CHAP, ix.] HUNTING WILD CATTLE. . iyj 



and two Gauchos : the latter were capital men for the purpose, and 

 well accustomed to living on their own resources. The weather was 

 very boisterous and cold, with heavy hailstorms. We got on, how- 

 ever, pretty well, but, except the geology, nothing could be less 

 interesting than our day's ride. The country is uniformly the same 

 undulating moorland ; the surface being covered by light brown withered 

 grass and a few very small shrubs, all springing out of an elastic peaty 

 soil. In the valleys here and there might be seen a small flock of 

 wild geese, and everywhere the ground was so soft that the snipe were 

 able to feed. Besides these two birds there were few others. There 

 is one main range of hills, nearly two thousand feet in height, and 

 composed of quartz rock, the rugged and barren crests of which gave 

 us some trouble to cross. On the south side we came to the best coun- 

 try for wild cattle ; we met, however, no great number, for they had 

 been lately much harassed. 



In the evening we came across a small herd. One of my companions, 

 St. Jago by name, soon separated a fat cow ; he threw the bolas, and 

 it struck her legs, but failed in becoming entangled. Then dropping 

 his hat to mark the spot where the balls were left, while at full gallop, 

 he uncoiled his lazo, and after a most severe chase, again came up 

 to the cow, and caught her round the horns. The other Gaucho had 

 gone on ahead with the spare horses, so that St. Jago had some diffi- 

 culty in killing the furious beast. He managed to get her on a level 

 piece of ground, by taking advantage of her as often as she rushed at 

 nim ; and when she would not move, my horse, from having been 

 trained, would canter up, and with his chest give her a violent push. 

 But when on level ground it does not appear an easy job for one man 

 to kill a beast mad with terror. Nor would it be so, if the horse, when 

 left to itself without its rider, did not soon learn, for its own safety, 

 to keep the lazo tight ; so that, if the cow or ox moves forward, the 

 horse moves just as quickly forward ; otherwise, it stands motionless 

 leaning on one side. This horse, however, was a young one, and 

 would not stand still, but gave into the cow as she struggled. It was 

 admirable to see with what dexterity St. Jago dodged behind the beast, 

 till at last he contrived to give the fatal touch to t the main tendon of 

 the hind leg ; after which, without much difficulty, he drove his knife 

 into the head of the spinal marrow, and the cow dropped as if struck 

 by lightning. He cut off pieces of flesh with the skin to it, but without 

 any bones, sufficient for our expedition. We then rode on to our 

 sleeping-place, and had for supper " carne con cuero," or meat roasted 

 with the skin on it. This is as superior to common beef as venison is 

 to mutton. A large circular piece taken from the back is roasted on 

 the embers with the hide downwards and in the form of a saucer, so 

 that none of the gravy is lost. If any worthy alderman had supped 

 with us that evening, "carne con cuero," without doubt, would soon 

 have been celebrated in London. 



During the night it rained, and the next day (i7th) was very 

 stormy, with much hail and snow. We rode across the island to the 

 neck of land which joins the Rincon del Toro (the great peninsula at 



