ON AN ARGENTINE ESTANCIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2086, 11 January 1908, Page 6 (Supplement)

ON AN ARGENTINE ESTANCIA.

(Written for the “Cliriidchurch Press” fiy Mrs. S. Buchanan.) I. Argentina, unlike Gaul,' is divided into two parts, Buenos Ayresjind the “Camp,” under which term is included everything outside Iho city. Alter some time in Buenos Ayres, it was my good fortune to spend three weeks, including Now Year and Christmas, on a very large estancia. Although we have some large estates in New Zealand, 1 have never, there, been on one oqual in size and cultivation to this, which comprises 127 square miles. Everything connected with it was on an enormous scale; sixty carriage horses, riding horses innumerable, and everything to correspond. AVc .had a very liyt dufcty journey from Buenos Ayres as it was an the

middle of summer, and alter an equal ly hot, dusty drive from the private railway station, it was delightful to no through a long creeper-shaded verandah into high, cool, darkened rooms, and get rid of our travel stains. Alter the noise and. heat ol Buenos Ayres it was Paradise. The ostaneia house, like many lit the camp, had a long I’aint with two wings, one of which v/ins tho kitchen quarter.-:, t lie other eontainin ,f bedrooms and bathroom and sitting room for the use of visitors. At the hack id !he connecting wmg was the billiard room, ninety _ leet long, with two tables; m the middle, (tlie dining room and more bedrooms, and, in trout, a long corridor, or verandah, corresponding in size with thto hill : ard room. This was well supplied with lounge chairs and cane tab'’cs, ami here, in the cool green light of the crccpcer curtain, we sat most of the day when it was too hot to go out , The outbuildings, or galpons, were like a fair-sized village, separated from the house, bv an avenue ol iica -ias. On the right, as you went down, were the stall’s quarters, a neat brick house, where liver the charming umler-infinagor and about lourtoon young Englishmen; then there were the various stables, the shearing “galpon.” the creamery, the lorge, the butcher’d shop (a round, white building like a Mohammedan saint’s tomb 1 the piggeries, the sheep yards, the acetylene gas plant, the pumping house, tlio office; and in nnothei d.reetion the poones’ quarters, and the “hull galpon,” where the stud stock, prize horses, and cattle, were kept, the “capataz”’ of this department lieiii"' the largest and most delightful of Brazilians, with a coal-black lace, and perpetually-beaming lace. The liU'"e kitchen gardens and orchards, planted principally with peaches, were among the plantation;; at the back of the house, and m trout was the flower girden, where, by tlmt of constant watering, which began at five in the morning, some English flowers survived rather than grew. All around, the pampas stretched unendingly—on one side, hundicds ofm iles away, the sea ; on the other, hundreds of hides away the Gordilleras; while, as fir as the eve could reach, there were but the odd willows, marking a “pueslo," to break the vast- expanse. VP hat I most enjoyed were the long rides, early in the morning, while it was still fresh, or between tea and dinner. The latter meal was fortunately a moveable feast, as wo sometimes stayed out until nearly nine, enjoying tlie coolness after the almost unbearable beat of the day. There is but one pace that the Argentine horse knows —a gentle, easy canter, which quickly covers the ground, so that twenty miles soohik a slioit ride. Late in the evening, all nature seems to wake- up for, a short time. Iguanas and armadillos come out of their hiding places, small (lufiv owls sit on the fences and shriek discordantly at the disturbers of their peace, a cloud of yellow and white butterflies flutter over the alfalfa, which seems alive with big brown hares. Dotterel utter tlieir plaintive cry, and the stupid, timid little quail •run from under out horses’ feet. There are ' guinea-pig-liko creatures scurrying in and out of tlieir holes in the marshy places, and, very rarely, the smooth .nuid nests, resting on a post of the brickmaker bird. Once I saw, on the edge of .a laguna, a group of enormous black-and-white storks, rather awkward while stationary, but, on being alarmed, going off in along slanting (light, like a piece of Japanese embroidery come to lire. At the “bobbins” the- cattle and horses are. quenching tlieir thirst with the water pumped all day by the North American of Canadian windmills, or by patient, blindfolded mules, passing tlieir lives walking round and round in a circle. When riding through the cattle collected round one of these drinking places, I was told that one of the record deals of tho Argentina had been made by tlio manager of this estaucia a short time before, 11,000 head being acquire din one lot. A “pnestero” supeiiitends each “bebida,” and near by is his little white “puesto,” shaded by a- weeping willow, where lie and his family live. Any attempt to induce them to grow vegetables, even by giving seeds and offering prizes, is hopeless; meat and ‘“biscochos” (rusks), aye what Gauclios and peonies have lived on for generations, and they ar every conservative, also lazy; the meat is almost always in the form of an “asada,” a side of mutton, or large niece of meat, roasted in the open air over embers oil a wire spit, with salt and water thrown on if occaioiiall.v. This latter onevn'tioii requires great judgment, and a jeonc takes much pride in his “asada.” Tons of meat wore, daily used on the estaucia, .and Ms ration was usually carried by each pnestero strapped on to his horse under the “deeado” or saddle. 1 was glad I had not- to eat it.

