28o THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



The launch, if once hauled up on the beach and sunk in the sand, 

 would have been too heavy for the three of us to isct back into the 

 water. On these occasions we therefore used to cut the largest tree- 

 trunks available and roll them under the keel while still half in the 

 water, iIumi the two heaviest of us would yo into the bows, which 

 were, of course, in comparatively deep water, and our weight in 

 this position served to raise the stern sufficiently to allow of the 

 third man to execute the repairs needful to the propeller. In the 

 present instance it was found that the machinery was severely 

 strained, thouo-h fortunately no damage had been done to the 

 blades ot the propeller. 



Though the river was shallow in May, we saw abundant 

 evidence that it must carry a greatly increased volume of water in 

 the earlier j)art of the year. But not finding it possible to take the 

 launch uj) the channel, we decided on anchoring her as securely as 

 we could and continuing our expedition in the small canvas boat. 

 This we did a day or two later. 



( )ur camping-ground on the bank of the Katarina was among 

 high and rather coarse grass, which would have made excellent 

 feed for horses, but I should not think it possible to keep horses in 

 that cahadon, as, being encircled by hills, the sun would seldom 

 reach it during the winter. There were many patches of wood, 

 composed of rather stunted trees, but it was difficult to penetrate 

 among them, their trunks grew so close together. A certain 

 amount of game lived in the valley, huemules, guanacos, pumas 

 and Cordillera wolves. 



The extraordinary tameness of the huemul here was, of course, 

 accounted for by their entire ignorance of man. During my 

 wanderings from the camp I had opportunities of making many 

 interesting observations on this point. They would almost 

 always, if you kept still and made no attempt lo approach them, 

 advance timidly towards you. It was in this \ alley of the Kata- 

 rina that I met with the most remarkable instance of boldness on 

 the part of these animals. I have given this story in full in another 

 chapter, but 1 ma\ shorth allude to it here. I was some miles from 

 the camp, among thick grass and scrub, when I perceived emerg- 

 ing from a thicket at a little distance the spiked horns and red- 



