Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-11
HUNTING THE CHINCHILLA.
Dynamite Used in the Capture of the
Little Fur-BenrinE Rodent.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
Killing chinchila with the aid of dynamite
Is one of the lucrative pastimes of the
South African Indians which enriches the
commerce of the world very considerably
This season more than ever before chin
chilla has been the fashionable fur used in
the manufacture of cloaks, muffs and for
the trimming of costly hats.
High in the mountains the nimble-footed
chinchila are caught and killed by half
savage Indians. Tact and skill are needed
to allure the cautious little animal from it's
hole in the earth. Originally the Indians
used TO cactus prongs, which are long
and sharp. to capture them in their holes
by impaling them on the end of this natural
formed spear. This punctured the skin and
impaired its value The trappers tried to
smoke the chinchiila out by making great
fires the entrance of the burrows. but
the smoke. it was found caused the skin to
turn yellow. which seriously deprecated its
value. Now the more progressive Indians
use dynamite.
After locating the chinchilla they form
network of grass and hardy plants which
is placed around the hill on the side of which
the animal digs Its holes. dynamite
fridge. with a time fuse attached, is then
discharged in the center of the net which
frightcnS the chinChilla that they leave
their holes and scamper inside the net. The
Indians then dash into the arena with clubs
and kill them by striking them over the
| mead lnlS Is considered the easiest ana
best method of killing them. as it does not
| in any way damage the skins, which vary
| in value from g to 80 each. When 1t is
| considered that as many 100 animals are
killed in sortie of this character the
| value of the skins to the Indians who are
shrewd commercial traders. may be mag
| ined.
! Some of the tribes own ferrets. which
| they use to good advantage. They pay as
much 81 for one. The ferrets are taken
| to the mountain tops and sent through the
| burrows. chasing the chinchlla out into the
open. where they are dubbed to death with
| celebrity 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 a requtal for their
work.
| A great part of the trapping Is done at
| night. the chinchila seldom being visible in
| the daytime The nights are cool and clear
and there being but little vegetation at the
height where the chinchila are caught, the
| mountains are for long period each month
| Illuminated by the rays of the moon, en-
\ abing 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 In
dianS.
| Four times year the tribes descend into
| the semi-civiliZed village at the base of the
| mountains with their skins There they are
| met by the agents of the various European
| fur houses. One American house has its
| representative there. too. The occasion of
the Indians arrival Is usually made a re-
| ligiOuS festival.
| George Herzig. the only American agent
| there. says ne paid one tribe of thirty In
| dians for the firm by whom he is employed
| as much as SsoNO-in native money. which
| is equivalent to $4,000 in American money
last year for skins. This the Indians con-
verted principally into mule and llama
stocks by which they estimate their wealth