Whilestayingatthisestancia，IwasamusedwithwhatIsawandheardoftheshepherd-dogsofthecountry。[3]Whenriding，itisacommonthingtomeetalargeflockofsheepguardedbyoneortwodogs，atthedistanceofsomemilesfromanyhouseorman。Ioftenwonderedhowsofirmafriendshiphadbeenestablished。Themethodofeducationconsistsinseparatingthepuppy，whileveryyoung，fromthebitch，andinaccustomingittoitsfuturecompanions。Aneweisheldthreeorfourtimesadayforthelittlethingtosuck，andanestofwoolismadeforitinthesheep-pen；atnotimeisitallowedtoassociatewithotherdogs，orwiththechildrenofthefamily。Thepuppyis，moreover，generallycastrated；
sothat，whengrownup，itcanscarcelyhaveanyfeelingsincommonwiththerestofitskind。Fromthiseducationithasnowishtoleavetheflock，andjustasanotherdogwilldefenditsmaster，man，sowillthesethesheep。Itisamusingtoobserve，whenapproachingaflock，howthedogimmediatelyadvancesbarking，andthesheepallcloseinhisrear，asifroundtheoldestram。Thesedogsarealsoeasilytaughttobringhometheflock，atacertainhourintheevening。Theirmosttroublesomefault，whenyoung，istheirdesireofplayingwiththesheep；forintheirsporttheysometimesgalloptheirpoorsubjectsmostunmercifully。
Theshepherd-dogcomestothehouseeverydayforsomemeat，andassoonasitisgivenhim，heskulksawayasifashamedofhimself。Ontheseoccasionsthehouse-dogsareverytyrannical，andtheleastofthemwillattackandpursuethestranger。Theminute，however，thelatterhasreachedtheflock，heturnsroundandbeginstobark，andthenallthehouse-dogstakeveryquicklytotheirheels。InasimilarmannerawholepackofthehungrywilddogswillscarcelyeverandIwastoldbysomeneverventuretoattackaflockguardedbyevenoneofthesefaithfulshepherds。Thewholeaccountappearstomeacuriousinstanceofthepliabilityoftheaffectionsinthedog；andyet，whetherwildorhowevereducated，hehasafeelingofrespectorfearforthosethatarefulfillingtheirinstinctofassociation。Forwecanunderstandonnoprinciplethewilddogsbeingdrivenawaybythesingleonewithitsflock，exceptthattheyconsider，fromsomeconfusednotion，thattheonethusassociatedgainspower，asifincompanywithitsownkind。F。Cuvierhasobservedthatallanimalsthatreadilyenterintodomestication，considermanasamemberoftheirownsociety，andthusfulfiltheirinstinctofassociation。Intheabovecasetheshepherd-dogranksthesheepasitsfellow-brethren，andthusgainsconfidence；andthewilddogs，thoughknowingthattheindividualsheeparenotdogs，butaregoodtoeat，yetpartlyconsenttothisviewwhenseeingtheminaflockwithashepherd-dogattheirhead。
Oneeveninga“domidor“asubduerofhorsescameforthepurposeofbreaking-insomecolts。Iwilldescribethepreparatorysteps，forIbelievetheyhavenotbeenmentionedbyothertravellers。Atroopofwildyounghorsesisdrivenintothecorral，orlargeenclosureofstakes，andthedoorisshut。Wewillsupposethatonemanalonehastocatchandmountahorse，whichasyethadneverfeltbridleorsaddle。Iconceive，exceptbyaGaucho，suchafeatwouldbeutterlyimpracticable。TheGauchopicksoutafull-growncolt；andasthebeastrushesroundthecircushethrowshislazosoastocatchboththefrontlegs。Instantlythehorserollsoverwithaheavyshock，andwhilststrugglingontheground，theGaucho，holdingthelazotight，makesacircle，soastocatchoneofthehindlegsjustbeneaththefetlock，anddrawsitclosetothetwofrontlegs：
hethenhitchesthelazo，sothatthethreeareboundtogether。Thensittingonthehorse’sneck，hefixesastrongbridle，withoutabit，tothelowerjaw：thishedoesbypassinganarrowthongthroughtheeye-holesattheendofthereins，andseveraltimesroundbothjawandtongue。Thetwofrontlegsarenowtiedcloselytogetherwithastrongleathernthong，fastenedbyaslip-knot。Thelazo，whichboundthethreetogether，beingthenloosed，thehorseriseswithdifficulty。TheGauchonowholdingfastthebridlefixedtothelowerjaw，leadsthehorseoutsidethecorral。
