HUNTING IN THE ANDES. 55 



four times first from Puerto Madryn to Lake Buenos Aires, 

 returning by the River Chico to Santa Cruz, and the second 

 time by following the River Santa Cruz to Lake Argentine 

 and coming back across country to Gallegos. The average 

 rate of travel should work out at about fifteen miles a day. 



A waggon-driver and two gauchos can look after thirty 

 horses, and this number should be ample for four men on 

 an extended trip. In buying horses it is very important to 

 secure a tropilla well accustomed to their bell-mare, for all 

 over the country it is the common usage to hobble the mare 

 at night, when the horses of her tropilla remain round her 

 instead of straying. I had but two mares with sixty horses, 

 and as soon as they became used to the mares they never 

 wandered. On the other hand, if the traveller takes four 

 or five mares, to each of which half-a-dozen horses are 

 trained, not only are the chances of losing a tropilla infinitely 

 multiplied, but the finding of a smaller number of horses is 

 a matter of correspondingly greater difficulty. No pains 

 should therefore be spared in selecting well-trained troops. 



As to men, gauchos are to be found in most of the settle- 

 ments, but here again great care should be taken to secure 

 the services of reliable men through well-known estancieros 

 or with the help of the British consul at Punta Arenas. 

 Wages run from forty to eighty dollars a month. There are, 

 as a matter of course, always a number of unsatisfactory 

 gauchos knocking about the coast towns, who must be rigor- 

 ously avoided. 



Most of my provisions I bought through Messrs. Krabbe 

 and Higgins, but simple necessaries can be obtained in 

 Trelew, Santa Cruz, or Gallegos, and by arrangement at 

 some of the coast estancias. Luxuries are high priced, but 

 yerba, flour, farina, and tinned goods can be had at fairly 

 moderate rates, though it is wiser to take out tea from 

 England. Many of the ports are free, and it is well to choose 

 one of these and thus avoid the customs. A letter from the 



