D i g , a large earthenware jug of water served the whole party.
Yet this man was the owner of several square miles of land,
of which nearly every acre would produce corn, and, with
a little trouble, all the common vegetables. The evening
was spent in smoking, with a little impromptu singing, accompanied
by the guitar. The signoritas all sat together in
one corner of the room, and did not sup with the men.
So many works have been written about these countries,
that it is almost superfluous to describe either the lazo or the
bolas. The former consists of a very strong, but thin, well-
plaited rope, made of raw hide. One end is attached to the
broad surcingle, which fastens together the complicated gear
of the recado, or saddle used in the Pampas; the other
is terminated by a small ring of iron or brass, by which
a noose can be formed. The Gaucho, when he is going
to use the lazo, keeps a small coil in his bridle hand,
and in the other holds the running noose, which is made
very large, generally having a diameter of about eight
feet. This he whirls round his head, and by the dexterous
movement of his wrist keeps the noose open; then,
throwing it, he causes it to fall on any particular spot he
chooses. The lazo, when not used, is tied up in a small
coil to the after part of the recado. The bolas, or balls, are
of two kinds : the simplest, which is chiefly used for catching
ostriches, consists of two round stones, covered mth leather,
and united by a thin plaited thong, about eight feet long.
The other kind differs only, in having three balls nmted by
the thongs to a common centre. The Gaucho holds the
smallest of the three in his hand, and whirls the other two
round and round his head; then, taking aim, sends them
like chain shot revolving through the air. The balls no
sooner strike any object, than, winding round it, they cross
each other, and become firmly hitched. The size and weight
of the balls varies, according to the purpose for which they
are made: when of stone, although not so large as a big
apple, vet they are sent with such force as sometimes to
break the leg even of a horse. I have seen the balls made
of wood, and as large as a turnip, for the sake of catching
these animals without injuring them. The balls are sometimes
made of iron, and these can be hurled to the greatest
distance. The main difficulty in using either lazo or bolas,
is to ride so well, as to be able at full speed, and wliile suddenly
turning about, to whirl them so steadily round the
head, as to take aim: on foot any person would soon learn
the art. Gne day, as I was amusing myself by galloping and
whirling the balls round my head, by accident the free one
struck a bush; and its revolving motion being thus destroyed,
it immediately fell to the ground, and like magic caught one
hind leg of my horse; the other ball was then jerked out of
my hand, and the horse fairly secured. Imckily he was an old
practised animal, and knew what it meant; otherwise he
would probably have kicked till he had thrown himself down.
The Gauchos roared with laughter; they cried they had seen
every sort of animal caught, but had never before seen a
man caught by himself.
During the two succeeding days, I reached the furthest
point which I was anxious to examine. The country wore
the same aspect, till at last the fine green turf became more
wearisome than a dusty turnpike road. We every where
saw great numbers of partridges {Tinamus rufescens). These
birds do not go in coveys, nor do they conceal themselves
like the English kind. It appears a very silly bird. Aman
on horseback by riding round and round in a circle, or rather
m a spire, so as to approach closer each time, may knock on the
head as many as he pleases. The more common method is
to catch them with a running noose, or little lazo, made of
the stem of an ostrich’s feather, fastened to the end of a
long stick. A boy on a quiet old horse will frequently thus
catch thmty or forty in a day. The flesh of this bird, when
cooked, IS delicately white.
Gn our return to Maldonado, we followed rather a different
line of road. Near Pan de Azúcar, a landmark well
known to all those ivho have sailed up the Plata, I stayed a
clay at the house of a most hospitable old Spaniard. Early
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