
and exhaustive
scrutiny.
Whilst they were thus occupied
I
to observe their general appearance.
struck so
much by
their height as
F
by
had I
leisure
was not
their extra-
66
PHYSIQUE OF THE TEHUELCHES. As
ordinary development of chest and muscle. regards their stature,
I
do not think the average
men exceeded
height of the
husband stands
six
feet
my
and as
six feet,
two inches
had
I
a
favourable opportunity for forming an accurate
One
estimate.
towered
far
or two there were, certainly,
who
above him, but these were exceptions.
The women were mostly of the ordinary height, though I noticed one who must have been quite six The features of the pure-bred feet, if not more. Tehuelche are extremely regular, and by no means unpleasant to look aquiline, the
mouth
The
at.
nose
well shaped
is
generally
and beautified by
the whitest of teeth, the expression of the eye intelligent,
and the form of the whole head
a favourable index to
their
These remarks do not apply
whose veins there Fuegian blood.
is
to the
Tehuelches
The
flat
objects,
Wheel-of-Fortune
Their hair
is
noses, oblique eyes,
some
in
different
every respect as
from an ordinary carthorse. is
worn parted
being prevented from falling over
by means of a handkerchief, or
kind, tied
and
make them
and they are as
long and coarse, and
in the middle,
their faces
"
in
a mixture of Araucanian or
from a pure-bred Tehuelche '*
affords
mental capabilities.
badly proportioned figures of the latter
most repulsive
is
round the forehead.
fillet
of
They have
COSTUME. naturally
as
little
may appear
and such growth
many extend even
Their dress
brows.
face,
carefully eradicated,
is
operation, which
''
on the
hair
67
is
simple,
chiripd," a piece of cloth
and
round the
indispensable guanaco capa, which
is
a painful
to their eye-
consists of a loins,
and the
hung
loosely
over the shoulders and held round the body by the hand, though
convenient to have a belt of
some
would obviously seem more
it
secured round the waist with
it
Their horse-hide boots are
kind.
only worn, for reasons of economy,
The women
dress like the
men
when
hunting.
except as regards
the chiripa, instead of which they wear a loose
kind of
gown beneath
at the
neck with a
the capa, which they fasten
silver
brooch or
pin.
children are allowed to run about naked are five or six years old,
till
and are then dressed
The they like
Partly for ornament, partly also as
their elders.
a means of protection against the wind, a great
many
Indians paint their faces,
colour, as far as
one or two
I
I
their favourite
could see, being red, though
observed had given the preference
to a mixture of that colour with black,
diabolical
a very
appearance being the result of
this
combination.
The Tehuelches
are
a
race
that
is
fast
approaching extinction, and even at present
it
TEHUELCHE WOMEN.
68
numbers eight hundred
scarcely
souls.
They
lead
a rambling nomadic existence, shifting their camp-
ing places from one region to another, whenever
game
the is
in their vicinity gets
fortunate for
them
that the
of guanaco and ostriches for
them
shy or scarce.
It
immense numbers
makes
it
an easy matter
to find subsistence, as they are extremely
lazy, and, plentiful as
game
is
around them, often
pass two or three days without food rather than incur the very slight exertion attendant on a day's
hunting.
But blessed are
is
it
with
only the this
men who
indolent
When
hunting.
Is
The women
spirit.
indefatlgably industrious.
Tehuelche existence
are cursed or
done
All
the
by them
work of except
not employed in ordinary house-
hold work they busy themselves in making guanaco
capas,
fillets
weaving gay -coloured
for the hair,
Not one
so forth.
working
silver
garters
and
ornaments, and
of their least arduous tasks
is
that of collecting firewood, which, always a scarce article,
becomes doubly hard
to find, except
going great distances, when they camp long
one
by in
place.
But though treated thus unfairly as regards the division of labour, the
plain of
women can by no means com-
want of devotion
to
them on the part of the
PROMINENT CHARACTERISTICS. men.
69
Marriages are matters of great solemnity
with them, and the
and wife show great both agree
in
Husband
tie is strictly kept.
affection for
one another, and
extravagant love of their offspring,
which they pet and spoil to their hearts' content.
The most prominent Tehuelche
of
the
easy-going good humour, for
his
is
characteristic
whereas most aboriginal races incline to silence
and saturnine gravity, he
The
is all
smiles and chatter.
other good qualities of the race are fast dis-
appearing under the influence of " aquadiente," to the use of which they are getting addicted,
and soon,
it
is
more and more
to be feared, they will
become nothing more than a pack of impoverished, dirty, thieving ragamuffins.
After having sat for some time on horseback,
numerous
in the centre of the to,
we dismounted,
and merriment in us, after
flag
above referred
the act causing fresh animation
our interviewers, whose interest
in
a thorough examination, had begun to
somewhat.
their feelings
and
circle
An
was a
their delight
mounted and
fired
object which greatly excited
rifle
belonging to
my
brother,
knew no bounds when he it
off for their edification
or twice at a distant mark.
At each
dis-
once
discharge
they set up a lusty howl of satisfaction, and nothing
would do
for
them but
for each to
be allowed to
INDIAN
70
WIT.
handle the weapon and inspect
There was a trader
mechanism.
camp who had
in the
about the same time as
its
we
arrived
and amongst other
did,
wares he had brought a rusty carbine with him for
He
sale.
duce
it
was
and
those of
my
upon by the Indians
called
fire it off to
brother's
do, but
seven times
missed
fire.
compare
to pro-
qualities with
its
This he proceeded to
rifle.
in succession the cartridges
Each time
happened he was
this
greeted with shouts of derisive laughter, and
was evident that both he and
his
it
weapon were the
objects of most disparaging remarks on the part
One
of the Tehuelches.
of them, a
man
of
some
humour, brought out a small piece of ostrich meat
and offered carbine,
never
good there
it
to the trader in
exchange
saying in broken Spanish,
kill
'*
Your gun Your gun
piece of meat as big as this.
to kill
dead guanaco."
for his
At which
witticism
was renewed and prolonged applause, as
the newspapers say.
But excitement reached
its
height
when
I
produced the bag of sugar we had brought, and
began
to distribute small handfuls of
its
contents
among the children. Everybody pressed round me men and women, hustling and pushing in
—
their eagerness to get I
was obliged
to
some of the coveted
be careful
in
my
dainty.
bounty, how-
AN INDIAN ever, or
we should
any meat
in
INCROYABLEr
''
71
not have enough
left to
obtain
exchange, and a great
many
sweet-
toothed Tehuelches had to remain disappointed in
As
consequence.
we found
was,
had not been out hunting
for three
— a greasy
Indians
days,
pemmican
there was hardly anything but
camp,
considerable
The
obtaining any meat.
in
difficulty
it
concoction, with which
and
in the
we by
no means cared to experiment on our stomachs.
With
difficulty
we
at last
succeeded
in
obtaining
the leg and breast of an ostrich, and a small piece
of half sun-dried guanaco meat, which looked
This transaction having
extremely untempting.
been accomplished, we wandered the
leisurely about
camp, glancing at the different objects of that
interest little
curs,
came
our way, pestered not a
in
we moved along by swarms
as
of yelping
which barked and snapped viciously
and could only be kept
at us,
at a respectful distance
a free use of stones and whips.
At one
by
of the
girls,
we saw two remarkably clean and pretty who were engaged on some kind of sewing
work
;
tents
and beside them
to one (or both)
youth,
who
his dress,
struck
and
appearance.
—stood
—probably
making love
an equally good-looking
me by
his general
the peculiar neatness of ''
tird
a quatre epingles
"
His hair was brushed and combed,
INDIAN SUPERSTITIOUSNESS.
72
and
carefully parted,
chief keeping
its
—a
bright red silk handker-
glossy locks in due subjection.
His handsome guanaco capa was new, and
bril-
painted on the outside, and being half
liantly
opened, displayed a clean white chirlpa, fastened at the waist
A
ship.
by a
workman-
silver belt of curious
pair of neatly fitting horse-hide boots
encased his
reaching up to the knees, where
feet,
they were secured by a pair of gay -coloured the
garters,
possibly
maidens
at his side.
gift
of one
of
the
fair
Struck by his graceful bearing and well-bred looking
face,
I
begged Mr.
a sketch-book with him, to
who had brought make a sketch of this B.,
handsome son of the pampa. cess the
young Indian never moved, and
served a perfectly indifferent
when
During the pro-
demeanour
;
the picture was finished, and given to
pre-
but
him
for inspection, his forehead contracted with anger,
an expression of fear came vent
some angry sounding
to
finally,
much
object of evil spell
eyes
;
he gave
gutturals,
and
to our annoyance, tore the portrait
He
to pieces.
happen
in his
was under the impression that the
making the sketch was
to
throw some
over him, and that a misfortune would
if it
were not destroyed.
Being relieved
of this danger, his feelings regained their natural
BARTER.
73
calm, and he grinned contentedly at our evident
wrath at his high-handed proceeding.
The visit to
Indians were about to
Sandy
Point,
make
where they go
their annual to obtain the
rations of sugar, tobacco, etc., allowed to
them
by the Chilian Government, and to barter with the inhabitants for the luxuries of civilisation, in
exchange
for furs
transactions,
as
and
ostrich feathers, at
they are seldom
which
sober during
their stay outside the colony, they generally get
worsted by the cunning white man. regarding the Indians being obtained
all
the meat
now turned homewards.
we
Our
satisfied,
curiosity
and having
could from them,
we
74
THE PRAIRIE
FIRE.
CHAPTER
VII.
THE PRAIRIE
As we by a
FIRE.
rode along, our attention was attracted
and presently thick
faint smell of burning,
clouds of
smoke came
towards
rolling
We
us.
pressed wonderingly on, anxious to discover the
whereabouts of the
somewhere
from
far
eminence,
slight
which we trusted lay
fire,
we were
able
view of the country ahead. escaped
our
drawing
rein,
A
as
lips
we
right,
To
fire
up,
cast
a
Even
wind
and
around,
our
sky
;
swept
the
right
hills to
curled
our
rapidly
aloft,
and
the flames, which shot
yellow
strange whilst
left,
came rushing
Dense masses of smoke
everything.
gust of
cry of dismay
and gradually wreathing the
entirely obscured the fiercely
A
a
stared blankly at one another.
a huge prairie
along.
command
to
we looked
fearful sight lay before us.
in front,
Reaching a
camp.
our
we
glare
over
watched, a strong
fire
with
incredible
THE PRAIRIE and
swiftness towards us,
enveloped
we were
a second
in
unable
one
see
to
had now become
situation
75
such a dense cloud of smoke that
in
we were
FIRE.
moment was
be
to
and not a
critical,
lost.
The
another.
Half choked, and
bewildered by the suddenness with which the
danger had come upon
what course
us,
we
knew
scarcely
Already our horses were
to take.
snorting with fear, as the crackling of the burning
grass and bushes
came nearer and
away from the coming was
native it if
to face
possible.
To
it
fire
nearer.
was useless
at a gallop,
;
To
run
the alter-
and get through
throw our guanaco mantles over
our heads, and draw them as tightly round us as
we
was the work of a second, and then
could,
we dashed forward, every one for himself. The moments that followed seemed an eternity. As I urged
digging our spurs into our horses,
my
unwilling horse forward, the sense of suffoca-
tion
grew
terrible, I
could scarcely draw breath,
and the panting animal seemed
The
me.
nearer; heat,
horrible
crackling
to stagger
came nearer and
became conscious of the most
I
and
my
beneath
intolerable
head began to swim round.
My
horse gave two or three furious plunges, and then burst madly forward.
might,
I
Almost choked, come what
could bear the mantle over
my
head no
;
THE PRAIRIE
76
and tore
longer,
of relief that
never forget. tively
clear,
miracle for
my
it
off
The sudden
me.
came over me I
as
looked up, the
and the
I
did so,
it
my
companions, and, to
sense I
shall
was compara-
air
By some
behind me.
fire
had passed through
I
FIRE.
unhurt
!
I
looked
inexpressible joy,
saw them emerge one by one from the black mass of smoke, which was the distance.
now
Congratulations and exclamations
we retraced our how we had managed over,
steps to try and discover
we had happened sparse,
By
a piece of fortune
to ride over a
narrow pebbly
ground, where the grass was extremely
and where there were but few bushes
had chance led us over any other the grass
was thick and
tall,
we
where
track,
could scarcely
Our poor
ever have got through the danger. horses had suffered a good deal as feet
The
to escape so luckily.
reason was soon apparent.
tract of
rapidly receding into
it
was, their
and legs being scorched and singed severely.
Our thoughts now Storer and there.
I' Aria,
flew to our camp, and to
whom we had
That they had
escaped
The
changed by the
behind
we had
doubt, but for our tents and chattels
was no hope.
left
we
felt
little
there
landscape seemed completely
fire,
all
around, as far as
we
could see, stretched black smoking plains, and the
THE PRAIRIE
FIRE.
77
had become quite unfamiliar
outlines of the hills to us.
With
rather heavy hearts
we pushed
eagerly scanning the country for
some
forward,
indication
which might guide us to the quarter where our
camp had
stood.
If,
as
we had every
believe, our
things were burnt, our
was
an end, for the present, at
trip
at
reason to
Patagonian all
events.
Fortunately things did not turn out so badly. Presently
my
husband,
who was
riding in advance
of the others, gave a shout, and
come
us to
not lose a sight, as
on.
we
signals for
need hardly say that we did
I
moment
made
in joining him,
and a welcome
Some
got up to him, met our eyes.
two or three hundred yards below the which we were, we perceived our
little
on
hill
white tents
standing safe and unharmed on a narrow green tract of land,
which looked
like a smiling island
in the midst of the vast black plain.
FAria, too, joyed,
we
we
could see moving about, and, over-
galloped
ning out to meet
on us.
Storer and
down towards them, they
us, having suffered
their parts, as to
no little anxiety,
what might have happened
We pressed question after question
and Storer as camp.
to
run-
to
how they had managed to
I'
to
Aria
save the
Storer was unable to give any intelligible
account, so entirely upset
was he by
fright,
but
THE PRAIRIE
78
r Aria's
FIRE.
and from him
serted him, even on this occasion,
we heard us,
all
had not de-
philosophical calm
natural
The
particulars.
fire,
he informed
had been caused by the Indian we had met
in
the morning on the look-out for strayed horses.
This man had amused himself by setting
fire to
the long dry grass in various places, and, fanned
by a strong wind, the flames spread, and soon assumed enormous proportions. Quick
camp was
to in,
perceive the possible danger our the Indian at once galloped up, and
with the assistance of
making a
''
I'
Aria and Storer, set about
contra-fuego
"
or counter
fire,
that
say, they gradually set fire to the grass all
burn a considerable
the camp, letting
it
always keeping
well in subjection, beating
it
with bushes and trampling
it
under
to
round
tract,
foot,
could not get beyond their control.
is
it
but out
so that
it
This pre-
cautionary measure was fortunately completed by the time the big
fire
came
on,
and although,
for a
minute or two, they were half suffocated by the smoke, the itself,
fire
passed harmlessly by the camp
the burnt belt around
proving an effectual
it
safeguard.
Our
horses were
all
safe,
as they
grazing on the far side of a stream valley.
The camp was
in
in
had been
an adjacent
great disorder
;
the
THE PRAIRIE tents
FIRE.
79
were blackened by the smoke, the provision-
bags and other chattels lay scattered
in confusion.
Our
to cover the
and rugs had been used
furs
cartridges with,
the
for,
whilst the fire raged around
camp was deluged with showers
of sparks, and
an explosion might easily have occurred, had
meanwhile Fran9ois excursion.
we had
It
straight,
arrived
from
and
little
for
some
a matter of great urgency that
the
;
and as
meat from the
Indians, for the sake of our dogs,
on very short rations
in
hunting
his
had proved unsuccessful
obtained but very
this
For some time we
precaution not been taken.
were busy putting things
it,
who had been
time,
it
we should
became get as
soon as possible into regions where guanaco and ostrich
were
to start
plentiful,
and accordingly we decided
on the following day.
Dinner over,
my
companions were not long before they went to sleep, but feeling little inclination to follow their
example,
I
strolled out,
and wandered round the
camp, watching with interest the strange changes
came over the landscape
that
night
came slowly
camp loomed sky
;
far
like
on.
The
black
day waned and hills
behind the
shadowy phantoms against the
and wide
slept
the silent pampa,
undulating surface illumined lovely moon.
as
The
faint
its
by the rays of a
glow which tinged the
THE PRAIRIE horizon,
FIRE.
and the strange noises which a puff of
wind occasionally brought the mighty
was
fire
still
to
my
ears,
burning
till it
For a long time templation
I
to
stop
in
its
reached the sea-coast.
stood immersed in the con-
of this weird desolate
scene, giving
myself up to the mysterious feelings
many vague and
that
in the distance
with unbated fury, perhaps not devastating course
showed
fanciful
thoughts
it
and the
suggested,
till,
overcome with the excitement and exertions of had
the day,
I
and seek
my
at last to give
couch.
way
to drowsiness
—
UNPLEASANT
VISITORS.
CHAPTER UNPLEASANT VISITORS
— "SPEED
THE PARTING GUEST"
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CHASE
HOME
—
— —WIND AND HAIL
—
we were up
next morning
were engaged
packing
woman walked suddenly
Into the
surrounded our encamp-
of bushes which
and seated herself
ment,
we Whilst we
In the tedious operation of
an Indian
ring
A
—
betimes, as
were going to continue our journey.
up,
— OFF
STRIKING
AN EXCITING RUN THE DEATH HUNGRY AS HUNTERS " FAT-BEHIND-THE-EYE."
GUANACO AT LAST
The
VIII.
I'ARIA MISLEADS US
AN OSTRICH EGG
AGAIN OIL
8i
silently
by the
fire.
Gregorlo elicited from her that on the previous night the Indians had been drinking heavily, and that
she had had a quarrel with her husband
whilst both
were
which she had
way
to
Sandy
inebriated.
left his tent,
Point.
counted
on
haviour, and
the
her
least
and was now on her
camp tired.
husband's
coming
consequence of
She had walked the whole
distance from the Indian
not seem in
In
barefoot, but did I
suppose she
regretting
his
be-
after her to fetch her back,
G
UNPLEASANT
82
for
she could hardly have seriously entertained
the idea of walking I
VISITORS.
offered her
late,
some
way
the
all
biscuits
Sandy
to
and a
stick of choco-
which she accepted readily enough, but with-
out even so
much
Presently she
as a grunt
by way of thanks.
Gregorio that
told
were breaking up
their
of information
made
with
all
Indians
This piece
us hurry on with our work,
we dreaded being
Indians,
the
camp, and that some were
going to march on to Sandy Point.
as
Point.
surprised
our
effects
by a party of
scattered
about,
offering tempting facilities for abstraction, which
the Tehuelche heart was sure not to be able to
To
resist.
tremely
such a
liable,
as
close to the trail to
Our
fears
we were moreover exour camp was unfortunately visit
Sandy
Point.
were realised only too soon,
for
about a quarter of an hour after the arrival of the
squaw two Indians came crashing unceremoniously through
the
bushes
;
and wheeling their
horses about the camp, careless of our crockery, after
a short examination they dismounted, and
coolly sat
down by our
lire,
answering our angry
looks with imperturbed stares of stolid indifference.
Five minutes
later
another party arrived,
followed shortly by a further batch, and presently
we were
quite inundated
by a swarm of these un-
''SPEED
THE PARTING
GUEST,"
Of course our work was
bidden guests.
goods and
Over
chattels.
no very good
in
who on
friends,
pipe
no particular
fire,
and were passing round
evident good
in
humour with
To com-
themselves and their present quarters. plete the irony of the situation,
ber
who a
one of their num-
which he purposed to cook
our kettle, which was fire.
amuse him and
influenced
still
As may be
an indignant refusal
them
in
for getting rid of
we wished
imagined, he met with
his friends,
it
only appeared
and by no means
hastening their departure. on,
and some expedient
them had
to be devised unless
to lose a
whole day.
It
occurred to
us that they might possibly be bribed to
go away
by means of a small offering of whisky through Gregorio that
rewarded spirit.
if
in
simmering conveniently
however,
;
Meanwhile time went
them
me
could speak Spanish came and asked
little coffee,
on the
our
They had made themselves
comfortable at our social
fervent
from
relief
their part evinced
hurry to go away.
the
breathing
speedy
for
we kept guard
these
humour,
the while
prayers
to
stopped,
our attention being required to look after our
all
for
83
we
;
and
accordingly intimated to
they would leave us they should be
for their kindness with a glass of that
To
our relief they accepted this
offer,
and
OFF AGAIN.
84
we
them
presently had the satisfaction of seeing
To do them
ride leisurely away.
justice,
I
must
say that, contrary to our fears, they did not steal
any of our
effects,
though possibly the
strict
watch
we kept over them may have had something do with
this
unusual display of honesty.
The moment
we redoubled our
they had gone
and succeeded
efforts,
to
in
getting
all
our horses
saddled and packed without further molestation.
The
three mules
still
remained to be packed, but
we left to the care of Gregorio and Guillaume who were to follow us, we, meanwhile, these
starting
under the guidance of old
off
I'Arla.
Francisco went off alone, by another route, in order
be
to forage for meat,
it
ostrich or guanaco, of
which both ourselves and the dogs stood very
much
In need, the small
supply
we had got from
the Indians being quite exhausted.
Just as up,
we were
who turned
leaving an Indian galloped
out to be the husband of the
pedestrian squaw, who, after the departure of the
other Indians,
still
reconciliation scene
remained
In
our camp.
The
was a very short one, and did
not go beyond a few inexpressive grunts on either side, after
which the squaw got up on horseback
behind her husband, and
Sandy
Point.
off
they rode towards
AN OSTRICH EGG. We
now
struck
northwards, leaving
Cape
which lay directly opposite our
Gregorio,
encampment,
at our backs.
I'
to help him,
and
in
late
Aria having to keep
the troop together singlehanded
do
85
we had
plenty to
galloping after refractory
on the lazy ones, and occasionally
horses, urging
stopping to adjust packs, the time passed quickly
We
enough.
occasionally crossed tracts of land
covered with a plant bearing a profusion of red of
berries
the
quite ripe now,
;
They were
and we found them pleasant and
The weather
refreshing.
bracing
cranberry species.
was, as usual, sunny and
and except that as yet we had not seen a
guanaco or given chase to a single
ostrich,
FAria
told us
nothing to grumble about.
we had that we
were certain to meet with guanaco on that day*s march, selves
so,
with this assurance,
we comforted
our-
and kept a sharp look-out, eagerly scanning
the horizon of each
successive
plain,
and woe
betide the unfortunate animal that might appear
within our ken.
The day
passed, however, and a
dark patch of beeches, which stood near the spot
where we were to camp that night, appeared
in
view without our having seen either an ostrich or a guanaco.
though, and
Somebody found an it
was
time, for although
it
ostrich
^gg
carefully kept against dinner-
must have been
laid
two or
FARM MISLEADS
US.
perhaps three months, there was
still
86
of
its
ally
a possibility
being tolerably good, as these eggs occasion-
keep
till
month of
the
April, six
months
after
laying time.
Towards sunset we
arrived at a broad valley
scattered over with picturesque clumps of beeches,
and bordered on the same tree.
its I'
far side
by a
we were
wood
of
Aria pointed out a spot to us
where he said there were some of which
thick
to
by the
springs,
camp, and thither
we
side
accord-
But when we got there no springs
ingly rode.
were to be seen, and
I'
Aria said he must have
He
mistaken the place.
suddenly remembered,
however, that a conspicuous clump of beeches,
some way up the
we
turned
valley,
in that direction.
and when
mistaken,
sudden inspirations valley in
marked the
all
But again was FAria
— following
—we had
right spot, so
various
of
his
wandered about the
directions for a considerable
time
without coming across these problematic springs,
we began
to think ourselves justified in
that I'Aria
had
lost his
with the same. ever,
He
presuming
way, and in charging him
denied the accusation, how-
with a calm and steady assurance, which,
considering that
all
the time he was leading us
about in aimless helplessness, would have had
something rather humorous about
it
had
our
STRIKING situation
been a
oil:'
87
less serious one.
If
we
did not
succeed in finding the springs, besides having to
endure the torture of
have to stop up
who would be and get
thirst ourselves
go
off in search of
and there were no signs of the of the other guides,
As
track.
a
and each go
last
in
water, though success,
it
I
water
was rapidly getting dark
It
confirmation that
should
night to look after the horses,
all
certain to
lost.
we
too,
any
arrival of
whose absence was a further
we
could not be on the right
resource
we
resolved to separate,
a different direction in search of
must say we had
little
hopes of
being known to us that beyond the
springs in question there was no other water in that part of the country for a considerable distance.
Hurling bitter but useless anathemas
who was now
confidently pointing out a
as the " really " right one,
and having arranged
we
at
I' Aria,
new
spot
accordingly broke up,
to fire a shot as a signal,
should any one of us find water, dispersed over the valley in I
all
directions.
had hardly skirted the beechwood
for
more
than a minute or so
when my horse suddenly
neighed joyfully, and
In
trees
water.
I
an opening among the
saw two or three small pools of spring Overjoyed,
I
lost
no time
in firing off
gun, the report of which soon brought up
all
my the
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CHASE.
88
who had
Others, it
not gone
must be said that
In justice to FAria
far.
hour he had been
for the last
wandering about close to where the springs
and
his persistent denial of
was so
having
that
day ridden,
it
was no
trail
pampa over which
of any description across the
we had
lost his way-
Besides, as there
far justified.
lay,
was
really
no easy
matter to hit on the right spot immediately.
We
had
just set
up the tents and made the
when Gregorio and Guillaume,
now
absence,
that
we were
at
fire
whose prolonged
at the springs our-
we had become rather uneasy, appeared They had been delayed on the the mules.
selves,
with
road by the packs getting undone.
Francisco too
soon came up, and though he had been unsuccessful
in the chase,
he arrived
in
time to cook an
excellent omelette for our dinners with the ostrich
^ggy which turned out to be perfectly sound and palatable.
The next day was
to
be devoted to guanaco-
hunting, the want of meat having serious matter
;
our dogs were getting weak, and
our stores, on which food,
become quite a
we had
were disappearing
in
to rely solely for
an alarmingly quick
manner. It is
marvellous
of hunting
is
how
increased
the ordinary excitement
when, as
in
our case,
PREPARATIONS FOR THE CHASE. one's dinner depends
89
on one's success; and
it
was
with feelings almost of solemnity, that early in the
morning we selected and saddled our best horses, sharpened our hunting- knives, slung our
by the dogs, who knew
and, followed
rifles,
perfectly well
was meant, threaded the
that real earnest sport
beechwood and rode up on
to the plateau, where,
according to the unanimous assurance of the guides,
we
could not I'Aria
fail
meet with guanaco.
to
and Storer having been
behind to
left
look after the camp, our hunting-party numbered seven.
In order to cover as
possible
we spread
out in a
much ground
line,
as
extending over
about two miles, and in this order
we
cantered
northward from the valley, carefully scanning the
which stretched
plain,
flat
away for a good
but apparently as bare of guanaco as grass.
day,
The
cold,
and a
right into our faces,
furs
a
very
trifling
It
was of
weather, unlike that of the preceding
was very
who had
distance,
bitterly sharp
wind blew
making those of our number
neglected to bring their greatcoats or
uncomfortable. matter,
if
This,
however, was
only those good guanacos
would obligingly make
their
appearance!
