The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-06-06
LIFE AROUND PUNTA ARENAS.
Cuybina Inquisitiveness and ChasfnE
OstrIches Are Two of Its
Features.

The only town In the Straits Of Ma
gellan Is Punta Arenas, a free port
which was formerly penal colony of
Chill, and is now very important
market and supply point for the
miners of Terra del Fuego, the ranch
men of Patagonia and for passing
steamers, says the Chicago Record 1t
has q population of about $4,000 peo-
pie, representing all the tribes and
races of mankind, and it Is not safe
to esk @ man where he came from or
whet his name was before his ar
rival
The country back of Punta Arenas
il pretty well taken up with sheep
ranches, and large amount of wool
Is shipped to Europe from that place.
Although the climate Ia severe, the
sheep seem TO survive, and although
uncultivated, the wool is of excellent
quality. A large trade is done in furs
and skins, and the prettiest things to
be bought at Punta Arenas are os
trich robes made of the breasts of
young birds. Seals are plenty along
the rocks OF the coast, but theiB fur
Is not 80 good as that of the northern
zones In Patagonia ostriches are not
bred az at the Cape of Good Hope, but
run wild and are gradually being ex-
Terminated The Indians chase them
on horseback and catch them with
bolas-two heavy balls upon the end
OF q rope woven of leather stringA
Grospfng one ball in the hand they
aallop after the ostrich, and whirlipa
ohe other ball around their head like
. col of lasso, they let go when mean
enough to the bird, and the two balls,
still revolving in the air, if s1illfully
.direoted, will wind around the long
legs of the ostrich and send him turn
ing somersaults upon the sand Tho
Indians leap from their saddles, and
If they are out of meat cut the throat
of the bird and carry the carcass to
camp but If they have no need of
Sood, they pull the long plumes from
his tail and wings and let him go
again to gather fresh plumage for
the next season
The bolns is handled very dextrous-
~, and well-trained Indians ere able
to bring down an ostrich at a range
Of 200 or 800 yards But 10 is not often
necessary to fire at that distance.
Horses accustomed to the chase can
overtal1e a bird on an unobstructed
plain, but the birds have the advan-
tage of being artful dodgers, and
carrying SO much less weight, can
turn and reverse quite suddenly.
The usual mode of hunting is for a
dozen or more of mounted Indians to
surround herd and charge upon
them suddenly. In this way several
are usually brought down before they
scatter, and those that got away are
pursued AS they dodge from one
hunter they usually run across the
range Of another, and the first they
know are triPped by the entangling
bolas. People passing through the
straits often stop over q steamer at
Punte Arenas to enjoy an ostrich
chase. They can secure trained horses
and guides at moderate prices, but
one who has never thrown the bolas
win be amazed to find how difficult h
In TO do trick that looks 80 easy.
Some years ago a young English
lord who went down TO exterminate
the ostrich family came very near be-
ing lynched for manslaughter, as the
first bolas he threw took one of the
half-breed guides under the ear and
laid him out as cold as n wedge His
lordkhip made suitable provision for
the family of his victim. and the de-
ceased mans partner immediately
took up with the beraaved widow
without the formality OF a wedding
ceremony; the bride and groom omit
ted the usual period of mourning and
appeared TO be much gratifled at the
results of his lordshiP's visit. OF
course OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
but the marriage was useful in divert
ing public attention from the aoci
dent, and the reckless scion of the
nobility slipped away without explain
ing matters to the courts.