Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-01-01
HISTORICAL.



That tract Of country South of the Parana Riv.
er, and latitude 33 South, extending West to the
Andes, goes by the name Of the Pampas and is a
level country, formed apparently by the washings Of
the great tributaries Of the La Plata, without a
stone or rock, or hill, more than gentle eleya-
ton OF few feet so level that carriage can 90 over
the fields in any direction, and without single
tree, or bush. II is one immense meadow, COW
cred with luxuriant grass, mingled, in the Spring
time, with a thousand varieties Of beautiful flowers.
The winters night is rarely so cold as to form ice
1.-THE thickness Of glass; and snow is never SEEM
The thermometer is never below thirty, or above
ninety. This plain is but partly settled. A line
drawn North and South, one hundred and City
miles West Of Buenos Ayres. and from the Parana
river TO three hundred miles South Of that city, en-
braces the portion Of country under civilized rule
Over the rest rove the Pampa Indians, who 20 as
far South as Pantagonia, in summer, and who come
North in winter. Clothed generally in skins, eat.
ing horse flesh robbing and numbering whatever
opportunity offers they are the nearest kin 10 brutes
OF any race of Indians that exist on the American
continent The settled part is divided into es.
tates, generally containing two TO five square
leagues OF land. league contains {, 700 acres on
which the principal business is raising cattle sheep,
and horses. Each land owner has peculiar brand,
which is registered at the office in the city and all
animals with that brand are his properly The
owners drive together all the animals once year,
and brand the young and when they are sold, they
are branded again, or counter marked, and then
marked with the mark Of the new owner. The an
imas are driven up to pens, generally near the
tire Of the estate, every night, and they get in
to the habit OF eating away from their sleeping
ground until noon, and then turning their steps
towards home. One square league will support
ten thousand animals, although il is rare that so
many are put within that space. The calculations
early this year, that in the State Of Buenos Ayres
there were 100000 sheep, and 100000 horses.
Cattle are worth about three and half silver dol.
lars each, when selected for market The owner
sells drove All the animals are driven together,
and all the neighbors are invited to the frolic Of
separating cattle for market. A most exciting
irolic il is, for the cattle not tame and it is not
very safe to approach them, on horse back About
twenty tame working cattle stationed about half
a mile from sthe herd. The purchaser points out
and three hoFsemen dash in among them, the ami
NAL runs, and the horsemen manages TO get on each
side Of, and behind him A race begins the riders,
shouting like mad men, manage as to bring the
animal 10 the spot where the tame oxen are quiet
ly grazing, when refining in their horses, he darts
ahead, and finding he is no longer pursued. stops,
evidently astonished at the operation. In this way
twenty or thirty men will select large number. in
a day. Sometimes 'novillo, or sheep, will give
them chase three or four miles before they can
bring him to the right spot. The drove selected,
the head driver gets certificate from the Justice
ofthe Peace that be has examined the marks. and
that the cattle sold by the true owners, with
which he starts for town, sometimes $50 or 200
miles, travelling very slowly, and sleeping on the
grass near them. Great care must be taken that
they do not mix with herds as they pass along, as
there are no fences or bitches to separate ones
land from his neighbors. Arriving at the outskirts
OF the city Of Buenos Aes, they pass to the great
sailing establishments, where they are driven into
pen lassa or moose is thrown over the horns.
and by windlass the animal is drawn up 10 post,
where man stands, and with sharp pointed knife
pierces the spine. back Of the horns-the animal
drops upon a rail truck, and is drawn off TO the
sknnng ground, where the hide is taken off. the
beef cut from the bones and hung up 10 drain, pre-
paratory TO sailing, and the taow all taken out, all
within FIVE minutes. The hides are sailed and
shipped. principally to England; the beef is sailed
and then dried and shipped IN bulk to Brazil and
Cuba; the bones, horns and hoois are shipped to
Europe and the hair from the tails Tor mattresses,
and the snews OF the legs for glue are exported to
the United States. About 6OO ,OOO cattle are an
nually killed for the beef which is cured for ex-
port, ana about %Oo oou are killed, ana the beel
either steamed out for the lat, or thrown away
The export OF hides from Buenos Ayres IS 200
QUO per annum. Those for the United States are
the lighter kinds that come from the interior States
oil the Argentine Confederation. The richest cat
tie owners are Nicholas Anchorena and his brother
'Ihomas,-who sell 10000 each year, and have
about 3OO,OOO and 81, 900 horses There are sew
eral who own over 100000, and the country re-
naming tranquil and IN peace, the number would
rapidly increase The other States Of the Coned-
Grafton are not so settled, but have 3,oO0 OOO cat
he,-and the Republic OF Uruguay and Southern
part OF Brazil Rio Grandel have 5,0O0.OOO more,
making in the country near the La Plata, l3,5OO,-