But
evidently nothing was farther from their minds,
and we rode over the
plain, mile after mile,
with
hopes which, like the thermometer, were gradually
WIND AND
90
HAIL.
As
sinking towards zero.
time went on,
the
haze which bound the plateau at our approach In due time
soHdified itself into an escarpment. this
was reached, and on
find another plain
however, a broken, crossed in
all
rode up
I
its
summit as
expecting to Instead,
usual.
country appeared in view,
hilly
by
directions
eagerly about, but
it,
ravines.
Our
no guanaco.
still
advance, meantime, lost
its
order,
looked
I
owing
line of
to the
changed nature of the ground, and frequently lost sight of all
my
into a ravine, or rode
hillock
;
but
it
companions, as
I
descended
I
round the base of some
was never long before
tall
caught a
I
glimpse of one or other of them again.
The wind
got colder and colder, a white cloud
crept up on the
and grew and grew,
horizon,
sweeping swiftly towards found myself enveloped
came
to a stand-still,
in
me,
till
suddenly
I
a furious hail-storm.
and covered up
my
I
head
to
protect myself from the hailstones, which were
very large.
when
I
The
looked
squall
not last long, but
did
up again
found the whole
I
country was whitened over, an atmospheric freak
having created a dreary winter landscape middle of summer.
me
stood,
full in
Suddenly
started
I
tall
guanaco.
close to
and staring
perfectly motionless,
the face, a
;
in the
I
was so
me
startled
A GUANACO AT LAST. and surprised that
for the space of a
A
quietly returning his stare.
horse broke the the side of a
moment on
movement
my
and was
rifle,
its
had expected,
I
base,
my
ward, no doubt thinking
am
I
wish to
kill
therefore
hill,
side, as
first
I
had the
selfishness,
guanaco myself, and
by no means displeased
I
it,
us.
to
was
I
to find that
companions had not as yet perceived a beating heart
I
friend looking up-
sure sportsmen will excuse
the
rode
I
should appear by the
I
same road he had come. though
my
mean-
I
and on the other
discovered
of
off in pursuit
Instead of climbing the
quicky round
sat
darted up
summit, disappeared.
its
I
and pausing a
like lightning,
while had unslung of him.
minute
The guanaco
spell.
hill
91
my
With
dismounted and walked slowly
towards the guanaco, who, though he saw
me
coming,
My
still
remained
weapon was a excellent arm,
rook-rifle,
but though an
did not carry
more than 150
light it
quietly standing.
yards with precision, and
over 180 yards from to
advance
then, to leisurely
till
my
I
was now something
prey.
He
it
me
within the required distance, but
my disgust,
just as
I
walked on another
was preparing
to
fire,
thirty or forty yards
before he stopped again, watching as
allowed
me
the while,
seemed with an amused look of impertinence,
AN EXCITING RUN
92
me
which aggravated
considerably.
followed him, vowing to
me
I
was more
''Poor fellow!"
my
brought
murmured
I
rifle
up
Alas
quite certain.
which
into a hole,
my
to
I
!
in
took
my
second
I
was up again,
guanaco bounding up a
yards.
generously,
as
I
shoulder and took aim
it,
on
my
I
make
to
and down
eagerness
noticed, falling rather heavily
I
went
had not In a
face.
just in time to see the
escarpment, taking
far
with him
my
the day.
There was nothing
chance of becoming the heroine of
back to where
I
had become of
my
had
left
my
for
but to walk
it
horse,
and see what
companions.
took the same road the guanaco had taken,
I
on the remote possibility of again.
falling in
with him
Riding up the escarpment above referred
came on
citing chase
to a broad plain,
was going
was condemned
only.
allowed
Only one step forward
just behind his.
I
This
not.
The guanaco
successful.
was
I
come within about the necessary 150
to
to, I
moment
he moved or
within range, whether
time
the
fire
slowly-
I
At some
line of sight,
on, in which, as
way
it
appeared,
to take the part of a spectator
distance,
and going across
was a guanaco running
closely followed
but some
and there an ex-
by a pack of dogs,
in
my
at full speed,
whose
track,
behind, galloped three horsemen,
AN EXCITING R UN whom
I
made out
be
to
my husband,
The guanaco
and Gregorio.
losing ground, but
at first
was only
it
93
for
and brother,
seemed
to be
an instant
another he bounded away with ease, and
it
;
in
was
apparent that as yet he was only playing with his pursuers.
dogs tail
;
The pace soon began
to tell
the less speedy were already beginning to
off,
one of them, probably Gregorio's swift
Pie-de- Plata, being far in advance of
and by no means to be shaken
who had now given up any
off
by the guanaco,
down
to run
soon be out of
—quarry, dogs, horsemen,
sight.
guanaco has stopped
But what's
this
?
will
The
Only for a moment, though.
!
But he has swerved
to the
left,
and behind him
new dog and horseman have appeared on
scene, emerging, as
of the earth. view.
in
earnest.
On, on they go
a
comrades,
its
playful demonstrations
of superiority, and had settled
good
on the
If
The
if
the
by magic, from the bowels
chase
now
is
better under
my
some lucky chance would only bring
the guanaco
my way
!
The
fresh
dog
is
evidently
discomforting him, and his having had to swerve
has brought
all
the other dogs a good bit nearer
to his heels.
But on he goes, running bravely,
and making
for the escarpment, for in the hilly
country below he knows he
is
aj:
an advantage
AN EXCITING R UN
94
The dogs seem double their
to
be aware of
they
this too, for
Sud-
a splendid race ensuing.
efforts,
re-
denly another horseman appears on the plateau,
and the unfortunate guanaco must again swerve the
movement which, hurrah
a
left,
almost facing towards where is
to say,
I
am
him
brings
!
That
standing.
he must cross the escarpment
to
some
at
point on a line between myself and the new-comer,
the other horsemen, from the
been
forming a
run,
debarred his escape ing
this,
into
my
in
circle
manner the race had his
in
any other
direction.
wild with excitement, horse,
which
rear,
dug
I
my
Seespurs
and flew along the edge of the
escarpment, the horseman on the other side doing the same, in order to shut out the guanaco and
throw him back on last
his foes behind.
chance about to be cut
efforts to strain.
off,
he redoubled his On, on we
get through between us.
Nearer and nearer he gets
to the
the plain, and already, with despair, shall
Seeinoo his
be too
late.
But
faster
I
edge of
see that
I
even than the swift
guanaco, a gallant blackhound has crept up, and in
another instant, though the former dashes past within a yard of
my
horse's nose
me
and disappears
over the side of the escarpment, the good dog has already
made
its
spring, and, clinging like
grim
death to the guanaco's haunch, vanishes with him.
;
THE DEATH.
95
After them, in another instant, swept the whole
quarry of dogs, and by the time
my
got
horse
down
I
reined
in,
and
the steep ravine-side, they
had thrown the guanaco, which Pie-de- Plata had brought to a
horseman who had and
at so
below
standstill
last
;
and Francisco, the
appeared on the plateau,
opportune a moment, had already given
the coup-de-grace with his knife.
One
after another the other hunters gradually
arrived, their horses
whilst pipes leisure to
were
lit
examine
more or and
this,
less
blown
flasks produced,
our
first
and
;
we had Look-
guanaco.
ing at his frame, his long, powerful legs, his deep chest,
and body as fine-drawn almost as a grey-
hound's,
we no
longer wondered that guanacos
run as swiftly as they do.
have laughed at he was.
The
us,
Indeed, this one would
had he not been closed
fur of the full-grown
in as
guanaco
is
of
a woolly texture, and in colour of a reddish brown
on the back, the neck, and the quarters
;
being
whitish on the belly and the inner sides of the legs.
The head
closely resembles that of a camel
the eyes, which have a strange look on account of the peculiar shape of the eye bones, are very large
and 1
beautiful.
A
fair-sized
guanaco weighs from
80 to 200 pounds.
Meantime, Gregorio having begun to cut up
THE DEATH.
96
the guanaco, to our chagrin
be mangy
It
was discovered
—a disease very common
among
to
these
animals, probably on account of the bracklshness of
the water; and the meat being consequently unfit for food,
made left
we abandoned
the
Sandy
first
It
good meal they
Point.
who now had had since we
to the dogs,
They were soon gorged
to such
an extent that they became useless for hunting purposes, and
we had
relying solely on our
now
therefore to ride on,
rifles.
Gregorio had seen a herd of guanacos at the far
end of the plain over which the chase had
taken place, and thither
we
accordingly
After half an hour's galloping, limit, finding
we reached
below a broad valley broken up
various depressions and hillocks.
one of the
rode.
latter
we saw
At
its
into
the base of
a small herd of guanaco,
within range of which, by dint of careful stalking,
we
presently
managed
to come.
shots brought a couple of their
both
luckily
Under
turned
out to
Two
fortunate
number down, and be quite
healthy.
the skilful manipulation of Gregorio and
Francisco, in a marvellously short space of time
they were cut up, and the meat having been distributed
among our
various saddles, heavily laden,
we turned homewards.
The way back seemed
terribly long,
now
that
pii||||i
Ill
iff
I
ffiill
ni'iiiiiii
"iiii'i
I
II
1
IS 'iiii
HOME. we had no
longer the excitement of hunting to
shorten the time that
97
we had gone
;
and
it
seemed quite
we had
the distance
incredible
been, when,
towards sunset, after a cold and weary
ride,
we
at
stood on the edge of the plain which over-
last
home
looked the valley where lay our
for the
nonce.
The evening had
turned out
the bois-
fine,
much in sky was now
terous wind which had annoyed us so
the daytime had died away, and the bright and clear.
beech trees with
its
I
Through the branches of the
could catch a glimpse of our camp,
white tents just peeping over the green
smoke
bushes, and a thin column of blue
up
into the
air,
pleasantly suggestive of
and other comforts awaiting
us.
warm
horses, lazily
some
last rays
tea
Farther on, in
the long green grass of the valley, which
glowing under the
rising
was now
of the sun, were our
grazing, others lying stretched out,
enjoying their
whilst the colts
and
day's
fillies,
as
respite is
their
from work,
wont
at sun-
down, were frisking about and kicking up their heels in
all
as yet of
the exuberance of youth, unconscious
heavy packs and sharp spurs.
What-
ever special character the peaceful scene might otherwise want was fully supplied by the picturesquely wild appearance of
H
my
companions,
as,
HUNGR V AS HUNTERS.
98
eschewing contemplation, and anticipating dinner, they rode quickly ahead towards the camp on their shaggy, sturdy horses, their bodies muffled in the graceful
guanaco robe, and huge pieces of
red raw meat dangling on either side of their saddles,
followed by the blood-stained
who seemed thoroughly
tired
after
hounds,
hard
their
day's work.
But whatever country one one may be among In
England, or
—there
In
—
is in,
in one's
whatever scenes
own
cosy snuggery
the bleak steppes of Patagonia
a peculiar sameness In the feeling that
Is
comes over one towards the hours of evening, and which inevitably
calls
up the thought,
be getting near dinner-time.
must
It
Yielding to this
admonition, which to-day was by no means less plain than
down
usual,
to the
When
I
ample meal
I
quitted
my
eyrie
and rode
camp. got there
I
found preparations for an
In full swing.
Ingeniously spitted on
a wooden stave, the whole side of a guanaco was roasting before a blazing
fire,
and
pot a
In the
head of the same animal was yielding
Its
sub-
I
was
assured would turn out an excellent soup.
At
stance
towards the production of what
dinner-time
assurance
;
I
was able
practically to confirm this
a better broth cannot be concocted
"
FA T- BEHIND- THE-EYEV
99
than that obtained from such a guanaco head, with the addition of etc.
dried vegetables,
rice,
But, at the risk of incurring the charge of
digressing too
must pay a
much on
the subject of eating,
behind-the-Eye," and which situated
we
as
by
indicated
its
*'
Fat-
a piece of
The
name.
tit-bits,
but they
in subtle savouriness to the aforesaid
bonne -bouche.
end of our
called
in fact,
is,
tongue and the brain are rare
must yield
I
tribute to the delicacy of a peculiar
morsel in the guanaco, which
fat
chilis,
trip
Having once
tasted
it,
till
the
guanaco head formed a standing
item in our daily messes, and whatever other culinary novelties as
we
discussed,
numerous as strange,
always retained
its
the ne plus ultra of
''
Fat -behind -the -eye"
supremacy
pampa
and they were
in
our affections as
delicacies.
ELASTIC LEAGUES.
100
CHAPTER ELASTIC LEAGUES
IX.
—THE LAGUNA BLANCA —AN EARTHQUAKE OSTRICH-HUNTING.
We should wood
like to
valley,
have lingered on
in the
beech-
but the necessity of pushing forward
as quickly as possible
was too urgent
to allow of
our indulging in our lazy desires, and daybreak
saw our party once more
The
in the saddle.
we rode this day was more rugged and hilly than any we had crossed previously the sun shone down upon us in all the intensity of its summer heat, and the glare of country over which
;
the hot dry ground affected our eyes painfully as
we rode ''
tion
alone.
How
far
have we
still
to
which was often on our
go
?"
lips,
was a questhough, from
we might have known that, whatever answer we got from the guides, we should be no wiser than before. They would reply glibly experience,
enough, four or be,
but
five leagues, as the case
we had found
might
that their ideas of a league
THE LAGUNA BLANCA. were most
elastic,
appearing to vary
an extent which made
it
loi
daily,
and
to
impossible for us to form
any mean average even, to guide us to an approxi-
mate estimation of the value of
their assertions.
Thus, a league might mean ten miles to-day, and
to-morrow possibly only one.
At
length, as the sun
was beginning
made
shout from one of the guides
We
wearily up.
to sink, a
us glance
found ourselves on the brow of
an escarpment, at the foot of which extended a far-stretching plain, in the midst of which, shim-
mering
like
called "
Laguna
a sheet of
lay a broad lake,
silver,
Blanca," or the
White Lake.
This welcome sight at once revived our drooping
spirits,
and
for the
next hour
forward, following Gregorio,
a
little
ravine,
we
who was
down towards
soon came upon
and
it,
lost
at the erection of our tents
of our evening meal.
we went
The sun was opened
my
The
in
jumping
work with a
will,
and the preparation latter
having been
to bed.
rather high in the heavens
when
eyes the next morning, and, pulling
aside the flap of the tent, looked out scene.
We
the lake.
no time
out of the saddle and setting to
I
seeking for
where there was a small freshwater
stream which flowed
discussed,
rode merrily
All our
camp was
still
wrapt
upon the in sleep
1
AN EARTHQ UAKE.
02
save FArla,
who was
sitting
over the
fire
smok-
ing his pipe, whilst he watched the kettle boiling, in placid expectation of his
plains
below were
silent;
morning
The
coffee.
but the air was noisy with
the cries of the flocks of geese and wild-duck,
were winging
their flight
who
from the lake towards
the rich fields of cranberries farther inland.
The
would occasionally
startle
sharp quack of the
ibis
me, as a bevy of these birds passed seemingly just over
From
my
head, but, in reality, far up in the
the contemplation of this scene
A loud
suddenly and rudely awakened.
sound rose on the
wonder what
air
;
and, before
back, and, as
came
rumbling
had time
I
by magic, the
alive with shouts of fear
me
silent
to
flying
camp
on be-
and wonder, as
everybody rushed out of the tents
The
was
could mean, a heaving of the
it
ground, resembling a sea-swell, sent
my
I
air.
in
dismay.
shocks occurred again and again, but each
time weaker, and
in
about
five
minutes they had
was some time before we This was the first recovered our equanimity.
ceased altogether, but
time
I
it
had ever experienced an earthquake, and
such a sickly sensation of helplessness as comes
over one during the heaving up and down of the earth would,
Our guides
I
should think, be hard to equal.
told us that
none of them had ever
OSTRICH- HUNTING.
I felt
an earthquake
103
Patagonia before, nor had
in
they ever heard of one having taken place. Later on, on our return to Sandy Point,
had caused a good deal
learnt that the earthquake
All the bottles and
of disaster in the colony. stores in
we
Pedro's shop were thrown from their
shelves and broken, and there were few inhabit-
who
ants in the colony
did
not sustain
some
similar loss.
As may be
imagined, the earthquake provided
us with matter for conversation for
and
in that respect, at least,
some
time,
was a not unwelcome
occurrence.
Breakfast over,
it
was agreed that we should
separate into two parties, one for the purpose of ostrich-hunting, its
whilst the
other should devote
energies to the pursuit of the guanaco.
husband and Mr. B. preferring the rode off with their
rifles,
My
latter chase,
together with Gregorio
and Guillaume, towards the
hilly
country
we had
crossed the day before.
As soon I,
as they
were gone
my
brother and
with Fran9ois, started off along a ridge of
hills
which exactly faced our camp, and which sloped
down
into the plains below.
by four
ostrich hounds,
We
were followed
and were mounted on the
best and fleetest horses
we
could select out of
OSTRICH- HUNTING.
I04
our
The
tropilla.
little
animal that
bestrode
I
He was
could not have exceeded fifteen hands. a high-spirited his face,
little
bay with a white blaze down
and three white
He would
legs.
clamber
up precipitous places where the stones and rocks crumbled and gave way beneath
down
canter
along
between the
hills,
or
the wide
As we
galloped
smoother ground which
the
feet,
jump
a steep decline, and
gullies with the greatest ease.
his
intervened
and which was deeply under-
mined by hundreds of holes of the ''tuca-tuca" (prairie rat),
his
My
me.
tonished
mounted on a
activity
avoiding a
in
brother
was
equally
long, low, clever black,
reputation of great speed
fall
as-
well
who had
the
while Francois rode a
;
well-shaped brown, with handsome arching neck
and tiny head.
As we rode about
my
in
us,
the hopes
of sighting an
suddenly shied
horse
lying on
silently along, with our eyes well
the
Throwing the
ground
at
I
something white
a few paces distant.
reins over his head,
and walked towards the long grass
at
ostrich,
spot.
I
dismounted
Amongst some
discovered a deserted nest of an
ostrich containing ten or eleven eggs,
and
calling
Francois to examine them, was greatly chagrined to
find
that
none of them were
fresh.
With
THE FIRST OSTRICH. of an
the superstition
105
ostrich -hunter
Fran9ois
picked up a feather lying close at hand, and sticking
good
it
in his cap,
sign,
we came
and that
it
assured us that this was a
would not be long before
across one of these birds.
His prediction was speedily reaching the summit of a
had slowly and
stealthily
little hill,
my
Frangois and
on
up which we
proceeded, two small
gray objects suddenly struck to
verified, for
brother,
my
eye.
I
who where
signed riding
some twenty yards behind me, and putting spurs to
my
horse, galloped
two gray objects ''
Choo
!
choo
!"
I
down
the
hill
had perceived
towards the
in the distance.
shouted Francois, a cry by which
the ostrich -hunters cheer their dogs on, and intimate to them the proximity of game.
Past
like lightning the four eager animals rushed,
me
bent
on securing the prey which their quick sight had already detected.
The suers,
ostriches turned one look
for the plain,
scudded over the ground
tremendous pace.
And perience hunt. bit
their pur-
and the next moment they wheeled round,
and making at a
on
now, for the all
My
between
first
time,
I
began to ex-
the glorious excitement of an ostrichlittle
horse,
his teeth,
keen as
his rider, took the
and away we went up and
A STRANGER.
io6
down
the
a
hills at
On and
terrific pace.
the ostriches, closer and closer crept up
Loca," a wiry black lurcher at her heels,
was
turn
would
In another
be alongside
moment the
the
plain, a feint
in
little
opposite
in
red dog
Suddenly,
ostriches.
however, they twisted right and
scudding away
who
"Apiscuna" and
followed by
closely
" Sultan."
Leona,'*
deerhound, with
a small, red, half-bred Scotch "
'*
on flew
left respectively,
directions over
the
which of course gave them a great
advantage, as the dogs in their eagerness shot
forward a long way before they were able to stop
By
themselves. ostriches
the time they had done so the
had got such a
was
useless,
very
much
we
start that, seeing pursuit
called the dogs back.
disappointed at our
failure,
We and
were in
no
very pleasant frame of mind turned our horses'
heads
in the direction of
As we
ing towards us.
and
we were surprised by the a man on horseback, gallop-
rode along
sudden appearance of
robe,
our camp.
He
was dressed
his long black hair floating
gave him a very wild exclaimed.
look.
But Francois shook
up
to us
to
on the wind,
his
I
head, and
When he got Fran9ois, whom he
rode up to meet the stranger.
he shook hands with
a guanaco
'*An Indian!"
we
seemed
in
know, and, without evincing any sign
A STRANGER. regarded
of curiosity as
107
turned
ourselves,
his
horse round, and prepared to accompany us.
observed that although his
face, legs,
I
and hands
were almost as copper-coloured as those of an Indian, his features
were those of a white man.
Francois presently told
me
that he
was a Chilian
who had deserted from Sandy Point a good many years ago, and that since then he had lived among the Indians, adopting their dress and customs, till he had now become quite one of convict,
them.
my
In reply to
questions
it
appeared that
he was camping with some Indians on the other side of the lake.
and he was
just
They had been out hunting, returning home when he saw us,
and having nothing better might as well pay a
We
thought he
our camp.
the score of our non- success,
band and
Mr.
bringing
with them.
B.
party,
having had
plenty of
as
a
my
hus-
good day's
guanaco meat
Over pipes and
serious council of
our
do,
were a good deal chaffed when we got
home on sport,
visit to
to
back
coffee that night a
war was held by the whole of
regards
ostrich -hunting
for
the
morrow.
The
Chilian suggested the forming of a circle,
and professed himself hospitality, to
willing, in return
for our
remain another day and join
in the
INDIAJSf
io8
MODE OF HUNTING.
Forming a
affair.
circle is the
formed by lighting
all
A
complete
pretty sure to
circle
of blazing fires
game found
they turn they see
before
met
are
or
therein
become the prey of the dogs,
or guanaco will face a
smoke,
they
before
captured.
is
as no
them a column of and
by dogs
grow
is
Wherever
fire.
horsemen.
Escape becomes almost impossible, and long
is
round a large area of
fires
thus obtained, and any
ostrich
It
which the different hunters ride from
into
sides.
game.
nearly always obtain
the Indians
ground
method by which
it
is
and
bewildered
not are
In anticipation of a hard day's work
on the morrow, we hereupon broke up our council of war, and turned in at an earlier hour than usual.
Next morning, the horses being lost
no time
in
all
ready,
we
springing into the saddle, leaving
Storer to take charge of the camp,
much
to his
alarm, and in spite of his earnest remonstrance.
The poor man
vainly protested
that,
were the
Indians to discover our retreat, he would be perfectly
powerless to prevent their pillaging the
whole camp, especially as his ignorance of their ''jargon," as
he scornfully termed the Tehuelche
language, would position.
place
him
in
a most
helpless
Regardless of his arguments and im-
ploring looks
we
rode away, determining to risk
MAKING THE
CIRCLE.
109
the improbable intrusion of the Indians, whose
camp own.
lay at least twenty miles distant from our
For about
gorio and the
we
half an hour
Chilian
followed Gre-
along a line of broken
we
hillocks, after which, calling a halt,
ward Guillaume and
sent for-
Aria to commence the
I'
first
They
and most distant proceedings of the
circle.
departed at a brisk canter, and
was not long
it
before several rising columns of that
smoke
they were already busily engaged.
next to compose the centre band, Fran9ois, and
Mr.
circle
were
Immediately on their
commenced
all
fires
operations,
hus-
my brother.
Gregorio and myself
and soon a
distinct circle
might be seen springing quickly up from
points.
I
pressed with
From
left
my
The
shortly after sup-
B.,
ported on the right by the Chilian and
of
testified
could not help being greatly imthe
novel
the high plain
sight
now
we were on
before me. I
could look
over miles and miles of untrodden desert land,
where countless herds of guanaco were roaming in peaceful lazy ease.
In the distance towered
the peaks of the Andes, wrapped in their cloak of mystery, lonely and unexplored.
columns of smoke and the circle-fires lent
scene, to
The huge
lurid flames of the
a wild appearance to the thrilling
which the frightened knots of guanacos,
THE CHASE. which were hurrying
from the
to escape
and the eager galloping horsemen,
circle
lent additional
active animation.
For some time Gregorio and and
rode slowly
on our way, when a sudden un-
silently
my
expected bound which
Avestruz
unseated me.
"
Gregorio, and
turned his
movement. the
I
''
Choo
dog who followed
horse
with
Plata!"
!
my
at
but
all
Avestruz!" shouted
!
choo
!
horse gave
a quick I
cry to
horse's heels,
as
a fine male ostrich scudded away towards the
we had
hills
has
Plata
ning.
just
left
with the speed of light-
sighted him, and
is
straining
He
every limb to reach the terrified bird. a plucky dog and a
fleet
him
come
all
his
time to
one, but alonofslde
raking ostrich as he strides away In scious pride of his strength shall lose
him
spurring
my
and
falter as
!
" I
cry, half
horse,
the
hill
grows steeper and
who
for in the
his
''
We
with excitement,
But the ostrich
steeper.
The
and commences a
left,
cause
direction towards
path,
the con-
beginning to gasp
Is
soon explained,
which he has been
making a great cloud of smoke in
all
up which we are struggling
suddenly doubles to the hurried descent.
Is
that ereat
and speed.
mad
take
will
it
is
rises
menacingly
and, baulked of the refuge he had
1
AN EXCITING MOMENT. hoped to is
amidst the
find
hills,
the great bird
forced to alter his course, and
who
along, so does Plata,
much more rare
make
swiftly
he
swiftly as
flies
finds a down-hill race
and
suited to his splendid shoulders
Foot by
stride.
tance
But
below.
the plains
for
1 1
he lessens the
foot
him from
that separates
dis-
and
prey,
his
gets nearer and nearer to the fast sinking, fast
Away we
tiring bird.
go, helter-skelter
down
the
unchecked and undefeated by the numerous
hill,
obstacles that obstruct the way.
Plata
is
alongside
the ostrich, and gathers himself for a spring at the bird's
throat.
*'
He
who does
shout to Gregorio, his horse
him,
has him, he has him!"
on with whip and
though
Yes
?"
rapid twist has shot
not reply, but urges
spur.
— no — the
some
"
And now
once more.
The
victory. for Plata, like
Has he got
ostrich
thirty yards
enemy, and whirling round, makes
his
I
with a
ahead of
for the hills
begins the struggle for
ostrich has decidedly the best of
it,
though he struggles gamely, does not
the uphill work, and at every stride loses
ground.
There
but
too
it lies
attention, in
view
on
flies
another
is
much
who
fire
on the
hill
above,
to the left to attract the bird's
has evidently a safe line of escape
in that direction.
the ostrich
;
On, on we press
;
on,
bravely and gamely struggles
A
112
wake poor
in its
Plata.
