HUNTING IN THE ANDES. 49 



immediately below, where a chain of lakes lies linked 

 for hundreds of miles, all the larger animals are to be 

 found. Guanaco and ostrich abound on the lower 

 slopes and the adjacent levels, while higher in the moun- 

 tain region guemal and wild cattle have their home, 

 Pumas exist everywhere, but are more numerous in the 

 rocky escarpments of the lower hills. These five species 

 make up the hunter's list in Patagonia, which in this, as 

 in all else, is chary of her gifts to man. Once an Indian 

 was asked why the Good Spirit (Who among the 

 Tehuelches is nameless), when He created the guanaco 

 and the guemal to feed His people, did not add other and 

 larger animals to His benefits. The Indian answered : 

 " For that do not accuse the Good Spirit, for when He 

 dwelt in the cave and made the guanaco for our use, the 

 Gualicho, the Spirit of Evil, made the puma ; when He 

 made paahi (the cavy) the Gualicho made the fox. So 

 the Good Spirit ceased to fashion animals for His 

 children, lest worse should come of it." 



As practically nothing is known of the various parts 

 of Patagonia and the methods of travel necessary to 

 reach the various hunting grounds, it is possible that a 

 few words on localities and equipment may not be out 

 of place. 



As I have said, the larger game of the country are 

 chiefly to be found in the neighbourhood of the Andes, 

 To reach the cordillera a long journey across the pampas 

 must first be made, and for this a troop of horses is 

 required. Horses may be bought at the various estan- 

 cias along the coast, the price varying from forty dollars 

 Argentine in the north to eighty dollars in the south 

 in English money fifty to a hundred shillings. Trained 

 pack-horses are rare ; such as one buys are usually very 



H.C. E 



