The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-05-12

The Araucarhians, ,wbo inhabii the south>
ern portion Of this delightful country, like
the Saxons of The European continent, are
the only native race who have successfully
rcpelled every invader, and who, happier
than the Saxon, still rejoice in .heir unbri-
died freedom.
Neither Diego Almargo. with his brutal
lreachery, nor Valvcrle, with his unsparing
cruelty, could ever subdue or intimidate
race OF feemen whose liberties still survive
The frequent convulsions by which they have
been agitated. The flame of freedom a.
mong lbis.gallant people, like the volcanoes
Of their native mountains, seems destined to
burn OH for ever unexiinguishcd. But pro-
posed TO speak of the Condor Hunt on the
plains of Chilli
Every one has heard of the Condor, or
Great Vulure of the Andes. rivaling in nat.
ural history the tabled feais of the Roc Of
S:nbad. Even the genius of Humboldt has
failed 10 strip this giant bird Of its time -hor-
ore1 renown, and his effort to reduce The
Chilian Condor TO the level nj the Lammer-
oyer of the Alps, is n signal failure.
Ahough he has divested this mountain
bird OF ali its fictitious attributes. and sirp>
ped n goodly portion of romantic narrative
Of its widest imagery, yet the condor still
floats in the solitude Of the higher heavens,
the monarch of The feathercd race. The
fa,oriie abiding plare of this formidable bird
is along a chain Of mountains in our south.
ern continent, whose SUBMITS, lifted far a.
bove The clouds. are robed in snow, which
lorrid sun may kiss but never melt. Above
all animal life, and beyond the limit of even
mountain vegetation, these birds delight 10
dwell, inballng an air too highly atlenudted
be endured by any other than creatu res
peculiarly adapted TO it. From the crown
of these immense elevations they slowly and
lazily unfold their sweeping pinions, and
" wheeling in wide and ascending circles,
they soar upward into the dark blue vault
of heaven, until their great bulk diminshes
10 the merest speck, OF is entirely lost TO the
aching sight OF the observer
"All day thy wings have famed,
AT that far height the cod, thin atmosphere,
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
Though the dark night is near.
There is power whose care
Teaches the way along that painless coast
The desert and illimtable air.
Lone wondcring-but moi lost,
Thou AIT gone-thc abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form"
In those pure fields of ether, anvisiIed e.
ven by the ,hurder-coud, regions which
may be regarded as his own exclusive do.
main, the Condor delights to sail, and with
piercing glance survey the surface of The
earth, towards which he never sloops but at
the call Of hunger Surely this power to
wafl and TO sustain himself in the lofliest re-
eions Of the air-the ability 10 endure, unin-
jured, the exceeding cold attendant upon
such remoteness from the earth, and to
breathe with ease an atmosphere Of such ex-
treme rarity together with the keenness of
sight that. from such vast heights can mi
nutely scan the objects beneath, as well as
the formidable powers of this bird, when The
herds are scattered before him; were sulli-
cienlly admirable TO entllo the Condor TO
our attention, and 10 give US promise of
eoodly sport in the approaching Condor or
Lasso Hunt
A large landed proprietor, descendant
of one of the early Spanish patentees 10
whom we had been indebted for abundant
supplies of fruit and provisions, as well as
for nunberless civiilics, conveyed 10 us n.
length the welcome tidings that the Condor,
numerous as the sands o. the shore. had stuop-
ed from his sublime abodt, to the base of
the mounlain, aud that the hunt would COM
mence in the morning.
The sun had scarcely risen in the'heavens,
when our party of from twenty-five 10 lhir>
ty sprang from the boats on the beach. The
plain before US ran in gently ascending
slope 10 the base of the hull about one mile
distant. The hunt was ap-and the field
IN the distance was dotted with scampetng
herds Of cattle and groups of horsemen n min>
aled in one dusty melee, the sight of which
lent wings 10 our speed, as yauliing into The
deep Spanish saddles, prepared by our wor,
thy host, we sprane onward 10 the field Of
blood. lmpelled by the cravings Of resist,
less appetite, the Condor, regardless of dan
ger, pressed forward ic assail the herds of the
plain while the watchnan, having sounded
the alarm, the numerous population turned
OUT, as well 10 protect their cattle, as to hunt
the mountain bifd-lhe Chilian's manly
pasiine.
From the midst Of a canopy of dust,
spread wide over the plain, there came forth
sounds of noisy conflict, resembling the
heady current Of foughlen field, and
mountain and hillside were shaken by the
shouts of the hunters, the tramp of scamp>
ering horsemen, and the believing of erl-
ragged and ailrighted cattle. The Condor
alone, rapid as the cassowary Of the desert.
pursued in silence his destined prey. As
We rapidly approached we perceived one
of the herd bursting from the western ex-
tremity of the cloud Of dust, lashing his
bleeding sides with his tail, and his blood
shoiien eyes starting wildly from their sock.
cts, while foaming at the mouth, he beloved