SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 833, 27 December 1900, Page 2

SOUTH AMERICAN SKETCHES.

'• ~>--."- : "'f";-^" > '' *L »- "'*' '- ■ '■ '* " ,'>.-""■■•'- '-*i-?>.- - '. '-s'-i ;■■-"'■ .--: . ", written by Walker Dcn.J» FAUNAE OF:.XHE FATAjBONIAN.- PAMPA. "Although naturalists have bean studying ■Vh'e' ■natural, history of. Patagonia for some "years,^prpb"ably^ the majority of : people in r pjiyilised .countries have very little-knowledge' 'q£tne'tyarious.,phases of animal, life to be seen on the pampas, and . a few unseie'ntifio .noie'3 by ■ a i . camp man ° may interest - some readers". The largest quadruped is the guanaco.~ He belongs to the same specie 3 of apilnal'as the llama' of Peru. - Standing about 6ft in-; height,- when full, grown, he is heavier ttiaii a year-old oalf. With a pretty little head and his long legs and neck, if seen from a distance, be has an appearance something like that of v small giraffe. He is. yellow on the upper part of the body and white on the lower parts, while the head and ears (which are almost the exact facsimile of-a sheep's) are of a mouse color. Like a camel, ths guanaco has an ambliog -gait, aod ho is able to travel lortg distances without water. He also has cushioned feet; and his toes are protected by claws. His tail, resembles a horse's, except thit the hair is only about three inches in length and he neighs the same as a horse, but in a higher treble, and a voice full of silvery melody. The guanacos go about in troops, and on the approach of a man on horseback during the mating season, the buck gives a neigh of defiance and alarm. Standing,' every hair of his body erect with rage, he waits till the intruder comes to fairly close quarters. Then suddenly springing away on the points of his .toes, with stiff legs, andhU nose i-i the air in a most indignant style, he collects all his friends and acquaintances together, and they amble away with an awkward gait, lifting their heads up and down at every stride. • If pushed, however, they move over the ground with great freedom, and in a few minutes they are miles away and lost to sight. Going quietly round a canadon, the rider is sure to come across some guanacos dusting themselves in sand holes. They are supposed to dust their fur as a protection against vermin or a skin disease with which they are pestered, and some of them are scabby from head to foot. The Indians live to a great extent upon the ilesh of these animals, catching them from horseback by the aid of their dogs and their boliodores. If cornered, the guanaco's only means of selfd fence is to spit grass (which burns like pepper) from his stomach, into the eyes of bis enemy, almost blinding him. He cm expectorate this material .with an accuracy and force that would excite the envy of a street-corner loafer who indulgO3 in the habit of tobacco-chewing. The ■' young guuaacos are caught for the sake of their skins, which are sewn together and made into rugs^or Iciipas. Civilised people use the capa instead of a blanket, but to the Indian it is both cloak and bed. When the small guanacos are only a few days old, the whole herd is chased by three 'or four Indians on horseback. The little chap 3 get exhausted, and falling behind they are knocked on the head with the handle of a horsewhip. The habit of the guanaco in winter is to travel to the coast, or to swamps where the snow melts more quickly' and they ai'e nble to get plenty of grass. Every year more land is being fenced off for sheep, and the fences put a stop to the migration, with the result that when a heavy smwfall takes place, unless a thaw comes quickly, the guanacos die oil faster than cheep or hirses. With their soft feet they are unable to dig through the frozen snow to the grass underneath, and they arc gradually disappearing as the land is being settled. 'Site panipa fox is about the same size "aid color as a hare. He lives on anything from a putrid guanaco to a live bird. -He will dine off the gceenhide horse gear balonging to some weary traveller who is sleeping out in the camp, or on discovering a water fowl's nest he would be quite prepared, to teach his grandmother how to suck epgs. The fox has no fear of man. He is usually to be found sleeping in the open during the day, and when disturbed he only runs a short distance, the he stops and turns round, as .much as to say, "What are you doing in my yard ?" On one occasion the writer came across a fitnily of little foxes amongst some rocks. The. father and -mother were at home and came out to do battle, standing stamping their