ne.

"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 now
saw the use that was to be made of the ropes and rags. With them a
pound, or `corral,' was in process of construction. Part of it was
already 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 at
the distance of about a rod from each other. When thus driven, each
stake stood four feet high, and from the top of one to the other, ropes
were ranged and tied, thus making the inclosure complete. Along these
ropes were knotted the rags and strips of cotton, so as to hang nearly
to the ground, or flutter in the wind; and this slight semblance of a
fence was continued over the plain in a circumference of nearly three
miles in length. One side, for a distance of several hundred yards, was
left 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 in
two parties to the opposite flanks, and then deployed off in diverging
lines, so as to form a sort of funnel, at least two miles in width. In
this position they remained to await the result of the drive, most of
them squatting down to rest themselves.

"Meanwhile the drive was proceeding, although the hunters engaged in it
were at a great distance--scarcely seen from our position. They, too,
had gone out in two parties, taking opposite directions, and skirting
the hills that surrounded the plain. Their circuit could not have been
less than a dozen miles; and, as soon as fairly round, they deployed
themselves into a long arc, with its concavity towards the rope corral.
Then, facing inward, the forward movement commenced. Whatever animals
chanced to be feeding between them and the inclosure were almost certain
of being driven into it.

"The padre had led me to an elevated position among the rocks. It
commanded a view of the rope circle; but we were a long while waiting
before the drivers came in sight. At length we descried the line of
mounted men far off upon the plain, and, on closely scrutinising the
ground between them and us, we could distinguish several reddish forms
gliding about: these were the vicunas. There appeared to be several
bands of them, as we saw some at different points. They were crossin