190 



JOURNAL. 



Lord Cochrane last sailed from hence. But a few hundreds were 

 brought together to-day ; however, 'tis but the first, and as it is not 

 the regular season, probably there will be nearly the whole in a few 

 days more. The head vaccaros, or cowherds, ought, generally speak- 

 ing, to be born on the estate where their business lies. The haunts 

 of the cattle are so wide apart, and the country so little inhabited, 

 and so little travelled, that tracks and landmarks there are none, 

 and only experience can guide the vaccaro at the different seasons 

 to the different haunts of the beasts. His business is, besides attend- 

 ing at the rodeos, to bring them either to the plain or to the hill, 

 to feed or to browse, according to the season ; to portion them so 

 as to secure free access to water ; and to be watchful over the young, 

 whether calves, young horses, or mules. A real vaccaro is seldom 

 off his horse ; and it may be doubted, if the human and the brute 

 parts of the centaurs were ever more inseparable than the vaccaro 

 and his steed. Each of these men has a certain number of cattle 

 committed to his charge, for which he is accountable to the land 

 steward. — One part of the ceremony of the rodeo is very agreeable 

 to the men concerned. About 12 o'clock to-day, one of the peons 

 was desired to laza a bullock ; which was immediately killed and 

 dressed for the public : the skin, however, belongs to the estate, and 

 was instantly cut up into thongs to make lazas, halters, and all man- 

 ner of useful things. 



