Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-05
GAME IN PATAGONIA,
HOW THE NATIVES KILL 1T WITH
, THEIR DEADLY BOLAS.

An Interesting Account of an Expedition
Into Deep Canyons-Strange Habits of
a Peculiar People-Exciting Hunting
and Plenty Of 1t.
The "cow," called by the Spaniards
'toldo," is Il native hut, something like a
sloping shed, seven feet high in front and
two feet high at the back, twelve feet long
by nine wide, and covered with skin.
I had left the ship at Desengano bay and
started with a native servant named Ka-
.trilas, whom we had picked up farther
down the coast and carried as interpreter
to penetrate the Guaiteca's country of the
,P~atagonians in order to get some skins of
the guanaco.
The guanaco is Il species of the llama,
which to South America is what the camel
is to oriental countries, and is not, indeed,
unlike that animal in certain respects.
After we had concluded arrangements
for pelts at one village the old chief asked
us to accompany the young men on a hunt,
in order that they might give me a practi-
cal Illustration of the use of the wonderful
native weapon called the "bolas," which is
the father of the cowboys lariat, and on
the morning of the hunt Katrilas called
PATAGONIANS AND THEIR L
AS I came out of the hut I found about a
dozen P"atagonians gathered about. They
were muscular fellows, but not by any
means approaching the gigantic stature
attributed to these people by early travel
ers. Their color was dark, copper brown,
and the hair, long and coarse, hung loosely
about their faces, and was only kept out
of thai,. apoo NV n fS11at of ~,u,oo .6;,
The Indians dress consisted of a loin
band and large mantle of guanaco skin,
with CATERS to protect the ankles from
thorns. From the wearing of CATERS came
the name Patagonia; the sailors of Magel-
Ian, ridiculing these conspicuous items of
dress. named the natives Patagones, which
means "duck feet" The name adhered to
the people and was afterward applied to
their country.
Tethered some distance from the toldos
were a number of horses, something like
mustangs, standing about fifteen hands
high and very fleet and strong, but not
very symmetrical. Two of these animals
had been provided for myself and katrilas,
and as soon as breakfast was over we
galloped away with our guides, seated
upon rude saddles made of wood and raw
hide.
We made directly for the open country.
The only weapons carried were bolas, of
which there are WI kinds, one made with
two balls, called somai, and one with three
balls, called achico. The achico is gener.
ally used These weapons are made of
stones, about twice the size of Il baseball,
made round by rubbing by the women of
the tribes. Some are made of iron, and
thu ,~@r% 1,-r - al
which, being smaller in proportion to their
weight, offer less resistance to the air when
thrown. About eighteen ounces is the
customary weight.
TIE GAME SIGHTED
. Each of these balls is laid in a circular
piece of raw guanacO hide, which has holes
around the edge. The pieces are fitted close
to the ball by passing m end of the main
thong through the holes and drawing it
tight. The thongs are nine feet long, and
are made in two sections, which, while the
hide is fresh, are twisted together, so as to
form a rope with two strands, the strength
of which is very great. Two of these ropes
are attached to each ball. In the three ball
bolas the six ropes are joined together in a
neat splice, which forms a handle.
! The bolas is to the Patagonian what the
boomerang is to the Australian.
We had ridden a few miles into the prai-
RE, or savannah, when u scout who led us
at some distance held up his hand as u sig
nal lat game was sighted. Immediately
our line of hunters spread out in a curved
line, II in a minute every horse was in
motion at a slow trot. AS we neared the
scout I came to the top Of a slight rise in
the ground, and then I saw in the valley
on the other side about forty of these
llamas. which supply the native with his
food, his dwelling, his clothes and half his
weapon.
The herd had been held by the scout
skillfully initiating the cry of a young
deer in distress, and until we topped the
rise the animals gazcl curiously. Then
they started, making for the hill that lay
behind us. But our line, skillfully disposed,
rendered a wide circuit on their part neces-
sary. This speedily confused them. Though
their fleet limbs might have saved them
easily i'll a straight run, they scattered
wildly, Inc ran hither and thither at light
ming speed, swerving at every approach in
their half blind career to a hunter mo
screaming in nervous excitement.
Each hunter singled out his prey, and
then l saw why the girdle was worn by the
hunters outside the mantle. Loosening
the garment at the throat as he galloped.
the wearer let it drop to the belt, thus
leaving his arms free and unencumbered,
while its ends tapped and futtered like
wings, still further adding to the terror of
the timid animals under pursuit.
A CURIOUS SCENE.
Seeing that the hunt simply ran to and
fro and did not get away from the valley,
I refined in my horse and watched the curl
Gus scene. The guanacos ran and after
them rode the hunters, each grasping in
his right hand the bolas, whose three balls,
lying close together, circlcd slowly round
and round his head. Each horse, though
feeling the fever of the chase, answered to
a pressure of the knees, and the riders
eyes were fixed upon the game.
Nearer and near drew the fleet horses,
and then the bolas made q swifter, shorter
revolution, the grasp was released and
away sped the missile.
. Now and only now l saw the true value of
this weapon. AS it left the hand the three
balls, lying side by side, suddenly diverged
under the action of centrifugal force, and
spreading out, the weapon appeared trans
formed into a rigid triangular frame, which
turned over and over in its fight.
: Urged by the stalwart arm of the native
it flew straight to the mark, and striking
the guanaco Oh the shoulder. the impetus
to the balls coiled one
thong in n OIL focotiDr trpict wound tha