214 PORT DESIRE. 



ner, apparently in defiance of a challenge. These 

 animals are very easily domesticated, and I have 

 seen some thus kept in northern Patagonia near a 

 house, though not under any restraint. They are 

 in this state very bold, and readily attack a man by 

 striking him from behind with both knees. It is as- 

 serted that the motive for these attacks is jealousy 

 on account of their females. The wild guanacos, 

 however, have no idea of defence ; even a single 

 dog will secure one of these large animals till the 

 huntsman can come up. In many of their habits 

 they are like sheep in a flock. Thus, when they 

 see men approaching in several directions on horse- 

 back, they soon become bewildered, and know not 

 which way to run. This greatly facilitates the In- 

 dian method of hunting, for they are thus easily 

 driven to a central point, and are encompassed. 



The guanacos readily take to the water : several 

 times at Port Valdes they were seen swimming 

 from island to island. Byron, in his voyage, says 

 he saw thera drinking salt water. Some of our of- 

 ficers likewise saw a herd apparently drinking the 

 briny fluid from a salina near Cape Blanco. I 

 imagine, in several parts of the country, if they do 

 not drink salt water, they drink none at all. In the 

 middle of the day they frequently roll in the dust, 

 in saucer-shaped hollows. The males fight togeth- 

 er; two one day passed quite close to ine, squeal- 

 ing and trying to bite each other ; and several were 

 shot with their hides deeply scored. Herds some- 

 times appear to set out on exploring parties : at 

 Bahia Blanca, where, within thirty miles of the 

 coast, these animals are extremely unfrequent, I 

 one day saw the tracks of thirty or forty, which had 

 come in a direct line to a muddy salt-water creek. 

 They then must have perceived that they were ap- 

 proaching the sea, for they had wheeled with the 



