Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-09-23

"But Of all the strange things 10 be me-
with, in that fat country, which murder,
all romance, there is not q more stirring
sight Than the, of driving herd of pr,i
RE cattle over the river. The account
should be written in German for there are
no words 10 the English language 10 give
an impression Of the believing and neigh
ing, and shouting, and beating, and bawl.
ing, and trsmpling, and dust. and confusion
and goring, and spurring-the pell-neIl
drowning and saving! There ia nothing
like it in the civilized world. In the firsl
place you mus, frigh,en the cattle half 70
death, before they will take 10 the water,
where the river is more than a mile over;
and to force them ~, oil the noises tina,
Indians, and negroes, and Spaniards, and
| Crackers can make on nags spurfed to
their utmost, must be made. ere the cattle
are started in drove over the barrens.--
On they 60, with blue. staring fiery eyes,
and snorllny, distended nostrils- believing
with terror, and anon far over the whorile
berry plain, they scour ~ If they thought
death, hell, and destruction were in their
rear. The Indian on his small horses back
throws wide GU, HE legs and arms. and
draws them in again, and his one spur,
with shank three inches long, and cruel
rowel, cores his 'tsckeps' faux, and over
fallen pine )gs he leaps; and when be hap
pens to meet with hole in which tree
once stood, over his horses head he tum.
bles, but up he gets again, and on he goes
harder than ever. In this manner. every
ons does his best, and wo betide the ami
nal that canno, run as fast as horse with
q man on his back! Whsck !-whack -
whack-he takes it, all along his lons, and
with q below he dsshes forward, fright.
ening those ahead Of him ten times more.
until at last their heads are turned towards
the river, and their tormentors-h having an
eye on some poles. or fallen trees, upon the
shore which the cattle cannot pass-rush
down upon them. and head over heels they
are forced into the water some under.
and some over others; and ID they will
come, with eyes staring for strangula,ion,
snorting the water FROM their Dostriis; some
dying, and some dead-while the great
body swim round and round in thousand
circles, and in making two miles. as they
do at 'Palaikn, witch Is the Indian name for
cow.ford,t they swim at least FIVE; but they do
not 60 peaceably, even when in the water;
for canoes, dogs. aud Indians are after
them-some swimming and some padding
and whenever the BEASTS turn their noses
to 60 back to the shore whence they start.
ed. most cruel blows ore given them by
the Spanards in The boats, with their pad
dies; while the Indians and negroes who
SWIM, dash water in their eyes, and dogs
snap their lips, and thus they keep on, un
I'll every rogue who has any thing to do in
the business. is almost fatigued to death,
and several head Of cattle are drowned
This is the primitive mode for ferrying cat
tie over rivers; and those who have seen it
practised will appreciate the advantage OF
good ferry boats. In fact there is nothing
like wild country to make us feel the Rd-
vantages Of civilization, and to be contenl-
ed under almost any circumstances, 40 far
as the conveniences Of life are concerned"