Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-12-05

making a demonstration to that effect,
start forward Of his own accord to
head them. say, / do, that to Wit
ness IT would be almost IS much fun
as q buffalo hunt. #l
/ The Californian, like the Mexican,
takes great pride in The caparison of
his horse, and is never afoot unless he
cannot help il, and that Is seldom
They ride horses, not mares, for two
or three reasons, as | am told. First
lily, it is considered more genteel.
Secondly, there beat marc animals are.
for brood. Thirdly, In the spring Of
the year it is said to be dangerous onI
account Of the wild male animals Rs
*5t y, sorthat there Is no es-
1cape for the manAin tnch . pfedica-
ment but to let his mare 90. If there
be any stronger reasons for the prefer
ence, II have yet to learn them. but
suppose them to be satisfactory. You
will Zee all the mares with their mnnes
and tails shaved. The people using
1.-THE ha.r for making ropes. saddle
4 girths. bride reins, &c. Riding hor-
ses' tails are never cut. but often tied
lup. In every band there ia leader
Of the band. If the band be large,
there are subordinatcs to the leader
or general in chief, who divide the
band among them, each taking his
compliment ofboth males and females
4 which they commaad and will Kick
and bang fnriously~ in orler to en-
force discipline if necessary. .tf
snow and then a fight takes place
between some two ofthese com,aoad.
tiers. One happening to feel pugna-
\ eiops has nothingto DO but to make a
i demonstration viii Ii is instantly I'M
Ederstood as a challenge and as quickly
accepted by~ another champion who
steps forth to engage. They will com
mence advancing on each other from
I the distance Of several hundred yards,
moving at first proudly with head and
tail np, eyes gMring, ears laid back,
in a high trot. increasing their speed
as they approach until they come To-
gether with a perfect ush-they bite,
T they strike alternately with fore and
hinder feet. with hicks that loudlyFre
sound, until the vanquished fees and
the victor ceases to press on. Some
, times poor fellow, by the chances Of
. war, looses his command. gets whip
ped off and becomes a shulking out
y slider. He then has recourse to strGte-
,lgy to procure himself q companion
T lies in wait to inveigle some luckless
!, old yegua, which he sometimes con.
trives TO steal and drive of making,
! when thus employed, the most ire.
markable horse motions that you
could imagine.
j 80 much for the power Of If*
y and the wonderful sagacity
of horse. kind. II is 50 with all the
bands that roam at large over this
wide domain.
. ''As to cattle, (horned) they are
very fine and large, and are over halt
wild, even such az have owners and,
like the horses. such are all branded.
r and like as in Mexico. are chased and
caught with the lasso, when to be
, caught and slaughtered for nse.
J. ''Itis very dangerous to be travel
ing about e5country ootwhere the
cattle range. They have been known
to chase people, and catch them, too,
and horn them to the ID, especially
the bulls though an old COW is some
times as bad, /, myself, having been
chased and freed BY one ofthe latter.
n And man was but recently attacked
:, on horseback (which. however, il an
, exceedingly rare occurrence) and Ind
his horse badly gosred, yet made his
escape Two gents, one q U. 81 of.
icer, the other q Mr.. +. were recent
ly hunting in the vicinity Of the Mis-.
sionof San Carlos. not far from Mon.
!, terey. F.was dismounted- "a bull pur,
: sued him--was Non the point Of get.
ling him--he tumbled headlong into
/ q gutter Of water 10, save himself
, twas, deep and narrow tho bull
j could not GIT him, but stood oyeran
! kept making ofars at hfm,' and j.
might have lain there and chillcdste
death, but the officer galloped up tc
, the rescue banged both barrels of Hi
piece into the bull causing him Stc
j turn in pursuit. Meantime F. 'crope
, ont half dead. EtE
!, ~ now introduce you to your
! acquaintance, d most remarkable char.
acter Of this region, one Thomas Cole,
!, And, by.the-way, | regret that before
commencing this letter, / have not
I had an opportunity Of seeing and hay.
!; ing more conversation with this noted
} parsonage, as more information could
] be gained from him concerning mat
, tiers and things in this region thar
from almost anybody else. This Ton
! Cole is an Englishman BY birth, born
in the heart 81 London--was q sailol
) boy at seven years old. BY what des.
y tiny his lot was cast on this coast | on
] not as yet informed, but / learn he has
+ been twenty-one years in this country,
I <. 80, oho.,$ &r,,t,, g. .,aopa nld