Wild Horfes in Spanifb America. 333 
returned more than fixty leagues to rejoin their old friend. 
Thefe friends know each other by their neighing, their fell, 
and the noife of their pace. 
When the proprietors are defirous to prevent a numerous 
troop of domeftic horfes from feparating, they place among 
them a young mare with a fmall bell, and which is then 
called the godmother. They all follow her, and they all 
know and feek for each other as members of the fame fo- 
ciety. The fame effet may be produced by attaching the 
dell to one of the horfes of the troop. 
When the inhabitants have need of horfes, a man on 
horfeback, bearing a lance, proceeds towards a troop of 
thefe animals, and drives them into an inclofure formed of 
pallifades. A horfeman then enters it, and, when he is 
within reach, entangles the horfe which he wifhes to 
catch with a kind of rope; for, though thefe horfes are fit 
to be mounted, and faid to be docile, they will not fuffer 
themfelves to be touched with the hand. 
From what has been faid, it may be readily feen that there 
is really very little difference between the habits of thefe wild 
horfes and of thofe which live in a ftate of domefticity. It 
needs excite no wonder, therefore, that there fhould be very 
little in regard to their form, fize, and qualities. 
When the inhabitants wifh to convert fome of thefe wild 
horfes into domeftic ones, people mounted on horfeback - 
proceed towards a troop of the former; and when they ap- 
proach them they throw fome of the ropes already mentioned 
around their legs, fo that, being prevented from running, 
they havetime to fecure them. They are then tied toa ftake, 
or a tree, not by the four legs, as fome have faid, but with 
a fimple halter made of leather. They are left two or three 
days without food or drink, are afterwards cut, and are then 
broke in the fame manner as the domeftic horfes. The horfe 
behaves then as if he had never been wild; but it is not true’ 
that they lofe all defire of recovering their hberty. They 
readily unite with a troop of wild horfes; and how can it be 
otherwife, fince thofe even which have been reared in a ftate 
of domefticity have no repugnance to join them ? 
The proprietors of the ¢/fancias, or paftures deftined for 
5 thofe 
