322 
let loose their dogs, who, on scenting 
the badgers, set up a whining. cry, ac- 
companied by the rattles of the Indians, 
making the badger start, and betake him- 
self to his burrow, Sometimes seven or 
eight will start together, the most’ of 
which, are always caught; but should 
one. escape, they again hunt the ground 
over, If their party is not, numerous 
enough, the women join_ after the first 
chase, as the danger of coming in con- 
tact with tigers is over, the first noise hav- 
ing started thenas well as most noxious 
creatures, Indeed, the badger is seldom 
found near the jungle, as he is not fond 
of such neighbours, Should one escape 
‘the traps, which is very seldom the case, 
they leave the traps set day and night, 
and aman to watch him, until hunger 
forees him to quit his subterraneous 
abode, Sometimes the Indian curs will 
enter, and kill the creature, if his bur- 
row is large enough to admit them; 
yet he often.makes them retreat, pro- 
vided they cannot surround him, although 
‘those curs are certainly. superior to our 
European terriers in bite, and. tenacity 
of their hold. Whenever a badger earths, 
the Indians cast lots, to know which 
shall watch until the badger breaks, 
leaving him two days’ provisions in the 
mean time, supposing this to be the 
usual time until the animal bolts. But 
it is sometimes a toss-up which wiil hold 
out longest, especially if it be an old 
badger ;. but even here the Indian has 
decidedly the advantage, as he is known 
to endure four days’ hunger, without 
any bad results. If it happens in har- 
- vest, he is pretty well off; for his cun- 
ning makes him an overmatch for the 
animal, and he always carries the 
image of a man of rude workmanship, 
which he sets before the earth, sup- 
ported by twigs in a moving position : 
this prevents the badger stirring while 
the Indian goes in quest of food, a work 
of little time with him, as he is satisfied 
with the first thing he finds : he soon 
returns to await the coming out of his 
subterraneous visitor, as the disgrace 
of returning without the badger is shock- 
ing to a hunter, and debars his ever 
being a guapo or warrior, until he can, 
by some very extraordinary feat, wipe 
this stain off his name. They also use 
the noose or snare to catch these crea- 
tures, which is placed across.the path- 
ways, like rabbit-wires, with this excep- 
‘tion—that the Indian’s snare is attached 
to a spring pole, that suspends and 
strangles the creature. The South- 
American badger is larger than those in 
“Mode of Hunting the Badger in South America. 
[Nov. ly 
Europe, and much browner: he is also, 
much easier killed. sate) 
~ Perhaps its habits are the most social 
of any quadruped in the universe ; it is 
not known to quarrel with any other qua- 
druped; even thé fox, pole-cat, stinkard, 
the opossum, the land-crab’ and’ snake 
make it resign its ‘abode, although it is 
much stronger than ‘any of them. It 
also lives in the greatest. harmony with 
its own species, subsisting principally on 
nuts, roots,and vegetables; and is cleanly 
in its habits, “being observed to perform 
its ablution whiie the dew‘is’6n the 
ground. The’ Indians count two spe- 
cies of it, viz, the Marano, or pig- 
badger ; and the Pero, or dog-badger. I 
am informed the former roots for its 
amusement like a pig; they ‘ bring 
forth two, three ‘and four at a litter, 
and preserve them -carefully. Badger 
hams are certainly delicious, and the 
sale of them, was prohibited but to 
the Viceroy, who generally shipped a 
quantity of them annually to Madrid, 
for the use of their august Majesties; 
now they are purchased for ‘one-fourth 
the original value, as the Viceroy ‘some- 
times paid eight or ten dollars for a pair: 
of gammons, The way of curing them 
perhaps contribated ‘to their flavour, 
which’ was simply to rab them with 
coarse sugar and Chili pepper, each 
day, pressing them very ‘hard’ until 
quite dry. This source - of. emolu- 
ment would have been considerable 
to these -hunting tribes “were they 
not cheated and made tributary to the 
Viceroy, as they had to give him a 
dozen first, and afterwards take trinkets. 
out of the stores at whatever price he 
chose to demand. The butter, or Manteca 
de Marano, as they call the lard, ‘was-also 
in great demand among the grandeées, 
who fried most of their food init. A 
party of eight would destroy’ two or 
three hundred badgers anda quantity of 
deer, on their return home, * besides 
guanas. These hunting parties are so 
delightful, even to ‘the women, ‘that 
the hopes of being allowed” to ‘ac- 
company the men will be ‘a stimilus to 
conduct themselves properly ‘the’ year 
round. On those excursions ‘thicy ‘live 
well, and seem more happy. han during 
the rainy reason; in_ their way hi 
they travel day and night fapdiy, in 
spite of all obstructions, carryin “Tong 
poles between them, ‘on which t eani- 
mals are slung; the skins and dtd the 
boys carry. The women are certainly’ the 
heaviest loaded, and must. Keep ace 
with those gentry; the dogs too are 
‘ 2 _.;, better 
ey 
