Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-04-13
HUNTING CHINCHILLA.
South American Indians Use Byna
mite to Capture the VAL
uable Animals.

dynamite is one of the lucrative pas
times of the South American Indians
which enrches the commerce of the
world very considerably. This season
more than ever before chinchilla has
been the fashionable fur used in the
manufacture of cloaks, muffs and for
the trimming of costly hats.
High in the mountains the nimbIe'
footed chinchilla are caught and killed
by half savage Indians. Tact and ski
are needed to allure the cautious little
animal from its hole in the earth.
Originally the Indians used to use cac'
tus prongs, which are long and sharp
to capture them in their holes by i'm
paling them on the end of this natural
formed spear. This punctured the
skin and impaired its value. The trap
pers tried to smoke the chinchilla out
by making great fires near the en-
trance of the burrows, but the smoke,
it was found, caused the skin to turn
yellow, which seriously deprecated
their value. Now the more progress
sive Indians use dynamite.
After locating the chinchilla they
form a network of grass and hardy
plants. which is placed around the hill
on the side of which the animal digs
its holes. A dynamite cartridge, with
time fuse attached Is then dis
hn To- hn pf hn nf Ia inb
frghtens the chinchilla so that they
leave their holes and scamper wildly
to and fro about the space inside the
net. The indians then dash into the
arena with clubs and kill them by
striking them over the head. This is
considered the easiest and best meth
cd of killing them, as it does not in
| any way damage the skins, which vary
in value from three to fifteen dollars
each. When it is considered that as
many as 100 animals are killed in
one sortie of this character the value
Of the skins to the Indians, who are
shrewd commercial traders, may be
imagined.
Some of the tribe own ferrets, which
they use TO good advantage. They pay
as much as $50 for one. The ferrcts
are taken to the mountain tops and
sent through the burrows, chasing the
chinchilla out into the open. where
they are dubbed to death with celer.
ity by the waiting Indians. The skins
are removed Immediately and placed
on shrubs to dry. The evening meal
of the trappers often consists of the
bodies of the slain rodents, the meat
OF which is white and tender. The
hearts of the latter are given to the
ferrets as requital for their work.
A great part OF the trapping is done
at night, the chnchilla seldom being
visible in the daytime. The nights are
cool and clear. and there being but
little vegetation at the height where
the chinchilla are caught, the noun.
tains are for long period each month
Illuminated by the rays of the moon
enabling the Indians to move about
with great agility for their prey. The
chinchilla lives principally on herbs
and often when they come out to feed
are trapped by the Indians.
Four times year the tribes descend
into the semi-civilized villages at the
base Of the mountains with their
skins. There they are met by the
agents of the various European M
houses. One American house has its
representative there, too. The occa.
sion of the Indians arrival Is usually
made religious festival.
George Herzig, the only American
agent there, who is now in the city
says he paid one tribe of 80 Indians
for the firm by whom he is employed
as much as ss0,Ooo-in native money
which is equivalent to $4,000 in Amer.
lean money--last year for skins. This
the Indians converted principally into
mule and llama stocks, by which they
estimate their wealth.
The skins are transported to thi,
aty In steell-lined cases.-N. Y. Herald