1$24.J 
men, witha gymnasium, for protecting 
them while at drill from the sun: This 
town is also onan elevated) situation, 
but does not command so sublime a 
prospect as Fontseca. 
' Hearing the Spaniards were assem- 
bled at the little town of Marino, we 
countermarched by night through deep 
and heavy roads, nearly up to our hips 
in sludge and wet sand, along the 
plains: on those immense plains I saw 
the largest flocks of sheep, I suppose, 
in the world, as in one enclosure I 
equid count over 30,000, all one man’s 
property; they are very small, as four 
men -had always.a sheep for their 
rations, 
We arrived at Marino at day-break, 
just as the Spaniards were quitting it, 
some of whom we took prisoners, and 
others lost their lives in escaping. 
We found here every thing in abun- 
dance. ‘The town is mean, and badly 
built ; but the people are very rich and 
comfortable.’ There were immense 
plantations of sugar, Indian corn, 
plantains, cocoa-nut trees, papaws, 
mammy-apples, melon-beds of various 
kinds, sweet and sour sops, pine-ap- 
ples, mangoes, and many other fruits 
too numerous to mention. I also re- 
marked that Chili pepper grew here 
in greater perfection than hitherto ob- 
served on the main. We left this place 
with great reluctance, as we lived like 
fighting cocks; even brandy, rum, and 
immense quantities of tobacco, were 
stored there, which was destroyed for 
want of means to carry it away. 
We left Marino at sunset, and 
arrived at the little town of Beddelia 
in two days after. In passing one of 
those plains, our Creoles got orders to 
secure a drove of cattle; from the wild 
and untractable ferocity of them, I 
thought this impossible, but here I was 
undeceived, by the dexterity and ad- 
dress of our Indian guides in throwing 
the noose or sling. _ Every man 
mounted, with one of those nooses, 
made of cow-skin thongs, about thirty 
or forty yards in length, galloped on, 
and headed the beast pointed out to 
him, which he bad no sooner done 
than his companion, who remained 
ready to noose him, stood in his stir- 
rups, and threw the noose, fifteen or 
twenty yards, over the beast’s horns, 
with such unerring aim/and incredible 
dexterity as seldom to miss their ob- 
ject. In this manner were sixty head 
of cattle noosed, until a leather 
thong, about three feet in length, with 
; 2 
Journal of an Officer serving in Columbia. 5 
a log affixed, was tied to each beast’s 
nose, by boring two holes through their 
nostrils; and this log threw them down 
when they attempted to run away. 
The greatest feat of activity 1 saw 
performed, was by our principal wahira, 
or Indian guide: a huge untractable 
bull, having broke loose from the 
Creoles, bounded along the plain with 
great speed; Rincoon mounted his 
grey horse, and pursued him: on 
coming up with him he jumped on the 
ground, seized the beast by the tail, 
and, when he had got sufficient hold, 
watching an opportunity, he bounded 
from the earth with such velocity as to 
whirl the bull round; on the second 
motion, with a swing, he took the 
beast from his footing, and landed him 
on his’ back, to the astonishment of 
every person who saw him perform 
this act of dexterity and strength; as 
the cattle in this country are much 
larger than in England, and a lean 
beast will weigh upwards of 1000 lbs. 
This account of the Indian’s strength 
is almost incredible, but is equally 
true; and I am sure there exists not 
an European who could do the same 
thing. Beddelia now appeared, and 
the inhabitants did not seem disposed 
to side with either party. The town is 
small: the people seemed happy, and 
lived easy, but indolent. 
Next day we proceeded on our route 
to Alvalca, where we expected to be 
joined by General Bolivar ; and on the 
following evening we arrived at Wa- 
hira settlement, at the end of the plain. 
All those Indians, being friendly 
tribes, came out to meet us, and lead 
us to their community. Here I had 
a good opportunity of seeing the cus- 
toms, manners, and mode of living, 
amongst those people. Their settle- 
ment was on the bank of a river, their 
huts being built in front of the enclo- 
sures made for the protection of their 
goats, sheep, and fowls, enclosed by 
the tall prickly pear, which grows from 
seed; the only trouble being to mark 
out the place in the rainy season, and 
in the course of a few months the 
fence is impenetrable, and grown 
above the height of aman. ‘They take 
very little pains to cultivate any thing, 
as they live chiefly by hunting, fishing, 
and what they can plunder. These 
people are good-natured, but easily ir- 
irtated, and vindictive; they are fleshy, 
the men have large breasts like the 
women, about the feet they are better 
made, are very soft-featured, anal 
rom 
