lí. LKHMANN-NITSCIIK : LA BOTA DE l'OTKO 205 



<U'llii ranipagna lotteni a Inugo c prima di abbundonaie il suo [xmcho 

 passevanno aucoia alciinl secoli (1). 



Thomas J. Hutcliinson, F. P.. G. S., F. E. S. L., F. E. S., etc. des- 

 cribe el traje gaucliesco como si<>ne : 



The gaucho diess is peculiar : a jxniclio, which Í8 placed over tlie licad 

 hy a lióle iu its centre, and which talls over the body to the hips. This is 

 often of a very gay pattern, esjiecially ou Sundays and holidays. The lower 

 garment is a curioiis coiubination of bed-goAvn and Turki.sh tronsers, named 

 calzoncillos : it is bordered by a friuge, sometiraes of rich lace, froiii two 

 to six incbes in dei)th. Enoriiious spurs form part of the toilette. I saw a pair 

 on a gaucho at the estancia of my friend doctor Pérez, tliat measured seven 

 luches in dianieter. Tliese were oí a larger size thau those nientioned by 

 Mr. Darwiii in his ./oín/í^// f>/' /¿ese«>x7ie«, describing the Beagle's voyage 

 rouud the world, and wliich he saw in Chile, measuring six inches in 

 the same direction as aforesaid. The boots for woiking purposes are 

 made of untanned liidc, bnt those for holiday dress are often of patení 

 leather with briglit scarlet tops. Many of the gauchos wear purple or 

 yelloAv haudkerchiefs over theirheads, inside the sombrero^ and others have 

 Avide belts around their bodies, that are glistening with silver dollars tacked 

 on. The costume of a gaucho is, hoAvever, only completí' when lie is on 

 horseback Avith the bolas, the la:o. and a knife at liis giidle. 



»■ 



Un coiüpatriota de Mantegazza, el naturalista P. Strobel, bien co- 

 nocido en Buenos Aires donde actuara como profesor universitario, 

 escribe : 



Aus Fell verfertigt sich der Gaucho seine Botas de potro oder Stiefel, 

 besser avoIiI Strürapfe, von der niclit gegerbten, zusammenliangend abgezo- 

 genen Haut des Fusses und des unteren Teiles des Beins eines Pferdes oder 

 eines Füllen, potro, oder auch eines Ochsen. Sie sind nicht genaht, sondern 

 an den Füssen nnd Beinen desjenigen der sie triigt, gediirrt. Zavcí oder 

 melir Zelien ragen nackt darans hervor. Der Gaucho kann sie nicht mehr 

 auszieheu und triigt sie also aus (3). 



(1) Mantkgazza, Rio (le la Plata e Tenerife. Viagfji e stiidi. 2^ edizioue, página 

 69. Milano, 1870. 



(2) HuTCHiNSON, Buenos Aijres and Argentine gleanings, whit extraéis from a 

 diarif of Salado Exploration in 1862 and 1863, página .53. London, 1865. 



(3) Strobel, Beitnige zurvergleichenden Ethnologie. Zeítschriftfiir Ethnologie, II, 



