Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-09-25

height. Almost the only tree TO be seen is the
peach. Orchards of this tree are cultivated
Tor fuel; by planting them thick, ami keeping
them low, they resist the high winds which
sweep over these plains and tear up large
trees when not protected by some building
The uncultivated plains i'm the neghborhood
are overgrewn with wild artichoke. This weed
grows TO greatileighi, aud with snch streny th
| and luNuriance that il is cut TO burn in ba.
kers' oveus The soil il generally Il ric! blac k
mould, and produces all the fruits aud vege-
| tables of Europe IN great iuAurance. NotwiIh
standing the rude state of agriculture the
crops Of wheat yield irom thirty 10 forty fold.
Ihoy break npth earth with clumsy wood.
en- plough, SOW ike seed and harrow the ground
by dragging cVerit anon hide filled with stones
No further labor - beStou cd upon il until the
harvest. They Cultivate intliis manner wheat,
rye aud barley. They raise Indian corn, OF
which the people are very fond. The most
common and pala,a6le dish made of the Indian
corn Is called Massauiotra. and resembles our
biz homiucy. Ii is made by healing OF, the
husks in mortarS. aud bsiling il in milk
AZ the distance of about ten leagues from
Buenos Ayres, the eye looks in vain for an
OBJECT to rest on. Level aud unbroken, the
plains form like the sea, IL perfect HORIZON /:
and, when the grass is parchedby the excessive
neat OF the summer. present a most gloomy
ana desolateayrearance.
during the rainy months they are covered
win nue. clover, which bears small flower of
yellowish white. lnnuuerabie herds of cat
,'e range over these plains, not wild, as has
Dten enormously supposed, bar carefully
watched Unattended. Each proprietor keeps
~. cattle within tue boundaries ofhis own eS-
tate: which is distinguished BY some land
max. Al certain seasons Of the year general
~ the autumn, the cattle are driven and the
calves, which they are forbidden under heavy
penaiiY to Kill, marked. To catch them they
ise the !asso, which every peasant carries
fastened Is his saddle girih. 1t consists of "A
iohg = lated Leather ihOpg, furnished with an
IRON ring AT The extremity, in order to form "a
running Moose. They use il with great deXle-
ri'y, anu a, iuIl speed throw the moose with
great certainty over the horns or round the
rect OF bull. The horses are trained TO this
exercise, aud when they feel the iasSp tighten
ca, stop sn6deniy, and bear with all their
strength III an Opposite direction: So as 10
check the career OF the tierceSt animals. They
sometimes catch cattle with three small iron
balls, about an inch IN diameter fastened to-
getner by the same number of thongs, three
OF four feet long, which are vbirled so as tn
emtangle the legs OF the lrlinal as il runs
These balls and thongs are called Iauui The
cattle ut for slaughter are encircled by the
nerdsmenon horseback After separating aud
driving on the rest ofihe herd, these ate sui
iered 10 run out one by Que. A horsemau fol.
lows at iuii speed and with Il steel halt moon
hXed 10 the end OF ioug lance cuts the ham
s,rings. ihe animal struggles aud falls, aud
the herdsman follows another. When the field
is strewed with disabled oxen they kill and
skin them, and separate the tailow Near
the coast The beef Is jerked Int usually the
carcases are left upon the field 10 be proved on
ny DirdS, and by number OF animals whose
natures are perverted by the abundance of AMI
maj anu the Scarcityot vegetable food. The
carcaSeS are however deyoured CHIEFLY nv the
hordes OF Wild dogs, who rove override plains
liAe TIE wolves ot The Tth. Animal puiIefac-
non does not go on IN this country except on
the banks OF the rivers. Gu the tIgh ground
the carcasScs wilt aud dry up. This is chiefly
attributed 10 the salt petre with which the
earth Is impregnated, and which III some plac.
eS etioresces on the surface. Ii is commonly
conceived TO arise from the dryness of Tie AT
moSphere but found from Il meteorological
JouTna! during my stay, that north and east
"ihds, which are extremely damp, are the
most prevalent. Yet, al Buenos Ayres in the
vicinity of La Plata river, the entTails only of
animals purify; the muscles dry up. Ii was
formerly the custom 10 kill sheep dry them IN
The sun, aas stack them. They were sold at
two dollars and one half the hundred, and
bIrnt in the BRICK klns. Bones and ai,imal
substances are still used for heating furnaces
and kilns, fuel OF every kind being extiemci,
scarce. Many persons have Lately salted hide.
Which IS a much safer process to prepare them
foi market than drying. To drythe hide it's
stretched out with pegs. and raised ahouttwo
feettrom the ground ia which state it remains
Tor some days, exposed to the risk Of being
spoiled by the rain. The heat aud moisture
by rottiug ON the hair of tile hide, render il
nnmarketabie, and TT only for domestic uses
Hides are OF universal utility. Hats are made
OF hides, hOiseS are covered with them doors
are made by mailing hides OH slight wooden
frames and bedsieads and chairs are mana.
featured in the same simple manner They
are used for ropes-thcy supply the place OF
nails, and in small buildings the rafters are tied
together with thongs. Boats for passing the
rapid torrents are made of hides These fer.
rleS merit particular description. On the
eastern side of the river La Plata, when the
traveller arrives at the border of river which
IS not foidabie, sngle hide is laid oil the
ground, and strong lasSO passed round the
edge, where il is secured and drawn tigbt. so
as to bring the sidesnea together, and give il
something the form OF tub. II is then drawn
TO the edge OF the river the traveller seats
himself IN Il, and is launched by the ferrvlnan,
who with the end of the lasSo i'm his month
pinnges in, and tOws it to the opposite shore
The shoes of the peasants are made from
raw hide cut to fl, the foot, and fastened a.
round the ANGLES with thongs. These sandals
are left to dry OIL the foot. Trunks and Sacks.
and variety of other useful articles are made
OF this material.