ULLOA S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 67 1 



on horfeback with their fpears two or three toifes in length, and at one end a very fharp 

 piece, of fleel in the form of a half moon, the points of which are about a foot diftant 

 from each other. Every thing being ready, the gate of the inclofure is opened, and a 

 beaft turned out, which naturally betakes itfelf to flight, but is immediately purfued by 

 a guafb, who, without checking his horfe, hamftrings it in one leg, and then immedi- 

 ately in the other. He then alights, and having difpatched his capture, fkins it, takes 

 out the tallow, the fat^ for the graifa, and cuts up the flefh for falling and drying. This 

 done he wraps up the tallow in the hide, and loading it on his horfe, carries it to the 

 farm ; returning again for the flefli. After this he fets out on another expedition. 

 Sometimes they turn out at once as many beafts as there are guafos ready to kill them. 

 And this is the daily exercife till all the cattle appointed for that year's flaughter are 

 difpatched. An European is furprifed not only at their dexterity in hamftringing the 

 beaft, when both are on full fpeed, but alfo to fee one man alone go through the whole 

 work in fuch a regular method and great difpatch. If the bead be fwifter than his 

 horfe, the guafo has recourfe to his noofe, and halters him by throwing it either about 

 his neck, or round one or two of his legs, according as opportunity offers, and by that 

 means fecures him. Then if a tree be near at hand, he gives the end of the thong two 

 or three turns round the trunk, and the whole difficulty of killing the beaft is over. 



The tallow is wrapt up in the hides, and in this manner carried to the city for fale ; 

 the graffa is melted into bags of (heep-lkins ; the flefh, after being cut into thin flices, 

 is falted, and this is what they call Taffagear ; afterwards it is buccaneered or dried in 

 the fmoke*, and fold. The hides they tan, and make from them a mofl; excellent 

 leather, efpecially for the foles of flioesf. Goats alfo, as we have already obferved, are 

 fattened and turn to good account. Their tallow nearly refembles that of the ox, and 

 the Cordovan leather made of their flcins furpaffes every thing of that kind made in any 

 part of the whole kingdom of Peru. 



All other provifions and grain are in the fame plenty, turkeys, geefe, and all kinds 

 of poultry are fold at a remarkable low price, great numbers of them being bred all 

 over the country, with little care and no expence. Wild fowls alfo are very common, 

 among which are canelones, and others defcribeci among the birds found in the deferts 

 of Quito, though thefe are not fo large, and more hke the bandarrias as they are there 

 called. Here are alfo wood-pigeons, turtle-doves, partridges, fnipes, woodcocks, and 

 royal cirapicos, &c. And with regard to thefe, the air may be faid to vie with the fer- 

 tility of the earth. 



Among the birds I mufl: not omit one of a very fingular kind, and found all over the 

 country. The natives call thefe birds difpertadores, awakeners, from their giving notice 

 to others of the approach of any danger. On hearing the noife of the approach of any 

 creature, whether man or beafl:, or feeing them within a fmall difliance, they rife from 

 the ground, and make a loud chattering not unlike that of a magpye ; continuing the 

 noife, and flying about in the air over the objeft which caufed the alarm. This is un- 

 derfl:ood by the birds thereabouts, who immediately rife, and by that means efcape the 

 danger. 



This bird is about the fize of a middling fowl, its plumage black and white, has a 

 thick neck, the head fomething large, ere6t, and beautifully adorned with a tuft of 

 feathers ; its eyes are large, fliarp and lively ; its bill well proportioned, ftrong, and a 

 little curved. On the fore part of their wings are two fpurs, about an inch in length, 



* They dry it in the fun, by which it attains a rufty colour, and appears as though it had been dried 

 in fmoke. A. 



f They tan thin leather with the bark of the mangrove tree, A. 



of 



