276 
REVIEW— THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 
he cried out, 4 Why not 1 — never mind — spur him — it is my 
horse.’ I had then some difficulty in making him comprehend 
that it was for the horse’s sake, and not on his account, that I did 
not choose to use my spurs. He exclaimed, with a look of sur- 
prise, ' Ah, Don Carlos, que cosa !’ It was clear that such an 
idea had never before entered his head. 
“ The gauchos are well known to be perfect riders : the idea of 
being thrown, let the horse do what he likes, never enters their 
head. Their criterion of a good rider is, a man who can manage an 
untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights on his own feet, or 
can perform other such exploits. I have heard of a man betting 
that he would throw his horse down twenty times, and that nine- 
teen times he would not fall himself. 
“ I recollect seeing a gaucho riding a very stubborn horse which, 
three times successively, reared so high as to fall backwards with 
great violence. The man judged with uncommon coolness the pro- 
per moment for slipping off — not an instant before or after the right 
time; and as soon as the horse got up, the man jumped on his back. 
At last they started at a gallop. 
“ The gaucho never appears to exert any muscular force. I was 
one day watching a good rider, and as we were galloping along at 
a rapid rate I thought to myself 4 surely, if the horse starts, you 
appear so careless in your seat, you must fall.’ At this moment a 
male ostrich sprang from its nest right beneath the horse’s ,nose. 
The young colt bounded on one side like a stag ; but as for the man, 
all that could be said was, that he started, and took fright with his 
horse. 
“ In Chili and Peru more pains are taken with the mouth of the 
horse than in La Plata, and this is evidently in consequence of the 
more intricate nature of the country. In Chili a horse is not con- 
sidered perfectly broken till he can be brought up standing, in the 
midst of his full speed, on any particular spot ; for instance, on a 
cloak thrown on the ground ; or, again, he will charge a wall, and, 
rearing, scrape the surface with his hoofs. I have seen an animal 
bounding with spirit, yet merely reined by a fore-finger and thumb, 
taken at full gallop across a court-yard, and then made to wheel 
round a post of a viranda with great speed, but at so equal a dis- 
tance that the rider, with outstretched arm, all the while kept one 
finger rubbing the post ; thus making a demi- vault in the air with 
the other arm outstretched : in a like manner he wheeled round 
with astonishing force in an opposite direction. 
“ Such a horse is well broken ; and, although this at first may 
appear useless, it is far otherwise. It is only carrying that which 
is daily necessary into perfection. When a bullock is caught and 
checked by the lazo, it will sometimes gallop round and round in 