Gregorio,
who
right, the
dog can
left
spurt,
Once more
stay
? "
with a tremendous
and races up alongside the
falter,
but he It will
is
ostrich. ;
he
is
great and strong, and
take
all
Plata's time
pull that magnificent bird to the
and
be a long
and
ground,
fierce struggle ere the gallant
creature yields up his
thing but
is
he puts
effort,
cunning to will
He
have the words
stay, for hardly
not beaten yet.
it
cry to
I
the bird points for the plain
beginning to is
Can he
''
smiles and nods his head.
my lips when,
on a
SPILL,
Unconscious of any-
life.
the exciting
chase before me,
suddenly disagreeably reminded that there
is
am
I
such
a thing as caution, and necessity to look where
you are going
to, for,
putting his foot in an un-
my
usually deep tuca-tuca hole,
horse comes
little
with a crash upon his head, and turns completely
over on his back, burying hopeless muddle. I
am
beneath him in a
Fortunately, beyond a shaking,
unhurt, and remounting, endeavour to rejoin
now somewhat
the
me
The
distant chase.
ostrich,
Gregorio, and the dog have reached the plain, and as
I
gallop quickly
down
the
the bird has begun doubling.
hill
I
This
can see that is
a sure sign
of fatigue, and shows that the ostrich's strength
beginning to
fail
him.
Nevertheless
of no small difficulty for one
dog
it is
is
a matter
to secure his
THE DEATH.
113
prey, even at this juncture, as he cannot turn
and
At each
twist about as rapidly as the ostrich.
double the bird shoots far ahead of his pursuer,
Away across
and gains a considerable advantage. the plain the two animals press
whilst
fly,
The excitement
eagerly in their wake.
grows every moment more
and
intense,
watch
I
going on with the keenest
the close struggle
Suddenly the
interest.
and Gregorio
I
grows
stride of the bird
slower, his doubles
become more
of feathers
fly in
every direction as Plata seizes
him by the
tail,
In another
and
for a
frequent, showers
which comes away
moment
the
mouth.
in his
dog has him by the
throat,
few minutes nothing can be distinguished
but a gray struggling
heap.
Then Gregorio
dashes forward and throws himself off his horse, breaks the bird's neck, and the scene the struggle
is
when
over.
I
arrive
The
upon
run had
lasted for twenty-five minutes.
Our dogs and state.
horses were in a most pitiable
Poor Plata lay stretched on the ground
with his tongue, hot and
fiery, lolling
out of his
mouth, and his sides going at a hundred miles
an hour. till
The
horses, with their heads
drooped
they almost touched the ground, and their
bodies streaming with perspiration, presented a
most
pitiable
sight,
and while Gregorio disemI
HOME
114
bowelled
AGAIN.
and fastened the
ostrich together,
I
loosened their girths, and led them to a pool
comfortable, and fit
state to
on
bird
go
Gregorio and
and
horse,
tied
it
a
in
the huge
lifted
I
Encumbered
withers.
animal's
seemed
as soon as they
on,
his
to
length they became more
At
hard by to drink.
the
across
Gregorio
thus,
turned to depart in the direction of the camp, followed
by
while
Plata,
posite
direction
down
in the plain.
search
in
went
I
of
in
my
an
companions
was not long before
It
op-
I
dis-
tinguished in the far distance an ostrich coming straight towards me, closely followed
Galloping to meet them,
two horsemen. the
means of turning the
jaws, for such
full
bird into
''
I
my
brother,
to
who
my horse
arrived, hot
from tearing the bird to pieces. to complete the hunter's work,
to prevent
I
in
and
was
Peache
Leaving
my
"
The
be the old fellow
of excitement, on the scene just as
throwing myself from
was
Peache's
was the name of TAria's dog.
two horsemen turned out question and
by a dog and
I'
Aria
brother and
I
rode slowly back towards our camp, discussing the merits of our horses, dogs, and the stamina of the
two ostriches we had
we
that
we
slain.
So engrossed were
could hardly believe our eyes
came suddenly
in
full
when we
view of our snug
little
OSTRICH MEA T. retreat, but,
dismount coffee
nevertheless,
and
we were very
ourselves with
refresh
which we
115
found
old
glad to the
Storer had
hot
ready
waiting.
One by one the other hunters dropped in. They had all been successful, with the exception of Guillaume and as we stood grouped round the five large ostriches lying on the ground, we ;
congratulated ourselves on our good fortune, and
on the excellent sport we had had.
At dinner
we passed judgment on ostrich -meat, which we now really tasted for the first time, for what we had obtained from the Indian camp had been dry and unpalatable.
We
thought
it
breast and wings are particularly
much resemble
pheasant.
excellent
good
;
;
the
the latter
ii6
DEPARTURE FROM LAG UNA BLANCA.
CHAPTER DEPARTURE FROM LAGUNA BLANCA
X.
A WILD -CAT
—
IBIS
SOUP
INDIAN LAW AND EQUITY
OUR PUMA COWARDICE OF THE PUMA DISCOMFORTS A GOOD RUN. A MYSTERIOUS DISH OF A WET NIGHT
A FERTILE CANADON
—
FIRST
—
After
a four days' stay at
Laguna Blanca, our
we
horses being sufficiently rested,
had got
resolved to
continue our journey.
I
home
where our camp had been
in the little ravine
pitched,
and notwithstanding
my
to feel quite at
anxiety to push
forward and get over the monotony of the plains as soon as possible, in leaving
it
Each bush
I
touch of regret.
some
trivial
incident of our stay,
a share of the good-bye all
my
I
felt
just a slight
passed recalled
and came
in for
inwardly vouchsafed to
late surroundings.
Whilst we were trotting along
I
noticed that
one of the brood-mares was continually looking anxiously back, and on counting the foals that one
drew
was missing.
I'
Aria,
whose
I
found
attention
to this fact, immediately returned to our
I
camp
A WILD-CAT. to look for the lost animal,
probably been
behind
left
117
which he thought had in a ravine
where the
horses had been in the habit of grazing.
meantime we rode
camp of the
the
we had
on, presently passing the site of
Indians, the
noticed from the
themselves had
now on
the
In the
left
it
smoke of whose
Laguna
Blanca.
fires
They
the day before, and were
march southwards, as indicated by
several columns of
smoke which we could see on
the distant skyline,
it
being their habit, when on
the march, to light fires at intervals.
Shortly after
were
passing
by a
startled
by Guillaume's dog, struggling with
the Indian
camp we
series of howls, given vent to *^
whom we
Negro,"
some animal
in the
descried
long grass.
In a second he was joined by the other dogs, and
by the time we got up we found them in
engaged
mortal combat with a huge wild-cat, which had
already punished
defending
itself
slaught of fired at
its
it
managed to to
all
its last
fury,
Negro most
fiercely against
enemies.
without kill it
gasp
it
and nearly
severely,
Two
effect,
and was
the united
on-
revolver shots were
but presently Gregorio
with a blow from the "bolas."
Up
spat and clawed with undaunted all
the dogs were
more or
less
badly wounded; poor ''Negro" in particular, being severely gashed and torn.
Whilst we washed the
ii8
IBIS SOUP.
•
dogs
in a pool of
water hard by, Gregorio skinned
made
the wild-cat, and then
which during
panion,
the
observed making good search was
fruitless,
a search for
com-
some one had
fray
However,
retreat.
its
its
his
and we rode forward again,
the incident just related furnishing us with a topic
conversation wherewith to beguile the next
•for
hour or
I'Aria meanwhile rejoined us, but
so.
had thoroughly searched
although he country
in
all
the
the vicinity of our late camp, he
had
been unable
to find
any traces of the missing
which had doubtless
fallen a
foal,
prey to some puma.
Towards evening we arrived
at a large fresh-
water lake called Laguna Larga, by the shores of
which we set up our out with his gun,
any of us had do so whilst this bird
managed
Laguna
makes
tough, the broth
we saw
an
we had
excellent soup.
it
Patagonia,
its
ibis,
the
first
often tried to
This one was
meat proved rather
gave was
Laguna Larga, in
kill
husband, going
Blanca, being aware that
put in the pot, and though
desired.
to
shot, although
at
My
tents.
all
that could be
like nearly all the lakes
swarmed with
wild-fowl,
and
amongst other birds we observed two flamingoes,
whose gorgeous red plumage excited our covetousness,
and an elaborate stalking-party was organised
with the object of securing one of them.
However,
A FERTILE CANADON.
119
they never gave us a chance, and sailed majesti-
away
cally
Our road along a
approach of danger.
at the first
the next day lay for the most part
down
fertile valley,
the middle of which
The
flowed a narrow but exceedingly deep stream.
breadth of this " canadon
and we followed miles.
down
Its
its
whole length,
The
up
for
it
doubtless stretched
must have been about 150
grass was
places reaching
five miles,
windings for about twenty
to the sea-coast,
miles.
was about
"
tall
to our
many bellies. As
and green, horses'
in
equally fertile valleys are to be found intersecting the barren plains in
number of this
cattle
country were
winter and
immerse
all
the
directions,
all
an enormous
and sheep might be reared it
in
not for the heavy snows in
floods
which
spring,
in
latter
these valleys for a considerable period,
during which the animals would have to seek sustenance on the plains, where, say, they
would not
find
which
is
needless to
it.
As we emerged from plains,
it
the valley on to
the
an animal was descried on the sky-line, at first
we took
for a gigantic
but which presently resolved
Gregorio having seen
it
itself into
first
its
owner, that
is
a horse.
had become
facto, in accordance with the unwritten
pampas,
guanaco,
ipso
law of the
to say, should
it
be
1
INDIAN LA W AND EQUITY.
20
caught the
so,
;
taking TAria with him, he rode off to
with the intention of getting behind his
left,
prospective property and driving
towards our
This he accomplished without
troop.
The
it
difficulty.
horse stood staring at our advancing caval-
cade for some time, and then came galloping
towards us with loud neighs of greeting, spreading
among our
consternation
who neighed and
troop,
snorted in return, apparently by no means pleased at
the sight of the new-comer.
peaceably
however, and
arranged,
further slight demonstrations, he
the troop, evidently
among gorio,
his
Matters were
much
own kind
after
was admitted
lost
into
pleased to find himself
According to Gre-
again.
he had belonged to some Indian,
probably
some
him on the march.
I
who had
asked Gregorio
whether the owner might claim the horse again,
and he
told
me
that the law
among
Indians
is
that the finder receives about one-third of the
value of the object found from the owner.
Some
difficulty generally arises in these cases as to the
value of the
find,
as the parties naturally over-
estimate and depreciate interests
bargain
man.
;
is
this
it
as suits their respective
being especially the case when the
debated between an Indian and a white
Amongst themselves
markably
the
fair in their dealings,
Indians are re-
but as they
know
I
1
O UR FIRST PUMA.
1
them whenever they
that the traders cheat
2
can,
they recognise quite another standard of moraHty
deaHngs with the
in their
latter.
As we were approaching
the spot where
we
intended camping, one of the mules, which was
heading the troop, suddenly turned and dashed away, and
up and
another instant the whole troop broke
in
dispersed,
What was
galloping
in
all
directions.
cause of this stampede
the
We
?
pressed quickly forward, but nothing stirred in the
long grass, though
were baffled
we
scoured everywhere.
for a minute.
where," said Gregorio.
air.
There he goes
our
left,
track.
with
swiftly
my
For us
all
away
!
"
shouted
chorus, and sure
—a at
mighty yellow
some
distance to
brother following close on his
and come up
to gallop after
within ten yards of the
moment, but
he goes
in
enough, there he was going
—slouching
hardly
view-holloa rent the
—there
two or three of our party
puma
puma some-
The words were
when a loud
out of his mouth "
" It's a
We
puma was
the
work of a
to get nearer than ten yards or so
was quite another matter, as our horses were quivering with fright, and with difficulty were kept
from turning
tail
and bolting from the dread
presence of their mortal enemy.
Meanwhile the
puma, finding himself surrounded, lay sullenly
COWARDICE OF THE PUMA. down, eyeing us with dogged hate, and scarcely
seeming to heed the presence of the dogs, who
him
were growling furiously
at
distance from his claws.
Finding
on horseback,
to approach
and a
rifle
useless to try
it
my brother dismounted,
being at hand, took steady aim at the
crouching animal and
Simultaneous with
fired.
paws and a deep
the report, with outstretched
growl, the
at a respectful
puma sprang
forward, and then
fell
heavily to the ground, whilst our horses, becoming
wholly unmanageable, reared up and
When we again got control
fairly bolted.
of them, nothing
would
induce them to return to the spot where the lifeless
body of the puma
mount and walk it
looked
;
and
there.
and we had to
lay,
Very
with their sharp talons and
Its
dis-
and dangerous
fierce
at the sight of Its
now
ponderous paws
cruel white teeth,
we wondered whether, if it knew its own powers, the puma would be such a cowardly animal as It Is.
They
scarcely ever attack man, even
to bay, but lie
down and doggedly meet
though they can
kill
The
their fate,
a full-grown guanaco with
one blow of the paw, and similar ease.
when brought
pull
down
a horse with
Indians affirm that the
puma
only bears young ones In two years, but whether this
be true or not
seem very
I
do not know.
They
certainly
scarce, comparatively, a circumstance
DISCOMFORTS OF A WET NIGHT which may be due to
123
coupled with
this peculiarity,
Indians and traders destroy a
the fact that the
good number annually.
The excitement
attendant
on
the
puma's
demise being over, and our horses having been driven together again,
camping valley first
I
place.
We
we made
for
our intended
lodged that night in the
have described above, and here,
time since
was wet.
It is
we reached
for the
the plains, the night
by no means agreeable
to hear
down on the canvas of one's tent, especially when one has doubts as to the waterproof capabilities of the canvas, and as yet we rain pattering
had had no opportunity of testing nately,
on
ours.
Fortu-
this occasion the rain did not last long,
and, excepting a general sense of dampness,
experienced no further inconvenience.
our journey, on the following day
River Gallegos, which "
Paso de
los
Morros
we
;"
we
Continuing
we reached
the
forded at a spot called
these Morros being two
conically shaped hills of equal height,
which form
a striking landmark, being conspicuous at a considerable distance.
very low
;
The
but owing to the inequality of
and the rapidity of the be taken
river at the time its
was bed
some
care had to
in crossing the ford for fear
any of the
current,
packhorses should come to
grief.
We
passed
A MYSTERIOUS
124
DISH.
without any accident, however, and pitched our
camp near
the bank, under shelter of a snug
clump of beech
much
that
we
trees.
We
little
liked the place so
resolved to pass a couple of days
there, especially as the packhorses required a rest
march from Laguna Blanca.
after the long
The
day we dawdled pleasantly away
first
in
kinds of useful occupations, such as cleaning
all
up
though
guns,
writing
bound
to say that the best part of the time
given
up
etc.,
my
cooking experiments,
to
and Mr.
journals,
am
I
was
brother
both being anxious to prove their
B.
respective superiority in the culinary department.
Much amusement was dish which
my
and which,
had been
anticipations
by a mysterious
brother passed the whole afternoon
elaborating,
in
afforded us
if
his
verified,
have proved a triumph of
own glowing
would
skill.
devoted to the preparation of his
certainly
The
care he
dish,
and the
impressive secrecy with which he conducted his operations, led us into the firm belief that a
agreeable surprise was in store for
us.
most
But when
dinner-time came, and soup and joint had been hurriedly got through in order to enable us to do all
the
more
surprise
one
;
it
the
justice to his effort, the surprise
was
*'
—turned out
plat "
to
—
for
be a very unpleasant
on which so much care had been
A GOOD RUN.
125
bestowed proving to be a homely though curious of
concoction
preserved milk, and brown
rice,
sugar, with a decided taste of burn
swallowing a few spoonfuls, even
;
and
after
concoctor had
its
to avow, with a grimace, that his exertions
My
resulted in a failure. signally
high
proved
office
kitchen
we
department to
and very well we fared
The
We
brother having thus
occupying the
his incapacity for
of cook,
for
had
the future
Francisco's
left
the
supervision,
at his hands.
next day was spent in ostrich-hunting.
made two
game seemed
or three circles, but
we were unable to entrap a single ostrich. We were going home towards evening, rather disconsolately, when some one observed an very scarce, and
ostrich
running straight towards
with the express intention of obliging ing himself to be
apparently
us,
us,
by allow-
But as we started into
killed.
a gallop to meet him half-way, he changed his mind, and darted off sideways, our whole party following.
The dogs
unfortunately,
happens when they are wanted, had
and a depression view.
It
from their
forlorn chase, therefore,
as our tired horses were no
who drew away
often
fallen behind,
in the plain hid us
seemed rather a
as
match
at every stride.
for the ostrich,
To
our surprise,
however, he suddenly began to " double," and
we
•A
126
saw
GOOD RUN.
was being hard pressed by one of
that he
Gulllaume's dogs, from which he had evidently-
been escaping when he met
we pushed
With
us.
fresh zest
forward, spreading out in a semicircle,
so as to be able to turn the ostrich back to the
An
dog should he double round our way.
The
ing chase ensued. its
excit-
dog, a clever brute, did
utmost to make the ostrich double towards
us,
but without success, and the speed at which they
were both going prevented us from getting any
The dog was
nearer.
tiring,
but he held out
stoutly,
double after double slowly exhausting him.
At
overshooting himself in an attempt to stop
last,
short,
he turned a complete somersault, and the
ostrich, profiting
set all sail
in.
respite, literally
and skimmed away, with a strong wind
in his favour.
reining
by the moment's
"
"
He
No, no
is
lost
— the
!"
shouted Francisco,
river, the river!" cried
Gregorio, spurring the harder, and
away we went
after him,
and right enough, there was the
glittering
before us,
with the ostrich
yards from the bank, and, hurrah
!
He
river
not
fifty
our whole
pack of dogs close on his
heels.
the water, or he
In another second he
is
ours.
reaches the bank, and pauses. his heart has failed him,
He
must take
is in
!
No —
and with an ominous
droop of his wings, but with a tremendous spurt
A GOOD RUN. he has
darted
off again,
127
with
not five yards
On, on we
between him and the straining dogs. go.
The
ground
ostrich gains
erous bend of the river
is
him
But the
to
swerve
met by Gregorio.
dexterous double rids him of his
and with a
on
ah, that treach-
It forces
!
round, and in a second he
A
;
new enemy,
he shoots forward again.
last effort
circle closes, the
shouts of the horsemen
sides bewilder him, he hesitates a second,
all
but in that second the dogs are upon him, and the
next he
lies
a struggling, quivering mass of feathers.
men
Horses, dogs, and breathless.
The
— we
are
all
panting and
dogs, so hot had been the pace,
were too blown to move; and even when Francisco
began
to cut
up the
of such interest to perquisites which
bird, this proceeding, usually
them on account of the savoury fell
to their share, scarcely ex-
cited their languid attention.
We
were rather
after dinner, the
discussed in
get to bed.
tired
when we got home, and
run having been most minutely
all its
bearings,
we were
all
glad to
A NUMEROUS GUANA CO HERD.
128
CHAPTER A NUMEROUS GUANACO HERD
XI.
A PAMPA HERMIT
I'ARIA
— —
WAY CHORLITOS A NEW EMOTION RAINBOW WEATHER WISDOM OPTIMIST AND WILD-FOWL ABUNDANT BAD LUCK. LOSES THE
AGAIN
A MOON PESSIMIST
—
The
next day found us once more in the saddle,
jogging along over the plains with the hopes of a
speedy
arrival at the Cordilleras to cheer us,
the depression of spirits which the dreary
tony of the country could not
fail
to produce.
character of the landscape was what
accustomed in this
to since leaving
region,
if
under
mono-
The
we had been
Cabo Negro, being
anything, possibly
more barren
than usual.
This day's ride was memorable
for
the im-
mense number of guanacos which covered the plains in all directions.
we were
depression
herd of
numbered
mous
these less
living
On
arriving at a broad
suprised by the sight of a
animals,
which could not have
than five thousand.
mass
defiled past us
This enor-
up the side and
A NUMEROUS GUANACO HERD.
129
over the brow of an escarpment which bound the depression referred
occupying a space of time
to,
—although they were going pace —and once or twice before
of about ten minutes at a very quick
the day was over
How
herd.
we met an
equally numerous
such an extraordinary number of
animals can find subsistence on the barren plains,
which they even seem ravines,
Certain
is it is
a
matter
to
prefer to the grassy
difficult
of
explanation.
pampa
that the withered
grass must
contain great nourishing properties, as the guan-
acos thrive and
grow very
fat
they are generally rather shy,
composed of some unusually
we approached them, the whole herd
on
Although
it.
we passed one herd tame animals. As
instead of running away,
came slowly
trotting towards us,
staring at us with naive unconcern, which that they
were innocent of the chase.
we had
chanced,
unmolested.
It
plenty of meat, so
meat
;
in
we
As
it
them
left
was not often that we found them
so tame, especially of
showed
when we happened
to be short
such cases, with the usual perverse-
ness of things, they would scarcely allow one to
approach within
rifle-range.
As we went on we observed smoke
to the westward,
proceed from some
fire
a column of
which Gregorio judged to near the Cordilleras
K
;
and
A PAMPA HERMIT.
I30
from his account
it
marked the camp of an eccen-
named Greenwood, who,
Englishman,
tric
appears,
who
particularly
affects
that
it
and
region,
scrupulously avoids contact with his fellow-
coming down
creatures, scarcely ever
In
Point.
according to Gregorio, he seemed
fact,
to live the life of a hermit.
the world and
its vanities,
He
had renounced
even to the extent of
ordinary rough comforts of the
disdaining the
other inhabitants of the pampa.
most primitive
Sandy
to
Clothed
in the
he roams along the slopes
fashion,
of the Cordilleras, and rather than
make a
trip to
the colony to lay in a store of provisions, passes a
whole year on a diet of ostrich and guanaco meat, pure and simple. I
Man
was rather interested of the
course our
Wild
Woods, and kept a sharp look out
we journeyed through seeing him.
in this species of
But, fires,
if
that region in the hopes of
near us at any time
had he chosen
sufficient indication
as
to
—and
of
come, gave
of our whereabouts
—he
did
not relax his rule of exclusiveness in our favour,
and
I,
consequently, never had an opportunity of
making
his acquaintance.
During the march we started up a male which had about forty young ones under
Though we
called our
ostrich, Its care.
dogs back, nothing could
;
PARIA AGAIN LOSES THE WAY. and they gave chase,
restrain them,
we could
the small ostriches before
killing
left
one of
get up to them
The
the male bird and the others escaped.
of the young ostrich
131
flesh
we which make
not very palatable, so
is
the bird, taking only
legs,
its
On
very nice handles for umbrellas and whips. this
day
I'
Aria again distinguished himself by
losing the way, he having been entrusted
by the
other guides with the leadership on this occasion, as he was supposed to be better acquainted than
any one with
For
this particular region.
two hours we followed him
quite
directions through an extensive in search
of the springs
that night
;
than the one
in
in quite
which
pertinacious confidence,
and a
we were
and when they were
was by Gregorio, and
in for
beechwood
I'
to
in all
thicket,
camp by
at last found,
it
another direction
Aria, with
was taking
his
usual
He came
us.
a good deal of abuse from his colleagues, share of black looks from us,
fair
all
of
which he bore with the cheerful indifference which characterised
The
him under
all
circumstances.
present was to be our last
beeches, as
we had now
camp among
to strike across a perfectly
woodless region, on our way to the point at which
we intended
entering the Cordilleras.
These occa-
sional patches of beeches are only to
be found
132
CHORLITOS.
.
in the vicinity of the
down
stretch
with in the
mountains
In the plains that
;
to the coast nothing
way
of fuel but
and a few
We
therefore
other scrubby kinds of bushes.
made
the most of our present abundance of wood,
and revelled
huge
in
in order to lay in
fires,
warm memories at least to into the bleak region we were about dinner this day we tasted a novelty
store of
of such
fowl,
excellence
that
I
Its
large ''
merits. flights
chorllto,"
or
In the daytime
in
in the
cannot
come down
numbers berries
to
Patagonia
which grow everywhere
on which the
ostriches, Ibis,
feed and thrive.
We
the
let
moment with
natives
species
at this season, to feast
way of
we had met
In
call
something
between a golden plover and a woodcock. birds
At
to enter.
of a bird which the " batatu,"
a
carry with us
occasion pass without expatiating for a
on
be met
to
is
" berberls "
These
incredible
on the ripe cran-
and
in profusion,
and wild geese
all
had shot some of these
" chorlltos,"
and they had been roasted
on the
along with some snipe and wild duck
spit,
we had brought ner,
as
so
with us from Gallegos.
however, they were at
first
for dinner
At
din-
rather neglected,
we had got rather tired of birds, having had much of them at Laguna Blanca. Presently,
however, dinner being finished, some one of our
A
NEW EMOTION.
133
party, in a spirit of careless curiosity rather than
from any desire to appetite, pulled
satisfy
an already satiated
one of these chorlitos
and with a half-deprecating But when he had done
air
off the spit,
took a bite of
it.
the sudden alteration
so,
bearing from apathy to activity was a sight
in his
The
to see.
expression on his face,
of weary indifference,
gave way
to
by
a look of
became one
intense astonishment, which finally
of placid delight, as bit
then one
till
bit the chorlito
Though he
appeared down his throat.
dis-
did not
speak, his silent action spoke volumes of eloquent
may be
recommendation, and, as
were soon
all
engaged
imagined,
in eating chorlitos
;
we
for a
time no sound being heard but the smacking of lips,
the crunching of bones, and occasionally such
exclamations as " Stunning cious
!
"
etc. etc.
The
fact
!
By Jove " " Deliwe had discovered
" "
is,
what some Persian king offered half for
—a new emotion—
!
his
kingdom
for so seductively succulent,
so exquisitely flavoured, so far beyond anything the gourmet might dream
of in the sublimest
flight of his imagination, is
the flesh of the cran-
berry-fed chorlito, that the sensation
on the palate when tasted
it
produces
for the first time
may,
without hyperbole, be described as rising to the dignity of an emotion.
;
WEA THER- WISDOM.
134
Unfortunately, as
seemed
we
we
travelled northward
and
to leave the region of these birds,
we
only on this and two other occasions were able to feast
upon them.
We witnessed shape of a
moon
phenomenon
a
Rain
others calculated pleasant,
and a
many were
rainbow, and
conjectures as to whether
bad weather.
that night in the
is
presaged good or
it
the one thing above
make an
to
fear of
it
the
open-air
life
all
un-
being constantly present
to our minds, nearly every
evening meteorological
speculations formed a staple topic of conversation for the
whole camp.
A
great amount of weather
wisdom was developed among a party our
spirit
camp
was Imported
splitting Into
and Pessimists.-
us,
and very soon
Into the question,
two sections
Just before
— Optimists
bedtime the sky
would be conned, and the various weather cations eagerly discussed, often with
and
it
was amusing
to see
how
indi-
some heat
frequently
the
optimists would enlist as arguments In favour of their prophecies of fine weather, the
phenomena of cloud
or
very same
temperature on which,
on the other hand, the pessimists grounded equally confident prognostications of rain. occasions ried
when
their
On
these discussions had been car-
on with more than usual earnestness, should
— OPTIMIST
AND
PESSIMIST.
rain suddenly begin to patter
the
"
tents in the middle of the night,
135
down on
the
one might often
hear conversations like the following
:
Pessimist (in tone of triumph, evidently pleased that
it
was
raining, as his antagonist "
confounded). rain
?
told
I
who was right about !" was sure to come
Well
you
it
was thereby the
!
Optimist (cheerily, and half implying that he believes
it
isn't
raining at
" It is
all).
not raining.