.Apropos, tlic Argentine saddlerv is vvortny ofd ascription, and, in niinv instances, beautiful; the bridle of S manv ed '"f ty vin S betimes ‘ - m , al !£ as .sixty bands of silver nuu.rl it at intervals, the i,it also end ''and A 'l' l 1 Jlllg( '■ bosscs «t- either t ..f “u, h «ivy stirrups, The actual suldle consists ol lavers of gaily on.hroidered blanlcets over two small The J ° rf : ■' v,th Bi »ver ends. Mo- H i m lfi ,- co ,:j W'Trocl with the Ho,al. G hide of a “carpinelio,” or nver-hqg, girthed by the broad bide euiel], to whose ring the inevitable azo is fastened, ami JTequcntlv the bolladores also. Those consist oi Three stones or- balls or lead, about- the fuze or a cricket ball, covered with leather and joined by leather thongs a loot long. When thrown they twine themselves round the legs of house or cattle-beast, and bring it clown, the most impecunious peohes ha ve leather, or wooden, or horn stirrups, of various quaint shapes. When ' all these silver trappings are surmounted by a swarthy, handsome “Pedro” or Juan,” with full, spotless trousers, tucked into high boots, -silver belt, short coat, a black hat oil Ills head, am! a black handkerchief round his nock, his “ robenque,” made of a cow’s tail, hanging by its thong from his wrist, the whole is a goodly sight. On Christmas afternoon we had a largo selection of those picturesque creatures to admire, as we all went to witness the peones’ races, held on nearly every Sunday and other “testa,” on a short- course quite close to the house. These races, on which there is much betting in filthy paper

a lime, and bareback; Hie course is very short, and they come.down the •straight only, walking tlieir horses with great solemnity to Hie end farthest I mm tlie spectators, where they start. There is no official -starter, each contestant taking it in turn to .shout. “Vamos,” and many were the liaise starts, as each lias the privilege of stopping any distance down the course, thus necessitating tlio return of both to the starting point. Tho main object, seems to be to see who is cleverest in wearing out and fretting bis adversary’s horse; so, as may be imagined, tho “meeting” goes on endlessly. One thing that interested me was seeing the cattle selected for fattening. They are now so tame that the lazo is hardly ever resorted to. A mob is rounded up, tbe manager points to tlie animal destined to the butcher, and a poono rides on either side and literally squeezes the poor animal off to where his fellow victims are already standing. The horses are marvellously clever at it. Altogether I was very sorry when b.v all too short visit to tlie camp with its fascinations and wonderful, kindness, was over, and T only hope it, may again fall to my lot to. visit the greatest pastoral country in the world.