The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-06-14

Guanacos are easily domesticated, and
grow so tame as to become nuisances. They
persist in following you about treading
right on your heels and nosing in your
pockets. If repulsed they get angry and
spit at you. Their saliva is strongly acid,
and If not washed off will burn the skin.
If it should chance to lodge on scratch or
in an eye it may cause great irritation and
soreness. The skins of the kids make
beautiful and soft rugs, but as they are very
small many of them are required. The
| Indians dye the under sides of the skins
with dull colors, which they obtain from
certain kinds of earths, and an expert can
tell by the style of the dying from what
l. tribe the rug came. The skins of the grown
animals are not desirable for rugs, but from
the fleece or fur the natives weave rough
mat very similar in workmanship to what
sailors call a sword mat.
The hunting of the Ostrich-a bird by no
means as large as the African species-ls
conducted much in the same manner as the
guanaco hunting, and is equally exciting.
An ostrich, when thrown by the bolas, ex-
hausted or wounded, will often struggle
onward, endeavoring to work it's head into
bush, sand heap or whatever offers
apparent protection. 1t is an instructive
action, which may be observed In BARN
yard fowl if chased about an Enclosure I'M
til incapable of running further. Birds,
almost without exception, become light
headed and foolish if heated, frightened and
excited.
The feathers of the ostrich, though fair,
are by no means as valuable as those of the
African bird The skin of his neck is very
tough, and is used for contemporaries.
While returning one day from hunting
,roI Enx hafn fltod doc
had done more than bite through one
of his TANKS. / carried him for time
holding him firmly by the nape of the neck,
and then turned him over to Welsh lad
who handled the little beast less cautiously.
The fox rewarded the trust thus reposed in
him by biting the end of the Welshman's
nose off. l had great trouble in dressing
the creatures wound, but succeeded i'll ac-
complishing this each day until it healed.
Subsequently he was allowed to run about
my schooner at will, but his propensities
were always mischievOus and destructive.
found ii necessary to keep few missiles
convenient to my bed, and when he entered
my room at night his attention was forcibly
directed to their presence. If / failed to
hear him he would cut up my clothing, and
on one occasion chewed up Panama
hat, pair of cuffs, shirt and collar. /
kept the little animal until one wild night
in the Parana River about seven months
later he disappeared, how, never knew.
Ducks and geese abound On the river and
along The sea-coast. Further back where
there are lakes remote from the habitatious
of man they are almost innumerable, and
shooting them is tame sport. Here too that
most beautiful Of feathered fowls, the fam
ing fiamingo, may be seen in all in its glory.
Nc 80. l.
imagined than flock of these birds rising
from the dreary landscape aud crossing the
face of the setting sun, their crimson plum
age gli,tering in the fire of its last rays
Colonies of penguins flourish along the
sea-shore, and there was at one time French
company on Lobos Island engaged in cap
turing the birds for their oil and also for
their skins, which are thicker and tougher
than the skins of our looms, and, being
heavily feathered form lovely cushion covers
He who hears for the first time by night the
cry of penguin as it floats on the bosom of
the ocean cannot fail to be startled by its
striking similarity to the cry of an infant.
On the east coast of Patagonia are a num-
Der of seal rookeries, and though the Argen-
tine Government has forbidden seal killing
except by special permission, more or less
poaching is carried on.
Numerous specimens of the armadllo
family are to be encountered throughout the
camp. They are tortoise-like in general APP
pearance, but in their movements excessively
untOrtoise-like. When pursued they dig
holes in the ground SO quickly that if they
have but half a minute their escape is almost
certain. l once came SO suddenly upon one
of the odd little things that he had no OPP
portunity of burrowing. | tried to put my
foot upon him, but he was not underneath.
] essayed again and again to tread On him,
with the same result. | jumped about like
one possessed, scratched and bruised myself
in the bushes, lost my hat and tore my shirt
and coat of. put my foot down hard at
least rs times just exactly where that little
beast should have been, and finally captured
him by falling full length on his jointed
armor He makes excellent eating, and in
Brazil, where he is called the tattoo" his
flesh is much priced.
1t is said that whoever drinks of the water
of the Mexican Rio Grande in youth will re-
turn to drink again ere the close of life Be
this as it may l know that he who tarries
long under the southern cross, on those Pata-
CONAN shores washed by the South Atlantic
will never let its memories grow dim. There
is a fascination that cannot be described or
accounted for in that lonely and desolate
region. Here are no Irish hunters to be-
stride, no dapper saddles no ive barred gates
to take nor planted ground to ride over, no
dress-coats and elaborate toilets at dinner
when the chase is done but for genuine and
exhilaratiDg sport give me Patagonian game
Patagonian field and my shaggy, one-eyed
split-eared Whitey.-Outing.