Ifasecondmanispresentotherwisethetroubleismuchgreaterheholdstheanimal’shead，whilstthefirstputsonthehorseclothsandsaddle，andgirthsthewholetogether。Duringthisoperation，thehorse，fromdreadandastonishmentatthusbeingboundroundthewaist，throwshimselfoverandoveragainontheground，and，tillbeaten，isunwillingtorise。Atlast，whenthesaddlingisfinished，thepooranimalcanhardlybreathefromfear，andiswhitewithfoamandsweat。Themannowpreparestomountbypressingheavilyonthestirrup，sothatthehorsemaynotloseitsbalance；andatthemomentthathethrowshislegovertheanimal’sback，hepullstheslip-knotbindingthefrontlegs，andthebeastisfree。Some“domidors“pulltheknotwhiletheanimalislyingontheground，and，standingoverthesaddle，allowhimtorisebeneaththem。Thehorse，wildwithdread，givesafewmostviolentbounds，andthenstartsoffatfullgallop：whenquiteexhausted，theman，bypatience，bringshimbacktothecorral，where，reekinghotandscarcelyalive，thepoorbeastisletfree。Thoseanimalswhichwillnotgallopaway，butobstinatelythrowthemselvesontheground，arebyfarthemosttroublesome。Thisprocessistremendouslysevere，butintwoorthreetrialsthehorseistamed。Itisnot，however，forsomeweeksthattheanimalisriddenwiththeironbitandsolidring，foritmustlearntoassociatethewillofitsriderwiththefeeloftherein，beforethemostpowerfulbridlecanbeofanyservice。
Animalsaresoabundantinthesecountries，thathumanityandself-interestarenotcloselyunited；thereforeIfearitisthattheformerisherescarcelyknown。Oneday，ridinginthePampaswithaveryrespectable“estanciero。”
myhorse，beingtired，laggedbehind。Themanoftenshoutedtometospurhim。WhenIremonstratedthatitwasapity，forthehorsewasquiteexhausted，hecriedout，“Whynot？——nevermind——spurhim——itismyhorse。”I
hadthensomedifficultyinmakinghimcomprehendthatitwasforthehorse’ssake，andnotonhisaccount，thatIdidnotchoosetousemyspurs。Heexclaimed，withalookofgreatsurprise，“Ah，DonCarlos，quecosa！”Itwasclearthatsuchanideahadneverbeforeenteredhishead。
TheGauchosarewellknowntobeperfectridersTheideaofbeingthrown，letthehorsedowhatitlikes；neverenterstheirhead。Theircriterionofagoodrideris，amanwhocanmanageanuntamedcolt，orwho，ifhishorsefalls，alightsonhisownfeet，orcanperformothersuchexploits。
Ihaveheardofamanbettingthathewouldthrowhishorsedowntwentytimes，andthatnineteentimeshewouldnotfallhimself。IrecollectseeingaGauchoridingaverystubbornhorse，whichthreetimessuccessivelyrearedsohighastofallbackwardswithgreatviolence。Themanjudgedwithuncommoncoolnessthepropermomentforslippingoff，notaninstantbeforeoraftertherighttime；andassoonasthehorsegotup，themanjumpedonhisback，andatlasttheystartedatagallop。TheGauchoneverappearstoexertanymuscularforce。Iwasonedaywatchingagoodrider，asweweregallopingalongatarapidpace，andthoughttomyself，“Surelyifthehorsestarts，youappearsocarelessonyourseat，youmustfall。”Atthismoment，amaleostrichsprangfromitsnestrightbeneaththehorse’snose：
theyoungcoltboundedononesidelikeastag；butasfortheman，allthatcouldbesaidwas，thathestartedandtookfrightwithhishorse。
InChileandPerumorepainsaretakenwiththemouthofthehorsethaninLaPlata，andthisisevidentlyaconsequenceofthemoreintricatenatureofthecountry。InChileahorseisnotconsideredperfectlybroken，tillhecanbebroughtupstanding，inthemidstofhisfullspeed，onanyparticularspot，——forinstance，onacloakthrownontheground：
or，again，hewillchargeawall，andrearing，scrapethesurfacewithhishoofs。Ihaveseenananimalboundingwithspirit，yetmerelyreinedbyafore-fingerandthumb，takenatfullgallopacrossacourtyard，andthenmadetowheelroundthepostofaverandawithgreatspeed，butatsoequaladistance，thattherider，withoutstretchedarm，allthewhilekeptonefingerrubbingthepost。Thenmakingademi-volteintheair，withtheotherarmoutstretchedinalikemanner，hewheeledround，withastonishingforce，inanoppositedirection。
