268 Jfeio Publications. [April, 



the question; and the road itself is partly, and in some cases en- 

 tirely closed. Pasture, of course, there is none; if cattle or 

 horses once enter the bed, they are for the time completely lost. 

 Hence it is very hazardous to attempt to drive cattle at this sea- 

 son of the year; for when jaded enough to face the thistles, they 

 rush among them and are seen no more. In these districts there 

 are very few estancias, and these few are situated in the neigh- 

 borhood of damp valleys, where, fortunately, neither of these 

 overwhelming plants can exist. As night came on before we ar- 

 rived at our journey's end, we slept at a miserable little hovel 

 inhabited by the poorest people. The extreme though rather 

 formal courtesy of our host and hostess, considering their grade of 

 life, was quite delightful. 



Another subject which our friends, the wool-growers, will be 

 interested in is Mr. D.'s description of the South American shep- 

 herd dogs; and we would suggest whether the same plan might 

 not be adopted here for breaking in our common dogs to the bu- 

 siness of yarding sheep. Certainly the plan appears to us per- 

 fectly feasible. 



While staying at this estancia, I was amused with what I saw 

 and heard of the shepherd-dogs of the country.* When riding, 

 it is a common thing to meet a large flock of sheep guarded by 

 one or two dogs, at the distance of some miles from any house or 

 man. I often wondered how so firm a friendship had been estab- 

 lished. The method of education consists in separating the 

 puppy, while very young, from the bitch, and in accustoming it 

 to its future companions. A ewe is held three or four times a day 

 for the little thing to suck, and a nest of wool is made for it in 

 the sheep-pen; at no time is it allowed to associate with other 

 dogs, or with the children of the family. The puppy is, more- 

 over, generally castrated; so that, when grown up, it can scarcely 

 have any feelings in common with the rest of its kind. From 

 this education, it has no wish to leave the flock, and just as ano- 

 ther dog will defend its master, man, so will these the sheep. It 

 is amusing to observe, when approaching a flock, how the dog 

 immediately advances barking, and the sheep all close in his rear, 

 as if round the oldest ram. These dogs are easily taught to bring 

 home the flock at a certain hour in the evening. Their most 

 troublesome fault, when young, is their desire of playing with 

 the sheep; for in their sport they sometimes gallop their poor 

 subjects most unmercifully. 



• M. A. D'Orbicny has given nearly a similar account of these dogs, torn, 

 i., p. 175. 



