74 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



European descent, who inhabit the immense Pampas, 

 or plains of South America; and, in a still higher 

 degree, the Indians of the same regions. The Pam- 

 pas, though fertile, are totally uncultivated, and yield 

 the scattered inhabitants no other nourishment than 

 water, and the flesh of the unappropriated herds of 

 cattle and horses, that roam over them in countless 

 multitudes. Their hardy inhabitants are thus por- 

 trayed by Sir Francis Head : 



" The life of the Guacho is very interesting. 

 Born in the rude hut, the infant receives little atten- 

 tion, but is left to swing from the roof in a bullock's 

 hide, the corners of which are drawn towards each 

 other by four strips of hide. In the first year of his 

 life he crawls about without clothes, and I have more 

 than once seen a mother give a child of this age a 

 sharp knife, a foot long, to play with. As soon as 

 he walks his infantine amusements are those which 

 prepare him for the occupations of his future life : 

 with a lasso made of twine he tries to catch little 

 birds or the dogs as they walk in and out of the hut. 

 By the time he is four years old he is on horseback, 

 and immediately becomes useful by assisting to drive 

 the cattle into the corral. The manner in which 

 these children ride is quite extraordinary : if a horse 

 tries to escape from the flock which are driven 



