148 



CHILI. 



slaughter. We were guided by a cloud of dust 

 to the spot where the country people had collect- 

 ed the drove, and hemmed them into a corner. 

 The master of the house, accompanied by the 

 principal horseman of his farm, rode amongst the 

 beasts, and fixing his eye upon the fattest, point- 

 ed it out to the attendants, who soon separated it 

 from the rest, by means of their goads. In this 

 way fifteen were selected, and being surrounded 

 by about a dozen horsemen, were driven slowly 

 towards the house, and finally shut up in an ad- 

 joining Corral or inclosure. 



On our way homeward our host entertained 

 us, by making his people show us the South 

 American method of catching cattle. The in- 

 strument used is called in English a Lasso, from 

 the Spanish Lazo, which signifies slip-knot or 

 noose, and the operation of using it is called Las- 

 soing. It consists of a rope made of twisted 

 strips of untanned hide, varying in length from 

 fifteen to twenty yards, and is about as thick as 

 the little finger. It has a noose or running-knot 

 at one end, the other extremity being fastened 

 by an eye and button to a ring in a strong hide-^ 



