THE PAMPAS OF PATAGONIA. 15 



hunt on horseback and with hounds, generally converging 

 upon the herds in circles and from all points of the compass, 

 the guanaco of that region has learned the art of self- 

 preservation in all its details. His long neck and his habit 

 of invariably upon the approach of danger seeking and keep- 

 ing to the highest ground in sight, his sense of hearing, 

 which is exceedingly well developed, and his nose that is 

 only inferior to his powers of vision, make him a most diffi- 

 cult and sporting quarry. 



There are further one or two other small points which 

 add their quota of hindrance to the chances of an easy 

 success. The fact that almost every acre of ground carries 

 its crop of low thoni bushes and even when these are 

 absent the sharp blades of the harsh grass can make a very 

 painful wound renders stalking a task not altogether with- 

 out its discomforts. That cover is represented only by the 

 walls of canadones, an occasional hummock or little patches 

 of mate negra hardly eighteen inches high, is also all in favour 

 of the guanaco's side of the game. When to these things 

 is added the fact that a guanaco can carry away as much 

 lead as almost any animal of its size, it will be seen that 

 the sportsman may spend many fruitless hours before he 

 can succeed in attaining any great success in this particular 

 form of pastime. 



But it so happened that when I was travelling in this 

 region the shooting of guanaco was by no means a pastime. 

 We were a party of eight, and beyond the emergency rations 

 which we carried to ensure us against the chance of crossing 

 a gameless tract, we had nothing save a small allowance of 

 flour between us and hunger. Besides this, I wished to 

 shoot half-a-dozen old bucks, or machos as they are termed 

 in that country, for my collection. Our travels were carried 

 out on horseback, and at this period our advance was a 

 good deal hindered by the continual straying during the 

 night time of one or many of our troop of horses. The time 



