1833.] CURIOUS BREED OF OXEN. 145 
all sign their names:” ‘with this they seemed to think ever; 
reasonable man ought to be satisfied. 
18¢h.—Rode with my host to his estancia, at the Arroyo de 
San Juan. In the evening we took a ride round the estate: it 
contained two square leagues and a half, and was situated in 
what is called a rincon; that is, one side was fronted by the 
Plata, and the two others guarded by impassable brooks. -There 
was an excellent port for little vessels, and an abundance of 
small wood, which is valuable as supplying fuel to Buenos Ayres. 
I was.curious to know the value of so complete an estancia. Of 
cattle there were 3000, and it would well support threo or four 
times that number; of mares 800, together with 150 broken-in 
horses, and 600 sheep. There was plenty of water and lime- 
stone, a rough house, excellent corrals, and a peach orchard. 
For all this he had been offered 2000/., and he only wanted 500/. 
additional, and probably would sell it for less. The chief 
trouble with an estancia is driving the cattle twice a week to a 
central spot, in order to make them tame, and to count them. 
This latter operation would be thought difficult, where there are 
ten or fifteen thousand head together. It is managed on the 
principle that the cattle invariably divide themselves into little 
troops of from forty to one hundred. Each troop is recognised 
by a few peculiarly marked animals, and its number is known: 
so that, one being lost out of ten thousand, it is perceived by its 
absence from one of the tropillas. During a stormy night the 
cattle all mingle together ; but the next morning the tropillas 
separate as before; so that each animal must know its fellow 
out of ten thousand others. 
On two occasions I met with in this province some oxen of a 
very curious breed, called ndta or niata. They appear exter- 
nally to hold nearly the same relation to other cattle, which bull 
or pug dogs do to other dogs. Their forehead is very short and 
broad, with the nasal end turned up, and the upper lip much 
drawn back; their lower jaws project beyond the upper, and 
have a corresponding upward curve ; hence their teeth are always 
exposed. ‘Their nostrils are seated high up and are very open ; 
their eyes project outwards. When walking they carry their 
heads low, on a short neck; and their hinder legs are rather 
longer compared with the front legs than is usual. Their bare 
