by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
A CHACU OF VICUNAS.
"Well, upon the morrow," continued the Englishman, "we had our guanacohunt, and killed several of the herd we had seen on the previous day.There was nothing particular in regard to our mode of hunting--fartherthan to use all our cunning in getting within shot, and then letting flyat them.
"It is not so easy getting near the guanaco. He is among the shyestgame I have ever hunted, and his position is usually so far above thatof the hunter, that he commands at all times a view of the movements ofthe latter. The over-hanging rocks, however, help one a little, and bydiligent creeping he is sometimes approached. It requires a dead shotto bring him down, for, if only wounded, he will scale the cliffs, andmake off--perhaps to die in some inaccessible haunt.
"While sojourning with my hunter-friend, I heard of a singular methodpractised by the Indians, of capturing the vicuna in large numbers.This was called the `chacu.'
"Of course I became very desirous of witnessing a `chacu,' and thehunter promised to gratify me. It was now the season of the year forsuch expeditions, and one was to come off in a few days. It was theannual hunt got up by the tribe to which my host belonged; and, ofcourse, he, as a practised and professional hunter, was to bear adistinguished part in the ceremony.
"The day before the expedition was to set out, we repaired to thevillage of the tribe--a collection of rude huts, straggling along thebottom of one of the deep clefts or valleys of the Cordilleras. Thisvillage lay several thousand feet below the level of the Puna plains,and was therefore in a much warmer climate. In fact, the sugar-cane andyucca plant (_Jatropha mainhot_) were both seen growing in the gardensof the villagers, and Indian corn flourished in the fields.
"The inhabitants were `_Indios mansos_' (civilised Indians). Theyattended part of the year to agriculture, although the greater part ofit was spent in idleness, amusements, or hunting. They had beenconverted--that is nominally--to Christianity; and a church with itscross was a prominent feature of the village.
"The cure, or priest, was the only white man resident in the place, andhe was white only by comparison. Though of pure Spanish blood, he wouldhave passed for a `coloured old gentleman' in any part of Europe or theStates.
"My companion introduced me to the padre, and I was at once receivedupon terms of intimacy. To my surprise I learnt that he was toaccompany the chacu--in fact to take a leading part in it. He seemed tobe as much interested in the success of the hunt as any of them--moreso, perhaps, and with good reason too. I afterwards learnt why. Theproduce of the annual hunt was part of the padre's income. By anestablished law, the skins of the vicunas were the property of thechurch, and these, being worth on the spot at least a dollar a-piece,formed no despicable tithe. After hearing this I was at no loss tounderstand the padre's enthusiasm about the chacu. All the day beforehe had been bustling about among his parishioners, aiding them with hiscounsel, and assisting them in their preparations. I shared the padre'sdwelling, the best in the village; his supper too--a stewed fowl, killedfor the occasion, and rendered fiery hot with `aji,' or capsicum. Thiswas washed down with `chica,' and afterwards the padre and I indulged ina cigarette and a chat.
"He was a genuine specimen of the South-American missionary priest;rather more scrupulous about getting his dues than about the moralwelfare of his flock; fat, somewhat greasy, fond of a good dinner, aglass of `Yea' brandy, and a cigarette. Nevertheless, his rule waspatriarchal in a high degree, and he was a favourite with the simplepeople among whom he dwelt.
"Morning came, and the expedition set forth; not, however, until a grandmass had been celebrated in the church, and prayers offered up for thesuccess of the hunt. The cavalcade then got under weigh, and commencedwinding up the rugged path that led toward the `Altos,' or Puna heights.We travelled in a different direction from that in which my companionand I had come.
"The expedition itself was a picturesque affair. There were horses,mules, and llamas, men, women, children, and dogs; in fact, almost everyliving thing in the village had turned out. A chacu is no commonoccasion--no one day affair. It was to be an affair of weeks. Therewere rude tents carried along; blankets and cooking utensils; and thepresence of the women was as necessary as any part of the expedition.Their office would be to do the cooking, and keep the camp in order! aswell as to assist in the hunt.
"Strung out in admirable confusion, we climbed up the mountain--apicturesque train--the men swinging along in their coloured ponchos ofllama wool, and the women dressed in bright mantas of `bayeta' (a coarsecloth, of native manufacture). I noticed several mules and llamaspacked with loads of a curious character. Some carried large bundles ofrags--others were loaded with coils of rope--while several were`freighted' with short poles, tied in bunches. I had observed thesecargoes being prepared before leaving the village, and could not divinethe use of them. That would no doubt be explained when we had reachedthe scene of the chacu, and I forbore to trouble my companions with anyinterrogatories, as I had enough to do to guide my horse along theslippery path we were travelling.
