150 



CHILI. 



the horns or the neck, or round the body ; or 

 they can include all four legs, or two, or any one 

 of the four ; and the whole with such ease and 

 certainty, that it is necessary to witness the feat 

 to have a just conception of the skill displayed. 

 It is like the dexterity of the savage Indian in 

 the use of his bow and arrow, and can only be 

 gained by the arduous practice of many years. It 

 is in fact the earliest amusement, as well as busi- 

 ness, of these people,; for I have often seen little 

 boys just beginning to run about, actively em- 

 ployed in lassoing cats, and entangling the legs 

 of every dog that was unfortunate enough to 

 pass within reach. In due season they become 

 very expert in their attacks on poultry ; and af- 

 terwards in catching wild birds : so that, by the 

 time they are mounted on horseback, which is 

 always at an early age, they begin to acquire 

 that matchless skill, from which no animal of less 

 speed than a horse has the slightest chance of 

 escaping. 



Let us suppose that a wild bull is to be caught, 

 and that two mounted horsemen, guassos as they 

 called in Chili, or guachos in Buenos Ayres, 



