CAMARGUE, COWBOY COUNTRY OF SOUTHERN FRANCE 



23 



are tractable, but when 

 segregated they are 

 hard to control. 



Small in size be- 

 cause of the sparse pas- 

 turage, the Camargue 

 bull's coat is black, 

 with occasional red- 

 dish-brown tints. He 

 has the face of a phi- 

 losopher, thin and full 

 of expression, with 

 bright eyes. His horns 

 are long and sharp, so 

 mounted on his small 

 head as to resemble a 

 lyre without strings. 



Formerly some of 

 these rangy beasts 

 were broken to the 

 plow, but they do not 

 fit the role of dumb, 

 driven cattle, and their 

 flesh is so tough and 

 has so gamy a flavor 

 that they are seldom 

 killed for food. Now- 

 adays they are only 

 used for the Proven- 

 cal mode of bull- 

 fighting, of which the 

 people are so fond. 



In some parts of Ca- 

 margue cattle-breeders 

 cross the native stock 

 with Andalusian fight- 

 ing bulls. These cross- 

 bred animals are used 

 in the corridas del 

 muerte, bull-fights of 

 the Spanish type, which are given each 

 year in the principal towns of the south 

 of France. But the Camargue herdsman 

 has his own excitement connected with 

 his work as breeder and trainer of fight- 

 ing stock. 



A frequent pastoral task is that of cut- 

 ting out a particular animal from the 

 herd, changing a cow from one grazing 

 place to another, separating a calf from 

 its mother, or choosing the bulls for the 

 next fight. 



The manado, or herd, is surrounded 

 and some riders circle it to keep it com- 

 pact. Then the owner, followed by his 

 herders, enters the group slowly, in order 

 not to frighten the cattle. 



MAIN STREET, EES SAINTES MARIES DE EA MER 



is paved with slippery granite and echoes all day long to the 

 sound of wooden sabots. 



First the leader-bull is cut out. That 

 animal is usually of native stock, more 

 obedient than the rest, partly tame, and 

 trained to direct the actions of the other 

 wild bulls and rally them when disbanded. 

 A bell hangs from his neck and his wide 

 horns have been cut off. He bears a 

 sonorous name, for very often the gar- 

 dians call to him to remind him of his 

 duty as a leader. Sometimes they em- 

 phasize the hint by a cut of the trident 

 on the croup. 



The cowboy pony, perfectly trained, 

 understands which animal he must fol- 

 low. Spurred to a run, the horse begins 

 the exciting chase, plunging on in the bull 

 tracks, trotting, wheeling, stopping short. 