"About a mile from the village there was a sudden halt. I inquired thecause.
"`The _huaro_,' was the reply.
"I knew the huaro to be the name of a peculiar kind of bridge, and Ilearnt that one was here to be crossed. I rode forward, and foundmyself in front of the huaro. A singular structure it was. I couldscarcely believe in the practicability of our getting over it. Thepadre, however, assured me it was a good one, and we should all be onthe other side in a couple of hours!
"I at first felt inclined to treat this piece of information as a joke:but it proved that the priest was in earnest. It was full two hoursbefore we were all crossed with our bag and baggage.
"The huaro was nothing more than a thick, rope stretched across thechasm, and made fast at both ends. On this rope was a strong piece ofwood, bent into the shape of the letter U, and fastened to a rollerwhich rested upon the rope, and moved along it when pulled by a cordfrom either side. There were two cords, or ropes, attached to theroller, one leading to each side of the chasm, and their object was todrag the passenger across: of course, only one of us could be carriedover at a time. No wonder we were so long in making the crossing, whenthere were over one hundred in all, with numerous articles of baggage.
"I shall never forget the sensations I experienced in making the passageof the huaro. I had felt giddy enough in going over the `soga' bridgesand `barbacoas' common throughout Peru, but the passage of the huaro isreally a gymnastic feat of no easy accomplishment. I was first tied,back downwards, with my back resting in the concavity of the bent wood;my legs were then crossed over the main rope--the bridge itself--withnothing to hold them there farther than my own muscular exertion. Withmy hands I clutched the vertical side of the wooden yoke, and was toldto keep my head in as upright a position as possible. Without fartherado I felt myself jerked out until I hung in empty air over a chasm thatopened at least two hundred feet beneath, and through the bottom ofwhich a white torrent was foaming over black rocks! My ankles slippedalong the rope, but the sensation was so strange, that I felt severaltimes on the point of letting them drop off. In that case my situationwould have been still more painful, as I should have depended mainly onmy arms for support. Indeed, I held on tightly with both hands, as Ifancied that the cord with which I had been tied to the yoke would everyminute give way.
"After a good deal of jerking and hauling, I found myself on theopposite side, and once more on my feet!
"I was almost repaid for the fright I had gone through, by seeing thegreat fat padre pulled over. It was certainly a ludicrous sight, and Ilaughed the more, as I fancied the old fellow had taken occasion tolaugh at me. He took it all in good part, however, telling me that itcaused him no fear, as he had long been accustomed to those kind ofbridges.
"This slow and laborious method of crossing streams is not uncommon inmany parts of the Andes. It occurs in retired and thinly-populateddistricts, where t
here is no means for building bridges of regularconstruction. Of course, the traveller himself only can be got over bythe huaro. His horse, mule, or llamas must swim the stream, and in manyinstances these are carried off by the rapid current, or dashed againstthe rocks, and killed.
"The whole _cavallada_ of the expedition got safely over, and in a shortwhile we were all _en route_, once more climbing up toward the `altos.'I asked my companion why we could not have got over the stream at someother point, and thus have saved the time and labour. The answer was,that it would have cost us a twenty miles' journey to have reached apoint no nearer our destination than the other end of the huaro rope!No wonder such pains had been taken to ferry the party across.
"We reached the heights late in the evening. The hunt would not beginuntil the next day.
"That evening was spent in putting up tents, and getting everything inorder about the camp. The tent of the padre was conspicuous--it was thelargest, and I was invited to share it with him. The horses and otheranimals were picketted or hoppled upon the plain, which was covered witha short brown grass.
"The air was chill--cold, in fact--we were nearly three miles aboveocean level. The women and youths employed themselves in collecting_taquia_ to make fires. There was plenty of this, for the plain wherewe had halted was a pasture of large flocks of llamas and horned cattle.It was not there we expected to fall in with the vicunas. A string of`altos,' still farther on were their favourite haunts. Our first campwas sufficiently convenient to begin the hunt. It would be movedfarther on when the plains in its neighbourhood had been hunted, and thegame should grow scarce.
"Morning arrived; but before daybreak, a large party had set off, takingwith them the ropes, poles, and bundles of rags I have already noticed.The women and boys accompanied this party. Their destination was alarge table plain, contiguous to that on which we had encamped.