Well, a drop or two, perhaps, but that's nothing it
will
;
soon be over."
Pessimist (fervently praying that cats
and dogs
will
think
may
rain
"
You
for the next twelve hours).
something though, when you are
it's
swamped.
it
(Confidently)
bound
It's
to rain
till
morning." Optimist (scornfully). Stuff! (or
Why,
it
no moon, as may
does
rain.
Rain
till
never rains long with a
morning full
!
moon"
suit the case).
Pessimist (derisively). it
'*
Didn't you
"
That's exactly
know
Optimist (pertinaciously).
*'
when
that ?"
Why,
only yester-
day you said yourself that one might be certain it
would not rain long with a
full
moon, so there
Pessimist (conveniently forgetful). I
''
!
I'm sure
never said anything of the kind." Optimist gives vent to a sleepy but uncompli-
WILD-FOWL ABUNDANT,
136
mentary ejaculation against people generally who don't
know what they
are talking about.
Pessimist retorts with drowsy ditto, where-
upon follows
On
broken by snores.
silence, or silence
evening
particular
this
the
halo
was
naturally a strong feature in the discussion, and
much
ingenious special pleading was employed on
both sides to prove that
its
presence was an
no
infallible indication of rain or
rain.
This time
the optimists gained a signal victory, as the night
was
fine throughout.
The next day was spent in shooting wild-fowl down by a big lake which lay about a couple of I shot a great many miles distant from the camp. lovely specimens of water-fowl, the like of which I
had never seen
and loaded
before,
my
horse
with a great quantity of geese, duck, and plover.
Riding started
home
quietly
up a big
after
ostrich,
my
who
day's
rose
sport
from the
ground not more than a couple of yards
How
I
camp
distant.
longed for one of the greyhounds, and
shouted loudly to Francois, in
I
idly
would not
whom
I
could descry
doing nothing, but he could not or Galloping towards him,
hear.
I
hastily
explained in which direction the ostrich had disappeared, and in
pursuit.
mounting
An
hour
his
later
horse he went off
he returned empty-
BAD He
handed.
LUCK.
137
had come across the ostrich and
given chase, but the bird, taking to the beech woods, had disappeared therein, closely followed After a long and fruitless search
by the dogs. for both, his
he had been obliged to return without
dogs to the camp.
Doubtless, as he observed,
they had managed to
kill
even then indulging
a heavy feed.
were
verified
when,
in
their prey,
later on, the
and were His words
animals returned,
presenting an undeniable appearance of having
partaken of a large repast. absent
all
day
had gone on
in search of
foot
had been unable
Gregorio had been guanaco, but as he
and taken no dogs with him, he to secure the
he had managed to wound.
one or two which
So, altogether, our
attempts in the chase did not on this occasion flourish.
A. MONOTONO US RIDE.
138
CHAPTER A MONOTONOUS RIDE
XII.
A DREARY LANDSCAPE
SHORT FUEL
— THE CORDILLERAS FEATURES OF PATAGONIAN SCENERY— HEAT AND GNATS — A PUMA AGAIN — " THE RAIN
RATIONS
NEVER weary"
IS
TO THE RESCUE
After another
DAMPNESS, HUNGER, GLOOM
I'ARIA
— HIS INGENUITY.
day's sojourn at this
encampment
we resumed our journey. We took a good supply of fuel with us, as we were now entering on the barren, woodless region, during our transit over
which we should have to rely solely on the provision
we now made.
Leaving the beechwood behind us we rode up on to a
plain,
on whose edge we could distinguish
what appeared reality
it
to
be a
little
black cloud.
was a peak, or rather clump of peaks of
the Cordilleras, at the foot of which
day
to
days
we were one
camp, and towards which for the next few
we
directed our horses' heads.
This day's far
In
ride,
and
it
was a long one, was by
more monotonous and dreary than any of the
preceding
ones.
The immense
plateau
over
A DREAR Y LANDSCAPE. which we rode able for
where
its
139
seven hours was remark-
for six or
gloom and barrenness, even sterility
all is
in
a region
There was
and dreariness.
no sun, and the sky, lowering and dark, formed a fit
counterpart to the plain, which stretched
away and
to
the
horizon, gray, mournful,
indistinct
silent.
We
being affected by the
help
not
could
aspect of the scenery around us, and
remember ever
to
have
felt
our party,
I
do not
anything to equal the
depression of spirits to which all
flatly
I,
in
common
with
a prey, and to whose influence
fell
even the guides succumbed.
For once they drove the troop along without enlivening their
work with
of " legua
cries
and the very
legua!
!
bells
the customary cheery
Mula
!
Mulal"
of the Madrinas
etc.,
seemed
to
have a muflled, solemn sound, very unlike their usual lively jingle.
A
single incident occurred during that day's
march.
A
little
guanaco,
which had
lost
its
mother somehow, seeing us coming, instead of running
away,
trotted
trustingly
towards
us.
Unfortunately our bloodthirsty dogs dashed out
and threw
The poor first
it
before
we
could get up to stop them.
thing got up again, however, and at
did not
seem much
hurt.
It
was the sweetest
SHORT FUEL RATIONS.
I40
and
bright, gentle eyes,
my
cheek
In
Its
who had lost have made an
got bigger
it
her
filly
at
with
would learn
it
excellent foster-mother for
hardly formed the Idea
that
when
the
must have received some
It
proved to be the case
this
minutes
its
short time
and
to me,
with
Point,
tions
sure
finally
Tame
us.
and
it
On
examining
my
grief In a very
have found
its
way
England
to
guanacos are often kept
their gentle
We were
could have
it
would have become attached
at
ways and amiable
make them charming
when we
from the
died, apparently without suffering.
it
am
I
guanaco
little
bite
would have given anything that
lived, as
But
Indeed, In a few
;
eyes glazed, and to
It.
became evident
It
dogs which we had not noticed.
I
It
Laguna Blanca would
began to stagger about, and
it
nose against
keep with our troop, especially as the mare
to
I
thrust
determined to carry
I
hopes that as
in
It
a caressing manner, without the
least sign of fear.
me,
and
creature imaginable, with soft silky fur,
little
Sandy
disposi-
pets.
thoroughly tired of our dull march
at last arrived at a ravine
where there
were a few pools of water, and where we camped for the night.
the
fire
As we were on
was allowed
and we went
to bed,
to
go out
now
short fuel rations,
directly after dinner,
the only
warm
place.
SHORT FUEL RATIONS.
141
Off again the next day, the clump of peaks
mentioned above growing more terribly far,
distinct,
and no wood to be got
till
still
we reached
Plains as usual studded with guanacos,
them.
but having no time to go out with our
had
but
to
confine
ourselves to ostrich meat.
these birds there was an abundance, and exciting run
we had pursuing them.
were numerous able species
rifles,
too,
we Of
many an
Wild-fowl
but having eaten every imagin-
— geese,
duck,
widgeon, snipe,
teal,
Barbary duck, we were quite tired of them. After another long march
open
shelterless
ravine,
we camped
in
an
and then again pushed
hurriedly on, our stock of fuel getting ominously
clump of peaks, which
low, towards the tantalising at the
seemed
to
They were now beginning
to
end of a long day's
come any
nearer.
disappear, as
ride scarcely
we descended
into
an immense basin
which lay between us and them, and whose farther
end was bound by a succession of
plateaus, rising
abruptly one over the other as
appeared to
though,
when we
ultimately
it
came up
to them,
us,
we
found the graduating ascent almost imperceptible. After camping one night in a most disagreeable sandy region, where our food and clothes and furs all got
impregnated with grit and dust, and
where we burned our
last stick,
we
again pushed
THE CORDILLERAS.
142
on, with the unpleasant
knowledge that that night
we should possibly have to camp without a fire to warm ourselves and cook our food. The basin we were now crossing seemed interminable. We were
to
camp
that night at the foot of the escarp-
ment which bound
its
farther end,
whence
We
mountains was only one day's march.
now
out of sight of the latter again, but
cheered by the
comforting
to the
were
we were
consciousness that
each step was bringing us nearer to them. Just as ride,
it
was getting dark,
we reached
after a
weary day's
a brawling mountain
-
stream,
which swept along the base of an escarpment,
and which we hailed as the at last
we
first
sign that
approaching the Cordilleras.
pitched our
camp
in the
to the
Fording
it
long green grass, just
under shelter of the escarpment. unsaddling, eager to see
we were
how
near
But before
we had come
clump of peaks which had so long been be-
we rode up which we hoped
fore our eyes,
the escarpment, from
the top of
to get a
good view of
the country westward.
Our expectations
were
not
disappointed.
There, seemingly not a mile away, rose up, compact and dark, not the huddled clump of peaks
we
had seen two days ago, but a mighty mountain chain,
which
lost itself
westward
in the gathering
FEATURES OF PATAGONIAN SCENERY. dusk of evening
—standing
143
like a mysterious barrier
between the strange country we had just crossed
and a
possibly
The sun had
long
fantastically
-
and the base of the moun-
set,
was wrapped
tains
country beyond.
stranger
still
in darkness,
but their jagged
shaped crests stood clearly defined
against the light which
still
glimmered
in the sky,
and here and there a snow-covered peak, higher than
comrades,
its
still
retained a faint roseate glow,
which contrasted strangely with the gray gloom of
all
below.
For a long time
over everything,
fallen
self
after
up
I
complete darkness had
stood alone, giving
my-
to the influence of the emotions the scene
described
awoke
in
me, and endeavouring, though
vainly, to analyse the feeling
which the majestic
loneliness of Patagonian scenery always produced in
—
my mind — a for
any
it
feeling
which
would be impossible
definite feature of the
which compose
it
—to
I
can only compare
for
me
to seize
many vague
on
sensations
those called up by one of
Beethoven's grand, severe, yet mysteriously soft sonatas. I
was awakened from
my reverie
who was wandering about dry sticks for the to collect
fire.
by Francisco,
trying to gather a few
Fortunately he
managed
enough to enable us to cook a tolerable
HEAT AND
144
dinner with
we were
GNATS.
having eaten which, as usual, when
;
fireless,
we sought our couches
as speedily
as possible.
The morning broke with every weather. The air was heavy and
sign of bad
a hot
sultry,
dry wind blew over the
plains, whirling
of fine dust, and
mountain-chain was
the
up clouds half-
hidden by dark masses of clouds of threatening aspect.
We
saddled and packed up as hurriedly
as possible, fervently hoping that the rain, which
we saw must come, would
sooner or later hold over
till
we had reached our
As we journeyed
kindly
destination.
on, the sultriness
grew more
and more oppressive, and we were vexed by
in-
numerable swarms of minute gnats, which got into our eyes
and mouths, buzzed about us
hopelessly persistent manner, and
in
a
by no means
allayed the state of irritation the combined influ-
ence of dust and heat had brought us slight diversion presently occurred
into.
A
by the appear-
ance of an animal whose claims to our polite and
immediate attention were not to be denied.
This
was an enormous puma, who suddenly sprang up from the midst of our cavalcade, sending the mules
and luggage horses stampeding away tions.
True
to
its
slouched hurriedly
in all direc-
cowardly nature, the animal
off,
and disappeared down the
A PUMA AGAIN. side of a ravine.
but
fast as
we
Quick as thought we pursued
galloped, not a trace of
At a
be seen.
145
it
it,
was
short distance from where
to
we
stood eagerly searching for the vanished animal,
I
perceived a small bush growing, the only one for miles round, and to this
pointed as the probable
I
place where the brute had sought a hiding-place.
We
lost
and the
drew
no time
in galloping
our horses when
we
assured us of the correctness of
my
terrified snorting of
near,
towards the spot,
surmise, and put us on our guard.
We
caught sight of him, as he crouched with
angry glowing eyes and an expression on his face which,
a
rifle,
on discovering that none of us carried
was the reverse of
reassuring, especially as
we knew from our guides that, for some reason or other, these Cordillera pumas are fiercer than their kindred of the plains, and often attack their assailants,
—a
piece of temerity the latter have never
been known to be capable Fortunately,
at
of.
moment,
this
my
came up with a gun, though indeed
it
Dismounting
loaded with small shot.
husband
was only hastily
he
approached within eight or nine yards of the growling animal.
Bang
!
bang
!
w^ent
his gun,
and through the cloud of smoke we saw the puma
jump up
in
the air and
L
fall
backwards on the
THE RAIN IS NE VER WEAR K "
146
"
bush.
For a moment or two
rolled about in
it
the throes of death, and then, with a last growl stretched itself slowly out, and lay
who to
its
floor of the
at present writing,
from the
We
The guides all declared it to puma they had ever seen. The
which adorns the
skin,
at once,
skin.
be the biggest
am
work
arrived at this moment, set to
remove
Gregorio,
still.
room where
I
measures exactly nine feet
tip of the tail to
the point of the nose.
then hurried on again, anxiously scanning the
weather, which meanwhile had
The
more threatening. so as to have
grown more and
sultriness
become almost unbearable, and the
swarms of gnats above alluded numerous
had increased
Before long a fearful
proportion.
in
had grown
to
thunderstorm burst over our heads, and for a short time the rain came
down
Then
in sheets.
a shift
of the wind changed the temperature again.
became quite itself into
chilly,
and the heavy
It
rain resolved
a thick drizzling mist, which soon wetted
For hours we rode
us to the skin. fortless plight,
— wet,
cold,
and
in this
tired,
com-
and by no
means cheered by the aspect of the country, the little
we
could
see
of which
hidden by the mist aforesaid
—most
of
it
being
— looking blacker and
sadder than ever.
We were
in
hopes that at
least before
evening
THE PUMA'S DEATH -SPRING.
DAMPNESS— HUNGER— GLOOM. it
would
camp
in the drizzling sleet
pleasant, but as
it
to find the way,
being, as near as
we descended to
from
I
fifty
How Gregorio At
don't know.
last
could judge, about sunset,
I
a very steep declivity, and came on
what appeared
kind,
far
grew darker the fog increased
paces ahead of our horses' noses.
it
was
and soon we could hardly see
in thickness,
managed
having to
clear up, as the prospect of
pitch our
147
to
be a ravine of the ordinary
where grass and underwood were apparently
abundant.
We
halted at a semicircle
bushes, and set disconsolately to
the tents.
work
of
to get
tall
up
This by no means easy task being
accomplished,
we
the
collected
cartridges together,
provisions
and
and got them under shelter
into the smaller of the
two
tents.
Our
rugs, furs,
and coverings were wet through, so we carried
them
into the other tent
them and done, fire,
lay
them out
we turned our but
and proceeded to
dry.
to
wring
This being
attention towards
making a
everybody
declared
the guides
and
the attempt impossible, and indeed so for there
to
it
seemed,
was not a dry twig or blade of grass
be found anywhere.
Back we
all
crept into
damp tents, and prepared to dine as genially as we could off sardines and dry biscuit. But though we might choose to resign ourselves our
IARIA TO THE RESCUE.
148
thus supinely to discomfort, old I'Aria, for his part,
was by no means
inclined to
do
making a
the discussion as to the possibility of
had been carried
fire
Whilst
so.
on, after listening a
minute
or two to the arguments which were being urged
proving conclusively that nothing could be done
towards
he silently withdrew, and busied him-
it,
up
setting
self in
dilapidated
own
his
little
one by the way,
as,
tent,
—a
rather
whenever
he
required something wherewith to patch up a rent
garments, he was in the habit of
in his curious
supplying his want by cutting out a piece of the
canvas of his ''casa" {house) as he called
it
—an
ingenious method of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
Meanwhile we had were beginning oroinor to
going
Mr.
bed,
B.,
I
the council as
when
heard some conversation
I
I'Aria,
the latter an
and who,
and
to arrange our furs preparatory to
between
on
retired to our tents,
must
say,
my
inveterate
husband,
mate drinker,
had been the only one
who had expressed tent
I
at
himself hopefully
regarded the possibility of making a
Looking out of the
and
saw them
all
fire.
crouched
under a bush, dripping wet, but earnestly engaged in
some elaborate preparations
damp and
getting soaked
wood
Finding they disregarded
for
conquering
to burn.
my
friendly advice
rARIAS INGENUITY.
themselves the trouble of doing what
to save
could only be termed useless,
my
149
tent again.
Half an hour
withdrew into
I
later
I
could
still
hear them bravely battling against the inevitbut presently
able,
Mr. B. went past
with a kettle in his hand. is it it
?"
will
"
very soon," he replied. fill
coffee ?"
the kettle
I
sighed.
I
answered something
certainly
cup of hot
tent
burning, "
No, but
Meanwhile
would you
;
my
fire is
called out ironically to him.
I
going to
for a
The
''
I
like tea or
sarcastic, but
would have given anything
The
tea.
hopeful expression
my-
of Mr. B.'s face had struck me, so, covering self
up
in
was busy hope of four
a cloak,
went up
I
at work, to see
his succeeding.
little
am
to
where
I'
Aria
was any
if
really there
I
found he had stuck
the ground, over which
stakes in
a
cloth
was drawn, under whose shelter he had
built
an elaborate structure of wooden matches,
laid crosswise
one over the other, so as
to
be
handy when required over these lay a small heap ;
of fine twigs, as dry as could be procured, as well as
some
stout
sticks,
which he informed blazing.
finally
me would
several logs,
soon be merrily
Everything being ready, he applied a
light to the matches,
to blaze,
and
and as soon as they began
added the twigs, which
in their turn, after
P'ARIA'S
150
a
doubtful spluttering, took
little
sently
were
INGENUITY.
—
was the
this
laid on.
critical
For a time
fire,
moment
my
and pre-
—the
sticks
worst fears seemed
about to be realised, the sticks only smoked viciously, the
matches had long burned away, and
now began
the twigs
to
I'Aria did not give
old
But
glow doubtfully. in
without a struggle.
Kneeling down he tried gently to fan the fading
glow with watched it
his breath.
it,
it
seemed
became reduced
conquered
at
began
blaze,
to
good blazing his
tent,
At
to a single spark.
last
;
lent
anxiously
But patience
the glow spread, the
sticks
and before long there was a
fire,
which brought every one from
especially as, meantime, the still
rain
had
hung over every-
making the darkness of the night
intense. coffee,
we
to gain strength, at others
ceased, though a thick mist thing,
times, as
Kettles were put on to
boil,
still
more
mate, tea,
imbibed, and Francisco prepared an excel-
ostrich-fry,
ct
la
minute, discussing which,
blessings were invoked on I'Aria's head,
perseverance these comforts being due.
—
to his
Supper
we groped our way back to our tents, and, enveloped in a dense damp mist, went to sleep, over,
not at
all satisfied
with the inhospitable greeting
the Cordilleras had vouchsafed us.
A SURPRISE.
CHAPTER — A STRANGE SCENE BERRIES — GUANACO-STALKING — A GOOD SHOT. next morning
I
XIII. AN IDLE DAY CALIFAT^ A DILEMMA MOSQUITOES
A SURPRISE
The
151
was pleasantly awakened by
a bright ray of sunshine, which forced
through the opening inclination to sleep
in
my
tent,
any longer.
leaving I
lost
its
way
me
little
no time
getting up, and stepped out, anxious to see
kind of country
we had got
into
in
what
under cover of
the fog of the previous day.
For a moment contrast
I
was quite bewildered by the
now
of the scene
before
me and
the
dreary impression the unfavourable weather conditions
found
had
lent to the country
we were camped
in a
on our
broad
arrival.
valley,
I
which
looked bright and smiling beneath a clear blue
sky and a warm sun.
A
slight breeze
swept over
the long green grass, which was studded here and there
with
clumps of
califate
bushes,
and an
enlivening colour variety was given to the verdant
152
Jf
STRANGE SCENE.
carpet by occasional tracts of white and yellow
One end
flowers.
some
tall
beech
trees,
of the valley was
covered with
hills,
bound by
dark patches of
and beyond these again, ridge above
ridge, range
above range, the snow and glacier
covered Cordilleras of the Andes towered majesthe
The
sky.
tically
to
clear
looking long westward,
;
was marvellously
air
could gradually
I
distinguish, in the haze of the distance, over the
mountains which
first
met
my
ranges, of such height that they in mid-air,
and only
my
after
seemed
vision
to float
had acquired
sharpness from long concentration, could
But
their outlines basewards.
snowy
gaze, white
it
trace
I
was the
siofht at
the near end of the valley which most claimed
From behind
attention.
bound
it
rose
a
tall
jagged peaks were fashion, air
and
fretted
and moisture
chain
cleft
green
the
hills
of heights, the
in
most
my that
whose
fantastic
and worn by the action of the
into
forms,
semblance of delicate Gothic
some bearing the
spires, others imitat-
ing with surprising closeness the bolder outlines of battlemented buttresses and lofty towers.
The
bare rock which formed them was red porphyry,
and the morning sun
glittering
variety of bright tints, purple
were thrown into striking
relief
on
it,
lent
it
a
and golden, which by the blue back-
A STRANGE SCENE.
153
ground of the sky and the white masses of snow,
The
which, in parts, clung to the peaks. flanks of these gullies
and
tall
heights were scored with deep
and strewn with detached
ravines,
boulders of rock
;
abrupt
but nowhere was there any trace
of vegetation, either bush or grass.
The suddenness burst upon
me
with which this novel scenery
considerably heightened
But yesterday we had stood on the their eternal
night
monotony of colour and
we had gone
to bed, as
similar dreary waste
;
we
its
effect.
with
plains,
outline
;
last
thought, in a
and now, as
by magic,
if
from the bowels of the earth, a grand and glorious landscape had sprung up around different,
in
its
as totally
us,
diversity of outline
and
colour,
from that which only a few hours ago had depressed and wearied It
was amusing
us,
to hear the exclamations of
my
surprise with which scene, as one
as could well be imagined.
companions greeted the
by one they came out of
their tents
and gazed on the pleasant metamorphosis which had taken place during our slumbers.
We
had
grumbled a good deal the day before about the
many illtempered expletives but all that was now forgotten, and as we looked around us we felt that country, and had anathematised
it
with
;
our trouble had not been unrewarded.
DA V.
*AN IDLE
154
Taking advantage of the
damp
spread our to the
wind and
my
over,
fast
furs
we
sun, they
were soon
Break-
dry.
brother started off with his
end of the
rifle
valley,
others stretched ourselves on our furs
under the shade of some
tall
help of books and pipes, a
bushes, and with the
little
desultory conver-
and the lazy contemplation of the
sation,
we
weather,
on the bushes, and, thanks
to explore the peaks at the
whilst
fine
scenery before
us,
we managed
to pass
fair
away the
hot hours of noon pleasantly enough.
When
of idleness, with.
got cooler, and
it
we found
hand with the had
themselves
be cleaned.
needle, the rough
lately received
and patching
to
I
my
I
made some attempts
imperative.
had
am no good usage my apparel
and, although
;
fill
plenty to occupy ourselves
There were guns
journal to write up
we had drank our
The
at
sewing
guides busied
in repairing saddle-gear,
making
reins
or lassos from guanaco hide, and similar work.
Our English servant
Storer,
who had somehow
created for himself the reputation of one expert in
the stuffing of birds and the curing of skins, was
busy with several unsavoury smelling specimens of the latter, which he had been carrying about
him
for
some
days,
having to-day,
for the first
upon them.
Mr. B. went
time, leisure to operate
CALIFATE BERRIES.
make a
off to
site
came
camp and
sketch of our
esque surroundings, and
155
in searching for
pictur-
its
a suitable
across a caHfate bush, the blue berries
on which were almost
He
ripe.
brought back a
and though we found them rather
capful,
acid,
mashed up with plenty of sugar they made a very nice refreshing dish, which
was
to us after our late uniform diet.
grass near the stream that flowed
we found some soup, *'
In the long
down
the valley
wild celery, which, put in the
was a decided improvement on the dried
we had brought with us, and of which time we had but little left. Just as we
Julienne
by
welcome
especially
this
"
were getting rather anxious about him, as already near sunset, his excursion to the
my
it
was
brother came back from
Arriving
Porphyry Peaks. *
at their base
much
been deceived
later
than he expected, having
in the distance,
he had only had
time to climb about half-way up them, but even at that
height had got a splendid view of the
country beyond, his accounts of which
eager to penetrate into
it
as soon as possible.
But as our packhorses required be deferred for a couple of days
The ised.
made us
rest, this
had
to
yet.
next day a hunting-party was organ-
Neither our guides nor ourselves know-
ing whether any
game was
to
be found
in
the
GtJANA CO-STALKING.
156
country
we were about
to enter,
it
was necessary
we should take a good supply of meat with We made a circle in the usual manner, and
that us.
were
successful, as far as ostriches
inasmuch
some good
as, after
were concerned,
runs,
we managed
to kill three.
Having observed a herd of guanaco grazing in a valley at
horses were try
some
tolerably fresh then set out to
still
and get one, the meat of three ostriches not
being sufficient to
more than two
last
ourselves and dogs for
The dogs were
days.
tired with their previous exertions to
use to
us,
so
we had
the
herd with great
it
be of any
was necessary
proceeded to do, choosing our ground
by,
and
when we heard
looking
round,
He
valley.
watchful
cantered along,
herd,
at a
sentinel, off,
hill
saw
little
guanaco
a
overlooking the
had scarcely uttered
was repeated
carefully,
a shrill neigh close
we
standing on the crest of a
we
this
But we had
so as to keep out of their sight.
not gone far
rifles.
to stalk
and
precautions,
too
all
on our
to rely solely
This being the case,
it
whose
distance, those of us
his
cry
when
distance off by another
and then they both
slowly
looking back at us as they went
and neighing loudly meanwhile,
at
intervals.
The
warned of the approach
of
GUANACO-STALKING.
157
danger, leisurely trotted up the escarpment on other side of the
the
valley,
and as
My
disappeared over the plain.
leisurely
husband took
a vindictive pot-shot at one of the retreating
but missed him
sentinels,
and we had
;
to
make
the best of our disappointment, and search for
some
less
siderable ticular
difficulty,
the guanacos
At
little
con-
on
par-
this
knot of four or
together, almost out of
after a great deal
last,
my
of fruitless stalking,
a
we had
day appearing to be shyer than we had
known them.
ever
In this
watchful herd.
husband got a shot
who were standing range. One fell, and the five,
With a
others took to their heels.
umph we
at
wounded
galloped up to the
cry of
tri-
one, but to
our dismay, at our approach, he sprang to his feet
and started to
all
we
Spurring our horses,
appearance unhurt.
followed
ravines,
him
speed after his companions,
off full
up
closely
hills,
in
over the plains, at times losing
to despair of ever
only
him
altogether, but always catching sight of
we began running him down. One by
again, going as fresh as ever,
one
wake, down steep
his
my my
till
companions dropped husband, Mr.'
in the chase.
Had he
we should have desisted
at last
off,
till
presently
and myself, were
left
not been so palpably
hit,
B.,
too
;
but
it
seemed a
pity.
A DILEMMA.
