44í> A VOYAGE TO Book VL 



rider to give him his way, and at the same time to 

 let him feel the spur to carry him over the precipices. 

 But, at the same time, let him be very attentive to 

 keep the saddle; for on such declivities the least 

 neglect throws the rider over the horse's head : the 

 consequence of which, either by the fall or by being 

 trampled '.pou, is generally fatal. These horses are 

 called paramos, being backed and exercised in run- 

 ning over such dangerous places. 'J'heir usual pace 

 is trotting. There is indeed another species called 

 aguilillas, equally remarkable for their swiftness and 

 security. Though the aguilillas only pace; they equal 

 the longest trot of the others : and some of them are 

 so fleet, that no other horse can matcii them even at 

 full gallop. I once was master of one of this, kind ; 

 and which, though none of the racers, often carried 

 me in twenty-nine minutes from C>illao to Lima, 

 "which is two measured leagues and a half, though 

 notwithstan.ding great part of tlie road M'as very bad 

 and stony ; and in twenty eight or twenty-nine mi- 

 nutes brought me back again, without ever taking 

 oiFthe bridle. This I can assert from my own ex- 

 perience. These horses are very seldom known to 

 gallop or trot ; and it is a very difficult matter even 

 to bring them to it by teaching, though the trotting 

 horses soon come into pacing. The pace of the 

 aguilillas is by lifting up the fore and hind leg of 

 the same side at once; but instead of putting the 

 hinder foot in the place where the fore foot was, as 

 is the usual way ofotlier ])acing horses, they advance , 

 it farther, equal tothaton the contr;Lry side, orsome- 

 thin.g beyond it ; that thus, in each motion, they ad- 

 vance twice the space of the common horses. Be- 

 sides, they are very quick in their motions, and re- 

 markably easy to the rider. 



OiHEii horses, not of this breed, are taught the 

 i^ame manner of pacing, and perform it with ease and 

 expedition, as those in \\;hüm it is a natural quality: 



neither 



