The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-07-21
Written for the Telegraph
SNOW BOUND IN THE SEEyRasA
NEVADAS
CoNT1N UED.

n rev years ago, SAID the Major, " /
got tired of life on tina Plains, and OBJ
tanned a furlough. | had already become
pretty familiar with this section of the
continent, SO I resolved to try South
America. So in course OF time found
myself in Caracas, Venzucla, and a
precious dull old place it is though the
ladies are very pretty, and the society,
if you can get into it, quite pleasant.
While there was fortunate enough to
make the acquaintance of young ran
chero, who owned an extensive cattle
rang, several days journey from Caracas,
and accepted an invitation to visit it in
his company
= We set out on horse back, and soon
after leaving the city came upon the
broad lIanas, which form prominent
feature of that country. These plains
were at this season covered with luxuri-
ant verdure, though later they appear
to be a parched and arid waste, and in
the rainy season are almost all under
water. On every side were large herds of
ierce-looking half-wild cattle and horses;
all, however bearing the brand of some
owner, and now and then we saw the
mounted herdsmen. They were swarthy,
keen.eyed men, apparently as wild as the
cattle they herd. In the belt of each
was long wicked-looking knife, and
the ever ready lasso hung at the saddle
bow. They almost live in the saddle;
for days they wander over the Uanas,
without seeing a human face. They
never cultivate the ground, except to
raise a few squashes around their huts,
and often not even that Bread is almost
unknown to them c1saryui, beef dried in
the sun without salt, is their great staple.
4" AS we rode on, the country grew
wilder; the herdsmen became less fire.
quent, though the cattle were still TO be
seen; cartridges whlrred up before us, a
deer occasionally sprang up from the tall
grass, and bounded away, and armadilloes
scuttled across the path. High overhead
mere specks in the blue sky, scared the
vultures, on the lookout for some dead
animal to settle upon.
GAS night came on we stopped at 8
miserable hovel, not quite six feet high
in the center, made of bushes, and plaster
ed with mud Crawling through the
low door way, we found the proprietor Z
lean, wiry fellow, with a fiery eye and {
generally savage air. He received us
however, with extreme politeness in
formed us that his house y was at oul
disposal, and everything it contained
all this with an air of lofty hospitality
that would have done credit to Spanish
hidalgo, Offering the freedom Of splen
did palace. Looking around to see il
what this offer consisted, took the fol
lowing mental inventory of the furniture
of the residence two horses skulls fo
OhuLAo ., a AdhuloCh VI oA-Hiuej all lfOl
kettle, that looked as though it had dom
duty since the days of Pizarro withou
Faving been washed, and a fire place
composed of three fiat stones, on which
a fire of cow-dungand bones was burning
On this agreeable fire our lost broile,
some beet, and we made meal from it
though can't say that enjoyed it much
Knowing from experience that hut o
this kind is generally too densely popu
lated to be agreeable sleeping quarters
we spread our saddle cloths in the ope1
air. | acknowledge that the politenes
Of our host did not prevent me from ex
aiming the caps on my rifle aud reyolv
.e er, for bad heard that these vaguero
g have disagreeable habit sometimes, oil
r cutting peoples Threats, for the sake o
re any ornament they may take fancy to
We were not molested however, and il
he morning resumed our journey, which
was but repetition of the day before
and in due time we arrived at the estab
lishment Of my friend. The princip a
building was vast adobe structure, one
story high. surrounding a court. Thi
was partly occupied by my friend ane
family, and partly by the servants, anC
for granaries, &c. Beside these Their,
were immense corrals for combining thu
cattle when they were driven up to b,
branded, or for sale ; at all other time.
they wandered almost at will over the