the Voyage of the beagle 



together. Then sitting on the horse's neck, he fixes a strong 

 bridle, without a bit, to the lower jaw: this he does by pass- 

 ing 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 animal's head, whilst the first puts on 

 the horsecloths and saddle, and girths the whole together. 

 During this operation, the horse, from dread and astonish- 

 ment at thus being bound round the waist, throws himself 

 over and over again on the ground, and, till beaten, is un- 

 willing 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 prepares to mount by press- 

 ing heavily on the stirrup, so that the horse may not lose 

 its balance; and at the moment that he throws his leg over 

 the animal's back, he pulls the slip-knot binding the front 

 legs, and the beast is free. Some " domidors " pull the knot 

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

 the saddle, allow him 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 animals 

 which will not gallop away, but obstinately throw themselves 

 on the ground, are by far the most troublesome. This process 

 is tremendously severe, but in two or three trials the horse 

 is tamed. It is not, however, for some weeks that the animal 

 is ridden with the iron bit and solid ring, for it must learn 

 to associate the will of its rider with the feel of the rein, 

 before the most powerful bridle can be of any service. 



Animals are so abundant in these countries, that hu- 

 manity and self-interest are not closely united; therefore I 

 fear it is that the former is here scarcely known. One day, 

 riding in the Pampas with a very respectable " estanciero," 

 my horse, being tired, lagged behind. The man often shouted 



