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106 TOBIANO— INDIANS. Sept.
ten feet deep: and in this way we found no difficulty in obtaining
an ample supply.
Three months before our visit to Argentina, a number of
Indians had been surprised and taken prisoners by Rodriguez ;
and among them was the famous old cacique, Toriano, whose
mere namewas a terror to the frontier settlers. The commandant
attacked their ‘ toldería’ (encampment) just before sunrise—
when the young men were absent on an expedition—and made
prisoners of the old men, women, and children. Toriano was shot
in cold blood; with another cacique, and several Indians of inferior
note : and liis head was afterwards cut off, and preserved for
some time at the fort, in order to convince his adherents of his
death. Toriano was a noble Araucanian, upwards of seventy
years old when surprised asleep and taken prisoner by his merciless
enemies. So high was his acknowledged character as a
warrior, that his followers supposed him invincible; and until
convinced by the melancholy spectacle seen by their spies,
they would not believe him gone.
Perhaps it is not generally known, that many of the most
desperate incursions upon the Buenos Ayrean colonists have
been made by flying troops, or hordes of Indians, whose headquarters
are in the Cordillera of the Andes, or even on the
west coast, between Concepcion and Valdivia. Mounted upon
excellent horses, and acquainted with every mile of the country,
they think lightly of a predatory or hostile excursion
against a place many hundred miles distant.
We returned to the Beagle without another delay among
the mud-banks, and found the rising grounds (heights they
could not be called), nearest the ship, occupied by the troop
of gaucho soldiers. As they did not interfere with us, our
surveying operations were begun, and carried on as usual. Mr.
Darwin, and those who could be spared from duties afloat,
roamed about the country; and a brisk trade was opened with
the soldiers for ostriches and their eggs, for deer, cavies, and
armadilloes.
My friend’s attention was soon attracted to some low cliffs
near Point Alta, where he found some of tliose huge fossil
1832. FOSSILS— ANIMALS. 107
bones, described in his work ; and notwithstanding our smiles
at the cargoes of apparent rubbish which he frequently
brought on board, he and his servant used their pick-axes in
earnest, and brought away what have since proved to be most
interesting and valuable remains of extinct animals.
The soldiers appointed to watch our movements soon relaxed
so far as to spend nearly all their time in hunting animals for
us. Besides those already mentioned, they one day brought a
fine living puma, in hopes I should offer a good price, and
embark it alive; but having no wish for so troublesome a
companion in our crowded little vessel, I only bargained for
its skin. The soldiers made a hearty meal of the flesh, and
asserted that it was good, though inferior to that of a horse,
which I had seen them eating a day or two previously.
Four kinds of armadilloes were described to us by these
men, of which we saw but two; the quiriquincha, with nine
bands; the mataca-bola, which rolls up into a b a ll; the pelu-
do, which is large and hairy ; and the molito, of which I heard
only the name. Mr. Rowlett saw a black fox, and he was
told that there are wolves in the neighbourhood. Two small burrowing
animals are also found : the zoriUo, or skunk; and the
tucu-tucu. While speaking of animals, I should say that the
commandant (Rodriguez) told me, that he had once seen, in
Paraguay, a ‘ gran bestia,’ not many months old, but which
then stood about four feet high. I t was very fierce, and secured
by a chain. Its shape resembled that of a hog, but it had
talons on its feet instead of hoofs; the snout was like a hog’s,
but much longer. When half-grown, he was told that it would
be capable of seizing and carrying away a horse or a bullock.
I concluded that he must have seen a tapir or anta; yet as he
persisted in asserting that the animal he saw was a beast of
prey,* and that it was extremely rare,* I here repeat what he
said. (See extract from Falkner.—Appendix—No. I I .)
Abundance—I may well say shoals of fish were caught by
our men, whenever we hauled the nets at a proper time (the
beginning of the flood-tide) ; and as they were chiefly un-
* Neither of-which reruai'ks apply to the Anta.
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