NOTES ON BllAZIL. 



225 



ground, about two miles from the house ; and among them was the 

 object of the chase. When driven from the water, this small number 

 were more harassed than before, and perceiving their danger, exerted 

 themselves with redoubled violence. Sometimes we were obliged to ride 

 hard, and great coolness and address were necessary to prevent their 

 escape behind us and into a wood, which we were now approaching. In 

 this last respect our efforts were vain ; they gained this refuge, and we 

 could no longer act in concert. The wood was full of thick bushes of 

 myrtle, and many trees spread their arms horizontally seven or eight feet 

 from the ground. It was matter of high gratification as well as wonder, 

 to observe how our huntsmen rounded the bushes and bent under the 

 branches, so as sometimes to hang on the sides of their horses. Thoiigh 

 unable to follow, I soon encountered our chief, who had made an unsuc- 

 cessful cast with his lasso, and was disentangling it from the branch of a 

 tree. I shall never forget the ardour and rapidity with which he after- 

 wards darted and wheeled among the trees, nor lose the conviction fixed 

 upon my mind, what execution such men, so trained, must be capable 

 of, in a country like this. My musings were soon interrupted by my 

 reaching the beach, and seeing at a distance our young hero, with the 

 ox securely attached to his horse by the lasso, and leading the captive 

 towards the house. The instrument had gone round his horns and was 

 fixed close to the crown of his head. 



The animal thus entangled, advanced with the most malicious 

 vexation, and made many ferocious efforts to gore the horse, which had 

 before pursued, and now led him ; but the wary creature, which had 

 before been often yoked to an unnatural and violent mate, kept his eye 

 upon the ox, and pulled at the lasso, so as to keep it always on the 

 stretch, and himself two springs in advance. In his precautions he was 

 greatly assisted by his rider, who with equal care, watched the maddening 

 spirit of the beast, and gave signals to the horse. Convinced at length, 

 that his attempts to gore his leader were vain, the ox became sullen, and 

 was partly dragged onward. While he v/as in this mood, the horse 

 passed to the right of a detached bush, and the ox, by a sudden spring, 



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