THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 557 



pays men to kill these wild cattle for their hides. The cattle are 

 thrown by means of the lasso or bolas, and ham-strung, or " cut 

 down," as the term is, and then killed and skinned at leisure. 

 2,000 had been thus killed in Lafonia in the year of our visit. 



It seems remarkable that such very different means of hand- 

 ling wild or half wild cattle should be adopted in different 

 countries, and that one method should not long ago have been 

 found the best. The bolas is used in the Argentine Eepublic 

 and the Falklands, but not, I believe, in Chile. The lasso is 

 always used with it. In California the lasso only is used, as 

 also in the Sandwich Islands, the inhabitants of which derive 

 their methods of cattle herding from the former country. 



In Brazil the cattle, as I have described,* are brought into 

 subjection by being tailed ; the lasso is used, but not the bolas. 

 In Australia and New Zealand, neither of these appliances are 

 used, but only the stock-whip. An experienced owner of large 

 herds of cattle in Australia, tells me that he considers that these 

 various appliances are really not wanted, and that the great art in 

 driving cattle is to get them to move quite slowly, and never to 

 excite or terrify them, and that he can tell a good manager at 

 once by observing whether his cattle are quietly and easily 

 driven. There seem to be no differences in the condition of the 

 country in the various regions which should render the lasso or 

 bolas more necessary in some than in the others. 



The bolas,t as is well-known, is an apparatus consisting of 

 heavy balls of stone, metal, or wood fastened at the ends of long 

 thongs of raw hide. In the Patagonian Ostrich bolas, only two 

 balls are used ; for cattle and horses, three, one ball being smaller 

 than the others. The three thongs are brought together at one 

 knot. The bolas is held by the smaller ball, and whirled round 

 the head, and then thrown so as to entangle the legs of the 

 animal aimed at. 



* See pp. 99-101. 



t Mr. Darwin's " Journal of Kesearches," pp. 44 and 111, in his 

 accounts of the bolas, calls it by this name as also other authors, Musters 

 included. A hunter, however, from whom I bought one at Sandy Point, 

 and also the Falkland Islanders, said the name was not bolas, but 

 " boleaderos," or some word closely similar, and they considered the word 

 bolas incorrect. Possibly the name has changed. 



