The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-09-17

or picture given to the owner by one OF
the priests of Mendoza or Cordoba.
Gauchos will carry their offspring for
miles across the pampas, and face the
dreaded pampero, or cyclone, OF the
plains. in order to have their little ones
formally baptized. In like manner they
will carry their dead strapped across
horse for burial in consecrated ground.
Sir Francis Head, famous traveller
who spent a great deal of tine among
them, pays tribute to their genuine hos
pitality. In the summer time, when
their huts are infested with fieas and
binchuchas, or bugs as big as black
beetles, the entire family sleep on tho
grass in front of their hut
When traveller arrives at gaucho
habitation after bedtime the custom is
for him to throw his saddle, or recado,
next to one of the sleepers. All that he
can see is lot of bare feet and ankles.
The guests supper is cooked on big
| iron spit, and he is cordially invited to
seat himself ON the skeleton of q horses
head to enjoy it. The members of the
| family sit around on similar stools and,
with long knives, cut large mouthfuls
from the roasted haunch.
The hut is lighted by lamp made of
bullock's tallow, and the visitor can
see his brides, spurs, and lassos hung
from pegs of bone on the walls. The
free and easy life seems to agree with
the children. who are plump, good-na-
tured, and black eyed.
| They do not bother their heads much
about clothing, and playfully fight
while they eat Meanwhile, the fowl
perched in corner, looks down upon
| the diners The gancho never turns q
wayfarer from his humble hut, and is
open-handed in his hospitality. His
endurance is wonderful. He will ride
thirty leagues day without showing
fatigue, and will brand cattle from sun
rise to sunset without eating mouth
full of food
| Occasionally after nightfal he will
ride to some lonely pulperia, or drink.
ing shop, to pass away few
hours with boon companions. Music
and dancing are always furnished
by the proprietor. 1t is at these fan
dangoes that hot word or jealous
look will bring two gauchos face to
face with the ever-ready knife drawn.
When these dances are most unre
strained it is not unusal for two
swarthy rivals to sing verses about
each other to the accompaniment OF q
guitar, while crowd of their compan
ions form q circle around the wall o.
the drinking place.
> / 49, ~~oIrx n mr.
each hit made by the contestants a.
verse follows verse. The fingers drinl
cana, native wine, until it affects on
of them so much that he resorts to bit
ter taunts, which are replied to in tn
same spirit. The inevitable row fol
lows. Each rival draws his knife. l
is then war to the death. And som
| friend of the one who is killed carrie
: the dead man, strapped to his horse
back, across the pampas to his lat
l home.
The gancho dearly loves his horse
! When he wants to mount he places on
: end of his lance on the ground besid
e the animal, catches the weapon wit
n one hand at point above his head, an
s with dexterous spring seats himsel
= securely on his horses back. He wi
: clutch the main of galloping stee
!, and land on his back with the ease {
q an acrobat
4 Every once in awhile the pamps
e Indians swoop down on the gauch
= huts in the absence of their owners. 81
4 fire to the stockades, and massacre tn
= women and children. When tn
e gauchos return they organize hun
for vengeance, and in turn spare N
the Indian women or children.
The country over which the gaucf
5, holds sway dis made up of groves
palms of countless species, miles
Is clover and cacti, towering thistles ar
e flowers of great beauty and infinite Y
!, riety. Above is q soft sky, and the a
e mosphere is SO pure that malaria is n
D. know.-Cincinnati Commercial Gazett