240 



BRAZILIAN SHEEP. 



loads in the neighbourhood of the towns ; but 

 the Sertanejos, both from necessity and from 

 their knowledge of their superior ability to per- 

 form hard labour, make use of geldings. It is 

 not always safe to ride a high-spirited horse in 

 the Sertam, because when he begins to neigh, 

 instances have occurred of some master-horse 

 coming to give him battle, and as both are 

 equally desirous of righting, the rider may per- 

 haps find himself under the necessity of placing 

 himself at a distance from the combatants. 

 However, if he should chance to have a good 

 stick in his hand, and can prevent his own horse 

 from rearing as the wild horse approaches, he 

 may come off in safety. 



Sheep are kept upon every estate for their 

 flesh, when that of a more esteemed kind fails ; 

 that is, either when the oxen are in a meagre 

 state, owing to a long continuance of dry wea- 

 ther ; or that the herdsman is too much occu- 

 pied at home, or too lazy to go out and kill one. 

 The mutton is never well-tasted, and though it 

 is true that in the Sertam no care whatever is 

 taken in rearing or feeding the sheep, still I do 

 not think that this kind of meat is to be brought 

 to any great perfection.* The lambs are covered 



* When I resided at Jaguaribe, and upon the island of 

 Itamaraca, in the years 1813 and 1814, I took some pains in 

 this matter; but the meat was not good, and though all 

 kinds of flesh in Brazil have less flavour than that of the same 