Suchahorseiswellbroken；andalthoughthisatfirstmayappearuseless，itisfarotherwise。Itisonlycarryingthatwhichisdailynecessaryintoperfection。Whenabullockischeckedandcaughtbythelazo，itwillsometimesgalloproundandroundinacircle，andthehorsebeingalarmedatthegreatstrain，ifnotwellbroken，willnotreadilyturnlikethepivotofawheel。Inconsequencemanymenhavebeenkilled；forifthelazooncetakesatwistroundaman’sbody，itwillinstantly，fromthepowerofthetwoopposedanimals，almostcuthimintwain。Onthesameprincipletheracesaremanaged；thecourseisonlytwoorthreehundredyardslong，thewishbeingtohavehorsesthatcanmakearapiddash。Theracehorsesaretrainednotonlytostandwiththeirhoofstouchingaline，buttodrawallfourfeettogether，soasatthefirstspringtobringintoplaythefullactionofthehind-quarters。InChileIwastoldananecdote，whichIbelievewastrue；anditoffersagoodillustrationoftheuseofawell-brokenanimal。Arespectablemanridingonedaymettwoothers，oneofwhomwasmountedonahorse，whichheknewtohavebeenstolenfromhimself。Hechallengedthem；theyansweredhimbydrawingtheirsabresandgivingchase。Theman，onhisgoodandfleetbeast，keptjustahead：ashepassedathickbushhewheeledroundit，andbroughtuphishorsetoadeadcheck。Thepursuerswereobligedtoshootononesideandahead。Theninstantlydashingon，rightbehindthem，heburiedhisknifeinthebackofone，woundedtheother，recoveredhishorsefromthedyingrobber，androdehome。Forthesefeatsofhorsemanshiptwothingsarenecessary：
amostseverebit，liketheMameluke，thepowerofwhich，thoughseldomused，thehorseknowsfullwell；andlargebluntspurs，thatcanbeappliedeitherasameretouch，orasaninstrumentofextremepain。IconceivethatwithEnglishspurs，theslightesttouchofwhichprickstheskin，itwouldbeimpossibletobreakinahorseaftertheSouthAmericanfashionAtanestancianearLasVacaslargenumbersofmaresareweeklyslaughteredforthesakeoftheirhides，althoughworthonlyfivepaperdollars，orabouthalfacrownapiece。Itseemsatfirststrangethatitcananswertokillmaresforsuchatrifle；butasitisthoughtridiculousinthiscountryevertobreakinorrideamare，theyareofnovalueexceptforbreeding。TheonlythingforwhichIeversawmaresused，wastotreadoutwheatfromtheear，forwhichpurposetheyweredrivenroundacircularenclosure，wherethewheat-sheaveswerestrewed。Themanemployedforslaughteringthemareshappenedtobecelebratedforhisdexteritywiththelazo。Standingatthedistanceoftwelveyardsfromthemouthofthecorral，hehaslaidawagerthathewouldcatchbythelegseveryanimal，withoutmissingone，asitrushedpasthim。Therewasanothermanwhosaidhewouldenterthecorralonfoot，catchamare，fastenherfrontlegstogether，driveherout，throwherdown，kill，skin，andstakethehidefordryingwhichlatterisatediousjob；andheengagedthathewouldperformthiswholeoperationontwenty-twoanimalsinoneday。Orhewouldkillandtaketheskinofffiftyinthesametime。Thiswouldhavebeenaprodigioustask，foritisconsideredagoodday’sworktoskinandstakethehidesoffifteenorsixteenanimals。
November26th——IsetoutonmyreturninadirectlineforMonteVideo。Havingheardofsomegiant’sbonesataneighbouringfarm-houseontheSarandis，asmallstreamenteringtheRioNegro，Irodethereaccompaniedbymyhost，andpurchasedforthevalueofeighteenpencetheheadoftheToxodon。[4]Whenfounditwasquiteperfect；buttheboysknockedoutsomeoftheteethwithstones，andthensetuptheheadasamarktothrowat。ByamostfortunatechanceIfoundaperfecttooth，whichexactlyfittedoneofthesocketsinthisskull，embeddedbyitselfonthebanksoftheRioTercero，atthedistanceofabout180
milesfromthisplace。Ifoundremainsofthisextraordinaryanimalattwootherplaces，sothatitmustformerlyhavebeencommon。Ifoundhere，also，somelargeportionsofthearmourofagiganticarmadillo-likeanimal，andpartofthegreatheadofaMylodon。Thebonesofthisheadaresofresh，thattheycontain，accordingtotheanalysisbyMr。T。Reeks，sevenpercentofanimalmatter；andwhenplacedinaspirit-lamp，theyburnwithasmallflame。ThenumberoftheremainsembeddedinthegrandestuarydepositwhichformsthePampasandcoversthegraniticrocksofBandaOriental，mustbeextraordinarilygreat。IbelieveastraightlinedrawninanydirectionthroughthePampaswouldcutthroughsomeskeletonorbones。BesidesthosewhichIfoundduringmyshortexcursions，Iheardofmanyothers，andtheoriginofsuchnamesas“thestreamoftheanimal。”“thehillofthegiant。”