196 



PATAGONIA. 



Dec. 1833. 



plays strange antics, such as throwing up his feet in the air, 

 they will almost always approach by degrees to reconnoitre 

 him. It was an artifice that was repeatedly practised by 

 our sportsmen with success, and it had moreover the advan- 

 tage of allowing several shots to be fired, which were all taken 

 as parts of the performance. On the mountains of Tierra del 

 Fuego, and in other places, I have more than once seen a 

 guanaco, on being approached, not only neigh and squeal, 

 but prance and leap about in the most ridiculous manner, 

 apparently in defiance as a challenge. These animals are very 

 easily domesticated, and I have seen some thus kept near the 

 houses, although at large on their native plains. They are 

 in this state very bold, and readily attack a man, by striking 

 him from behind with both knees. It is asserted, that the 

 motive for these attacks is jealousy on account of their fe- 

 males. The wild guanacoes, however, have no idea of de- 

 fence; even a single dog will secure one of these large 

 animals, till the huntsman can come up. In many of their 

 habits they are like sheep in a flock. Thus when they see 

 men approaching in several directions on horseback, they soon 

 became bewildered, and know not which way to run. This 

 greatly facilitates the Indian method of hunting, for they are 

 thus easily driven to a central point, and are encompassed. 



The guanacoes readily take to the water : several times at 

 Port Valdes they were seen swimming from island to 

 island. Byron, in his voyage, says he saw them drinking 

 salt water. Some of our officers likewise saw a herd apparently 

 drinking the briny fluid from a salina near Cape Blanco. I 

 imagine in several parts of the country, if they do not drink 

 salt water, they drink none at all. In the middle of the 

 day, they frequently roll in the dust, in saucer-shaped hol- 

 lows. The males fight together ; two one day passed quite 

 close to me, squealing and trying to bite each other ; and 

 several were shot with their hides deeply scored. Herds 

 sometimes appear to set out on exploring-parties : at 

 Bahia Blanca, where, within thirty miles of the coast, 

 these animals are extremely unfrequent, I one day saw the 

 tracks of thirty or forty, which had come in a direct line 



