198 A NOVEL FIRE. [chaK ix. 



of Choiseul Sound, which forms the south-west peninsula. 

 The valley was pretty well sheltered from the cold wind ; 

 but there was very little brushwood for fuel. The Gauchos, 

 however, soon found what, to my great surprise, made 

 nearly as hot a fire as coals ; this was the skeleton of a 

 bullock lately killed, from which the flesh had been picked 

 by the carrion-hawks. They told me* that in winter they 

 often killed a beast, cleaned the flesh from the bones with 

 their knives, and then with these same bones roasted the 

 meat for their suppers. 



May i^th. — It rained during nearly the. whole day. At 

 night we managed, however, with our saddle-cloths to keep 

 ourselves pretty well dry and warm ; but the ground on 

 which we slept was on each occasion nearly in the state of 

 a bog, and there was not a dry spot to sit down on after 

 our day's ride. I have in another part stated how singular 

 it is that there should be absolutely no trees on these islands, 

 although Tierra del Fuego is covered by one large forest. 

 The largest bush in the island (belonging to the family of 

 CompositcB) is scarcely so tall as our gorse. The best fuel 

 is afforded by a green little bush about the size of common 

 heath, which has the useful property of burning while fresh 

 and green. It was very surprising to see the Gauchos, in 

 the midst of rain and everything soaking wet, with nothing 

 more than a tinder-box and piece of rag, immediately make 

 a fire. They sought beneath the tufts of grass and bushes 

 for a few dry twigs, and these they rubbed into fibres ; then 

 surrounding 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. 



May \^th. — Each morning, from not having ridden for 

 some time previously, I was very stiff. I was surprised 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 consequence, 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 



