1 6 THE POLITICS OF SAVAGE WARFARE. 



of the North would probably have swept them out of 

 existence in one or two campaigns, or else would have 

 taken such order of them that they would have been 

 mighty glad to "make a peace," and keep it, for 

 many a long day afterwards. This we believe, is 

 always the best and most humane policy in savage 

 warfare in the long run. Force is the only thing the 

 red savage, or the oriental native respects. A soft, 

 milk-and-water, half-hearted course of action, is always 

 put down to fear, and never to a desire to do justice 

 or to show mercy. Such a policy is not even understood. 



A great deal of the plains country to the southwards 

 of the main lines of communication from Buenos Ayres 

 to Mendoza upon the Pampas still remains unsettled, and 

 owing to the brackish and even salt nature of the rivers, 

 will probably remain so for many years to come. It was 

 from this country that the Patagonian Indians used to 

 issue, when they made their incursions upon the settlers, 

 and after effecting a valuable seizure they used instantly 

 to retire into its solitudes, driving the captured stock 

 before them, rapidly and by forced marches at first, and 

 as the chances of pursuit diminished, they slackened their 

 pace, and leisurely retired to their fastnesses in the un- 

 known wilderness to the southwards. These tactics are 

 almost identical with those of the Prairie Indians in 

 Texas, and elsewhere in North America, and like them too, 

 they were capable of wonderful feats of horsemanship ; 

 the distances for instance, which they have been known 

 to accomplish, within twenty-four hours, when closely 

 pursued have sometimes been such as would appear 

 almost incredible. On horseback in fact these Indians 

 were able to do almost anything; and when well 



