30 HUNTING EXTINCT ANIMALS 



beach "above high-water mark" as their contract reads, 

 and that is some distance here where the tide rises and 

 falls ten feet. Where things were heavy they worked 

 in teams of four, and very bulky packages such as wagons, 

 were unboxed on board and the parts landed separately, 

 including the boxes, which in this lumberless country 

 have a considerable commercial value. 



The men who do this work in the water, which summer 

 or winter is icy cold, are mostly Basques from the north 

 of Spain, who ship as a crew for the purpose. While on 

 board they only shift and stow the cargo. They get their 

 keep and about $25 a month, with overtime pay which 

 nearly doubles this amount. They form a strong union 

 which is not to be hurried. 



Finally after nine days of steaming and delays we cov- 

 ered the 720 miles to Puerto Madryn, our landing place. 



