APPLICATION OF THE SOLEA. 87 



on broken or stony ground ; as well as assisted in re- 

 taining healing applications to the soles when these were 

 injured. At any rate, there would be no difficulty in em- 

 ploying it ; as a rider or driver, when apprehending injury 

 to his horse or mule, could easily apply the so/ea, whether 

 of broom, leather, or other materials ; though he would 

 always have to guard against the evil results incidental to 

 the too prolonged use, or the constriction of the bands 

 which bound it to the limb. 



From such inquiries, and from the knowledge that a 

 large portion of their stable management was devoted to 

 making the horn of the foot tough, and the edges of the 

 crust round and smooth, so as to obviate splitting and 

 chipping, together with the known fact that no horses in 

 any part of the world will bear severe and continuous 

 labour without shoes,' we appear to be justified in con- 



' Major Rickard, speaking of the district of San Juan, near the Cor- 

 dillera, in Peru, describes it as very stony. ' For such districts the mules 

 ought to be shod, as otherwise they will soon become foot-sore, and 

 consequently worthless. I mention this because it is not usual to shoe 

 horses or mules in the ordinary transitable districts of South America ; 

 and I would strongly recommend the traveller to i?isist upon his own 

 mule, at least, being shod, irrespective of place or distance.' — A Mining 

 Journey Across the Great Andes, p. 144. 



And Tschudi, describing the village of San Geronimo de Surco, 

 in the valley of Lima, says that the horses are shod, and that shoeing 

 must be extremely valuable, if we may judge from its price. ' In this 

 village there is an old Spaniard who keeps a tambo, and at the same 

 time exercises the calling of a farrier. One of my horse's shoes being 

 loose, I got him to fasten it on. For hammering in eight nails he 

 made me pay half a gold ounce, and at first he demanded twelve 

 dollars. Shortly after my arrival in the Sierra, I got myself initiated 

 in the art of horse-shoeing, and constantly carried about with me a 

 supply of horse-shoes and nails, a plan which I found was generally 

 adopted by travellers in these parts. It is only in the larger Indian 