feet and giving low growls, while the little ones peeped round from behind the stones with a look of wonder in their faces It was a pretty sight, and it would have taken a hard-souled man to have brokon up such a happy family. After admiring the scene I rode away, followed by the two old ones, who saw me safely off the premises. Then they trotted back side by side, evidently quite satisfied with their victory. In the long and silent Patagonian winter nights, when there is snow on the ground and the. thermometer is about zero, Don Juan comes round the lonely camp man's house, arid makes the night hideous with his lugubrious howl, which sounds like a nale of discord on a violin. When the cry is repeatei it v mows irritating than the midnight song of ihe domesticated pussy cat ; and listening to the call makes the. man feel desolate. It gives him ,a fit 'of indigestion and a pain in his inside, and if he has anybody foe. an audience he says nasty things about foxes, things in general, and Patagonia in particular. The workmen sometimes trap foxes •in winter for the sake of their skins, .which are worth about Is each. . The skunk is equal in size to a huge ferret. He is back in color, with a white str pc down each side of the body. No doubt be is exactly the same species- as the skunk of Noit'i America. - He has long claws on "his fore feet, and with these ho digs round the plants of grass, feeding upon the roots, or else upon insects'which hirbor in the vegetation. In winter when there >s much snow they have been known to live upon the carcas°s of dead animals. . The skunk i 9 greatly feared and respected by all other creatures, If molested he protects himself by squirting a green fluid over his opponents, the smell of which would knock over a regiment of Boers at short range. It is only when a. log is young and foolish that he has the courage to attack a skunk, and it is very amusing to watch the fljbt. The skunk goes off Co bis hole at full speed (a pace equal to li miles an hour),' but on the approach of the dog he stops . quite' unconcernedly, and on getting within a few yards, the dog receives a shower of skunk essence in the face. He throwa himself ou the ground, wipes his nose with his foie pawd, foams at the mouth, and is half frantic with the stench. The skunk meantime is continuing bis retreat, and should the pup again attack, he shows fight, and, barking like a ferret, holds the dog at bay and keeps moving to his hole. On arriving there, witha farewell flourish of his tail, he gives the dog a final shower — like a .barber spraying a customer's head with bay rum. The dog is left in a , state of collapse, and the scene of the conflict smells high for weeks. When the sad doggie goes home he stinks oi-t the whole township, and requires to be wet! washed and cleaned before he is again fit to mix in society. After, smelling one of these animals a person realises the insult it is for a man to be called a skunk. The puma (or lion) is very like an African lioness in appearance. He' measures about Bft Gin from' the nose to the tip of the tail, and weighs about ISOlbs. . He preys upon the guanaco, hunting at night - and stalking his prey like a cat. He springs upon his victim and kills with a bite in the neck. Then, pulling the body to, the nearest hollow, he eats the legs and breast. When sheep are turned on to a new camp the lions soon develops taste for mutton, and in one night a pair will sometimes kill as many, as , ten sheep. The ions are hard to destroy, as they live in caves or in the bush, and when on: the pampa they .travel miles in a single night. They sometimes take poison, but as a general . rule they prefer to hunt for a warm supper., . The lion often basks in the sun during the day, and if disturbed he spiings away to his den, when followed into a cave he growls and emits a strjng odor ; but he always tries to escnps rather than to fight, and it is very seldom that a lion has, been known to attack a man. The Indians catcb the lion in thu open pampa with the lasso,' and going away full gallop they . drag hint till he is -strangled. When small, tho lion cubs are just like clumsy cats, and if captured, they are very tame, running about the house ■, like kittens, chasing their- tails or running 'after a ball ; and they growl, and ' pretend to' bite a.person's fingers, holdiDg his hands with their big smooth paws.; But give -'them meat to eat : - then, if interfered with, they use their claws and bite in earnest. XJnfortunately, when kept in bapHvity,.they seem.to pine away, and, die when only a fei^ months old. ■ The wild .cat is a.tigar grey color, and bis only difference froiri "the ordinary cat is that his far is much longer and' he is very fierce. If disturbed Kesprings ,upon man or beast and he is more dangerous .tbanthd puma. / The finest pampa bird is the ■ ostrich. He stands about five feet in height, has a large .plump body and his flesh" is very pleasing to the "taste. The feathers seem to be all fray»d-

