176 



BANDA ORIENTAL. 



Nov. 1833. 



be utterly impracticable. The Gaucho picks out a full- 

 grown colt ; and as the beast rushes round the circus_, he 

 throws his lazo so as to catch both the front legs. Instantly 

 the horse rolls over with a heavy shocks and_, whilst struggling 

 on the ground^ the Gaucho^ holding the lazo tight^ makes a 

 circle^ so as to catch one of the hind legs^ just beneath the 

 fetlock^ and draws it close to the two front. He then hitches the 

 lazo, so that the three legs are bound together. Then sitting 

 on the horse^s neck, he fixes a strong bridle, without a bit, to 

 the lower jaw. This he does by passing a narrow thong 

 through the eye-holes, at the end of the reins, and several 

 times round both jaw and tongue. The two front legs are 

 now tied closely together with a strong leathern thong, 

 fastened by a slip-knot. The lazo, which bound the three 

 together, being then loosed, the horse rises with difficulty. 

 The Gaucho now holding fast the bridle fixed to the lower jaw, 

 leads the horse outside the corral. If a second man is present 

 (otherwise the trouble is much greater) he holds the animaPs 

 head, whilst the first puts on the horsecloths and saddle, and 

 girths the whole together. During this operation, the horse, 

 from dread and astonishment at thus being bound round the 

 waist, throws himself, over and over again, on the ground, 

 and, till beaten, is unwilling to rise. At last, when the 

 saddling is finished, the poor animal can hardly breathe from 

 fear, and is white with foam and sweat. The man now pre- 

 pares to mount, by pressing heavily on the stirrup, so that 

 the horse may not lose its balance ; and at the moment he 

 throws his leg over the animaFs back he pulls the slip-knot^ 

 and the beast is free. Some domidors pull the knot 

 while the animal is lying on the ground, and, standing over 

 the saddle, allow it to rise beneath them. The horse, wild 

 with dread, gives a few most violent bounds, and then starts 

 off at full gallop: when quite exhausted, the man, by pa- 

 tience, brings him back to the corral, where reeking hot, 

 and scarcely alive, the poor beast is let free. Those ani- 

 mals which will not gallop away, but obstinately throw 



