TRANSHUMATION 157 



the Argentine side. The sheep of the plateau, driven 

 from their winter pasture when the water dries up, 

 ascend the Cordillera. Sometimes the mountains are 

 are not yet free from snow. In that case the journey 

 is delayed, and the sheep feed on the way, to the great 

 detriment of the land they cross. 



There are many routes, and frequently they coincide 

 with those which were formerly taken by the cattle 

 of the Pampas in ascending to the passes of the Cordillera. 

 Groeber mentions a transhumation track south of 

 the Rio Barrancas and Lake Carri Lauquen. From 

 the left bank of the Neuquen the flocks ascend by 

 Chosmalal and Butamallin to the pasture of the Pichachen 

 pass, or by Las Lajas to the Pino Hachado pass. From 

 Zapala and the tableland further south they go to spend 

 the summer in the Cataluin Cordillera, where the number 

 of sheep in summer is calculated to be 70,000. Others 

 go still further, to the source of the Alumine and the 

 Arco pass. The volcano Lanin almost marks the 

 southern limit of the zone of transhumation. The 

 chief group of migrating sheep comes from the district 

 of the Coyunco, the Cahadon Grande, and the Picun 

 Leucu. 



Transhumation is practised only by the infrusos. 

 They go from the unowned lands of the tableland to 

 the unowned lands of the Cordillera. The renting of 

 winter pasture to owners is quite exceptional. The 

 concessions of land granted by the Argentine Govern- 

 ment are steadily reducing the area of the migrators 

 in the Cordillera, and also the ways of communication 

 between the tableland and the mountains. The pro- 

 prietors do not care to receive the migrating flocks, 

 and they put obstacles in their way by enclosing the 

 land. The routes of the transhumation are now 

 fixed by the spaces which remain open between the 

 enclosed ranches. Moreover, the migrating intrusos 

 are haunted by the fear of finding the winter pasture 

 occupied by others during their absence, and they 



