e anchor and a cord fastened to a
heavy stone; and at length set out to Falcon's Nest, where we arrived
soon, to the great comfort of my wife, who dreaded the burning plain at
Tent House.

* * * * *

CHAPTER XXI.

After our return to Falcon's Nest, I requested my sons to continue their
exercises in gymnastics. I wished to develope all the vigour and energy
that nature had given them; and which, in our situation, were especially
necessary. I added to archery, racing, leaping, wrestling, and climbing
trees, either by the trunks, or by a rope suspended from the branches,
as sailors climb. I next taught them to use the _lasso_, a powerful
weapon, by aid of which the people of South America capture savage
animals. I fixed two balls of lead to the ends of a cord about a fathom
in length. The Patagonians, I told them, used this weapon with wonderful
dexterity. Having no leaden balls, they attach a heavy stone to each end
of a cord about thirty yards long. If they wish to capture an animal,
they hurl one of the stones at it with singular address. By the peculiar
art with which the ball is thrown, the rope makes a turn or two round
the neck of the animal, which remains entangled, without the power of
escaping. In order to show the power of this weapon, I took aim at the
trunk of a tree which they pointed out. My throw was quite successful.
The end of the rope passed two or three times round the trunk of the
tree, and remained firmly fixed to it. If the tree had been the neck of
a tiger, I should have been absolute master of it. This experiment
decided them all to learn the use of the lasso. Fritz was soon skilful
in throwing it, and I encouraged the rest to persevere in acquiring the
same facility, as the weapon might be invaluable to us when our
ammunition failed.

The next morning I saw, on looking out, that the sea was too much
agitated for any expedition in the boats; I therefore turned to some
home employments. We looked over our stores for winter provision. My
wife showed me a cask of ortolans she had preserved in butter, and a
quantity of loaves of cassava bread, carefully prepared. She pointed
out, that the pigeons had built in the tree, and were sitting on their
eggs. We then looked over the young fruit-trees brought from Europe, and
my sons and I immediately laid out a piece of ground, and planted them.

The day passed in these employments; and as we had lived only on
potatoes