outh hear of each other's bravery, obtain a meeting,
and, after returning compliments, draw out their knives and fight to the
death.

The gaucho dress is peculiar,--a poncho, which is placed over the head
by a hole in the centre, and which falls over the body to the hips. This
is often of a very gay pattern, especially on Sundays and holidays. The
lower garment is a curious combination of bedgown and Turkish trousers,
named _calzoncillos_; it is bordered by a fringe, sometimes of rich
lace, from two to six inches in depth. Enormous spurs form part of the
toilette. I saw a pair on a gaucho at the estancia of my friend Dr.
Perez that measured seven inches in diameter. These were of a larger
size than those mentioned by Mr. Darwin in his "Journal of Researches,"
describing the "Beagle's" voyage round the world, and which he saw in
Chile, measuring six inches in the same direction as aforesaid. The
boots for working purposes are made of untanned hide, but those for
holiday dress are often of patent leather with bright scarlet tops.

Many of the gauchos wear purple or yellow handkerchiefs over their
heads, inside the sombrero, and others have wide belts around their
bodies, that are glistening with silver dollars tacked on. The costume
of a gaucho is, however, only complete when he is on horseback with the
_bolas_, the _lasso_, and a knife at his girdle. The bolas consists of
two balls, which are fastened at the end of two short leathern ropes,
and thrown by means of another short thong,--all three being secured
together,--when they are whirled round the head of the thrower before
propulsion, which is so efficaciously managed as to bring down at once
the horse or cow in whose legs they get entangled.

Mr. Prescott, in his admirable work on the "History and Conquest of
Peru," when alluding to the attack made by the Peruvians on their
ancient capital Cuzco, then (A.D. 1535) occupied by the Spanish invaders
under Pizarro, writes thus of the lasso: "One weapon peculiar to South
American warfare was used to some effect by the Peruvians. This was the
lasso,--a long rope with a noose at the end, which they adroitly threw
over the rider, or entangled with it the legs of his horse, so as to
bring them both to the ground. More than one family fell into the hands
of the enemy by this expedient." The knowledge of the weapon was
therefore, in all probability, derived from this quarter.

The horse-riding of the Chaco Indians, even in o