"An hour afterwards the rest of the party set forth--most of themmounted one way or other. These were the real hunters, or `drivers.'Along with them went the dogs--the whole canine population of thevillage. I should have preferred riding with this party, but the padretook me along with himself, promising to guide me to a spot where Ishould get the best view of the chacu. He and I rode forward alone.
"In half an hour we reached the plain where the first party had gone.They were all at work as we came up--scattered over the plain--and I nowsaw the use that was to be made of the ropes and rags. With them apound, or `corral,' was in process of construction. Part of it wasalready finished, and I perceived that it was to be of a circular shape.The poles, or stakes, were driven into the ground in a curving line atthe distance of about a rod from each other. When thus driven, eachstake stood four feet high, and from the top of one to the other, ropeswere ranged and tied, thus making the inclosure complete. Along theseropes were knotted the rags and strips of cotton, so as to hang nearlyto the ground, or flutter in the wind; and this slight semblance of afence was continued over the plain in a circumference of nearly threemiles in length. One side, for a distance of several hundred yards, wasleft unfinished, and this was the entrance to the corral. Of course,this was in the direction from which the drove was to come.
"As soon as the inclosure was ready, those engaged upon it withdrew intwo parties to the opposite flanks, and then deployed off in diverginglines, so as to form a sort of funnel, at least two miles in width. Inthis position they remained to await the result of the drive, most ofthem squatting down to rest themselves.
"Meanwhile the drive was proceeding, although the hunters engaged in itwere at a great distance--scarcely seen from our position. They, too,had gone out in two parties, taking opposite directions, and skirtingthe hills that surrounded the plain. Their circuit could not have beenless than a dozen miles; and, as soon as fairly round, they deployedthemselves into a long arc, with its concavity towards the rope corral.Then, facing inward, the forward movement commenced. Whatever animalschanced to be feeding between them and the inclosure were almost certainof being driven into it.
"The padre had led me to an elevated position among the rocks. Itcommanded a view of the rope circle; but we were a long while waitingbefore the drivers came in sight. At length we descried the line ofmounted men far off upon the plain, and, on closely scrutinising theground between them and us, we could distinguish several reddish formsgliding about: these were the vicunas. There appeared to be severalbands of them, as we saw some at different points. They were crossingand recrossing the line of the drive, evidently startled, and notknowing in what direction to run. Every now and then a herd, led by itsold male, could be seen shooting in a straight line--then suddenlymaking a halt--and the next minute sweeping off in a contrary direction.Their beautiful orange-red flanks, glistening in the sun, enabled us tomark them at a great distance.
"The drivers came nearer and nearer, until we could distinguish theforms of the horsemen as they rose over the swells of the plain. Wecould now hear their shouts--the winding of their ox-horns, and even theyelping of their dogs. But what most gratified my companion was to seethat several herds of vicunas were bounding backwards and forwards infront of the advancing line.
"`_Mira_!' he cried exultingly, `_mira! Senor_, one, two, three, four--four herds, and large ones--ah! _Carrambo_! Jesus!' continued he,suddenly changing tone, `_carrambo! esos malditos guanacos_!' (thosecursed guanacos). I looked as he was pointing. I noticed a small bandof guanacos springing over the plain. I could easily distinguish themfrom the vicunas by their being larger and less graceful in theirmotions, but more particularly by the duller hue of brownish red. Butwhat was there in their presence to draw down the maledictions of thepadre, which he continued to lavish upon them most unsparingly? I putthe question.
"`Ah! Senor,' he answered with a sigh, `these guanacos will spoil all--they will ruin the hunt. Caspita!'
"`How? in what manner, mio padre?' I asked in my innocence, thinkingthat a fine herd of guanacos would be inclosed along with their cousins,and that `all were fish,' etcetera.
"`Ah!' exclaimed the padre, `these guanacos are _hereticos_--recklessbrutes, they pay no regard to the ropes--they will break through and letthe others escape--_santissima virgen_! what is to be done?'
"Nothing could be done except leave things to take their course, for ina few minutes the horsemen were seen advancing, until their line closedupon the funnel formed by the others. The vicunas, in several troops,now rushed wildly from side to side, turning sharply as they approachedthe figures of the men and women, and running in the opposite direction.There were some fifty or sixty in all, and at length they got togetherin a single but confused clump. The guanacos, eight or ten in number,became mixed up with them, and after several quarterings, the wholeflock, led by one that thought it had discovered the way of escape,struck off into a gallop, and dashed into the inclosure.
