CATCHING A DULL. 245 



cent beasts ; tliey equalled in the size of their huge 

 heads and necks the Grecian marble sculptures. 

 Capt. Sulivan informs me that the hide of an avei-- 

 age-sized bull weighs forty-seven pounds, whereas 

 a hide of this weight, less thoroughly dried, is con- 

 sidered as a very heavy one at Monte Video. The 

 young bulls generally run away for a short dis- 

 tance ; but the old ones do not stir a step, except 

 to rush at man and horse; and many horses have 

 been thus killed. An old bull crossed a boggy 

 stream, and took his stand on the opposite side to 

 us ; we in vain tried to drive him away, and fail- 

 ing, were obliged to make a large circuit. The 

 Gauchos, in revenge, determined to emasculate him, 

 and render him for the future harmless. It was 

 very interesting to see how art completely mastei'- 

 ed force. One lazo was thrown over his horns as 

 he rushed at the horse, and another round his hind 

 legs : in a minute the monster was stretched pow- 

 erless on the ground. After the lazo has once been 

 drawn tightly round the horns of a furious animal, 

 it does not at first appear an easy thing to disen- 

 gage it again without killing the beast ; noi", I ap- 

 prehend, would it be so if the man was by himself. 

 By the aid, however, of a second person throwing 

 his lazo so as to catch both hind legs, it is quickly 

 managed : for the animal, as long as its hind legs 

 are kept outstretched, is quite helpless, and the 

 first man can with his hands loosen his lazo from 

 the horns, and then quietly mount his horse ; but 

 the moment the second man, by backing ever so 

 little, relaxes the strain, the lazo slips off the legs 

 of the struggling beast, which then rises free, shakes 

 himself, and vainly rushes at his antagonist. 



During our whole ride we saw only one troop 

 of wild horses. These animals, as well as the cat- 

 tle, were introduced by the French in 1764, since 

 X2 