•
158
having gone so
hoping to
far,
to give
we kept
so
in,
on,
out our prey by sheer persistence.
tire
But gradually, and no wonder, our jaded horses began
show
to
them almost
signs of exhaustion
to a standstill, and, reflecting
we had
distance
were just going
to rein in,
when
he
got,
every his
to within
the guanaco sud-
Sure now of getting
we pushed on towards
had got
But when we
him.
about six yards of him, up
and galloped
off again, distancing us at
Hesitating what to do,
stride.
wake, though
we had never
on the
back to the camp, we
to ride
denly stopped and lay down. him,
we had run
;
all
the time
started
after
we kept
in
we were wishing Slower and
him.
slower our panting horses struggled towards a ravine,
down
the side of which the guanaco had
We
disappeared.
to
were at a
loss to
become of him. side, or
edge and looked
we
He
to be
seen.
imagine what could have
had not climbed the other
should have seen him emerge on the
nor could he have gone along the ravine,
plain,
either to the riQ^ht or the
a view of
it
in
we were
astonishment
moved
in the
left,
as
we commanded
both directions for a long distance.
In this dilemma
with
its
The ooruanaco was nowhere
down.
We
came
about
staring us,
open-mouthed
when something
long grass below, and directing our
MOSQUITOES. Steps thither
we came upon
159
our guanaco lying
The movement
stretched out in a pool of blood.
had drawn our attention to him had
that
been
his last effort, for
evidently-
he was now quite dead.
Examining him, we found the
had entered
bullet
and passing through the lungs and
his side,
had lodged near the spine
;
and
thus severely
yet,
wounded, he had gone quite ten cracking pace
Later on
!
lights,
miles
at
we experienced
a
still
more extraordinary instances of the toughness and tenacity of son with
of these animals, in compari-
life
whom
the cat with
Having
absolutely nowhere. aco,
and distributed
its
nine lives
its
cut
up the guan-
meat on the saddles of
we turned back towards our camp long ride we had before we got there.
our horses,
and a FArla,
we
;
found,
had
also
killed
a guanaco,
and we had therefore plenty of meat to us,
is
should
we have
difficulty in getting
last
game
in
the Cordilleras.
The
next day was passed, in Idleness.
extremely hot, scarcely a breath of wind
and
In the
was
stirring,
evening we were rather bothered by
mosquitoes, this being the
made with them
first
in Patagonia.
acquaintance
height,
we
During the day
a bird was seen hovering over the
immense
It
which we were
camp told
at
an
was a
A GOOD SHOT.
•
i6o
condor.
It
was so high up that
moment when
my
hung
it
husband had a shot
lous fluke, the
at
took
ball
looked scarcely
Taking advantage
bigger than an ordinary hawk. of a
it
perfectly motionless,
and, by a marvel-
it,
effect,
and down the
creature came, growing bigger and bigger as fell,
at last, reaching the earth with
till
thud, there
it
found
condor
the
I
had
it
measured twelve
feet
The most
from wing to wing. of
a loud
was, the most gigantic bird
We
ever seen.
white
the
is
it
distinctive feature
down
which
ruff
encircles the neck
two or three inches below the
head, which latter
is
and repulsively
completely bare of feathers In the female
ugly.
colour of this ruff
is
bird
the
black.
This night the mosquitoes became a positive nuisance.
I
tried
my
handkerchief over
my
bitten,
plan
I
furs,
endurance
from
all
I' Aria.
sides
evil.
of lighting
had ultimately
envied old
as
tying
or burying
face,
preferred the latter
we adopted
passive
— such
my
myself
but between being smothered and
in the tent, so as to
out,
kinds of stratagems to
myself from them
protect
under
all
Similarly, the
some damp grass
smoke our trying enemies
to
of
be abandoned the
in
inevitable.
Throughout the
favour of I
quite
night, whilst
exclamations and expletives of
MOSQUITOES. varying
irritability
and force were continually
i6i
to
be heard, the placid snore which floated from his tent
showed
that,
thanks to his parchment skin,
he was enabled to bear the sting of the outrageous mosquito with serene indifference.
M
AN^UNKNO WN COUNTR V.
i62
CHAPTER AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY
XIV.
PASSING THE BARRIER
CLEOPATRA'S
— FOXES —A GOOD RUN — OUR FOREST SANCTUARY — ROUGHING — A BATH A VARIED MENU.
NEEDLES
IT
We
were up early the next morning,
perhaps a long journey before
were about
to
;
when and where we might camping that
rich grass in the valley
they were in very tunate, as face,
we
unknown
to
and no one could say find a suitable place
All helped to drive up
night.
and saddle the horses
we had
the country
penetrate being as
our guides as to ourselves
for
us,
for
their long rest
;
and the
had done them good, and
fair condition,
which was
we might have some arduous
for-
climbs to
and pasture lands might be scarce among
the mountains.
The day
before, the guides
had been on a
reconnoitring expedition, with the object of finding the most practicable route towards the interior,
and having discovered a
ravine,
which appeared
!
PASSING THE BARRIER. to
wind
in the direction
163
of the mountains, and
which, at the same time, afforded easy going for
our horses,
we
Accordingly, to
the
all
plains,
down
flowed
make it our highway. being ready, we said good-bye
resolved to
and,
fording
the valley,
we entered on
ravine, full of curiosity as to
we were now
The
stream which
the
the winding
what kind of country
to break in upon.
ravine was in itself a
fit
something strange and grand.
preparation for Its
steep slopes
towered up on either side of us to an immense height
and the sunlight being thus
;
excluded,
a
mysterious
partially
gloom reigned below,
which, combined with the intense, almost painful silence of the spot,
and impressive.
strange sified
made
the scene inexpressibly
by the knowledge that
solitudes
had
been
effect
Its
was
inten-
since these gigantic
fashioned
by
nature,
no
human eye had ever beheld them, nor had any human voice ever raised the echoes, which, awakening now
for
the
first
sonorous chorus the profane
legua
!"
time,
repeated in
shouts of
*'
legua
with which our guides drove the horses
along.
We
hurried on, anxious to reach the
mouth of
the ravine, and behold the promised land as soon as possible, but several hours elapsed before
we
1
CLBOPA TRAS NEEDLES.
64
at last reached its farther end, its
and emerged from
comparative gloom into the sunshine of the
A
open.
new
glance showed us that
in a
Before us stretched a picturesque
country.
plain,
we were
covered with soft green
turf,
and dotted
and there with clumps of beeches, and
here
crossed in
all
directions
The
by rippling streams.
background was formed by thickly-wooded behind which again towered the Cordilleras, tall
peaks of a reddish hue, and
in
hills,
—three
shape exact
Needle, being a con-
facsimiles of Cleopatra's
spicuous feature in the landscape.
bushes here were of a size
The
califate
we had never met on
the plains, and were covered with ripe berries, on
which hosts of small birds were greedily
feasting.
The very air seemed balmier and softer than that we had been accustomed to, and instead of the rough winds we had hitherto encountered there was a gentle breeze of
strength
just sufficient
Here
agreeably to temper the heat of the sun.
and there guanaco were grazing under the shade of a spreading beech tree, and
manner
in
approached,
which it
they
was easy
never known what
was
by the indolent
walked to
see
away that
as
we
they had
to
have a dozen
fierce
dogs and shouting horsemen
at their heels.
But
soon
we
all
it
dismounted round a huge
califate
CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLES. bush, and there
we
ate our
fill
of
its
berries, taking a supply with us to
dinner,
we
mashed up with
165
sweet
be eaten after
sugar, as dessert.
gaily cantered on towards the
many a pleasant - looking many a charming glimpse
nook,
juicy-
hills,
Then passing
and enjoying
of landscape, doubly
delightful after the ugliness of the plains.
Numerous
small lagoons, covered with wild-
fowl of strange and novel appearance, frequently
came
in
our way, and by their shores basked
hundreds of the lovely white swans whose species I
Unlike their com-
have already mentioned.
rades of the plains they appeared perfectly tame,
merely waddling into the water when
proached
up alongside them,
close
once attempting to
fly
away.
I
we
ap-
and never
was greatly struck
by the thousands of ducks and geese that covered these lakes.
Crossing a broad mountain-stream which ran
down from
the
hills
on our
left,
and disappeared
into a
mighty gorge stretching away into those
on our
right,
we
still
directed our
march along the
grassy plain which led direct towards the three
huge Cleopatra peaks glaciers far
slopes which filled
ahead of
we
rising us.
from out of the snow
The
thickly -wooded
could perceive in the distance
us with eager longing to reach them, as
it
1
FOXES.
66
was many a day since we had any kind.
seen trees of
last
In the vast forests which lay before
we promised ourselves a goodly supply of fuel and many a roaring fire around the camp. On the way we occasionally gave chase to the foxes us
which started up great
many
of these animals in Patagonia, and
one has to be careful to put in
some
ing one
apt to find them
is
gray
England
in colour.
I
fur
is
to pieces
very
resolved to carry
morn-
soft,
make
by
and
a col-
them back
to
be made up into rugs and other
to
useful articles.
catch
gnawed
Their
of their skins, and
lection
leather articles
all
safe place at night, or else in the
these sly marauders. silver
There are a
at our approach.
It is
very rarely that a dog can
one of these foxes by himself: our best
ostrich hound,
''
La
Plata," after
an exciting chase
of half an hour, found himself outpaced and outstayed.
So quickly can they
double, that
it
is
twist,
turn,
and
out of the power of one dog
to equal them.
Whilst
we were
slowly jogging
along,
horse, with a snort of terror suddenly violently
on one
side.
my
swerved
Close to him there rose up
a magnificent ostrich, who, after one astonished
gaze at our party, turned and
by which we had
just
fled in the direction
come.
With
a
merry
A GOOD RUN.
167
Loca and Leona, who had
brother and myself.
caught sight of the ostrich
moment,
in a
time in straining every limb to the fast -fleeting
my
by
shout Francois was after him, followed
come alongside
who scudded away
bird,
no
lost
at a
tremendous pace over the rough uneven ground.
Our progress on horseback was an easy
many
presented bushes,
as the line taken
task,
sharp
-
only be
These
who
should
untempting - looking blood
thick
and
rocks,
places,
as
their
and woe betide
;
one of these deep,
into
But
bottoms.
when
his
and the excitement of the chase
up,
is
fall
ostrich
latter obstacles could
negotiated at certain
the horse
its
half-hidden
pointed,
were jagged and rotten
sides
by the
such as high
obstacles,
broad, deep chasms.
by no means
also
at
highest pitch, what keen sportsman cares to
crane or wonder what danger side of the
obstacle that
only thought
rank
in the
ing along. could,
is
lies
on the other
confronts
him
?
His
and keep a front
to get forward
merry chase that goes gaily sweep-
And
so on
we
pressed as fast as
and urged our horses
to
do
we
their utmost.
Fully entering into the excitement of the moment, the call,
game and
managed
little
beasts answered willingly to our
in spite of the rough, difficult going,
to keep the dogs
and
ostrich in sight.
we
A GOOD RUN.
i68
"They'll soon have him now,"
calls
away
brother to me, as a cloud of feathers float in
the
Leona, that
still
torn from the bird's
air,
who shakes
cling
and
tongue
by La
tail
her head to get rid of those her mouth
round throat.
double, but finds his little
my
out
ladies at his side,
The
bird
match
and
clog
has
begun
her to
two clever
in the
and before long succumbs
an easy prey to them both.
This to full
the
little
incident
a
lent
pleasant
winding up of a long
tiring
variety
day; and
we
of triumph in the success of our hunt,
trotted
towards
the
camping
-
place
our
com-
panions had chosen.
On
our arrival
going on
one
we found
in the culinary
active preparations
department, and every
Three
very busily engaged.
blazed merrily in front of
my
tent,
huge
fires
and a
little
farther off a succession of smaller ones indicated
the spot where the cooks were employed in pre-
paring dinner.
Over one of
these
soup, carefully superintended by
another Storer was watching
my
hung a pot of husband
;
at
and turning the
roasting ribs of a guanaco, while at a third Gre-
gorio occupied himself in frying a rich steak of ostrich,
and roasting three or four of
as a bonne douche,
which was
their
wings
to succeed the roast.
OUR FOREST SANCTUARY. Nor were Guillaume pile of firewood fire
as the goodly-
up near each
for their activity
we had unsaddled
them loose
idle,
that lay stacked
spoke volumes
After
or I'Aria
169
and energy.
our horses and turned
companions hard by, we
to join their
refreshed ourselves with mate, and then proceeded to take part in the general
work and arrangement
Mysteriously promising us some-
of the camp.
thing extra good in the shape of a
Fran9ois retired into his the ostrich which
of his
he assured
efforts,
just killed.
us,
The
an agreeable change
monotony of our
daily
judged
the proverb that
'*
plea-
the
in full
of
might prove, we
result
alone,
remembering
Too many cooks
spoil a dish."
best to leave
it
Though
diet.
what that
result
would produce a
sant surprise, and
curiosity as to
dish,
dragging after him
tent,
we had
new
him
Collecting the rows of pack-saddles and articles of riding gear,
I
proceeded to arrange them
tidily,
together with the numerous sacks and baggage, in
a corner of Storer's tent, and then gathering up a roll
my attention On the pampa
of guanaco furs, turned
making up of our beds.
always been a matter of some
beds, on account of the rough, ;
it
had
difficulty to discover
ground smooth enough whereon
the plains
to the
but on this occasion
to lay out the
uneven nature of I
had no cause to
OUR FOREST SANCTUARY.
I70
grumble, for beneath the lofty spreading beech
mossy
trees the smooth, velvety, softest
turf afforded the
and most luxurious of feather beds
in the
Our couches were simple enough,
world.
The ground
doubtless the reader imagines. plied the
as
sup-
want of a bedstead or mattress, a single
blanket occupied the place of a sheet, and our
guanaco capas served as covering, being remark-
With our saddles
able for their great warmth. for
our pillows, a complete and
touch was
final
given to the whole arrangement, and on these hard beds,
tired
with
our day's
we
exertions,
would sleep as soundly and comfortably as though they were the most luxurious spring mattresses imaginable.
The beds arranged
to
my
satisfaction,
I
next
proceeded to go the round of the camp to see everything was
in
on finding which
order,
the case, with a sigh of relief
was over
for the day,
Roughing it
is
it
I
felt
and the time
may be
all
be
my work
for rest arrived.
very well
not so easy in practice.
that
to
if
in theory,
but
After a long tiring
march, when you have been in the saddle twelve or thirteen hours under a hot sun,
means a
light task,
on the
arrival at
it
is
by no
your journey's
end, to have to unload your horses, pitch your tents,
cook your dinner, clean your saddles and
ROUGHING bridles,
IT.
171
unpack and remove the baggage, and
place everything in order and neatness, while
occupies a long and weary time.
it
In England, on
your return every day from hunting, you come
home
tired
and weary, no doubt, but
hunting-box, where a
warm room,
it is
to a cosy
a blazing
fire,
an easy arm-chair await you, with servants
in
plenty to attend to your wants, a refreshing hot bath,
But
and the luxury of a clean change of all this is
clothes.
not forthcoming on the pampa, and
before you can
rest,
the whole business
have
I
mentioned has to be gone through, everybody, no matter
who
taking his or her share of work,
it is,
while the thought of fatigue must be banished,
and every one must
put his shoulder
to
the
wheel, and undertake and accomplish his separate task cheerfully and willingly.
Only by so doing
can things be kept going in the brisk orderly
manner they
should.
Our camp had been of a lovely its
little
pitched close to the bank
mountain stream, which made
appearance from out the thick woods that rose
to a great height
behind
splashing
filled
waters
longing for a plunge.
rough towel,
I
us.
me
The sound with an
of
its
irresistible
Accordingly, armed with a
proceeded to follow
its
winding
course upwards, and through the dense foliage of
— •
A BATH.
172
the beech trees
I
make
could
out
its
silver
stream
descending like a white streak from an immense height.
Presently
arrived at a spot where, fed
I
by a small cascade, a
clear cool pool
of water
presented a most convenient and inviting appear-
ance for a bath.
no time
lost
I
in
undressing and
indulging in the luxury of a plunge, which greatly
me
refreshed and invigorated
day
I
had undergone.
On my
return to the
and nine
still
mean nor append Soup. rice.
small. it
found that dinner
I
hungrier dogs, require a good sub-
Our
stantial meal.
camp
Nine hungry human beings,
was quite ready.
I
after the long tiring
7nenu that night was neither
As
it
may
interest
my
readers,
:
— Guanaco
— Roast
ribs of
Head,
slices of Ostrich,
and
Guanaco. (Back of the
Fried Ostrich Picane.
ostrich,
resembling a very rich Rumpsteak).
Roast Goose and Ducks. Ostrich Wings. Ostrich
.
Liver and
pieces of ostrich liver
fat
and
(consisting of square
fat,
toasted on a stick).
Blood Pudding. Dessert.
—
Califates, Coffee,
Mate, Tea, Biscuits.
The blood-pudding proved about which
Fran9ois
to
be the dish
had observed so much
A VARIED MENU. secrecy and mystery.
and we were loud
ingly good, merits. also,
was
It
The
ostrich liver
was most
and
acceptable,
drank the health of Francois
and water
all
round.
the numerous front of our
;
certainly exceed-
praise of
in fat,
a
and that
new night
in a glass of
its
dish
we
whisky
Dinner over, we replenished
fires that
camp
173.
burned
and then,
in a semicircle in
tired
and weary, we
sought our couches, and, canopied o'erhead by the rustling trees, with the bright moonlight shining
down upon
us,
slept as
sleep as the fatigues
us
to.
sound and contented a
we had undergone
entitled
EXCURSIONS INTO THE MOUNTAINS
174
CHAPTER
XV. MYSTERIES OF THE COR-
EXCURSIONS INTO THE MOUNTAINS
HORSE TRACKS
DEER
MAN THE
few days of our sojourn
in the
mountains
WILD
DILLERAS
-
DESTROYER.
The
first
were spent different
in
full
—
far as the
;
but this was out of the question,
to the limited supply of provisions
we were
We
eye could reach.
of curiosity to penetrate and fathom their
hidden mysteries
owing
into the
gorges that stretched away inwards for
miles and miles
were
making short excursions
able to carry with us.
which
In these solitary
wanderings we came across no sign or vestige of the haunts
of
human
beings,
and few and
far
between were the animals that crossed our path. Occasionally, from height,
or
we would
guanaco, and
would peer rock,
some jagged plateau or rugged catch a glimpse of small deer
now and
again
at us suspiciously
a
wild
horse
from behind a huge
and then, with a neigh of astonishment
rather than fright, dash hurriedly
off,
its
beauti-
MYSTERIES OF THE CORDILLERAS ful it
mane and
175
flowing in the breeze, giving
tail
a grand, wild, and picturesque appearance.
Musters
tells
us in his Narrative of Patagonia,
that the Indians fully believe in the existence of
an unknown city,
tribe,
or of an enchanted or hidden
which, they superstitiously aver,
cealed
somewhere
con-
lies
in the recesses of these
moun-
tains.
Farther north the Araucanian Indians profess to
having discovered
their vicinity a settle-
in
ment of white people who spoke an unknown
Numerous legends and
tongue. rent
stories are cur-
amongst the Patagonians, who
with awe and superstition
behold
all
wooded
the distant
slopes and far -stretching glaciers of the Cordilleras,
into
whose shades they never attempt
to
penetrate.
The
Chilotes
declare
forests of the Cordillera,
that
man
coarse shaggy hair.
Tranco
it
believe
goes. that
western
the
an animal exists bearing
the form of a wild
which
in
covered is
all
over with
the appellation by
It is difficult to
bring oneself to
amidst these immense solitudes a
human being does minds may conjure up
species of
not exist.
ative
all
ordinary fancies,
sorts
Imaginof
extra-
and people unknown regions
with strange and fantastic figures
;
and
it
is
hard
MYSTERfES OF THE CORDILLERAS.
176
to prevent oneself from giving a kind of credence to
these vague stories which
much
confidence
and
belief
are told with
so
by the inhabitants
of the country.
The
undulating country which stretched
hilly,
away
in the direction
filled
us with an eager desire to explore
known
territory
;
of the three Cleopatra peaks its
un-
and accordingly, accompanied by
Gregorio and Francois,
we
all
set off
on horse-
back early one morning, soon after daybreak.
The
air
was keen and
and we
invigorating,
trotted
along for some time, following and skirting the
which extended on our right and
line of forest
front of us as far as
on our
we
could distinguish.
in
Away
stretched a bright green valley, gay
left
with many-coloured flowers, and watered by
in-
numerable streams and water -courses, whilst be-
yond rose high crowned woods.
In
hills,
covered with vegetation, and
the distance by thick
Impenetrable
Callfate bushes, loaded with ripe berries
of a great and unusual to a halt,
as
It
size,
frequently brought us
was impossible
to
resist
their
tempting and refreshing aspect.
About midday, when the sun was and we began
to feel the effects of
its
ing rays, the valley through which
pursuing our
way suddenly came
at its height,
hot, scorch-
we had been to
an abrupt
MYSTERIES OF THE CORDILLERAS. termination. its
we
limits,
which confined
Breasting the
hill
halted on the
summit
horses a few moments'
rest,
177
and
to give the
to contemplate
and delight the lovely scene that
in silence
lay-
stretched at our feet.
Of
country on which
had just sides,
we were
entering from that
woods closed
quitted, for the
strongholds to those
Sunny
time.
grass,
on
in
we all
and huge masses of rocks rose from out
their leafy tops, giving the
first
new
a totally different aspect was this
appearance of ruined
who
beheld them for the
glades, carpeted
opened out here and
by
there, as
rich
green
though they
had been cleared and fashioned by the hand of man, while a lovely
made
stream, which
little
appearance from out of the woods on our continued
its
could distinguish in the distance.
our
left,
Away
and surrounded by thick woods,
the clear sparkling waters of an
rose
all
the lofty
up
like a
immense
stillness
which
veyed
to
was
distant,
snow -clad peaks of the Cor-
Not a sound disturbed the
life
lake,
huge frowning
dillera.
animal
to
glittered
which we judged to be about two miles
barrier,
right,
course towards a deep ravine, which
we
and beyond
its
over
reigned stirring,
deathlike
everything
;
no
and the impression con-
an eye-witness who beheld
N
this
scene
MYSTERIES OF THE CORDILLERAS.
178
was a sense of
for the first time
utter loneliness
and desolation. Descending the to
breathe
the
woodland scene
on which we had halted
hill
we
horses,
entered upon
have just described, and follow-
I
ing the course of the
little
brook that flowed
towards the great ravine, were not long ing at the edge of It
proved
its
many hundreds
steep perpendicular descent.
of feet below,
by what appeared
to
its
proved
shallow river.
size, for
base was formed
be a tiny winding stream,
but which a later expedition, of which to speak,
in arriv-
be a ravine of no ordinary
to
the
in reality to
have yet
I
be a broad though
Far away below
us, to
our right,
roared an enormous cataract, which, half hidden in the trees, left scarcely
and were
it
any part of
itself visible,
not for the clouds of spray that rose
to a great height, an eye-witness could not
distinguished
its
real
position
amidst
its
have leafy
hiding-place.
We
were not long
in ascertaining that
it
would
be impossible to get horses down the steep precipitous sides of this great ravine,
reluctantly
and therefore
abandoned any hope of being able that
day to make any farther progress towards the three great peaks which of us.
still
towered
Directing our horses to the
left,
in
front
we
en-
WILD-HORSE TRACKS.
179
tered a long stretch of narrow woodland, which
appeared to lead
we had
distinguished a
not long before
we
animals on their
struck
followed
way
it
was
It
upon a wild horse
was formed by these
to drink at the lake,
we
many winding ways
for
tortuous and
its
time back.
little
and concluding that
track,
some
the direction of the lake
in
time.
Frequently the brushwood became so dense,
we had to disopenings made by
the trees so close together, that
mount and creep through the our
Now
through.
driven
them
and then the path we were
follow-
having
horses,
previously
ing would suddenly cease, and
time before last
we came upon
we emerged from some
it
its
would be some
At
track again.
thick
underwood
into
a broad clearing, and eagerly pushed forward.
Proceeding at a quicker rate than panions,
I
was soon
fear of being lost,
unpleasant
far
ahead of them
;
com-
and
in
and anxious to avoid such an
contretemps,
mounting, sat
my
down
I
drew
and
rein,
dis-
Pre-
to await their arrival.
sently a cracking sound as of sticks breaking close to
me
attracted
direction
my
attention.
Looking
whence the sound proceeded,
I
in
the
espied
a species of deer, of a dark golden colour, eyeing
me
with extreme astonishment.
He
was a
fine
i8o
DEER.
•
buck, with beautiful branching antlers, and large
Close behind him cau-
dark languishing eyes. tiously peered
could
make
two does, and a
farther off
little
out several other animals of the
I
same
kind.
How I
longed for a
I
knew we had
though
but of this firearm
not brought one with us, and
had a gun,
I
rifle,
was not
it
at hand,
and was
being carried by Storer.
Crawling away from the
spot as quietly as
I
could,
I
placed a good hundred
yards between myself and the place from which
had
caught sight of these animals, and then
first
springing to
my
feet,
judged
direction
I
As soon
as they
signs to get
ran as hard as
my
came
them
rein
in sight
no time
in
and
endeavoured by
wanted.
I
me
to
come
Immediately up.
my
The
my
had
I
had
stationary, waiting for the report of
my
same
had
I
re-
all
up.
Yes, there he was, a beautiful animal,
I
lost
companions
rest of
gun, which was to bring them
the
I
gun, proceeded to regain as
stealthily as possible the spot
lately quitted.
mained
for
I
Informing them of the discovery
made, and taking quietly
could in the
They quickly perceived
to halt.
and waited
I
companions were coming.
me, and guessing what
drew
I
left
attitude of inquiring curiosity in
him.
Anxious
still
in
which
to avoid spoiling the
DEER. head,
The
i8i
took aim behind the shoulder, and
I
report
was followed by a crashing sound
the direction in which
I
had
like lightning
When
disappeared into the opposite wood.
I
had
cleared fired
on
away
I
in
Into the glade
fired.
some half-dozen deer bounded, and smoke
fired.
the
perceived the one at which
his knees, evidently unable to pro-
Full of anxiety to place the poor beast out
ceed.
of his agony
had the
I
fired a
effect of
second barrel at him, which
knocking him over.
Springing
up immediately, however, he walked slowly away, seemingly unconcerned and unhurt.
make
my
could not
out what was the matter with myself and
He
gun.
had evidently been
and yet seemed
to
the whole thing.
I
again,
but
three,
hit
both times,
be perfectly unconcerned at could not bring myself to
fire
Gregorio did with his revolver, and
broke the unfortunate animal's
on
I
Limping away
leg.
he went and lay down under an over-
hanging rock, appearing more stupefied than Disgusted at such butchery,
pain.
of
my
companions,
all
of
despatch the unfortunate
I
in
begged one
whom had come up, to beast, and my husband,
going close up to him, placed his revolver within a foot of the deer's forehead and it
Slowly
fired.
sank forward, stunned and apparently
but
when we came
alongside
it.
It
lifeless,
was
still
1
DEER.
82
breathing, and there
was no mark
to
the bullet had penetrated the skull.
came
cois
show
that
Here Fran-
and with the help of
to our aid,
hunting-knife, the poor creature
his
was put out of
his misery.
