The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-27
TAIL TWISTING ON THE oRINoCO.
Cowboys in Venezuela Who Have No
Need of Using the LaSsO.
New York Sun,

On the upper waters of the Orinoco river
in Venezuela is a region of high, open plains
called llanos, where wild cattle Craze in
countless thousands" said Sidney Ascot
recently arrived in New York from South
America Many of these cattle have no
owner, but for the most part they bear one
or another mans brand, President CreSpo
being the largest individual owner. The
vaqueros that herd them have ways differ
emf from any other cowboys that L have
seen in North or South America. The Ven
eZuelan vaquero carries no lasso, and his
saddle has horn in front such on
the Mexican the Texan and the Caucho
saddle serves a Delaying pin for the lasso
after the moose has been thrown about a
creatures neck or legs. In other respects
with jacket, wide-brimmed hat, slashed
trousers and knife handy to get at. His
horse is a wiry nervous pony, more dociie
of temper than brorchos in general, and he
rides him well. Slung from his saddle or
tied about his own body are several strong
thongs of rope or leather used in tying
cattle, and sometimes q rope with which to
picket his horse out to Craze, though Oft
ener the horse is merely hobbled by tying
together his forelegs.
when the Venezuelan cowboy wishes to
catch bull or COW for branding, or for any
purpose he rides alongside 1t, and, with
horse and cattle the dead run, stoops
from his saddle, grasps the creatures TAIL
and, with q sharp, peculiar twist, sends the
animal rolling on its back. From the force
with which it falls the creatures horns al
most invariably pin its head to the ground,
giving the vaqucro time to dismount and sit
on It's head, hOlQInS the animal helpless 10
rise, while companion ties it's legs The
cattle of the llanos are large and active
with sharp, Wide-spreading horns A mount
ed man they fear, but a man on foot on u
plain where they are is in great danger
from them. They do not attack him, but.
moyed by curiosity they crowd about him
until he is trampled to death.
1T is an exciting scene. the driving of
the cattle selected for export aboard the
steamers T that come M up the 0rinoco for
idly from the shore so that the boats can
lie close to the bank. A chute is rugged
from the bank to the boat, with fences on
the shore converging 10 it in V shape. The
Vaqueros hold tie cattle together and drive
them on toward the chute If one of the
others press after. crowding one another
along into the cattle quarters until the
boats load is made up Ellis Grcll, the cat
tie king Of Venezuela, has a trained OK
that is of great service in helping to get
wild cattle aboard the beats. He is already
within the fences when the herd is driven
in, and he leads the way through the chute
the other cattle following. He passes
through the cattle quarters out upon the
ly closed behind him, while the others con-
tinue to file into the hold until it is filled.
During the rainy season many cattle are
drowned by sudden rises of the river. In
the great inundation of October, 1892 when
the OrinocO waters rose ninety-two feet
the highest rise recorded since the seven
teenth century many cattle were
drowned that their floating bodies stopped
navigation the river, the upward bound
steamers having TO lay up at J3OnVar UNI
til the carcasses had drifted past The
captain of the steamer Caratal describes
the appearance of the drowned cattle he
encountered in parts of the river as that of
vast herds swimming with the current For
weeks the air was noisome with the stencil
of dead cattle caught among the trees of
the overlooked Banks. Turtles, 'alligators
garfish, carbe fish gorgeG upon the car
caSSeS, and vast numbers of Vultures and
buZzards came into the valley. What the
birds and reptiles left the ants made way
with on the subsistence of the waters.
THE rdnchmen of the upper Orinoco are
the best fighting men in Venezuela, and
try the side they take up arms for is al
NEST surely a winner. Living in region
where cattle and horses are plentiful and
low in value they have primitive and hos
pitable customs Let a traveller arrive hun
cry at ranch, and if meat is not already
an OK in the head The animals hide is
taken off, a few choice cuts of meat taken
and the remainder of the carcass is left for
the vultures. Equally primitive and illus
trative of the spirit of comfy among the
rancheros is their method of travelling
The old Spanish road, a fairly wel-con-
structed highway, connects the two cities.
The ranchero, starting, for instance from
Bolivar, with one horse, rides the animal
until he is tired out, then catches another
horse from the herds that feed along the
its way back home. The same is done
with third horse when the second has
been tired down, and this thing is repeated
throughout the journey, each horse turned
loose finding it's way back to its own range
in the course of a few days. The Journey
of four hundred miles is thus quickly made
with the advantage to the traveller of fresh
renOuntS as often he wish Z"