willT.the'windi and Ihey are extremely scraggy looking., ' .-"- ' ..' During .the breeding season the male bird makes. a nest by scratching a hole in the sand, and, turning himself into ah incubitor, ho hatches the eggs laid by his five or six - wives, while they talk politics or spend their time gadding round camp. If the ne3t is interfered with in the slightest degree, the old boy comes' back' and scatters the eggs to thefour winds of heaven, evidently quite pleased to get an excuse' to end bis duties. •When newly hatched, the chicks can run as fast as a man. They are considered to be sweet morsels by the fox, who hangs round the brood waiting a chance to grab a straggler. -The old cock has his hands full, trying to protect the family, and when tho fox gets too itmpudont he lands him an upper-cut knock out, blow, and on coming round Don Juan retires from the field with the worn and battered appearance of a footballer whose collarbone is broken' in the first spell of an important -match. •' • The ostriches' are hunted greitly by. the Indians, but if left alone they increase very rapidly. That monarch of the feathered tribe, the condor,- is seldom to be sesn, as he only comes down from the Cordilleras to pick up the carrion left in the. track of a lion. The rivers and lagoons are alive with wild geese. The gander is a light grey, and the goose is brown in colour. Night and day these fowl keep up a continual chatter, and they seem to have a language of their own. Two amorous young ganders often fight for tho affections of a comely goose. She takes a great interest in tho rough and tumble, and stands nodding ' her head and ejaculating words of encouragement to the most successful-looking combatant. The beaten gander sneaks away, while the goose talks and smooths the feathers of the winner with great love and tenderness. And they live happy ever after. After all, is this not the same with human nature? Success makes success. Both ostrich and goose eggs are very palatable, and when the season is on, camp people almost live upon them. Natives of the country eat any kind of egg, from a hawk's to a seagull's. The cooks seivj up the e^gs in. quite a number of different ways. S3 long as the garlic and oil are not used too freely a Britisher can eat his share ; but when eggs are mixed up in bis porridge or tea once or twice he is apt to thnnk the Lord when tho birds stop laying. Wild ducks of every variety are also plentiful, bjt the most curious water bird is the diver. He has down-covcrod flappers instead of wings, and his nearest approach to flying is to run over the water. He lives on fish, and he cm dive long distances. His nest is built on the river, and is floated in still water, upon weeds. This bird comes up the river in spring and goes back to the coast in the. autumn. Thore are many kinds of hawks, and they usually build on rooks or trees where the eggs are sate from tho fox. Small birds are scarce, and the want of songsters amongst them is very noticeable. A visit to a piece of Patngonian bush is a very solemn affair. Nothing breaks the cheerless silence except the sob and moan of tb.4 wind. The only sign of life is porhap3 a hawk sailing overhead, and it strikes the visitor that the small bird's song would not have the effect of soothing the breast of his natural enemy. During the summer months the pampas are visited by little black swallows, which make a good living upon rao3quitos and other insects. The swallows are quite tame, and on a windy day they fly alongside a traveller for miles catching the ins'cls that are disturbed by the horse. In addition to the animals and birds mentioned in the above there are many others to be seen. Yes, there is plenty of life on the pampas, and one will seld mi ride round camp without seeing a picnic party of frolicing guanacos, or a garden p irty of stately ostriches. When oontrasted with the dreary, monotonous aspect of the country, these gay scenes help to mike the exile's heart lighter ; and he feels that this is not such a bad world to live in, and that most of man's dissatisfaction and unhappiness i 3 caused by his own nature and not by his surroundings.