GENERAL. 9 



stands on the stage, knife in hand: as soon as the animal 

 is in the position required, he introduces his knife behind 

 the horns, and, dividing the spinal marrow at its junction 

 with the head, the animal instantly collapses ; the lasso is 

 loosed from it, and the truck is run out on a tramway 

 which occupies the centre of a flagged platform, under a 

 shed, along which, on each side, are ranged the flayers. 

 The dead animals are cast off the truck to the flayers in 

 turn. The hide being taken off, it is doubled up and taken 

 to the salting house, where it is stretched on the pile of 

 hides, and salt cast over it with shovels ; meanwhile, the 

 carcase of the animal is cut up and carried to another 

 salting house, where the meat is sliced into thin flakes and 

 laid in a pile, with salt. The fat and the bones, with that 

 portion of the meat which is unsuitable or cannot be 

 conveniently cut into flakes, goes to the vats, and is steamed 

 to extract grease and tallow. 



When the beef has lain in salt a sufficient time, it is 

 taken out and hung on rails (tendales) in the open air to 

 dry ; from there it is removed and built into large piles, 

 square or round (in the open air), and covered with tar- 

 paulins until ready for shipment. The meat thus prepared 

 is known as 'jerked beef,' and is chiefly shipped to, and 

 consumed in, the Brazils or Havannah. 



The business of preparing hides, tallow, and beef, is one 

 of the most important carried on in the province of Buenos 

 Ayres, Entre-Kios, and Santa Fe, and in the Eepublic of 

 the Uruguay. 



The hides of the animals slaughtered for the consump- 

 tion of the town or country are nearly all staked and 

 dried. 



At the Saladeros, mares in large numbers are slaugh- 

 tered, the hides salted, and the carcases steamed for 

 grease. The tallow and grease having been drawn off, 



