The palmetto herald. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1864-1864, 1864-08-18
BERGANTE, THE BLOODHOUND.

BERGANTE, THE BLOODHoCND'
The cazadOrs of Cuba were a very pc
culiar and Interesting type of men, en-
ployed many years ago by the Spanish
governors of the colony as a sort OF rural
police. Pirates infested. the coast in
those days, making their Businesses IN the
mountains, where they used to store theif
booty in secret caverns, and hold their
wild orgies for weeks together. Thlther,
also, negro fugitives from justice-and
sometimes from iniustice-would fire.
ouently resort, and there are many
strange traditions yet to be heard among
the inhabitants Of the island with regard
10 the doings Of these outlaws i'll past
times.
TO pounce upon them in their fast
nesses, when the perpetration of some
great crime demanded prompt measures,
was a service attended with much diff
Guilty and danger, and one to be success
fully performed only with the aid of
dogs. From this originated the organi-
zation of the cazadors-a band OF hardy
and courageous men under the Immediate
control of the alcade proyinciale, or Chief
magistrate of the colony. The costume
OF the cazador was simple, but pictur-
csoue. 1t consisted of shirt made OF
striped cotton stuff, and loose trowsers OF
the same material. His wide-brimmed
hat, with yound top, swasplai.ed ota kind
OF coarse, rcedy grass, used also by the
natives for thatclling their houses, and he
always carried small cross suspended
from his neck. The boots generally worn
by him were of reculiar make. They
were formed by skinning the hind legs OF
wild hog, and thrusting the feet into
these reeking socks, so as to give them
the proper shape while they were yet
plant and warm. The supertiuous corn
rrs were then pared off and scwed up,
and the cazador had his boots, which
were complete when they had undergone
a slight curing process with wood ashes
and salt. He wore a waist-belt with a
large silver buckle, and to this was ap-
pended broad cutlass, which he kept
exceedingly sharp. These men were
wonderfully abstcmious in their HABITS.
With no provisions, except little salt,
they would roam the forests for weeks
together, subsisting upon the fruits and
iarinaceous productions that abound
there. sometimes varying their diet with
the flesh of wild hog, when they had
the chance of killing one.
Each of these cazadors was obliged to
maintain three bloodhounds, two o1
which only he took with him to the
woods the third being left at home as a
reserve. These dogs were of peculiar
breed, with taper heads, and their ears
sharply cropped to prevent laceration by
the prickly thickets through which they
had to pass. In addition to his hounds
the cazador was provided with couple
of small dogs having remarkably keen
noses, which were found useful in hitting
off the scent when the hounds had over
run trail. These were called halladors
or finders.
A hound was not considered fit to bt
put upon the trail of fugitive until thor
oughiy trained TO refrain from seizine
his prey, unless in scll-dclence-his busi
ness being to keep it at bay until joinet
by his master. They were uncommonly
taick-skinncd dogs, these bloodhounds
and it is well for them that they were so