DON FELIX D'AZAKA. 43 



are scarcely less warlike than the Guarruas. On 

 their own plains they wear no clothes ; but in 

 coming into Buenos Ayres they put on the poncho. 

 Besides their lances, the Pampas make wonderful 

 use of their balls. These are of two kinds. The 

 first is composed of three round stones, ahout the 

 size of the fist, covered with strong leather, and 

 attached to a common centre by strong leathern 

 cords, three feet long.* They take the smallest of 

 the three in their hands, and after whirling the 

 others violently round their head, throw the whole 

 to a distance of about 100 feet, when they so maim 

 and entwine themselves around the limbs of any 

 Kving creature, that it is impossible to escape from 

 them. The other kind is a single ball, of the same 

 size, except when made of iron or copper, when it 

 is smaller. It too is covered with leather, and has 

 a leathern thong attached, by which they twirl it 

 round, and, at the hand-gallop, can project it with 

 frightful force to the distance of 500 feet. When 

 first attacked, it was with this weapon they killed 

 the brother of the founder of Buenos Ayres, nine 

 of the first captains, who were on horseback, and a 

 great number of Spanish soldiers. By attaching 

 combustibles, they often set fire to the settlements 

 of their invaders, and even to their ships. 



" The Guaranies, in their dispositions, present a 

 complete contrast to most of the other nations, 

 whose approach fills them with terror. They never 



* With his wonted inaccuracy, Mr Southey makes them 

 a three or four yards long." (Vol. ii. 369.) 



