THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. 613 



manship of the gaucho is wonderful. On his saddle (recado), chiefly made 

 of untanned horse-hide and sheep-skin, he sits with the consciousness 

 that he is the horse's master. Indeed it is seldom that he puts his foot 

 in a stirrup for the purpose of riding, never. And his dexterity in 

 throwing the lasso is equally astonishing. His aim is almost unerring. 

 Singling out a horse or a cow in the middle of a herd, he will bring him 

 down with unfailing precision. He will pursue an animal in full chase 

 across the plains, and when sufficiently near, he swings his lasso twice 

 or thrice around his head and then lets it go. The moment it touches 

 the runaway cow, the horse of the rider stops to receive the shock, and 

 and down goes the cow headlong to the ground. Another way which 

 he has of securing cattle is with the u bolos." These consist of two 

 balls (iron or stone) covered with hide and fastened at the end of two 

 short rawhide ropes, and thrown by means of another short thong, all 

 three being secured together. They are twirled around the head like 

 the lasso, and thrown at a distance of 60 or 70 yards with great precis- 

 ion 5 when, entangling the feet of the pursued animal, it is brought to 

 the ground with a violent shock. He is also exceedingly clever in plait- 

 ing bridles of untanned hide thongs, and his great ambition is to ca- 

 parison his horse with elaborate silver trappings, worth sometimes sev- 

 eral hundred dollars ; and when on horseback, dressed in his fantastic 

 costume of striped loose fitting cliiripds and his scarlet vacuua poncho, 

 falling gracefully over his shoulders down to his hips, he presents an 

 appearance which would attract attention anywhere. With the termi- 

 nation of the feast, they indulge in indiscriminate horse racing, and not 

 unfrequently, for betting is a besetting sin with the whole race, by night- 

 fall our gaucho has not only lost all his month's wages, but also his horse, 

 and it may be even his poncho. With many of these singular people, 

 however, this is scarcely looked upon as a misfortune ; and they are 

 not slow in recouping their losses by appropriating the first horse that 

 attracts their fancy.* 



THE GREAT SLAUGHTERING ESTABLISHMENTS. 



When the cattle of an estancia, as I have already stated, are in suffi- 

 ciently good condition from the spring pasturage to be able to undergo 

 the journey, they are sent off in lots either to the slaughter-houses of 

 the city (mataderos) or to what is known as the saladero. This is an es- 

 tablishment where cattle are slaughtered in large numbers, and all the 

 product of the animal, meat, hide, grease, bones, horns, and other refuse, 

 is collected and prepared for exportation. The erection of one of these 

 establishments requires the outlay of BO inconsiderable capital, and to 

 be successful it must have an intelligent and economical organization. 

 Without these, as the running expenses are always large, the business 

 not infrequently fails to give such profits as are commensurate with 



* Ex-President Sarmiento, in his book " Civilization y Barbaric" page 23, says : " The 

 gaucho does not labor, he finds his food and raiment ready to his hand. If he is a 

 proprietor his own flocks yield him both. If he possesses nothing himself, he finds 

 them in the house of a patron or a relation. The necessary care of herds is reduced 

 to excursions and pleasure parties ; the branding, which is like the harvesting of farm- 

 ers, is a festival, tho arrival of which is received with transports of joy, being the oc- 

 casion of tho assembling of all the men for 20 leagues around, and the opportunity for 

 displaying incredible skill with tho lasso. The gaucho arrives at the spot on his best 

 steed, riding at a slow and measured pace ; he halts at a little distance and puts his 

 leg over his horse's neck to enjoy tho sight leisurely. If enthusiasm seizes him, ho 

 slowly disrnou4^s, uncoils his lasso, and flings it at some bull passing like a Hash of 

 lightning forty paces from him ; he catches him by one hoof, as ho intended, and 

 quietly coils his leather cord again." 



