A CATTLE FARM. 



385 



a German principality, containing two hundred thou- 

 sand acres, and was bounded on one side, for a long 

 distance, by the Pacific Ocean. But a small portion of 

 it was cultivated, not more than enough to raise maize 

 for the workmen, and the rest was a roaming- ground 

 for cattle. More than ten thousand were wandering 

 over it, almost as wild as the deer, and never seen ex- 

 cept as they crossed a path in the woods, or at the sea- 

 son of lazoing them for the purpose of taking an ac- 

 count of the increase. 



We had not gone far before we saw three deer all 

 close together, and not far from us. It was exceeding- 

 ly vexatious, the first time I was in a country where 

 there was anything to shoot at, to be so wholly unpro- 

 vided, and I had no chance of supplying myself till I 

 was out of that region. Don Juan was incapacitated 

 for sporting by his lameness ; in fact, deer-shooting was 

 not considered sporting, and venison not fit to eat. In 

 the course of an hour we saw more than twenty. 



I had set out on this long journey without any cargo- 

 mule, from the difficulty of procuring one that could 

 keep pace with the riding-beasts ; but we had felt the 

 inconvenience of being encumbered with luggage ; and, 

 besides Don Juan's kindness to me at his house, he fur- 

 nished me with one which he had broken expressly for 

 lais own use in rapid journeys between Cartago and the 

 hacienda", and which he warranted me, with a light load, 

 would trot and keep up with mine. 



Late in the afternoon I left his hospitable dwelling, 

 Don Juan, with his deaf and dumb boy, accompanied 

 me a league on the way, when we dismounted and took 

 leave of each other. My new mule, like myself, was 

 very reluctant to leave Don Juan, and seemed to have 

 a sentiment that she should never see her old master 



Vol. I.— 3 C 33 



