416 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



prevent his eating to excess on sucli an exigency. He 

 talked to the spectators with that ease and tranquillity, 

 as if only going to take a short journey. He an^ 

 swered to the exhortations without the least confusion: 

 "when he was ordered to kneel, he did so. The 

 prayers and acts of devotion he also repeated word 

 for word ; but all the time rolling his eyes about, 

 like a sportive child, whose weak age is diverted by 

 trifling objects. Thus he behaved till brought to rhe 

 gibbet, where Ins companion had been carried before 

 him : nor did he shew the least alteration even in the 

 awful moment. And this, to a civilized European 

 so strange, is no more than m hat is connnon among 

 the Indians of these parts. 



This indifference witli rcgaid to death, or intrepi- 

 dity, if we may term it so, shews itself ujjnn many 

 other occasions, particularly in the alacrity and re- 

 solution with which they face themselves before a 

 bull, with no other view than for the bull to run 

 fidlat him, and toss him so high in the air, that any 

 other than an Indian would be killed by the fall. 

 He however rises without receiving any hurt, and is 

 highly delighted with the victory, as he calls it, over 

 the bull ; though the victory seems to lie on the bulls 

 side. When they fght in a bod}^ against others, they 

 tall on, without any regard to sujX'riority of numbers, 

 or who drops, or is wounded of their party. An 

 action which in a civilized nation is counted the 

 height of courage, is here merely the effect of bar- 

 barism and want of thought. They are very dex- 

 trous in haltering a bull at full speed; and, as they 

 fear no dan^xer, attack hiai with what we should call 

 great temerity. With the same dexterity they hunt 

 bears : and a single Indian, v.ith only a horse and his 

 noose, never fails of getting the better of all the cun- 

 ning and rage of this furious animal. This noose is 

 made of cow-hide, so thin as not to be'seizcd by the. 

 beast's paM's, and yet so strong as not to be broken-^ 



by 



