Buĺocky and His Team.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17804, 31 August 1929, Page 13 (Supplement)

Buĺocky and His Team.

would think that, in these dajs of steamtractors, motor-lorries, and ihc like, bullockdriving would have become a lost art. But it is not so; once the traveller gets away from macadamised civilisation, over towards the ‘back o’ bevond,’ there are the bulky bullocks, toiling over rough tracks, as did their forefathers when they helped to build the Pyramids, five thousand years ago. Bullock-drivmsr looks easy—but it isn’t.

When we see Pedro dozing up in the • cart, behind a learn of eight “bueys” (working bullocks), with the short “picana” (goad) in his left hand and his right arm hooked over the long-distance picana, emitting an occasional drowsy “Diablo, Ruflno” to his leaders and gentlj caressing his wheelers with the goad, as they seem to hang on the pole—well, that’s when we think we could drive bullocks.

On the face of it, all one has to know Is the names of the bullocks, and that if one wants to go to the left one has to apply the picana to the buey on the right, and vice versa. To get a move on, touch up all eight bueys at the same time—that certainly is somewhat difficult —and to stop, a long-diyiwn-out “Ta-n-n-n” does the trick. Equipped with that knowledge and a few Guarani (native lingo) swear words, for boggy places and emergencies, the tyro thinks he can drive—and

Makes a Big Mistake. In the first place a buey is made, not born, and the man that makes the buey is the man wiio can drive him properly. The steer lhat finds his way to the meat-works and is “chilled” and sent to Europe has a short but care-free life. Not so iiis brother whom Pedro’s Boss thinks likely to make a good worker. At the age of four, when the “chiller’s” days are numbered, the buey’s education and trouble commence. "Pedro, who is going to drive him, is his schoolmaster. The first item is to find a name for him. This is usually the name of some good old striver who lias died in harness, or is due for the butcher. Then comes the initiation into the fraternity of Working Bullocks. That is short and not too sweet —for the buey in embryo.

BREAKING IN THE EMBRYO.

(“Novice," in Chamber’s Journal.)

lie is lassoed, leg-hobbled, and thrown, and about three inches are sawn off his horns. This to identify him from ordinary steers, make it easier to yoke him, and keep him from horning his driver or a brother buoy who may be shirking his share of the puli. _ Then, yoked to an old stager—who will be his working-partner and the lasso taken off, he is free to graze for a few days—always with the yoke on.

Pedro" calls round frequently with a few oranges, or other tit-bits, and using the animals’ names freely, gels the new chum to know who is meant when he sings out “Hilario.” After that llilario is introduced to the cart. With two steadiers at the pole and two more in front, Hilario and his mate take their positions in the centre. A cart that has seen its best days is loaded with ballast —heavy stones —and the breaking-in commences. Hilario doesn’t like it, and expresses his disapproval by trving to horn the fellow in front; failing that, he tries to kick the brains out of the buey at the back. But they' are wise old bullocks, and Hilario is a silly young one, so there’s no harm done. Pedro touches up his leaders and gives the word to trek-easv, Hilario promptly’ lies down. That is of no importance, as, relentlessly as fate, the bueys plod on and drag the reluctant on.e as well as the cart. Hilario thinks a little of that is enough. He gets up and finds it easier to travel on His Feet Than on His Side, For hour hours, through swamp, up hill and down dale, into creeks, across the camp-ana, and finally the recruit decides that it is the better way to keep his yoke straight and pace with his mates. . Then comes the ticklish part—how will Hilario react to the picana? That’s the difficult part of bullock-driving, as bueys are like humans: some are thick-skinned and some arc not. A touch with the goad that would drive a thinskinned bullock frantic would make no impression on his yoke-mate. At the first touch Hilario takes no notice; then be gels a full-sized jab and rears up in the air, lifting his mate off his feet and roaring his disapproval. Pedro has now got Iliiaro’s measure and knows that the touch and the jab are what he required to put beef into bis pull. After a month of that .Pedro tells the Boss that Hilario is a worker, and he is entered in the books as O.K.