In the early days, after the first settlers had arrived in South America, the Gauchos rode horses and hunted on the grassy pampas, or plains. The ancestry of the Gaucho was both Spanish and Indian. They were known as fearless, tough riders, and they spent most of their time on horseback. They played an important role in Argentina's fight for independence.
In hunting cattle the Gauchos used bolas, strong cords with heavy balls at the ends. They threw the bolas at the hunted animal, usually entangling its legs. Cattle were hunted for hides and tallow. The Gauchos ate meat every day and drank mate, a sort of tea, which they sipped with a straw from a hollowed gourd. Hides served as clothing and shelter. The wide saddle could be spread out as a bed, and the poncho served as coat and blanket. The songs sung by the fearless Gauchos have served to reflect the hard and lonely life they lived on the vast pampas.
Gradually the pampas were settled by many people who developed large farms and estates. The picturesque Gauchos began to disappear. Instead of being nomadic, they started to live in adobe huts. There is a Gaucho theater in Buenos Aires and a Gaucho literature. However, the nomadic Gaucho life is generally found only in song and legend.