"The hunters, who were afoot with the women, now rushed to the entrance,and in a short while new stakes were driven in, ropes tied upon them,rags attached, and the circle of the chacu was complete.
"The mounted hunters at the same time had galloped around the outside,and flinging themselves from their horses, took their stations, atintervals from each other. Each now prepared his `holas,' ready toadvance and commence the work of death, as soon as the corral should befairly surrounded by the women and boys who acted as assistants.
"The hunters now advanced towards the centre, swinging their bolas, andshouting to one another to direct the attack. The frightened vicunasrushed from side to side, everywhere headed by an Indian. Now theybroke into confused masses and ran in different directions--now theyunited again and swept in graceful curves over the plain. Everywherethe bolas whizzed through the air, and soon the turf was strewed withforms sprawling and kicking. A strange picture was presented. Here ahunter stood with the leaden balls whirling around his head--thereanother rushed forward upon a vicuna hoppled and falling--a third bentover one that was already down, anon he brandished a bleeding knife, andthen,
releasing the thong from the limbs of his victim, again swung hisbolas in the air, and rushed forward in the chase.
"An incident occurred near the beginning of the _melee_, which was verygratifying to my companion the padre, and at once restored theequanimity of his temper. The herd of guanacos succeeded in makingtheir escape, and without compromising the success of the hunt. This,however, was brought about by a skilful manoeuvre on the part of my oldfriend the Puna hunter. These animals had somehow or other gotseparated from the vicunas, and dashed off to a distant part of theinclosure. Seeing this, the hunter sprang to his horse, and calling hispack of curs after him, leaped over the rope fence and dashed forwardafter the guanacos. He soon got directly in their rear, and signallingthose who stood in front to separate and let the guanacos pass, he drovethem out of the inclosure. They went head foremost against the ropes,breaking them free from the stakes; but the hunter, galloping up,guarded the opening until the ropes and rags were freshly adjusted.
"The poor vicunas, nearly fifty in number, were all killed or captured.When pursued up to the `sham-fence' they neither attempted to rushagainst it or leap over, but would wheel suddenly round, and rundirectly in the faces of their pursuers!
"The sport became even more interesting when all but a few were _hors decombat_. Then the odd ones that remained were each attacked by severalhunters at once, and the rushing and doubling of the animals--the manyheadings and turnings--the shouts of the spectators--the whizzing of thebolas--sometimes two or three of these missiles hurled at a singlevictim--all combined to furnish a spectacle to me novel and exciting.
"About twenty minutes after the animals had entered the rope inclosurethe last of them was seen to `bite the dust,' and the chacu of that daywas over. Then came the mutual congratulations of the hunters, and thejoyous mingling of voices. The slain vicunas were collected in a heap--the skins stripped off, and the flesh divided among the differentfamilies who took part in the chacu.
"The skins, as we have said, fell to the share of the `church,' that is,to the church's representative--the padre, and this was certainly thelion's share of the day's product.
"The ropes were now unfastened and coiled--the rags once more bundled,and the stakes pulled up and collected--all to be used on the morrow insome other part of the Puna. The meat was packed on the horses andmules, and the hunting party, in a long string, proceeded to camp. Thenfollowed a scene of feasting and merriment--such as did not fall to thelot of these poor people every day in the year.
"This chacu lasted ten days, during which time I remained in the companyof my half-savage friends. The whole game killed amounted to fivehundred and odd vicunas, with a score or two guanacos, several tarush,or deer of the Andes (_Cervus antisensis_) and half a dozen black bears(_Ursus ornatus_). Of course only the vicunas were taken in the chacu.The other animals were started incidentally, and killed by the hunterseither with their bolas, or guns, with which a few of them were armed."
The "chacu" of the Andes Indians corresponds to the "surround" of theIndian hunters on the great plains of North America. In the lattercase, however, buffaloes are usually the objects of pursuit, and nofence is attempted--the hunters trusting to their horses to keep thewild oxen inclosed. The "pound" is another mode of capturing wildanimals practised by several tribes of Indians in the Hudson's Bayterritory. In this case the game is the caribou or reindeer, but norope fence would serve to impound these. A good substantial inclosureof branches and trees is necessary, and the construction of a "pound" isthe work of time and labour. I know of no animal except the vicunaitself, that could be captured after the manner practised in the"chacu."