LIFE IN PATAGONIA.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1402, 11 September 1923, Page 7

LIFE IN PATAGONIA.

..SHEEP, PUMAS, OSTRICHES... AUSTRALIAN'S EXPERIENCES. (By N.L. in Melbourne Argus). There are strange contrasts between station life in Australia and in parts of South America. An Australian who has had nine years' experience in the Rio Negro Territorypart of the Patagonian section of the Argentine Republic—is now visiting Melbourne. He has many things of interest to tell.

Pastoralists in Australia may have their troubles, but at least are free from some of those encountered in that part of South America. Animals of several kinds cause much damage among the sheep. One of the worst, says the Australian. is the puma, which is about the size of a leopard, and is similar in its ways. Pumas do much damage when they are teaching the cubs to kill. At such times many sheep are found djead, wftth little of the flesh gone. Otherwise the pumas kill only to eat, attacking fowls, calves, heifers, or any other animal that is not qualified to resist. Pumas are very cowardly, and are not found to be dangerous to men. When they are chased with dogs they will hide in a bush, if there is not a cave handy. Then there are different varieties of wild cats (this reference is solely to animals), and two kinds of foxes. A red fox, something like a wolf, does the most killing. The wild cats are about the size of domestic cats, but in spite of their comparative smallness they kill both sheep and "ostriches" frheas) in a curious way. They catch the animal ,or bird by the throat, and hang on till it dies. The guanacos, a form of deer., are a nuisance in some places because they are in such numbers that they consume much grass, and thus limit the sheep-carrying capacity of the country.

The rhea, a similar bird to the ostrich and generally called an ostrich, is found useful, as it eats the Locusts Commercially this South American ostrich is not worth cultivating, as the feathers are much inferior to those of the African bird. The Indians use the sinews, when making rugs of young guanaco skins, and they feast on the meat. The eggs —about as large as those of the emu —are good to eat, and in one day an Indian has been seen to eat three. Facts that the Australian noticed (after having been accustomed to see the emus running in pairs, and each hen laying in its own nest) were that, among the American ostriches, a cock is accompanied by several hens, and that all these hens lay in one nest, which may contain as many as (30 eggs. Curiosities of Hor'so-Bfenkingr. "The way of breaking in the horses is curious," says the Australian. "Generally they break from 10 to 15 horses in one batch, and these are taught always to run with a mare that has a bell round its neck. The horses, when broken in, never leave the mare, so, by hobbling the mare, you can always make sure of catching a horse whenever and whereever you like. In the actual breaking they do not mouth the horse, but hobble him, and catch and saddle him on the same day. A man on a quiet horse always rides on the off side, to see that the horse which is being broken does not run into a fence ,or

other obstacle. If you are going on a journey an Indian rides in front with the bell mare and the spare horses. When you want to change horses you catch the mare. All the horses stop, and you make the change and go on." A fair number of Australians are found in the Argentine. Usually they are men in responsible positions. The country, in the parts best known to the visitor, does not offer the same opportunities as Australia to the small capitalist who wishes to engage in primary production. A large amount of capital is needed. Fencing is very costly, for the Rio Negro country is practically without trees until one reaches the Andes. Iron fencing is used. One of the great drawbacks is the prevalence of scab in sheep. "It is an awful pest," says the Australian. "The people here have no idea what it is. It has been out of Australia for many years, but in the bulk of the Argentine Republic it is general. The big stations work it out gradually, and almost get rid of it, but it is brought back from the little flocks outside the station fences. These are kept by people in a small way, with anything from a few hundred to a thousand sheep. Most of the sheep are crossbred." Indian Work and Play. One of the chief differences between Australia and the Rio Negro country is in the method of shearing. South American Indians do the work, and they have the legs of the sheep tied. The shearing is comparatively slow. "Though there are no unions and no Arbitration Courts," says the visitor., "these workers are we'll paid for the amount of work they do." On the large stations there is machine shear-

ing, but elsewhere the blades are still used. Indian customs are interesting. The Indians grill meat by threading a long rod of iron, with a sharp point, through and through a huge piece. The iron is stuck in the ground obliquely, so that the meat leans over the fire which is kindled beneath. Forks are not in fashion. The feasters "eat with their fingers, aided by their long knives. Slashing off a large steak, a man puts one end of it in his mouth, and as his teeCi grip a portion he cuts away the rest. This process is repeated rapidly till he consumes the whole of the steak. So quickly does the knife move as bite after bite is bolted that it seems surprising that the diner does not cut his nose or lips. The knives are used for anything, "from killing a man upwards." Some of the Indians have drinking orgies from time to time, and when drunk they go mad, and usually "stick" somebody. In this one neighbourhood there are from 20 to 30 deaths a year from knife wounds and revolver bullets. Everyone carries a revolver. In their milder moods the Indians amuse themselves with their quaint songs, stories, and dances. Some have guitars, and they are kept busy. These Indians are not natives of the Argentine. They come over the mountains from Chili. The Argentine bushman, as a rule, is a very fine type, and always trustworthy. The "Christians," and the Indians keep strictly apart, from each other. In a camp the Indians stay together around one lire, and the Cristianos assemble around another. The labouring classes in the cities, and in the more settled parts of the country, are chiefly Spaniards and Italians. The Italians make good immigrants. "1 think this country could do with more of them," says the Australian. Immigration is carefully controlled, and all who enter have to produce not only a doctor's certificate, but a police certificate. "The labour trouble is not nearly as acute as if is in Australia," remarks the visitor. The Argentine authorities do not let strikers do as they please." Hail ways Better Than Ours. In the Rio Negro country there is not a great deal of population. Much of the land is not worth fencing, but four large stations, all fenced are owned by the company with which the Australian is associated. A railway goes through three of these stations, and gives access to the eastern coast. Argentine railways are described as much better than those in this country. "In Adelaide," says the Australian, "I and others could not get sleeping berths, and we were roused from an uncomfortable semisleep about eight times to show tickets. In the Argentine, where most of the lines are controlled by English companies, every train has a sufficient supply of sleeping cars, and there is always a restaurant car. The trains are far ahead of the Australian in every way, and there are many more lines. That is because English capita] is given an opportunity to show what it can do.

"I do not think there is any comparison between Australia and the Argentine in the way stock is handled on the railways. A comparison would be very much in favour of the Argentine. Instead of those slow, lumbering journeys, with all sorts of delays and shunting, you are given a stock train right through, with no stops except to change engines." In woo'l the Australian does not think that the Argentine Republic will ever be a very serious competitor with Australia. Conditions generally are not as favourable, and in Patagonia the gales always have a detrimental effect. But the Argentine beef producers score greatly in comparison with this country. They are close to the market, and the far superior railway transit gives them another great advantage. It is pointed, out that the vast Argentine Republic must not be judged by the Rio Negro section. In some of the other parts of the Argentine, farther south or north, there are conditions that are more like those of Australia. Much of that country is fenced, and many large firms carry on business in cattle or sheep. In the south there are freezing works, and a company that has its own steamships and other transport arrangements. "Buenos Aires is the greatest city in the southern hem<is'pher&," says the Australian. "It is most modern in every way. It is very cosmopolitan; there are people there from every country. Spanish are well represented. There are two English daily papers and two weeklies."