As
I
wished to keep the
skin, the coat
which was very thick and long, Gregorio
The
work
to
time,
and proved most
remove
frequently
came
set to
process occupied
difficult
During our stay
accomplish.
we
it.
of
some
and tedious
to
in the Cordilleras
across these deer
;
but our
experience of their tameness, the great difficulty of killing them, and the utter absence of sport
which lay therein, prevented us from ever again
The
attempting to bring another down.
was decidedly good, and much after the
meat
;
monotonous
be appreciated
to
diet of ostrich
but even with
and guanaco
inducement
this
flesh
at
hand,
the golden deer of the Cordilleras remained un-
molested and sacred the time
in
we remained
turbed and
our eyes for the rest of their
in
If regret
peaceful solitudes.
atone for that death, of which
was the cause, then given;
sad
for, for
remorse
trusting
life,
many
for
it
hitherto undis-
I
could
unfortunately
has long ago been for-
a day
I
was haunted by a
the loss of that innocent and
which
had
hitherto
remained
in
MAN, THE DESTROYER,
183
ignorance of the annihilating propensities of
—
that
tiful
man who,
and
rare,
directly
becomes
man
he sees something beaufilled
with the desire to
destroy.
The on
shoulders, ribs,
and head were packed and Gregorio,
to the horses of Storer, Frangois,
the remainder being condors. blood,
left
as food for the dogs
Some dozen of the
latter,
and
having scented
were already hovering high above our
we were out of sight would doubdess swoop down and make greedy feast on
heads, and as soon as
the remains riding
left
by the dogs.
brought us to the shores of the great
lagoon towards which steps.
Five minutes'
we had been
Here we dismounted, and
horses, left
them
to
directing our
tethering our
browse on the long
which grew luxuriantly and thickly
all
rich grass
round.
A
couple of hours were quickly and happily whiled
away duck shooting. night that
we
It
was not
till
late that
reached our camp in safety, tired
and hungry, but having thoroughly enjoyed our day.
AN ALARM.
CHAPTER
XVI.
—
THE THE WILD-HORSES AN ALARM AN EQUINE COMBAT RENEWED WILD STALLION VICTORIOUS THE STRUGGLE RETREAT OF THE WILD HORSES.
One
evening, after dinner,
round
the
TArla,
who had gone
discussing
camp-fire,
horses before turning
we were
have a
to
all
coffee,
look
last
sitting
when at
the
came running back, and
In,
announced that he could see the Indians coming
down
the valley in great numbers.
ately
jumped up and hurried out
new
arrivals, not
a
of our privacy being
unwelcome
annoyed
little
intruded
us.
and Gregorlo, looking
moment, said
own
at the prospect
upon
by these
!'*
indeed visible
a dark mass
Presently at
it
it
came
closely for a
excitedly, "That's not the Indians,
but a herd of wild horses
our
to inspect the
we saw
valley,
moving slowly towards
for
immedi-
guests.
Looking up the
nearer,
We
An
;
we had
better look out
extraordinary commotion was
among our
animals.
They were
!
THE WILD HORSES. running to and
now
collecting together in a knot,
dispersing at a gallop over the valley, neigh-
ing and whinnying
As Gregorio detached at
evidently in a state of great
fro,
now
perturbation,
185
full
quick
!
itself
spoke, one of the wild horses
from the main troop and galloped towards
speed
your
shrilly.
or
rifles,
our
we
"
horses.
our
shall lose
Quick
tropilla,"
and though
shouted Gregorio, in evident alarm
;
we
extent of our
did not quite understand the
we as we
danger,
ran for our
quick
could, to get
rifles,
full
and started
off as
between the wild horses
and our own, Gregorio explaining as we ran along, that the wild stallion,
would drive
off"
most perilous
was needed
if
we
did not stop him,
our troop, and leave us in the
Of
plight.
to urge us
course nothing more
on to our utmost speed,
to avert the threatening danger.
But the
flew like the wind towards our horses,
now
all
huddled together
in
and we could scarcely hope them.
extricating
range.
to
be
in
!
time to save fell
;
he had
In the few seconds he lost in
himself
Bang
who were
a corner of the valley,
Suddenly he staggered and
got into a bog.
stallion
we had
bang
!
bang
time to get within !
went our
rifles,
but
unscathed he sped on, and was soon within twenty yards of our terrified animals, and far in front of
AN EQUINE
i86
"We
us.
eously
cried the guides simultan-
are lost!"
and
;
filled
COMBAT.
with dismay,
we
all
stood
still,
perfectly paralysed at the thought of the position
we
should be in without horses, three hundred
miles
away from Sandy
But
at this
moment
Point.
Gregorio's big bay stallion,
the master of the troop, rushed out to meet the
enemy, both halting when they met, and fronting
Thankful
one another. favour,
we
for this diversion in
our
again ran forward, in hopes of being
able to get up before Gregorio's stallion should
have been compelled adversary
his
have to do.
left
fly,
as the superior size of
no doubt he would ultimately
In the meantime the two animals,
after
pawing the
dash
at
air for a
second or two, made a
one another, and engaged
carried
bat,
to
on
chiefly with
in
a fierce com-
their teeth,
though
occasionally they would rise on their hind legs fight with their fore feet.
to
stir,
watched them on one
herd, which field
Our
and
horses, not daring side,
and the wild
had meanwhile trotted up close
of battle, looked on from
to the
the other side,
apparently deeply interested in the issue of the struggle.
We
hurried
along as quick
we
could,
we could make but slow encumbered as we were with our rifles,
though, unfortunately, progress,
as
—
THE WILD STALLION VICTORIOUS. and retarded by the long another misfortune three bullets his pocket
my
—we
Meanwhile
grass.
discovered that beyond
husband happened
when we
to
have had
in
and which we had
started,
fired off in the first volley,
any ammunition,
187
no one had brought having been over-
this essential
looked in the hurry and excitement of the moment.
Hoping we should be
we
should
stallion,
revolvers,
we
able
to
get up in
cope with
the
with
our
time,
pressed on, our eyes fixed on the
two combatants, the endurance of our champion being
now our
He
only chance.
was evidently
already worsted, and any second might turn
and
Still
fly.
he fought on, and
still
tail
we drew
nearer and nearer.
Suddenly
my
of us, seemed to
him up
brother,
who was
Running
fall.
to the waist in a bog,
to
a
him we found
which stretched up
the valley between us and the horses. impossible to cross culty in pulling
him
distance before
we
and
in the
stallion,
it
;
We
It
we had some
indeed,
out.
front
little in
had
to run a
was dififi-
good
could get on to firmer ground
meantime the
battle
who suddenly turned
;
went against our
tail
and
fled.
After
giving him a parting kick, the wild horse rushed at our troop,
and began to drive them
at a gallop
towards his own, punishing with vicious bites and
THE 'STRUGGLE RENEWED,
i88
kicks any animal that
showed signs of becoming go quick enough.
refractory, or that did not
moment was
We strained
critical.
get between the two troops,
have
been
in
every nerve to
as, if
they once joined,
But
for another un-
our chances were hopeless.
expected diversion
The
our favour, our
efforts
would
This diversion was the
defeated.
sudden reappearance on the scene of our
stallion,
who, at the sight of his retreating wives, had
more screwed up
evidently once
courage to
his
the fighting point.
The combat than the
last one.
our horses,
who had
drove them
now ensued was
that
Profiting
by
stood
again,
in front of us
still
it,
fiercer
we
got up to
and hurriedly
towards our camp.
had gone some distance when the wild having again proved us,
We
stallion,
came swooping
victor,
even
after
neighing proudly, and evidently meaning mis-
chief.
We
began
he approached,
When
and wave our hands as
to shout
in the
hopes of driving him off
within forty yards of us, he stopped, but
continued to
circle
and neighing
round
angrily.
the horses up to the
ammunition,
it
us,
stamping and pawing,
Our
object
was
camp and get
to drive
to our rifie
being evident that the only
relieve ourselves of this troublesome
was by despatching him
altogether.
way
to
Don Juan
We
soon
RETREAT OF THE WILD HORSES. got near to the camp, and shouted to
At
bring us some bullets.
I'
189
Aria to
the report of the
first
shot the stallion fled in dismay, and with such rapidity that the
two or three bangs we had
He made
at
him missed
their mark.
own
who, during the whole performance,
troop,
had stood
in watchful expectation.
he reached them they
all
straight for his
The moment
started off at a gallop,
and, in the twinkling of an eye, swept up the
steep escarpment on
and disappeared.
the far side of the valley
Our
horses were so frightened
and bewildered by the day's events, that they
seemed
to
have
desire to graze, but stood
little
quite quiet together for
upwards of an hour near
the camp.
We
the stallion
should return in the night, but Gre-
were
in
some apprehension
lest
gorio said that he thought there was no danger of
such an occurrence taking place, and ingly turned in and went to sleep,
we
and were glad
to see our troop grazing tranquilly next
as usual.
accord-
morning
EXCURSION TO CLEOPATRA NEEDLES.
I90
CHAPTER
XVII.
EXCURSION TO THE CLEOPATRA NEEDLES RIVER
—DIFFICULT TRAVELLING
— A BOG
A WINDING
A STRANGE PHENOMENON
A FAIRY HAUNT WILD HORSES AGAIN THEIR AGILITY THE BLUE LAKE THE CLEOPATRA PEAKS THE PROMISED LAND.
It was arranged that night that Mr. B. and
brother and myself should
make an
my
expedition
with Gregorio, towards the three strange peaks already mentioned.
no cumbersome
some
In order to spare our horses,
were
articles
biscuits, coffee,
furs
be taken, a
and meat, being
templated carrying with
guanaco
to
us, except,
we
con-
of course, our
and guns.
Thus equipped, we had not gone
started the next
Our
shortly after sunrise.
far before
trip
my
extricating himself;
we thought
and as
We
brother got Into a little difficulty in
for his horse, at
one
the poor brute would never get
out again, so deep had
boggy ground.
morning
began badly.
morass, out of which he had no
time
all
kettle,
it
sunk
into the trembling,
However, we managed
to get
it
A WINDING RIVER. out at
and, though both well plastered with
last,
mud, neither worse
191
rider
its
nor
itself
for this little contretemps.
our journey,
we
were any the Proceeding on
followed Gregorio at a merry trot
towards the great ravine, through which flowed that broad
and rapid mountain stream, which
was necessary
The
it
for us to ford.
ravine side was so steep that
we had
to
dismount and lead our horses down by a narrow
made by
track
seemed river,
feet
to
the wild horses.
This pathway
almost perpendicularly
fall
down
to the
which roared along, two or three hundred
below
us,
and a
slip
or stumble might have
sent us pell mell, one over the other, into
it.
No
such mishap occurred, however, and, safely reach-
we proceeded to ford the river. deep as we had expected, but it
ing the bottom, It
was not so
ran with great force, and
its
bed being composed
of shifting pebbles and large boulders of rock, our
horses floundered and splashed about in a distressing way, and the time
we
we
all
got
summer season
got more or less drenched by
through
it.
This
being the
the water was comparatively low,
and we were able
to follow the windings of the
ravine, riding over the dry strip of river-bed for a
good
distance.
But then the river began to dart
about capriciously from one side of the ravine
1
DIFJ^ICULT TRA YELLING.
92
to the other, the
continually
again
consequence being that
we were
finding ourselves obliged to ford
it
and the ravine sides were now so steep and
;
wooded
thickly
that
we had no
option
but to
After two hours of splashing,
follow the river.
and many a narrow escape from complete duck-
made
ings, the river
and
a sudden turn southward,
order to keep on our road towards the
in
we had to say farewell to our convenient ravine, and make our way as best we could peaks
through
the
beechwood
arduous task.
At
thicket which
made
times
we would
Then
get
an
into
a
progress impossible, forcing
us to retrace our steps, and try
meet only the same
often to
This was
forest.
some other
route,
difficulty as before.
a good broad clearing would turn out to be
equally impracticable, on account of a belt of stretching across
it,
or a
little
ravine,
which favoured
our journey for a time, would resolve
and again we would have
impasse,
bog
itself into
an
to turn back.
Fortunately the weather was fine and sunny, and
we made
light of our difficulties, occasionally rest-
ing for a while to admire bits of
some of the many
lovely
landscape chance presented to our eyes, or
to feast
on some bush, heavy laden with wild red
currants,
peculiar
which were now ripe and sweet.
A
phenomenon, suggestive of some great
A STRANGE PHENOMENON. bygone
fire in
among
Everywhere,
me
ages, struck
huge dead
giants,
charred, as
if
in these forests.
younger
the
gray and
trees,
leafless,
a sudden sea of
193
and
stood
partially
had swept over
fire
them, drying up their sap and destroying their powers, being quenched, however, by some
vital
sudden agency before branches and
trunks
These gray
age looked weird and
amid
standing
to destroy their
completely.
of a bygone
skeletons ghastly,
had time
it
the
green trees
fresh
around them, and the wind, sweeping through their branches,
produced a dry harsh
rattle,
which
contrasted strangely with the melodious rustle of
the leafy crests of their comrades.
For three or four hours we worked our way through the
forest,
and
never was more as-
I
tonished at the marvellous powers of endurance of our horses than on this occasion, to say nothing
of their extraordinary cleverness
over the trunks of fallen their
trees,
in
and
scrambling in
picking
way through boggy ground, where a wrong
step to the right or trous.
wood,
At all
last
would have been
left
we reached
more or
disas-
the outskirts of the
less scratched
and bruised, and
thoroughly tired with our exertions.
But the peaks were
was getting
low,
still
far
off,
and soon another
o
and the sun
strip of forest
'A
194
FAIR Y HA UNT.
loomed ominously
in front of us.
go no
farther that day,
therefore, to
cast about for
We
some
We
resolved,
and accordingly
suitable camping-place.
were not long
finding a
in
which was admirably adapted
to
nook
little
our purpose.
Sheltered by a cluster of moss and grass-covered boulders,
and
and well fenced
trees,
we found
in
by a
circle of
a fairy circle of
shrubs velvety
soft,
greensward, jewelled here and there with knots of scarlet verbenas and wild violets.
from out among the rocks a stream flowed slight
touch of
make
this
down life
its
Bubbling clear
silver
centre,
little
giving just the
and movement required
sylvan retreat as cheerful as
cosy, not to speak of
its
it
to
was
convenience as regards
the kettle.
We
soon had our horses unsaddled, and then
Gregorio and Mr. B. set to work to light a whilst
my
brother went out with his gun, and
up with sugar, with a view
of
to dessert.
I
I
mashed
By
the time
gathered a capful of red currants, which
my
fire,
brother came back, bringing with him a brace
wood -pigeons and
parrots,
which were soon
plucked and spitted, the rib of guanaco Gregorio
had
set to roast
fell
to
was done
to a nicety,
and we
all
and made a hearty meal, finishing with
the red currants aforesaid.
A FAIR V HA UNT. Then
the
men
lit
195
and the
their pipes,
mate-bowl went round, whilst
we
social
lay watching the
sun setting over the mountains, gilding their peaks with ever varying
and making
tints,
their
glaciers
glow warm and golden under
touch.
Far below,
we had
the river
its
snowy magic
at our feet, lay the ravine, with
so often crossed that day, look-
ing like a winding silver thread in the distance.
Around us reigned
perfect peace
the chattering
;
which had made the woods noisy
flocks of parrots,
during day-time, had gone to their leafy roosts, and
A
not a breath of wind stirred the silent trees.
few
birds,
little
who no doubt had
their
homes
in
the chinks of the boulders which formed the back-
ground of our camp, hovered around us anxiously
some
for
time,
finding they
till,
from their strange
fear
and hopped from stone
visitors,
had nothing
to
they took heart,
to stone into their respec-
tive lodgings, and, after chirping a note or two,
were
silent for the night.
We and
were not long
rolling myself
head on sleep "
my
up
saddle,
in following their
in
my guanaco
slept as
I
example,
robe, with
my
sound and sweet a
under the greenwood tree " as ever blessed
a weary mortal.
Neither Puck nor Ariel played
any pranks with
me
Titania and
;
though, for ought
Oberon, and their
fairy
I
know,
following.
WILD HORSES AGAIN.
196
flying
from the sceptical
modern
may
made
ignores them,
well have
which
spirit
these secluded
sylvan haunts their own.
We
were
next morning,
In the saddle early the
way
and, plunging Into the woods, pursued our
through the same
difficulties
our progress the day before.
we came by wild
horses,
this,
cries
much frequented
and eventually we
on a path
hit
right through the woods,
we jogged
Soon our horses began ears as
After a time, however,
to a region evidently
worn by them lowing
which had hampered
along at a very
to neigh
we advanced towards
and
fol-
fair pace.
and prick up
then-
Their
a clearing.
were answered from somewhere beyond
and pushing forward
into the open,
us,
we came upon
a herd of wild horses, who, hearing our advance,
had stopped grazing, and now they stood collected in
a knot together, snorting and stamping, and
staring at us in evident amazement.
One
number came boldly
meet
trotting out to
evidently with no pacific Intentions eye,
and
fiercely,
his
;
of their us,
his
and
wicked
white teeth, which he had bared
looked by no means reassuring.
But
suddenly he stopped short, looked at us for a
moment, and
then, with a wild snort, dashed
away, followed by the whole herd.
madly
They
dis-
appeared like lightning over the brow of a deep
THEIR AGILITY.
197
emerge again on our view
ravine, to
after a couple
of seconds, scampering like goats up side,
its
opposite
which rose almost perpendicular to a height
of six or seven hundred
They reached
feet.
crest at full gallop in the twinkling of
without pausing an instant
its
an eye, and
disappeared
again,
leaving us wondering and amazed at their marvellous agility.
up but
I
hill-sides
now
till
their
had often seen
which a that
I
powers with
man
their paths leading
could scarcely climb,
had witnessed a specimen of
my own
eyes,
had scarcely
I
been able to believe them possessed of a nimbleness and cleverness of foot which
would not
discredit a chamois.
From standing
the open space on which
we
could see a broad lake lying at the
base of some very high
hills,
behind which lay the
mighty mountain which culminated peaks
we were now
we were
in the three
desirous of reaching, and as a
ravine appeared to wind in that direction from the
head of the the
lake,
we now pushed forward towards
occasionally profiting
latter,
by numerous wild
horse paths to expedite our advance.
After a
weary scramble of several hours' duration, we threaded a
last belt
dered through a
of forest, blundered and floun-
last bog,
and
after a short ride
over a grassy plain studded with bushes, which
THE BLUE LAKE.
198
were
literally
blue with a profusion of califat6-
found ourselves on the shores of a splendid
berries,
The
sheet of water.
The
our trouble.
lake,
well
sight
repaid us for
which was two or three
miles broad, lay encircled
by
tall
covered
hills,
down
with thick vegetation, which grew close
Beyond the
the water's edge.
hills
red peaks and the Cordilleras. ciers, all
rose the three
Their white gla-
with the white clouds resting on them, were
mirrored to marvellous perfection
less lake,
whose
Round
in the
have ever beheld.
I
the lake ran a narrow strip of white sand,
and exactly
in its centre
stood a
little
green island
with a clump of beeches growing on colour
—the
brilliant
;
white, the
the scene
—the wooded
the blue below
— was
hills,
so unique,
we
me
up
air
into the
us, air,
so imif spell-
Suddenly we
shake as
with the tip of
wing, a condor swept past up, up,
all
by a rushing sound behind
another instant, making the
flight
the spirit
stood as
bound, none of us uttering a word.
and almost touching
so
and sinking mirrored
pressive, that for a long time
in
—was
the glaciers
of silence and solitude which lay over
startled
Each
it.
the blue
green,
rising into the blue above,
were
motion-
were of the most
crystal waters
extraordinarily brilliant blue
into
to
its
us, it
and
went,
mighty
rising with rapid
we
following
him
THE CLEOPATRA PEAKS. with our eyes,
and
sky,
till
199
he became a mere speck on the
finally disappeared,
thousands of feet up
This incident seemed to break the
in the air.
charm that held us
silent,
and we broke
into a
chorus of exclamations of praise and wonder as
new beauty
some
every second
in
the
before us struck our admiring gaze.
our journey,
we rode
we were
spots there
we up
Occasion-
forced into the water, as at
was no beach
at all
;
some
but at any rate
much quicker here than we had
on
got
Resuming
along the narrow strip of
beach towards the head of the lake. ally
scene
and
to the present,
in
a comparatively short
space of time found ourselves at the head of the
We
lake.
we
could
were close
now
to the three peaks,
see were parts of the
an extinct volcano
— the
had
fallen in, a
We
camped by the
which
crater
of
other portions of which
prey to the action of the weather. side of a
flowed into the lake.
little
stream which
All night long
we
could
hear the thunder of avalanches, or what, perhaps,
might volcano
have been the rumbling of some distant ;
and
I
found myself nervously expecting
a repetition of the earthquake which had surprised us so disagreeably at the Laguna Blanca.
In the morning
we
rode up a
tall
which we could get a good view of the
hill,
from
interior.
THE PROMISED LAND.
200
At
the
that
it
same time we were able would be
to assure ourselves
useless, slightly provisioned as
we
were, to attempt to penetrate any farther, the
country before us being
we had
than that
still
more
thickly
wooded
already traversed.
For some distance we could catch glimpses
among
the
hills
of bright green valleys, with
pastures our nimble
excellent
friends the wild
horses were doubtless well acquainted
on rose a
forest of white peaks,
the other,
till
I
would
farthest mystery, but
a sigh of regret,
late
powers in
we
to the
fain
it
have dived
was not
evening,
We
to
be
into their ;
so,
with
got back to the camp
having taxed our horses'
utmost to accomplish our return
Our account
one day.
one towering above
turned our horses' heads in a
direction.
the
in
and farther
;
the tallest faded, hazy and indistinct,
into the skies.
homeward
whose
trip
of the wonderful blue
lake and the strange country beyond
excited the
envy of those who had remained behind, and led to a discussion as to the practicability of our enter-
ing the mountains, bag and baggage. difficulties
in
our
way were
midable, and reluctantly
abandon
too
But the
many and
for-
we were compelled
this seductive plan.
to
;
WE THINK OF RETURNING.
CHAPTER
201
XVIII.
— GOOD-BYE TO THE CORDILLERAS — THE LAST OF THE WILD HORSES — MOSQUITOES — A STORMY NIGHT — A CALAMITY — THE LAST OF OUR BISCUIT — THE
WE THINK OF RETURNING
UTILITY OF FIRE-SIGNALS.
A
FEW more days spent
us near the time
in the Cordilleras
when
it
Sandy
to think of returning to
visions coffee biscuit
were beginning
and sugar we
was necessary Point.
to sink rapidly
had plenty
still
brought to begin
Our
pro-
tea
and
;
of,
but the
bags were getting ominously low, and
all
our other dainties had already been consumed
and many of our camps were painfully remembered in connection with this or that article of food,
had been partaken of there "
Thus, near " Los Bargnales "
;
broaching of our
last tin
here, in the Cordilleras,
is
ostrich
of porridge.
meat good, ;
the last
we had
time.
finished our
Los Morros " witnessed the
last tin of butter
last dish
for
which
of preserved milk
we
;
and
ruefully swallowed our
Guanaco meat too, is
is
good, so
an open-air, gipsy
life
WE XHINK OF RETURNING.
202
in
a bright climate, with
companionship things
;
lots of sport
but the goodness of
ment of good the lack of
these
all
by the accompani-
materially enhanced
is
and pleasant
and materially depreciated by
cheer,
Thus, when our daily menu began
it.
changes on the
to consist of a series of ingenious
monotonous theme of
ostrich
and guanaco meat,
varied only by baked biscuits, our thoughts some-
how began
to run in the
groove of home
often found ourselves talking of
land
"
and
longing.
its
to
and we
dear old Eng-
roast beef in a strain of affectionate
Somehow
the air of Patagonia did not
seem so bracing and began
*'
;
grow
inspiriting as at first
sceptical
and ostrich hunting
;
duck were too tame
we
on the subject of guanaco
we
discovered that the wild
to give real
that snipe-shooting in a country
get up in flocks,
;
good
sport,
and
where these birds
is
simply a matter of loading and
pulling the trigger.
Discomforts and hardships, of
which we once made as serious matters,
we now began
light,
and our tempers, once so sweet
and accommodating, had begun touchy.
We all
felt
more
to
grow
to value those of our companions.
avoided discussions, as reigned
acrid
inclined to dwell
weight of our individual opinions, and
mony which
to take
us
;
on the
less disposed
Once we had
liable to disturb
among
and
the har-
now we welcomed
GOOD-BYE TO THE CORDILLERAS. them our
and even went out of
as pleasant irritants,
way
The
provoke them.
to
203
result
was that
one day, on somebody's suggesting that perhaps
we had
better think of returning;
after a little
opposition, as a matter of course (for in our then
mood
it
was quite
sufficient for
anybody
to propose
a plan for everybody else to immediately gainsay it),
we unanimously agreed
we had ing,
that, considering that
seen a good deal of Patagonia, consider-
too,
our
that
provisions were
nearly
ex-
hausted, and that our horses were very stale,
was
it
better to start at once.
So one morning the packhorses were driven up,
and the
familiar occupation of loading
gone through.
It
simpler matter than
them
now become a much formerly, and we were enabled had
to comfort ourselves with the reflection that the loss in
our larder was a gain as regards the time
economised every day
in
packing up.
Before leaving our pretty
names on one of the
trees,
camp we carved our
and erected a
we left a bottle we could spare.
the top of which
of civilisation
we
cairn,
on
—the only emblem Then, mounting,
turned our backs on the Cordilleras, and set
out towards the ravine
we had
name, among the traders, Ravine."
As we were
is
entered by, whose
"The Wild Horse
riding
along, a solitary
THE LAST OF THE WILD HORSES.
204
horse suddenly appeared on the crest of a after eyeing us for a
hill,
and,
moment, came tearing down
towards us at a frantic gallop, with a loud neigh,
and perhaps dangerous
intentions.
horses scattered in
directions
I'Aria got out their
all ''
Our
troop of
Gregorio and
;
bolas," prepared for
emergen-
and we curiously awaited the sequel of the
cies,
Nearer and nearer came the untamed
incident.
without abating his
steed,
speed one
jot,
evidently determined to charge right at us.
began
and
We
to feel uncomfortable, but put our trust in
Gregorio's deftness, though
was not put
was perhaps well
it
When
to the test.
it
within about ten
yards of us the wild horse suddenly stopped, stood still
for
one second, and then turned, and, with two
sets
of " bolas
ears,
went bounding away as
never stopping
he had
first
saw of the Late
''
"
whizzing harmlessly round his
till
fast as
he had come,
he reached the top of the
appeared on.
This was the
last
hill
we
Bagnales."
in the afternoon
we
crossed the ravine
where we had camped before entering the Cor-
Here we were
dilleras.
of mosquitoes,
horses
horribly,
viciously
assailed
who annoyed buzzing
us and our poor
round
wherever they could
by a thick cloud
us,
settle.
and biting
For a time
nothing was to be heard but angry exclamations
MOSQUITOES.
205
and objurgations, mingled with occasional fiendish joy as
one of us succeeded
cries of
in destroying
half a dozen of our thirsty tormentors with one
But from the fury of
slap of the hand.
their
num-
bers there was no refuge, opposition only increased their virulence,
and those who were
most energetic
in driving
them
off
fiercest
and
were always
surrounded by the thickest cloud.
