242 COLEO AND FANDANGOS. 



ries it to a crowd of fair spectators and pre- 

 sents it to his mistress, who takes it to the 

 fandnngo which usually follows, as a testi- 

 mony of the prowess of licr lover. 



Among the vaqueros, and even among per- 

 sons of distinction, el cole o (tailing) is a much 

 nobler exercise than the preceding, and is also 

 generally reserved /()r days of festivity. For 

 this sport the most untractable ox or bull is 

 turned loose upon a level conmion. when all 

 the parties who propose to join in the amuse- 

 ment, boing already mounted, start oif in par- 

 suit of him. The most successful rider, as 

 soon as he gets near enough to the bull, 

 seizes him by the tail, and with a sudden 

 manoBu\Te, whirls him topsy-tur\T upon the 

 plain — to the no little risk of brealdiig his own 

 neck, should his horse stumble or be tripp^" 

 by tlie legs of the falling bull. 



Respecting fandangos, I will observe that 

 this term, as it is used in New Mexico, is never 

 apphed to any particular dance, but is the 

 usual designation for those ordinary assem- 

 blies where dancing and frolicking are car- 

 ried on ; haUe (or ball) being generally applied 



to tliose of a higher grade. The former es- 

 pecially are very fretpient ; for nothing i^ 

 more general, throughout the country, oJ|J" 

 %vith ail classes than dancing. From t^^ 

 gravest priest to the buflbon—from the ric»- 

 est nabob to the beggar— from the governor 

 to the ranchero — from the soberest matron ^^ 

 the flippant belle— from the grandest seTKyi'^ 

 to the coci,iera—:i\\ partake of this exhilarat- 



i 



