144 BAHIA BLANCA TO BUENOS AYRES. 



In the morning we all sallied forth to hunt, and 

 although we had not much success, there were 

 some animated chases. Soon after starting the 

 party separated, and so arranged their plans, that 

 at a certain time of the day (in guessing which they 

 show much skill) they should all meet from difler- 

 ent points of the compass on a plain piece of ground, 

 and thus drive together the wild animals. One 

 day I went out hunting at Bahia Blanca, but the 

 men there merely rode in a crescent, each being 

 about a quarter of a mile apart from the other. A 

 fine male ostrich being turned by the headmost 

 riders, tried to escape on one side. The Gauchos 

 pursued at a reckless pace, twisting their horses 

 about with the most admirable command, and each 

 man whirling the balls round his head. At length 

 the foremost threw them revolving through the 

 air : in an instant the ostrich rolled over and over, 

 its legs fairly lashed together by the thong. 



The plains abound with three kinds of parti'idge,* 

 two of which ai-e as large as hen pheasants. Their 

 destroyer, a small and pretty fox, was also singu- 

 larly numerous ; in the course of the day we could 

 not have seen less than forty or fifty. They were 

 generally near their earths, but the dogs killed one. 

 When we returned to the posta, we found two of 

 the party returned who had been hunting by them- 

 selves. They hS^d. killed a puma, and had found 

 an ostrich's nest with twenty-seven eggs in it. 

 Each of these is said to equal in weight eleven 

 hens' eggs ; so that we obtained from this one nest 

 as much food as 297 hens' eggs would have given. 



September Wth. — As the soldiers belonging to the 

 next posta meant to return, and we should together 



* Two species of Tinamus, and Eudromia elegans of A. d'Or- 

 bigny, which can only be called a partridge with regard to its 

 habits. 