Relief only
came when we got out of the ravine
into the plain,
and there one puff of wind swept our enemy clean
away
in
a second, not one mosquito
to curse at or to
Thankful
we were
for
remaining
kill.
our release from this annoyance,
not disposed to grumble very
the oppressive heat to which
much
at
we were exposed
during the whole of the day, though the sun beat
down on ing
us from a cloudless sky with overpower-
force,
smarted
camped
and
our
painfully
burnt
under
and its
blistered
fiery
rays.
faces
We
that night near a broad lagoon, and for
the next few days continued our journey over the plains,
erto
without anything of note occurring.
we had been
Hith-
pretty fortunate as regards the
weather, and the nights
especially, with
an exception, had been calm and
fine.
hardly
But one
march before reaching Coy- Inlet River we camped in
a broad valley, where our experience of Pata-
'A
2o6
STORMY NIGHT.
gonlan nights was unpleasantly varied.
we had gone
after
Shortly-
which
to bed, the misgivings
the threatening aspect of the sky had called up, as
we
took a
ing
in,
glance at the weather before turn-
last
were more than
The wind began
realised.
to pipe
ominously through the grass, and before
long
was blowing a regular
it
A
gale.
sudden
squall carried our tents clean out of their pickets,
and sent them whirling through the
A
air.
scene
of the most uncomfortable confusion ensued.
was pouring with
keep one's
legs.
and the wind
rain, pitch dark,
was blowing with such
force that
It
it
was hard
to
Rugs, and clothes, and smoulder-
ing embers were being blown in
all
directions
;
everybody was blundering about in the darkness, tripping
up over something, or
some one
else
;
falling
against
and the howling of the wind, the
rush of the river, the chorus of loud imprecations in various languages,
and the unearthly moaning
and whimpering of the dogs, made up as wild a scene of noisy confusion as could possibly be imagined. Several vain attempts were
made
to set
the tents, but the wind was too strong last,
perfectly drenched through,
;
we had
whatever
and
up at
to give
up the attempt, and crawl
into
came
the storm should pass
to hand, to wait
till
furs first
A CALAMITY. did not do
over.
This
in the
morning, just as
was too
we
it
late or early to
crept out, sleepy,
it
207
about four o'clock
till
was getting
go
We
It
bed again then, so
to
and damp, and miserable, and
drank hot coffee round a smoking
warmed us
got up and
light.
the sun
fire, till
thoroughly.
were to camp that evening by the Coy-
and as
Inlet River,
it
was a good way
off
we
set
We passed several herds
out soon after breakfast.
of guanaco, and also a herd of about eighty or
a hundred ostriches.
I
We
together before.
had never seen so many gave chase
the dogs got so excited, running
and then
ostrich all
A
got away.
bags with
all
that
carried the
remained
biscuits,
and
something,
one
after
they
calamity happened to us that
The mare who
— our
first
after another, that at last
afternoon.
treasure
to them, but
of
two
our
little
greatest
suddenly took fright
galloped
wildly
away.
at
We
followed her course with anxious eyes and beating hearts, not daring to go after her, lest
should aggravate her sat firmly,
while
we
breathe, but
even
began
to incline
and then gradually
slid over.
side,
The moment
the mare
to
to
watched, oh, horror
towards one
began
For a time the pack
fears.
and we began
it
kick out,
felt it
!
it
underneath her she
and galloping quicker and
THE LAST OF OUR
2o8
BISCUIT.
quicker, in a very few seconds she
and
Then
pacified.
to
know
A
long
we
only did
was packless
gallop forward
the worst, and the worst was bad indeed.
trail
of broken biscuits,
sown
in the grass,
marked the course the unfortunate mare had
when we got
to the
small handfuls remained.
We
taken, and
together what
we
into
much
it
had
Our
fallen into.
gather
to
by long
and
dust,
fine
quite impossible to pick
grass
tried
could, but the biscuit,
had broken
travel,
bags only a few
was
it
out of the long
last kettle
had
also
severely suffered in the fracas, a big hole appear-
ing in
its
side when, after a long search,
last found.
was
it,
but failing this desirable consum-
mation, farewell the cheering cup of mate well the
content
at
Guillaume talked hopefully of being
mend
able to
it
morning bowl of grateful
— the
camp-life's chiefest
Slowly and mournfully
we
of the
small
biscuits
in
a
tied
coffee
;
fare-
;
farewell
comfort gone!
up what was
canvas bag,
left
which
Gregorio secured to his saddle, and then, after
having devoted a quarter of an hour to grazing
on
all
fours
on such fragments as could be found
among
the grass,
flecting
on the vanity of
We
arrived at
and fording
it,
we
continued our journey, reall
things.
Coy -Inlet River
that evening,
camped near the bank.
It
rained
UTILITY OF FIRE-SIGNALS.
209
again during the night, but as there was Httle or
no wind,
did not matter much, and excepting
it
we
a pervading sense of dampness, great
Continuing
discomfort.
our
suffered no
march
that
day over the plains that lay between Coy -Inlet
we saw
River and the Gallegos,
numerous
no response so
distance
we
to the fires
we concluded
which
the
in
fires
were
that they
;
lit
but in
smoke of was
there
answer, and
were only old
The
smouldering.
still
the
fires,
next day
one of our party had an opportunity of practhe
testing
tically
value of
of signalling one's whereabouts
He
had got up early
gone out on rifle,
we
to
make
started a
and
I
began
it
only a short
did not
matter
think
on the plains to look
show the
that
We
lay
He
no signs of him.
still
away more than seven to
we
if
Eleven, twelve
return.
have happened to him.
intervals, to
pampa.
ten o'clock
than usual, so
later
for his
came, but
had now been
At
As we had
that day,
little
about, waiting o'clock
the
morning, and had
stalk a guanaco.
he had not returned.
march
in
foot at about five o'clock with his
and
to try
in the
a means
as
fires
hours,
something must
therefore rode
for him, lighting
up
fires at
position of the camp,
and
anxiously scanning the horizon to see whether
P
UTILITY OF FIRE-SIGNALS. he had also made a
But though we rode
fire.
about for a long time nothing was to be seen,
and we went back to the camp, wondering what could have happened.
we were
Just as
middle of a perplexed discussion steps
to
take
in
the
matter,
as
what
to
our
to
in the
relief
he
suddenly came into the camp, blood-stained and
and carrying the head and
tired,
on
ribs of a
had wounded a guanaco, which went ever,
and led him a long dance
hours,
it
again.
couple of shots at as
it
for
without his being able to
range of
two or three
come
it
These
our supply of
Loath
allowed himself three rounds.
animal, he had followed
and
but,
and he having only
ball-cartridges being very low,
ciously over ravines
within
from a long range,
seemed, without reaching his mark.
wounded
how-
off,
In despair, he at last fired a
shots exhausted his ammunition,
the
camp he
Shortly after leaving the
his back.
guanaco
hills,
to
abandon
it
pertina-
always vowing to
himself that beyond a certain point he would follow no farther, but always being lured on
the signs of exhaustion the guanaco to
go
just a
satisfaction
little
At
farther.
of seeing
it
lie
was showing,
last
he had the
down, and with a
shout of triumph ran forward to despatch his
hunting - knife.
But
at
by
his
it
with
approach the
1
UTILITY OF FIRE-SIGNALS.
21
guanaco jumped up again, and slowly as
was enabled
it
ran,
it
to outdistance its relentless pursuer,
who was
already thoroughly done up with his ex-
ertions
but feeling that with patience he must
;
conquer at
abandon
last,
he
his prey.
felt less
inclined than ever to
Already numerous hawks and
condors were circling over the doomed guanaco,
and the thought that the would only go
At
persevere.
Waiting
till
an additional incentive to
rewarded
last success
down once more, by degrees, and then, when
it
within twenty yards or so of It
it.
stumbled
and he had just time
by the
ear,
his efforts.
the guanaco lay
he approached
towards
labours
to provide a feast for these hate-
marauders was
ful
of his
fruit
in
it,
made a dash
trying
to rush
to
up and catch
and with a happy stroke of
hunting- knife end
when he had
cut
its it
sufferings.
up,
get up,
his
it
long
was only
It
and laden himself with
the best parts, that he began to reflect that in the excitement of the chase he had
gotten in which direction the followed the guanaco
the
left,
and
all
now
lay.
to the right,
often having to run to keep
it
He
had
now
to
in view,
he knew was that several hours must
have elapsed since he started lit
camp
quite for
several
fires,
in its pursuit.
He
but he only had a few matches,
2
UTILifY OF FIRE-SIGNALS.
21
and the that he
unfortunately
fires
had no means of showing us
However,
whereabouts. direction He,
soon went out, so
he struck
own
his
out
a
in
which he imagined the camp must
in
and kept wearily trudging on under
his load,
which, tired as he was, he was naturally loath to
After he had gone a good distance
part from.
he looked around, and then the skyline behind
him
appeared
be
to
singularly
like
that
he
remembered having seen on leaving the camp. But then the skyline the same look too.
He was
to the
somehow, had
left,
Which was
the right one
just revolving this puzzling question in
his mind, in
no very pleasant humour, when he
caught a glimpse of the smoke of the
had
lit,
and happily not
far
off,
The
one.
and though he had
managed
to
we
first
as the
gave him new vigour,
sight still
fires
in the direction
he had instinctively chosen from the right
?
a
reach the
good distance
camp
at
last,
to go,
he
without
having to throw away the meat which had cost
him such a hard
day's work.
ISIDORO.
CHAPTER ISIDORO
213
XIX.
—AN UNSAVOURY MEAL—EXPENSIVE LOAVES —GUANACO —DISAPPOINTMENT—NIGHT SURPRISES US— SUPPER-
SCARCE
CONTINUED FASTING
LESS
We
—NO MEAT IN THE CAMP.
down a broad
rode
valley,
which led to
the Gallegos River, where
we were
On
farther
the night.
reaching
its
to
camp
end we were
suddenly surprised by the sight of an
camp, composed of three
tents,
on the other side of the
make
curiosity to
mates,
we
the
for
Indian
which were pitched
river.
Having
little
acquaintance of their
in-
continued our journey along the river
towards our intended camp, but Gregorio and Mr. B. rode over to see them.
hour afterwards
;
They
Mr. B. had found an old
an Argentine Gaucho, named
accompanied him on a former curiously before,
rejoined us an
Isidoro, trip,
friend,
who had
and whom,
had parted from a year
enough, he
on exactly the same spot where he now
met him.
I
was glad
going to pay us a
visit
to hear that Isidoro
the next day, as
I
was
had heard
214
.
ISIDORO.
make
a great deal about him, and was anxious to his
We
acquaintance.
camped near the
river,
seven or eight miles away from the Indian camp,
and consequently, we hoped, rather too
experience of their
visit
Gregorio being
fresh in
in
still
we were
whilst
the morning
my
He presently
at
Cape
mind.
we saw
the direction of the camp, who, Isidoro.
to
from these people, the disagreeable
attract a call
Early
far
a
man was
riding in
I
told,
appeared among
us,
was and,
except for his moustache and beard, and the superior cleanliness of his dress, he might have been
He
taken for an Indian.
was warmly welcomed
whom
by the guides, amongst proficiency in
and
all
his
that pertains to the
his personal character,
unequalled
pampa
craft,
had gained him great
Isidoro did not stop long, as
he was
going to hunt with the Indians that day;
so, after
prestige.
having taken a few cups of mate, and smoked a pipe or two in silence, he said good-bye, and took his departure.
As he rode away, manly bearing and
I
could not help admiring his
his perfect seat
well-bred looking horse,
worthy of
its
which seemed not un-
He
master.
on a splendid,
wore
his
guanaco capa
with a certain foppish grace that one might have
looked
in vain
for
in
Gregorio or any of the
AN
UNSA VOUR V MEAL.
and every article of
Others,
his carefully
finished
and
new
potro-boots,
from
was
perfectly
natty.
my
After he had gone, started
his accoutrements,
lasso to the bright-coloured
coiled
garters round his
215
husband and myself
We
off guanaco-hunting.
soon, killed a
guanaco, and were busily engaged in the laborious operation of
cutting
and looking up, saw an Indian behind us
grunt,
on horseback.
some time
for
when we heard a
up,
it
He
watched our clumsy
efforts
occasionally breaking
in silence,
out into loud laughter, and then dismounting, took
out his
own
cuts, did
knife,
and with a few adroit and easy
the whole trick
warded himself
in
for his labours
He
no time.
re-
by cutting out the
kidneys and the heart, and eating them raw and bloody, there and then over,
he smacked
his
This disgusting repast
!
lips,
mounted
his
horse,
and rode away, grinning eloquently, and leaving us wondering and horrified.
The evening camped very
in
little
which we
after our halt
we
a stony, rocky region, where there was grass, but plenty of quail, several shot,
of
though we found them to be very
dry and unpalatable.
It
we were compelled much against our will.
to remain
so
at Gallegos
poured
To
have
all
the next day,
where we were, to lie all
day
in
6
2
a
EXPENSIVE L OA VES.
1
with a dreary bit of gray landscape to
little tent,
look out upon, while the rain patters on the can-
vas in a remorseless, dispiriting monotone, of the most severe to,
trials
one
is
one's patience can be put
and ours came very badly out of the
ordeal,
Patagonia being by no means complimentarily course of these weary hours.
alluded to in the
However, towards sundown, were able
to
it
trail
we camped
to
Sandy
opposite
camp we
this
Point,
Cape Gregorio, not
whence we had made our
Indians.
Here we intended
starting for
ostriches
Sandy
were
to
in
struck
and on the third
the place
of days to take in a
we
got dark.
days after leaving
the Indian
cleared up, and
have a turn and stretch our limbs
the open air before
Two
it
far
visit
from
to the
halting for a couple
good supply of meat before
Point, as neither
guanaco nor
be met with, except by a mere
chance, any farther south, and visions being exhausted,
all
our other pro-
we had now
upon the product of the chase
for
to rely solely
our food.
In the morning two traders passed through
our camp, and
we were
delighted to find that they
had a small bag of bread, which they were taking to the Indians.
They sold
us twenty small loaves,
each about the size of a penny
and
I
roll,
for five
pounds
;
think they got the best of the bargain, for
!
GUANACO SCARCE.
217
the bread was half mildewed and scarcely eatable,
and so heavy, that even the stomach of an could scarcely have compassed
who showed
to the dogs,
it
by turning up foxes
departure,
for
may
their
still
aught
upon
know
I
be lying
in
a
to
good sense
and unless the
their noses at it;
experimented
rashly
loaves
digestion with
its
Famished as we were, we preferred
impunity.
give
ostrich
after
it
our
expensive
these
fossil state
on the
Patagonian pampas
We
went out guanaco- hunting that day,
all
but were not very successful.
I'Aria
managed
to run
down a young one with
his dog,
B. shot
one
some twenty miles
;
but as he killed
it
and Mr.
away from our camp he could only bring head and the two
the
not daring to load his
sides,
dead-beat horse with more.
But meat had
to
be procured somehow, so
next day, whilst the others went on along the trail
with the packhorses,
husband, Mr.
B.,
and Gregorio, went out hunting again,
myself,
up
intending to catch evening.
Cape
my
We
the
before
the
rode for several hours towards
Gregorio,
but
ostriches, they got
although
up very
them was always out of the there were
others
none
to
we saw
wild,
and pursuit of
question.
be seen.
several
Guanaco,
This was very
QUANACO SCARCE.
2i8
dispiriting
here
it
if
;
was
we
still
manage
did not
more
to
unlikely that
anything
kill
we
should be
Our companions were
able to do so farther on.
relying on our efforts, and to have to join
empty-handed would have been
in itself
them
vexatious
enough from a sportsman's point of view, apart from the serious and practical consideration that
we
could scarcely go on to Sandy Point, which
was quite three days' march away, without
So we kept
We
Cape Gregorio,
riding on towards
the hopes of
still
in
being able to find something.
sighted
presently
food.
some guanacos
at the base of a ridge of hills,
grazing
and whilst Gre-
gorio went after an ostrich, which sprang up at
moment, we three spurred our
that
separating, so as to attract as
soon
lost
disappeared
sight
my
of
down some
that led to the valley
of
be successful,
the
many
gulches
where the guanaco were
to
I
my
When
hurried on.
chagrin
I
saw
already aware of danger, were
that
I
got into the
the guanaco,
moving slowly up
the valley, not at a great distance from where
but
who
companions,
Fervently praying that one of us might
grazing.
valley,
attention as
little
towards them.
possible, rode I
and
horses,
still
who was
a good a long
way beyond way
to the
rifle-range.
left,
I
was,
Mr.
B.,
was much nearer
DISAPPOINTMENT, to them,
my
and
husband was
As we
tion to the right.
trotted
up among the
had no option but range of
would probably
in a similar .posi-
approached, the guanaco
We
and disappeared.
hills
to follow them, entering points,
different
at
hills
219
scatter as soon as
on the
the herd
as
we came
close
upon them. I
came upon them of a sudden,
surmised, they I
and, as
I
had
broke into different directions.
all
took a flying shot at one, but missed, and
presently a report on each
the
that
had had a shot
others
soon joined by
we began
husband,
me showed too.
who had
We
was
I
also
been
Mr. B. did not turn up, and
hope that he might have
to
something.
my
but
unsuccessful,
of
side
presently
speed up a distant
killed
saw him galloping
hill after
full
a guanaco, which was
no doubt wounded, but which seemed to be going too gamely to admit of our being very sanguine as to his chance of ultimately getting at
it.
We
waited for some time, but he did not reappear,
and so we went down Gregorio. ately,
as
He
gone,
soon came
empty-handed
Matters were far
into the valley to look for
now
and
to
in sight, and, unfortun-
as
we
ourselves
getting serious.
catch up
were.
The day was
our companions on
our jaded horses would have been a hard task,
NIGHT SURPRISES
220
unless
we
We
started at once.
obliged to
relinquish
hope
all
US.
were therefore of
getting any
guanaco ourselves that day, our only consolation being that
Mr.
that he at least
We
prolonged absence boded
B.'s
had been
successful.
waited for him a
little,
but as he did not
come, knowing that he could find the way to the place where the others were to camp,
we
show our where-
lighting
fires
at
abouts.
Our
horses were so tired that
scarcely get
them
we suddenly found had been clouded
to
intervals,
into a trot, it
all
rode on,
and
we
to our
was getting dark.
could
dismay
The sky
we had had no sun to result being that we were
day, and
judge the time by, the
two or three hours out
in
our calculations.
It is
very easy to guess the time within half an hour or so,
under ordinary circumstances, but the excite-
ment of our various runs ostriches
face to face with the it
others,
guanacos and
had so absorbed us that the hours had
We
slipped by unperceived.
that,
after
thus found ourselves
uncomfortable knowledge
being quite impossible to catch up the
we should have
to
go
to
bed
in
the
open, and unless Mr. B. had killed his guanaco, supperless.
The
unpleasantness of this at any
time disagreeable contingency was increased on this occasion
by the prospect of our getting wet
SUFFERLESS.
221
through into the bargain, for the aspect of the
was very threatening, and
was only
it
in
sky-
keeping
with our day's luck that there should be a down-
But there was
pour of rain during the night. absolutely nothing
the
be done but give
to
we
inevitable as cheerfully as
in
to
could, so
we
dismounted and unsaddled our horses, carefully
them
tethering stray
away
to await
had
lit
to
some bushes,
in the night,
Mr.
B.'s
they should
lest
down numerous fires we
and then we
coming, the
on the way making us quite sure he would
be able to
find
But
us.
it
grew darker and and
darker, the tooth of hunger got fiercer
and
sat
happened
What
he did not come.
still
guanaco,
could have
Surely he must have run
?
given
or
up
the
chase
down
hours
Perhaps he has met with some accident impossible
beguiled
!
With these and other
hope that before long a goodly
prepared
ago.
That's
!
reflections
we
at
the
rib of
blazing
fire
guanaco
we had
in rash anticipation of its advent.
But
we
dis-
time went on tinguish
the
moments, hoping against
the anxious
would be roasting
fiercer,
the
;
already
bushes
in
faded away altogether
could
scarcely
the
distance,
into
the
the
darkness,
our missing companion did not come.
hills
and
Having
strained our eyes blind, peering into the gloom,
;
CONTINUED FASTING.
22 2
we now the
sat silently, straining
sign of an
slightest
our ears to catch
approaching footstep
but our hopes grew gradually fainter and fainter,
and
at
last
we were
meat
of guanaco
being
one of
in
we cooked and
bags, which ful
them up
to give
Gregorio fortunately found a small
altogether.
piece
obliged
a small mouth-
ate,
Mingled with
each of us got.
all
saddle-
his
our regrets for our enforced fast were as
lations
thought
rible
what Mr. B. was doing
to
Had
moment.
!)
perhaps roasting
he
in a
as
well
he
was he head
its
companionless
verted to the other
were
become
of
us.
did
I
my
that night, nor did
imagined. ;
and Mr.
Just
as to
not
who no doubt
what could have very sound
companions, as
may be
up,
with
among
the bushes,
an eager, hungry
look on his face, which boded no good.
you got anything to eat?" were to
!
haven't you ?"
And
and more disconsolate than
*'
Have
his first words,
which our despairing answer was,
cious
re-
day broke the dogs gave
as
rode
—supperless
sleep
there was a crashing B.
or was
}
Our thoughts
?
party too,
some anxiety
in
tongue
the ashes
in
(hor-
moment
very
that
at
that
at
and
killed his guanaco,
worse plight than ourselves, as
specu-
*'
Good
gra-
our faces grew longer ever,
as the
hopes
NO MEAT IN THE of a
good
breakfast,
which
CAMP. had
223
hitherto
tained us, were remorselessly shattered
sus-
on both
sides.
There was nothing
be done but immediately
to
saddle and ride off to join our companions. the the
way Mr.
B. told
us
wounded guanaco
till
how he had he had run
a complete standstill, and
like
us,
On
followed
his horse to
having been
overtaken by darkness, had been obliged to stop
where he was
till
morning.
After several hours' ride
we
got to the place
where the others were camped, and found them very much alarmed at our protracted absence,
though they had naturally supposed that we had been taken a long distance out of our way by the chase.
We
lost
no time
in
making a hearty meal
on what remained of the guanaco meat, which being finished, there was no food of any kind the camp.
in
224
THE HORSES
LOST.
CHAPTER
XX.
UNPLEASANT PROSPECTS
THE HORSES LOST RATIONS
—A
STRANGE
HUNT
A
— FOUND
STERN
SHORT
CHASE
THE
—THE CABEZA DEL MAR— SAFELY ACROSS NIGHT — CABO NEGRO AGAIN.
MYSTERY SOLVED
—A We
DAMP
had a short march
was nearly noon, off
on
his usual
to
make next
therefore,
when
day, and
it
I'Aria started
morning task of driving up the
horses.
In the evening, as one
very
straying
far,
the horses
being unsaddled.
after
would be
may
practicable,
on
rely
turned loose,
are
In
fact,
for
if
their not
no other method they
were
kept
picketed during the night they would not be able to
graze,
they
all
finding
and would soon become
follow the bell-mare, one
them
together,
is
useless.
As
always sure of
even should they stray
three or four miles in the night, which, although it
does occasionally occur,
That,
however,
horses at liberty
this
may
is
quite exceptional.
necessity
of
leaving
the
give rise to considerable
THE HORSES LOST.
225
inconvenience, and possibly bring one into
the
most serious dilemmas, we had an opportunity of discovering at the cost of
some anxiety and a
day's
hard labour. After I'Aria had been gone about an hour
began
wonder
to
at his
prolonged absence
we
but as
;
there had been a strong breeze during the night, it
was very probable, as Gregorio suggested, that
the horses had wandered
of a sheltered valley.
and
some distance
But another hour elapsed, Guillaume and
I'Aria did not appear.
still
in search
Francois then went off in different directions to continue the search, agreeing to light a
them
sight the horses.
in the
meantime were
either of
We
left
strong grounds for fearing the worst.
been gone. up,
however,
We kept an
had taken, as he must
five or six miles
To
we had no
signs of smoke, especi-
first
ally in the direction I'Aria
have covered
should
a prey to very
disagreeable reflections, though as yet
anxious watch for the
fire
by the time he had
our dismay he presently turned
very tired and
having seen a trace of
the
footsore,
horses
without
anywhere.
Matters
now began
we
comforted ourselves with the hope that
still
look really serious, but
to
Francois or Guillaume would be more successful.
But they
too, after
a time,
Q
came back, bringing
UNPLEASANT PROSPECTS.
226
the
same dismal
gloomy to
The
story.
a hundred suppositions were hazarded as
;
what could have become of the
said he
looked
situation
" cut
had
the
horses.
I'
Aria
on the side he had
trail "
taken without success, and Guillaume and Fran9ois
was
having done the same,
it
direction in which the
horses could have gone
was over the
clear that the only
plain at the back of our camp,
what could have induced them
though
to leave the pas-
turage of the valley for the barren upland
be done but immediately make search
that direction,
was
Meanwhile there was nothing
hard to understand. to
it
for
them
in
though our prospects of finding them Should we not do so we
seemed small indeed.
should have to accomplish the rest of our journey to
Sandy Point on
We
foot.
had eaten our
last
round of guanaco meat that morning, so that a four days' walk on
empty stomachs, apart from
being an unpleasant undertaking, was one which it
was a question whether our powers were equal
to compassing.
We
might,
it is
true,
opportunely
meet some trader on the way, from might obtain provisions
we might that
it
but,
not be so fortunate
never rains but
it
in considering the latter
able one.
;
We
;
whom we
on the other hand,
and, on the principle
pours,
we were
justified
contingency as the prob-
commenced our
task,
therefore,
UNPLEASANT PROSPECTS.
227
with feelings the reverse of cheerful.
Leaving
we
Storer in the camp,
and started
went on
all
to the plain,
towards the
off in different directions
distant hills that
bound
A
it.
fire,
should any of
us be successful, was to immediately communicate
news
the
to the others.
my
With scanning
eyes bent on the ground, eagerly
any trace of a hoof mark,
for
it
I
walked
slowly along, occasionally giving a glance over the plain, in the hopes of seeing the welcome
column
smoke
of
time went on,
and
fainter
rise
and
my
to
gone
off
a
at
trot
But
air.
hopes of success grew
had got on
Sandy Point
trail
the
into
Gregorio had expressed a
fainter.
fear that the horses
up
;
to the
and taking
had
it,
Cabo Negro, on
towards
whose pastures they were
to
Indian
" at
home," or
''
aque-
renciado," as the natives say.
The
of their having done so assumed
more and more
possibility
the feature of a probability, as hour after hour passed,
and
I
was
still
only half-way across
the plain, and no traces of the objects of
search useless
as
yet forthcoming.
to
instinctively
continue I
broke
In
it
seemed
farther,
and
and turned to the
left,
plodding off,
fact,
my
on
observing that there the plain ended in a hilly country, where, although
I'
Aria had assured us
FOUND.
228
he had searched
seemed more
that
in
direction,
that the
likely
certainly
it
horses would be,
supposing they had not gone to Sandy Point.
was a happy
inspiration of
half a dozen yards
mine
had not gone
I
;
down a grassy
turning a sharp bend,
ravine before,
suddenly came upon the
I
whole troop, quietly grazing
supreme indifference as
It
at
to the trouble
they had caused half a dozen the last five or six hours.
and anxiety
human
My
beings for
was
step
first
in
ease,
their
to
throw a few lighted matches into the long dry
which
grass,
dint of
I
left to
do
and then, by
their work,
some patience and cunning,
I
managed
to
me
to
persuade one of the tamest horses to allow get
my arm
round
its
neck and
effect its capture.
