LASSOING A BULLOCK 205 



of his horse. As soon as the bullock was cut off 

 from its companions it was headed for the shore. 

 Driven frantic by the cries of its pursuers it 

 charged straight for us, and we had barely time to 

 scramble out of the way before it was galloping 

 over the spot where we had been sitting. Then 

 brought to a standstill by a low cliff, it was most 

 skilfully lassoed by one of the horsemen, who, 

 from a distance of some twenty yards, threw his 

 thong in such a way that the running noose fell 

 over the horns of the bullock and at once drew 

 tight. The second native then cast his lasso 

 over the beast's hindquarters, the lower end of the 

 loop lying on the grass just behind its hind feet. 

 The other native then rode to the front making 

 the bullock step backwards and thus stand within 

 the circle of the lasso which was at once pulled 

 tight, so that the poor beast fell heavily to the 

 ground. It was then dispatched by a knife thrust 

 in the throat. 



I was indeed sorry when we sailed away from 

 Easter Island after so short a stay. I had been 

 able to spend only some six hours on shore, and 

 the greater part of that time was taken up in 

 walking from the landing place to the crater, a 

 distance of something over three miles along an 

 exceedingly rough track. 



In a voyage of this kind, however, it is im- 

 possible to do so much as was originally intended, 

 owing to delays which are always experienced in 



