The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-09-10
INTERESTING PASSAGES.
From Gerstascksr's Voyage around the World

THE LAsso AT VALPARAI o.-The Chi
lean horse is a lively and active little ami
NAL, and capable of far more exertion than
you may think at first sight. The Chilean
nearly always gallOps, but not at such a
wild speed as the Argentine; he thinks
more of horsefesh, and pays more atten-
ton to his animals than the former; but we
need not say more, for the Argentine does
nor attend to them at all. Nearly all the
Chileans carry the lasso on their saddles,
and have the same dexterity in using it as
their eastern neighbors. The children
commence in their earliest youth practicing
with it, and you can see nearly everywhere
little boys running about with thin lassos
of twine, and catching chickens or little
dogs, even trying their skill once in while
on a larger one; but this is rather hazar-
dous experiment, as the Chilean dogs, as
soon as they feel something round their
necks-for they live day and night in the
greatest fear of this instrument-hy for
their lives, not unfrequently carrying the
little daring. but now screaming boy with
them a long way through the street, till
the line breaks, or somebody else comes to
the rescue. Even the horse-police always
carry the lasso on the back part of their
saddles, and they sometimes use them also
in broad daylight, if they want to catch
anybody There is law in Valparaiso
against galloping through the streets. and
a most excellent law it is too. for nobody
would be safe a minute, otherwise, from
being run over, whenever he turned cor.
ner; but the strangers who came here did
not agree with it at all, especially the
Americans, and besides that, all seamen il
particular fight hand and foot against it. L
they get on board of horse, they do no
want to log two or three knots; they mus
also have, of course, pair of Chilean
spurs, if they only mean to 60 couple o
miles on pleasure trip. and therefore ar
in continual quarrel with the police-al
ways ending though to their disadvantage
sometimes with walking home, and payin!
"a fine besides. A vessel came in not lon!
before, from Baltimore, and some of tn
passengers, cf course, must go right IN tn
very first hour to livery stable, (and yo
see the sign-boards with horse and
-'livery stable" painted to the right an
left all over the town., and each hire
2lorse for trip in the interior. The ma
who let the horses to them, acquainte
them of course, with the laws, and warne
them not to gallop SO long as they were j
the streets; but what did they care! tn
man only told them this, they fancied, ne
to have his horses ridden hard, and diggin
their spurs in, Away they went. But the
had hardly passed the first corner, the st;
bic boy looking after them with grin
70 he knew the consequences-when the
heard the call of tie first policeman
Three of the horses being used to this or.
came suddenly to a dead halt, near
throwing two of their riders over the
heads, and were far too well satisfied Wi
the law itself, to be induced, either /
whip or spur, to move step till the pole
officer came up, and had chance of givir
the riders fair warning; but the fourth,
young, lively, and rather wild animal, wi
a good rider upon its back, and the sha
wheel of the spur in its side, never stoppe
but did its utmost to get out of harms W;
as soon as possible. The police officer ca
ed again, and seeing it was no use, al
spurred his horse, and the chase began
The American, Green Mountain DO
who had ridden many Saturday night
wilder speed than this, perhaps, and n
fearing these "Spanjoles," as he ca
them, was satisfied with having such 60
horse under him, and cared little about
rest. On they went, the people gett'