Improvising a kind of bridle from
my
scarf,
I
mounted, and driving the horses together, con-
veyed them towards the camp, not a
and elated rather to
at
my
been
good fortune than judgment,
who knows what
effect
? ;
quickly,
proud
achievement, which was due
followed out the plan of search
upon,
little
for,
had
I
we had agreed
the upshot would have
Meanwhile, the matches had had due fanned
by the breeze, the
fire
spread
and soon the ravine was ablaze across
its
whole breadth, a mighty column of smoke being whirled
high into
the
air,
carrying,
doubtless.
SHORT RA TIONS.
my
intense relief into the hearts of
who were I
still
toiling
to
companions,
over the plains.
my
soon got to the camp with
was thankful
229
be able to
down and
lie
charges, and rest after
my
One by one the others dropped in, and, may be imagined, we were all equally elated at
exertions.
as
so fortunate an issue of a contretemps, which might
have had the most serious consequences,
—
^just
on
the eve too, of the conclusion of a trip otherwise particularly free It
was too
from dangerous mishaps.
late to set out that afternoon, so
passed the remainder of the day
some duck
at
we were
minor hardships, and
not disposed to grumble
cheerfully, therefore,
endeavoured to make as good a supper of small duck, which
was
all
we
could
hungry people might be expected
little
tighter,
and
we
off a brace
kill,
as eight
to do.
After a cup of coffee next morning
our belts a
shoot
In the pleasure of finding
for supper.
our horses again,
in trying to
we
set out,
we drew
keeping a
sharp look-out, on the forlorn chance of an ostrich
coming within coursing
distance.
But during the
whole of that day's march neither beast nor save a fox or two, showed tites,
which we had kept
itself,
in
fowl,
and as our appe-
tolerable subjection
during daytime, began loudly to assert themselves
towards sundown, the
spirit
which reigned among
A STRANGE HUNT.
230
us was by no
means a
We
cheerful one.
were
just discussing the faint probability that existed of
our meeting an Indian trader before reaching the Colony,
when suddenly we
along the
trail
before him.
we
all
towards
us,
man
to
meet
of delight
this
on whose provisions we meant
a friendly but extensive
riding
and driving two horses
With a unanimous shout
galloped forward
stranger,
descried a
But,
raid.
welcome to
make
to our as-
tonishment, on perceiving us, he suddenly drew
up
his horse, hesitated for a
moment, and then
dashed away over the pampa. ping to inquire what could such
extraordinary
be the motive of
and seeing only
behaviour,
that our chance of supper
as four legs could carry
it,
Without stop-
was vanishing
we
all
as fast
clapped spurs to
our steeds, and galloped after him with as
much
we
went,
alacrity as
the
The
he had shown.
more he urged
harder
his horse along, occasionally
looking back in a state of evident terror. five
minutes or so
this
For
strange man-chase con-
tinued, neither pursued nor pursuers gaining
any
ground on one another, but then we gradually
drew nearer
to
our quarry,
already beginning to
show
whose horse was
signs of distress.
We
were soon within earshot, and called loudly on
him
to stop, saying that
we were
friends.
Whether
A STERN CHASE. he heard us or not shouting
our
of
and
efforts,
231
don't know, but the effect
I
was
for a time
he
that
redoubled
his
became
the chase again
doubtful.
But we were not to be beat this
man s
we were
that
till
know if
wild beasts, combined with an equally
filled
in front
curiosity to
motives for running away from us as
strong desire to obtain
amply
;
some provisions from the
saddle-bags which were gliding along
we
of us, kept us to our work, and
felt
our horses dropped this queer quarry must
The spurt he had put on soon and then we crept up to him again,
be followed.
died
away,
wild
with excitement, and giving vent to some sounding " view-holloas,"
may have
which,
now
I
come
to think of
it,
possibly increased the terrors of the poor
man's situation.
But everything comes
to
an end,
even a stern chase, and soon Gregorio was within ten or twelve yards of the unknown.
*'
Pdrase
amigo, soy Gregorio," he called out several times,
and
at last, feeling G.'s
hand on
his shoulder, the
we were all The up, more or less breathless with the run. man, with whom Gregorio was now rapidly conman
did stop.
In a second or two
versing in Spanish, looked very pale and frightened at
first,
but gradually the expression on his face
brightened as he listened to Gregorlo's explana-
THE MYSTER V SOL VED.
232
tions,
and eventually he even began
meanwhile, eager to
know
the solution
mystery, pressed Gregorio to solve
man was
that this
to smile.
It
it.
We,
of the
appeared
who had escaped
a convict,
from Sandy Point two days before, and having " requisitioned "
on
his
way
side of
When
two Government horses, was now
to the
Santa Cruz
on the other
river,
which he would be
free
from pursuit.
he saw us coming towards him
at a gallop,
he had been seized with a sudden panic, thinking
we might want off,
and had galloped
with the results known.
Of
course
visions as he
we
to capture him,
should
him,
we
;
left
we
could not ask for any of his pro-
would require them much more than
so, after
exchanging a few words with
him, and proceeded to rejoin Storer,
who had remained behind
with the horses whilst
we had been engaged on our
The
incident
furnished
conversation for a time, but
novel hunt. us
it
with
matter for
was not long before
we came back to the more important topic of food, for we were now all of us really faint with hunger, and our prospects of getting anything for the next thirty-six hours were faint indeed.
Our
goal that evening was the
''
Cabeza
del
Mar," an arm of the sea which runs for some distance inland, and which, at a certain point,
is
—
THE CABEZA DEL MAR. fordable at low water
the wind
if
is
233
not blowing
As we
strongly from an unfavourable direction.
we caught
rode along
a glimpse of the sea
itself
a welcome sight, and forgetting our hunger for a
moment we gave
a loud cheer.
At about seven dark,
we
o'clock, just as
arrived at the " Cabeza del
found that
we
or five hours
Cabo Negro
We
Mar."
and as we were anxious
;
it
for four
to get to
as soon as possible, in order to break fast,
we
night, rather than wait
the
down by
was getting
should not be able to ford
our prolonged
relieved
it
the
decided on passing that
till
Having
next morning.
packhorses of their loads w^e sat fire
and brewed some coffee with
the last spoonfuls that remained to us of that comfort, and having drunk for us but to wait
to
devour on the
We ceeded
it,
nothing remained
and dream of the meal we meant first
opportunity.
tried to snatch a nap, but in
doing
so, as
few of us suc-
hunger kept us awake, and
so the hours dragged their slow length wearily along, whilst serve.
To
we
add
sat
and waited
for the
tide to
to the discomforts of our plight,
the sky covered over and the rain began to
fall,
and the night got so dark that we almost thought
we
should not be able to cross over.
the time
came when we thought the
However, tide
ought
;
THE CABEZA DEL MAR,
234
to serve,
and we rode down
to the water to in-
Occasionally a
moonbeam breaking
spect matters.
through the thick rain-clouds allowed us to get a glimpse of the rocks
in the
middle of the water
and our guides were thus able
moment they
for
to
judge the right
making the attempt.
said, just
There was,
as
the possibility of the water not
being quite low enough to enable us to cross without more or less of a ducking, and besides, in the darkness, the leader might mistake the way, and
a false step would land us into a rocky bottom,
where we might flounder hopelessly about, and probability get unhorsed, and
in all
what
besides.
These considerations served
when
rather uncomfortable for
to
make
moment
the
us feel arrived
us to commit ourselves to the chances that
might be awaiting us
which swept eddying
in the
have
deferred
the
But no time was
to
behind I'Aria,
started
— the
dark mass of water
swiftly past us,
acute pangs of hunger
the
file
God knows
we
lost, so,
who was
for
should certainly
experiment
be
and but
daytime.
until
ranging
in single
acting as guide,
other horses, with
we
Guillaume and
Gregorio driving them, following.
For a few
seconds there was a great deal of splashing and shouting, incidental on the objections
shown by
SAFEL V A CROSS.
235
the packhorses to take the water
were
all
and
in
fairly
on
a few seconds' silence, as
but soon they
;
Then came
their way.
we drew
into
deep water,
every one cautiously following his leader, so as to
be able to rein
Suddenly
to grief.
the darkness about,
his
time should the latter
in in
we
I'
Aria gave a
cry,
come
and through
could dimly see him floundering
horse having evidently lost footing.
After splashing about for some seconds, however,
he got
all
right again,
keep more to the
was now up
left,
and
calling out to us to
The
he moved on.
and
to our knees,
at
each step
deeper, but fortunately our horses
still
water it
got
kept their
and soon the worst was over, and the
footing,
bank was reached without any mishap having occurred.
All the dogs had remained on the other side,
crying and yelling in a gloomy concert, as they
saw us leaving them behind
saw us
ride
up on
the water, and
;
but as soon as they
plunged into
to the plain, they
swam
over
in
no time.
After having counted the horses and examined their packs,
we
which had
ourselves had,
we
all
got well drenched, as
continued our
ride,
with the
intention of marching the whole night, so as to arrive at
now
Cabo Negro
in the
morning, for
positively frantic with hunger.
we were
For a
time.
A DAMP NIGHT.
236
we manpresently we
notwithstanding the intense darkness,
aged
to get along pretty well, but
we had
found that
we had
got off the
somehow, and
trail
to stop, whilst the guides blundered about
Then,
in the darkness,
searching for
had got on
once more, the horses shied
to
it
it.
after
we at a
big white stone lying on the road, and bolted in all
directions,
again
—a
and of course had
task which
to
be got together
involved nearly an hour's
delay.
Apart from these mishaps, our progress was
owing
necessarily so slow,
we it
at last
came
to the conclusion that after all
would be better
to halt
we immediately
where we were, and
Acting on
proceed at daybreak. tion,
to the darkness, that
this
determina-
unsaddled, and, too tired to
put up the tents, rolled ourselves up in our
furs,
and
slept, or tried to sleep,
this
was the unpleasantest night of the whole
till
morning.
I
Faint with hunger, drenched and cold, not get repose, although as could possibly be.
I felt
as tired
The ground
too,
were camped, was stony and hillocky at the first sign of
my
bones were so
move, plight.
my
dawn,
stiff
I
that
companions being
But we were
in
;
I
think trip.
could
and jaded
where we and when,
crept out of
my
furs,
could with difficulty
I
all in
good
an equally bad
spirits for all that.
;
CAPE NEGRO AGAIN. Four of
hours' riding
would bring us
Cabo Negro, and
we
there
to the
wood
should get food in
Never had the
abundance.
237
been
horses
so
quickly saddled and packed as on that morning within half an hour from
we were
commencing operations
already cantering along the
Scaling the brow of a steep
view of the familiar landscape Cordilleras,
and not
little
hill
—the
we came
Straits
far off the black
beechwood round Cabo Negro them, the
trail.
;
in
and the
patches of
and, nestling amid
we
farm-house on whose stores
projected a determined raid.
My
now rode ahead
brother and Mr. B.
in
order to have something ready against our arrival.
two or
After
three
sharp
hours'
they
riding
reached the farm-house, and without speaking a
word rushed on and
off to the kitchen,
utterly
and
laid their
hands
devoured what was to have been
the breakfast of the farmer
and
his family.
The
farmer appeared on the scene just as they had
swallowed the
last
no doubt used
to such strange visits,
surprised than
two
mouthful, and
appears being
seemed
less
one would have imagined to see
dirty wild-looking
his kitchen,
it
men
sitting
uninvited in
who between them had
calmly de-
molished the morning meal of a whole household.
cApe negro again.
238
Having thus
satisfied
own immediate
their
wants they appHed themselves to catering ours
;
and
to such
we reached our
good purpose
old
by the time
camp under the beeches
Cabo Negro, we found a good half a sheep hanging
that,
on a
fire
tree,
for
of
already blazing,
ready for roasting,
and such stores of bread, eggs, and other provisions as
water.
made our eyes
How we
think very
warmed up
little
feasted
glisten
and our mouths
need not be
told.
I
of that half sheep remained to be
for supper,
and most of the other pro-
visions shared a similar speedy fate.
CABO NEGRO.
CHAPTER CABO NEGRO
— HOME
NEWS
We
had
XXI.
—CIVILISATION
still
three days to wait
till
resolved to remain at
the date for
we by no means
liked the idea of having to pass
we
DIS-
—PUCHO'S CHARACTERISTICS.
the arrival of the steamer, and as
Point,
—OUR — THE COMING
AGAIN
PUCHO MISSING
REPUTABLE APPEARANCE OF PUCHO
239
them
in
Sandy
Cabo Negro
for a
couple of days more, and only get into the colony in time to settle with our guides,
selves look
a
little
civilised
and make our-
against going on
board.
But as we were naturally most anxious to get our correspondence,
Sandy Point
to fetch
it.
my brother He returned,
bagful of letters and newspapers, and
rode into bringing a
we devoted
a
whole afternoon to their perusal, and to discussing their contents.
These
letters
seemed
to bring us
back to the world again, to the world and
its
almost forgotten responsibilities, pains, and plea-
HOME NEWS.
240
which but the day before had seemed as
sures,
remote to us as
we had
if
and were living
altogether,
How many
things
seemed
some other
in
to
we had been away, and how
the earth
quitted
planet.
have happened since the interest in these
we
events was magnified, hearing of them as
did,
thousands of miles away from home, after so long
an absence
Occurrences which,
!
in the bustle
and
noise of ordinary existence, would hardly have
more than few exclamations of
excited
now seemed
scarcely a passing thought,
the
surprise, or
to
assume
most important proportions, and were
dis-
cussed at inordinate length, and with the keenest
There was a
interest.
game-
from the
letter
keeper, telling with interminable prosiness
he had surprised,
cleverly
the
man whom he had
flagrante
in
how
delicto,
long and so wisely sus-
pected of poaching; how, notwithstanding every care on his part, the severe winter had proved too
much
for
efforts,
how was
there the
a favourite old setter
head
similar
extraordinary a in
the
copses,
stable-man,
nature
from
pay
his
number etc.
with
rent,
though he could, how one
of pheasants
Another from
intelligence
department
his
documents from the agent, couldn't
and, thanks to his
;
telling
;
of
a
lengthy
how one
tenant
how another
wouldn't
lot of cottages
required
— HOME NEWS. repairing, if
a fresh
and how advantageous were
lot
built
epistles being the
;
to the property,
the peculiarity of
all
these
predominance of the bad over
Then were
the good news.
241
" the
A. had married, and
letters telling
very
last
how
woman one
would have thought, too ;" how B. had got a divorce, "
and no wonder, one might have seen that
all
how C. had gone off to shoot big game Rocky Mountains and how D. had merely
along;" in the
;
gone and shot himself every
trivial
—and so
forth,
and so forth
;
item affording us a goodly space for
lengthy gossip, a luxury which, since our departure for the plains,
only
had so
when unable
what an important talk of ordinary
signally failed us.
to indulge in
it
factor the tittle-tattle
There were several papers too
and eagerness than
that with which
we had perused our
avidity
That day passed, and the
ride in to
time
we
Sandy
and small
their three-months' old intelli-
less
for us
find
in our budget,
gence with no
hour came
we
is
general conversation.
life is, in
and we devoured
that
It
to saddle
Point.
next,
letters.
and then the
up once more, and
As may be
imagined, this
did not jog along behind the pack-horses.
Leaving these to the care of the guides, to come on
at their leisure,
we
cantered merrily on alone
along the familiar path by the shore of the Straits.
R
CIVILISATION AGAIN.
242
As
Sandy Point came
the huts of
began
to
back to
that
realise
civilisation,
we were
at last
and prospectively
home were formed and
was only one night more foot
There
to take us
but so impatient were we, that
;
all
too long, and
we
ever would pass.
if it
Soon we were Sandy Point
do on
to pass before setting
even that short time seemed
wondered
to
discussed.
on board the steamer which was
back to the world
getting
to England,
and already plans of what we were arriving
we
in sight,
trotting along the streets of
and, reaching Pedro's house, dis-
;
mounted, and found ourselves under a roof once
more
!
Pedro, advised of our coming, had pre-
pared breakfast for sat
down
to
it.
us, and,
We
very awkwardly at
without more ado,
handled our knives and forks
first; it
required almost an effort
to eat in a civilised manner, and, late to take
And
accustomed of
our meals in a recumbent position,
by no means
felt
very comfortable
now, for the
we
first
in
we
our chairs.
time, the scales
fell
from
our eyes, and the sight of the clean table-cloth and neat room caused us to become aware of our personal appearance^ and the enviable ours, of seeing ourselves as others
sight
was
''
giftie "
saw
us.
certainly not a delectable one.
own was
The Our
looks and garments were not out of keeping with
;
OUR DISREPUTABLE APPEARANCE, our late
the pampas, but, surrounded
in
life
and
cleanliness
by-
they were decidedly
civilisation,
We
out of place.
243
had performed our ablutions as
often and as thoroughly as circumstances would
men
The
had not permitted much.
permit, but they
of our party, particularly, were unpleasant to
look
Their hair had grown long and
at.
their faces
were tanned
chins were
—well—black
coarse stubble.
grease of
many
Our
many left
altogether, a
more
we looked
would be hard
water, soap,
did wonders
work,
and ;
unshaven
growth of
a guanaco, the
their
marks
and,
;
than
ruffianly, disreputable lot
razors,
again
to imagine.
But hot
and a change of raiment,
and when,
we met
their
ostrich-dinner, the thorn of
a califate bush, had
it
and
clothes did not bear close
the blood of
many an
;
camp-fires had
by a profuse
disfigured
inspection,
dark red-brown, which
smoke from the
the dust, and the
deepened into
to a
elfin
after several hours'
we were
hard
scarcely able to
recognise one another.
We and
in
passed the day in settling with the guides,
packing up our few traps in anticipation of
the arrival of the steamer early next morning.
Feeling comfort
I
tired,
I
went
to sleep early, but the
expected from lying between sheets
again was by no means vouchsafed me, and the
PUCHO
244
and cool
soft mattress
MISSING.
sheets, instead of inviting
slumber, seemed to frighten inclined to get
up and go
However,
my
dream,
which
in
on the
to sleep
that
it
me
floor.
memorable Cleopatra Peaks,
to
be
off.
dressed hurriedly, and found
I
at
my
had arrived and
that the steamer
was time
go on board.
half
was once more chasing the
I
was awakened by Mr. Dunsmuir banging
door, telling
to
I felt
eyes closed at last; and from a
ostrich in sight of the I
away.
it
jumped up and the others ready
all
The luggage had
already been
put into a boat, and there was nothing further to
be done but to say good-bye to our guides and
walk down to the jetty I
embark.
had only one regret on leaving Sandy Point.
The day we dogs,
to
called "
of mine, and
arrived at
Cabo Negro one of our
Pucho,"
who was
whom
wished to take with
I
rather a favourite
England, was suddenly missing.
me
to
Pucho, a peculiar
dog, had joined us under peculiar circumstances at
We
our camp at Laguna Larga. sitting
round the camp-fire
were quietly
after dinner,
when
suddenly the dogs jumped up and began to bark furiously at
some unseen enemy.
We got up
and
peered out into the dusk, but could see nothing,
though
it
was evident that something there was,
for the growls of our
dogs increased
in
earnestness
THE COMING OF PUCHO.
245
''A puma!"
suggested
and fury every
instant.
somebody, but our horses were grazing so
it
"An
could not be a puma.
trader,
perhaps
!"
it
be?
Here, as
the mystery at once, the dogs
one accord, and
Indian, or
some
was another equally unfounded
What could
surmise.
quietly,
for a
if
to settle
rushed out of
all
few moments we could hear
a terrible snarling and growling going on in the distance.
the
It
cause
came nearer and
and then
was
explained.
commotion
the
of
nearer,
Surrounded by our dogs, who were giving
it
by no means
dog
friendly welcome, a strange
walked slowly towards the camp-fire. tail
between
defiantly, Its
to
humble
its
seeming
legs,
demeanour,
occasionally bared
on
our
showed
however,
it
cared
little
bearing for once and for at
mentors, and then calmly the
fire,
manner
in
bore
which
and
too
We
this settled
It
its
turned round,
one or two of
made
near,
them.
for
all.
its
its
tor-
way towards
looked out for the most comfortable
spot, stretched itself leisurely, its
only
they came
called out in friendly tones,
made one savage dash
circle.
white teeth, and turned
its
dogs whenever that
our
into
reference to ms, for the defiant it
its
half- humbly, half-
admission
crave
bore
It
a
head resting on
its
and lay down with
crossed paws, seemingly as
PUCHaS CHARACTERISTICS.
246
much
at
home
as
if it
ventured to stroke
had known us but
it,
my
all its life.
I
advances were
received in a most unfriendly, and, considering
its
position of alien outcast, audaciously impertinent
manner, the
first
for
snapped viciously
it
"Pucho," as
we
at
called him,
me.
But from
made
it
of distinctly refusing to be patronised. us,
a point
He joined
he gave us to understand, not on sufferance, not
as a suppliant for our favours, not as a guest even,
but as an equal
;
and
this status
he claimed as
regards us only, for as to our dogs, he ignored
them completely, though
make
appeared, to
He
willing, as
subsequently
use of their good
looked sleek and
fat,
services.
a circumstance which
led us to think highly of his powers of speed, as it is
by no means easy
guanaco
singly,
for a
dog
to run
and most dogs who
down a
lose their
master, as this
dog had evidently done, soon die
of starvation.
We
therefore congratulated our-
selves on his arrival, as
we hoped he would be
own dogs
to afford our
help in the chase.
able
But
we had grievously reckoned without our host. The next day, on the march, a guanaco was sighted close to us.
choo
!
Pucho
!
"
we
Now was
the time.
''Choo!
shouted, expecting to see
speed out like an arrow after the guanaco.
him But
nothing could have been further from his thoughts.
;
PUCHaS CHARACTERISTICS.
He
looked
247
us and then at the guanaco for
first at
a moment, not
without
certainly without
showing the sHghtest
perhaps,
interest,
inclination
Then, with another look
to hostile demonstration.
"
which said as plainly as words could,
at us, that's
but
Well,
a guanaco, no doubt, but what then ?" he
We were
quietly trotted on.
very angry at seeing
our hopes deceived, besides being surprised at his extraordinary demeanour; but Gregorio, giving the
dog the
benefit of the doubt, said that perhaps
had only been trained
to run ostriches, as Indians
This seemed
frequently teach their dogs to do. plausible enough,
and our confidence
momentarily restored.
Now
up.
then
:
"
excited cry again.
it
in
Pucho was
Presently an ostrich started
Choo
!
choo
!
Pucho
" !
was the
All the other dogs flew out like
the wind after the bird, and Pucho followed them.
But only
how
at a trot,
and apparently merely
to
judge
the other dogs behaved, for he soon stopped,
and contented himself with watching the chase till it
disappeared from view, and then he leisurely
came back
to his usual post at
my
horse's heels.
Everybody was enraged with him; suggested that being a *'bouche
Francisco
inutile,"
Pucho
should be knocked on the head with the bolas but
I
could not hear of
spared.
And
this,
and Pucho's
life
so he remained with us, and
I
was had
PUCflO'S CHARACTERISTICS.
248
ample
opportunities
As on
character.
studying his
for
the
first
peculiar
day, so he continued.
Although generally there or thereabouts when a distribution of the spoils took place, he never once
helped the dogs arise
from
In the chase.
inability or
from a sense of
shown by the
fact of his
pursue and catch a
dogs were capable ities
this did
not
want of speed, but rather
own
his
That
was
superior dignity,
once having been seen to
fox,
a feat none of our other
Amongst
of.
other peculiar-
he had a way of mysteriously disappearing
the day's march was too long.
was a frequent !"
at last
was an
"
and
cry,
''Where
Is
Thank God,
Pucho
he's
gone
ejaculation often heard on these
But so sure as the guanaco-rib
occasions.
if
?"
for
dinner was done to a turn, the soup ready, and the
fire
blazing comfortably, so sure would Pucho
suddenly appear on the scene, look out for the
most cosy spot near the his supper, as
When, Negro,
I
if
little
sure to turn up.
Pucho
;
went on
and cheerfully await
nothing had happened.
therefore,
took
fire,
he was missing at
notice, thinking
Cabo
he would be
But dinner-time came, and no
nor did he appear again, even when to
Sandy
This was the thought that was troubling as
I
we
Point.
walked down to the
pier, for
I
me
had taken a
HOMEWARD BOUND. liking to this dog, or in reverential
awe
;
himself to the term
*'
had better say
I
for
like," as
look for Pucho.
down
the street,
right
enough
I
savouring of patron-
Surely that
thought, as
along the battered
looked up
I
;
and
more,
is
He
trot.
pier, half
picked his
wagged
way
his tail as
he
— a great condescension, and then, without
moment's
companions,
led
hesitation,
ladder into the boat,
much
way down
the
to the surprise of
who had thought and hoped
they had really seen the I
a dog coming
is
There was no mistaking the
calm mien, the leisurely
saw me
turned round to take a
I
was a dog, and what
it
Pucho himself!
last of
the
my that
him.
took him, or rather he came to England
with me, and as cosiest corner
my
held him
think he would object
I
the ladder into the boat,
a
I
Half absently, therefore, before going down
age.
last
249
I
by
write this he
my
fire,
is
sitting
in the
a privilege he allows
pet terrier to share with him, an act very
foreign to his usual nature,
have never been able
So here we good-bye
to
and one
for
which
I
to account.
are on board at
last.
Mr. Dunsmuir, the anchor
the screw goes round, and
we
are
is
off.
We
say
weighed,
Sandy
Point disappears from view; one by one Cape
R
2
'RETROSPECTION.
2SO
Negro before
Cape
and
know
I
it
Gregorlo
—so
engrossed
of these well-known
Cape
Virgins.
points
It fades
no land on either
side,
mysterious shores,
As mind
at the sight
are abreast of
again astern, there
is
and Patagonia, bleak and
I
is
behind
write, these
and
again,
fancy
in
plains,
its
us.
days come vividly to
that distant desert land,
I
—the
my
once more behold land of the lonely
where the guanaco and the
ostrich
and the
Indians roam far from the ken of mankind,
and where I
—we
the
in
I
and solemn, with the days we spent on
silent
Red
am
my mind
thoughts that crowd into
and
passed,
are
I
spent a careless, happy time, which
can never forget.
after a
I
long and weary
saddle, the
ride,
I
slept,
pillowed on
my
open sky above me, a sounder and
sweeter sleep than
member
remember the days when,
had ever
slept before
I
re-
those grand mountain-scenes, where
we
I
;
traced the wild horse to his home, through beech-
wood
glens,
by lonely
lakes,
by mountain
torrents,
where no mortal foot had ever trod before me.
remember many an
exciting chase and
many
I
a
pleasant evening spent round the cheery camp-fire. I
remember,
too,
many
a discomfort
—the
earth-
quake, the drenching rains, the scorching sun, the
THE END. pitiless
251
mosquitoes, and the terrible blasting winds.
But from the pleasure with which
my
wild
in
life
Patagonia,
memories can detract but in
all,
it
on whose
like
I
these
little.
was a very happy
look back on
I
unpleasant
Taking
time,
Printed by R.
&
R. Clark, Edinburgh.
all
and a time
would gladly look again.
THE END.
it
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