92 RIO COLORADO. 



one or two daughters would often come to our ran- 

 cho, mounted on the same horse. They ride like 

 men, but with their knees tucked up much higher. 

 This habit perhaps arises from their being accus- 

 tomed, when travelling, to ride the loaded horses. 

 The duty of the women is to load and unload the 

 horses ; to make the tents for the night ; in short, 

 to be, like the wives of all savages, useful slaves. 

 The men fight, hunt, take care of the horses, and 

 make the riding gear. One of their chief indoor 

 occupations is to knock two stones together till 

 they become rovmd, in order to make the bolas. 

 With this important weapon the Indian catches his 

 game, and also his horse, which roams free over 

 the plain. In fighting, his first attempt is to throw 

 down the horse of his adversary with the bolas, 

 and when entangled by the fall to kill him with the 

 chuzo. If the balls only catch the neck or body 

 of an animal, they are often carried away and lost. 

 As the making the stones round is the labour of 

 two days, the manufacture of the balls is a very 

 common employment. Several of the men and 

 women had their faces painted red, but I never 

 saw the horizontal bands which are so common 

 among the Fuegians. Their chief pride consists 

 in having everything made of silver ; I have seen 

 a cacique with his spurs, stiiTups, handle of his 

 knife, and bridle made of this metal : the head- 

 stall and reins being of wire, were not thicker 

 than whipcord ; and to see a fiery steed wheeling 

 about under the command of so light a chain, gave 

 to the horsemanship a remarkable character of el- 

 egance. 



General Rosas intimated a wish to see me ; a 

 circumstance which I was afterwards very glad of. 

 He is a man of an extraordinary character, and has 

 a most predominant influence in the country, which 



