Gaucho

Gaucho, a cowboy or herdsman of the Pampas, or prairies, of Argentina and Uruguay, who lived on the grass plains of southern South America from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century. Gauchos were essentially nomadic mestizos (people of mixed Native American and Spanish descent). Bold and skillful riders, they earned an adventurous livelihood on cattle ranges or by illegal horse and cattle trading at the Brazilian frontier. The weapons used by the gaucho in capturing wild horses and cattle, often for their hides, were the lasso and the bola, a cord-and-weight type of sling thrown to entangle the legs of quarry. Leather making was an additional source of income for the gauchos, and many of them were also wandering minstrels. Politically, they played an important role fighting Native Americans and as revolutionaries in the history of Argentina.

The characteristic apparel of the gaucho included a flat, brimmed hat; baggy trousers over boots; a wide belt of silver or coins; a woolen poncho; and a colorful scarf.

In the latter part of the 19th century, the modernization of the cattle-raising business, the arrival in South America of European farmers, and the portioning of the Pampas marked the passing of the gaucho's hardy, independent way of life. Like the cowboy of North America, however, he lives on as a heroic figure in the folklore, music, and literature of South America.