REVIEW — THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE. 
277 
a circle ; and the horse being alarmed at the great strain, if not 
well broken, will not readily turn like the pivot of a wheel. In 
consequence many men have been killed ; for if the lazo once 
takes a twist round a man’s body, it will instantly, from the power 
of the two opposed animals, almost cut him in twain. On the same 
principle the races are managed ; the course is only two or three 
hundred yards long, the wish being to have horses that can make 
a rapid dash. The race-horses are trained not only to stand with 
their hoofs touching a line, but to draw all four feet together, so as 
at the first spring to bring into play the full action of the hind 
quarters. In Chili I was told an anecdote which I believe Was 
true, and it offers a good illustration of the use of a well-broken 
animal. A respectable man riding one day met two others, one of 
whom was mounted on a horse that he knew to have been stolen 
from himself. He challenged them. They answered him by draw- 
ing their sabres and giving chase. The man, on his good and fleet 
beast, kept just a-head. As he passed a thick bush he wheeled 
round it, and brought up his horse to a dead check. The pursuers 
were obliged to shoot on one side and a~head. Then, instantly dash- 
ing on right behind them, he buried his knife in the back of one, 
wounded the other, recovered his horse from the dying robber, and 
rode home. 
“For these feats of horsemanship two things are necessary, — a 
most severe bit, like the Mameluke, the power of which, though 
seldom used, the horse knows full well, and large blunt spurs, that 
can be applied either as a mere touch, or as an instrument of 
extreme pain. I conceive that, with English spurs, the slightest 
touch of which pricks the skin, it would be impossible to break in 
a horse after the South American fashion. 
“ At an Estaneia, near Dos Yacas, large numbers of mares are 
weekly slaughtered for the sake of their hides, although worth only 
five dollars, or about half-a-crown a piece. It seems, at first, 
strange that it can answer to kill mares for such a trifle ; but as 
it is thought ridiculous in this country ever to break in or ride a 
mare, they are of no value except for breeding. The only thing 
for which I ever saw mares used, was to tread out wheat from the 
ear, for which purpose they were driven round a circular enclo- 
sure, where the wheat-sheaves were strewed. The man employed 
for slaughtering the mares happened to be celebrated for his dex- 
terity with the lazo. Standing at the distance of twelve yards 
from the mouth of the corral, he has laid a wager that he would 
catch by the legs every animal, without missing one, as it rushed 
past him. There was another man, who said he would enter the 
corral on foot, catch a mare, fasten her front legs together, drive 
her out, throw her down, kill, skin, and stake the hide for drying 
VOL. xx. p p 
