154 



SINGULAR DEXTERITY. 



the leaves of the Carnauba and other kinds ot 

 cabbage-trees. This was only a temporary 

 habitation for the summer-months, the usual 

 residence of the owner being at Aeu. He had 

 a large family, who were all very shy; indeed 

 the females I scarcely saw, though they some- 

 times did peep at the Englishmen, not knowing 

 until now, that these were truly and bond fide 

 nothing but men. 



I was this afternoon surprised at a feat of 

 dexterity of one of the commandant's sons, a boy 

 of about fourteen years of age. I had often heard 

 of the manner of catching the wild cattle in the 

 Sertam ; the person employed for the purpose 

 pursues on horseback, with a long pole, having 

 a goad at one end, the animal which he is de- 

 sirous of bringing to the ground, until he over- 

 takes it — he then pierces its side between the 

 ribs and the hip-bone, which, if it is done at 

 the moment the beast raises its hind feet from 

 the ground, throws it with such violence, as 

 sometimes to make it roll over. Some oxen had 

 often trespassed upon the commandant's maize ; 

 one of the boys could no longer bear this quietly ; 

 he therefore mounted one of his father's horses, 

 of which there were several very fine ones, took 

 one of the long poles and set off without a sad- 

 dle, and in his shirt and drawers, to attack the ani- 

 mals. He drove them out of the maize, reached 

 one of them with the goad at the right moment, 



