HUNTING WILD CATTLE. 251 



with nothing more than a tinder-box and piece of 

 rag, immediately make a fire. They sought be- 

 neath the tufts of grass and bushes for a few dry 

 twigs, and these they rubbed into fibres ; then sur- 

 rounding them with coarser twigs, something like 

 a bird's nest, they put the rag with its spark of fire 

 in the middle and covered it up. The nest being, 

 then held up to the wind, by degrees it smoked 

 more and more, and at last burst out in flames. I 

 do not think any other method would have had a 

 chance of succeeding with such damp materials. 



19th. — Each moniing, from not having ridden for 

 some time previously, I was very stiff. I was sur- 

 prised to hear the Gauchos, who have from infancy 

 almost lived on horseback, say that, under similar 

 circumstances, they always suffer. St. Jago told 

 me, that having been confined for three months by 

 illness, he went out hunting wild cattle, and in con- 

 sequence, for the next two days, his thighs were so 

 stiff that he was obliged to lie in bed. This shows 

 that the Gauchos, although they do not appear to 

 do so, yet really must exert much muscular effort 

 in riding. The hunting wild cattle, in a country 

 so difficult to pass as this is on account of the 

 swampy gi-ound, must be very hard work. The 

 Gauchos say they often pass at full speed over 

 ground which would be impassable at a slower 

 pace ; in the same manner as a man is able to skate 

 over thin ice. When hunting, the party endeavours 

 to get as close as possible to the herd without be- 

 ing discovered. Each man carries four or five 

 pair of the bolas ; these he throws one after the 

 other at as many cattle, which, when once entan- 

 gled, are left for some days, till they become a lit- 

 tle exhausted by hunger and struggling. They are 

 then let free and driven towards a small herd of 

 tame animals, which have been brought to the spot 



