The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-04-21
HUNTING CHTNcHTLLA
eouth American Indians Use Dynna
mite to Capture the vnI-
uable Animals.

Killing chinchilla with the aid Of
dynamite is one Of the lucrative pas.
times Of the South American Indiana
which enriches the commerce of the
world very considerably. This season
more than ever before ehinchllla has
been the fashionable fur used ia the
manufacture Of cloaks, mnHs and f1l
the trimming Of costly hats.
High in the mountains the uimhie.
footed chinchilla are caught and killed
l by half savage Indians Taet and skin
are needed to allure the cautious little
animal fronl is 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 inn
/ paling them on the end of this natural
formed pear. This punUtured the
skin and impaired its value The frap
/ pers tried to smoke the chinchfla out
by making great fires near the en-.
/ trance OF the burrows, but tho smoke
it was found, caused the skin to turn
yellow which seriously deprecated
their value, Now the more progrd
sive Indians use dynamite.
After locating the ehihchiIla they
form a network of grass and hardy
plants, which is placed around the hin
on the side of which the animal digs
Its holes. A dynamite cartridge. with
time fuse attached is then dis.
charged in. the center of the net, which
frightens the chinchilIa 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 ID
considered the easiest and best meth.
cd Of killing them, as it does not IL
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 ferrets
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 oeler.
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 a requital for their work.
a great part of the trapping is done
at night, the chinehilla seldom being
visible in the daytime. The NIGHTS ara
cool and clear, and there being buf
little vegetation at the height where
the chiRchilla are caught, the noun.
tains are for long period each month
by the rays of the moon,
enabling the Indians to move about
with great agility for their prey. The
chinchiIla lives principally On herbs.
and often when they come out to feed
are trapped by the Indians.
Four times a year the tribes descend
into the semi-civilized villages A. The
base of the mountains with tbeir
skins. There they are met by tile
agents of the various European fu1
houses. One American house has its
representative there, too. The ocoa.
sion OF the Indians arrival IS USUALLY
made a religious festival.
George Herzig, the only American
agent there, who is now in the eitv
says he paid one tribe Of 30 Indians
for the hrm by whom ne Is employed
as much as $so,0o0-in native money
which is equivalent to $4,000 iii amer.
lean money last year for Skins. Ehis
the Indians converted principally inta
mule and llama stools, by which they
estimate their wealth
The skins are transported 8o ihf
glty in steell-lined caasa.-N. y He