Capuchin Missions of the Caroni. 23 



Matamoro at Santa Maria. Returning, run his own mule 

 against a horse he was on and beat him. Saw there the method 

 of breaking in wild horses previous to bullock-hunting. The 

 argumentum baculinum seemed the prevailing one. The poor 

 animal was beaten by two men, one his own rider, and the other 

 mounted on a trained horse, until his spirit was quite broken, 

 and his bones nearly so ; no wonder the horses broken-in by the 

 Indians are of so little value. During my stay, had much con- 

 versation on the subject of renting the missions. The scheme 

 proposed was, to take four of these establishments as near to- 

 gether as possible, and rent them on the terms of half the nett 

 produce to Government, the other half to the renter ; the Indians 

 to be paid for their labour at the rate of 1 rial per day, which, I 

 was assured, was ample, and might be paid half in goods. The 

 cultivation to be of tobacco, of which I calculated upon 1 ,000 

 quintals at the least. Cattle to be furnished by Government 

 for rations. Cornejo, who seemed anxious to join in the spe- 

 culation, strongly recommended his own district, of the popula- 

 tion of which he gave me the following statement : 



Towns. Men. Women. Children. Total. 



Tumeremo, 36 125 125 286 



Tupuquen, 28 60 25 113 



Carapo, 40 250 125 415 



Miamo, 25 250 130 405 



129 685 405 1,219 



According to which, 300 hands might be kept in constant 

 work. Procured from him likewise the following statement 

 of the cattle in his district, and from Velasquez, of those in the 

 southern district, exclusive of the innumerable herds running 

 wild. 



Total, 10,600 3,200 460 



