El Rancho in South Texas: Continuity and Change From 1750 Page: 29
x, 121 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
was given by Captain George W. Hughes, who was
with General Wool on his march from San Antonio to
Saltillo, Mexico. He wrote:
Fancy to yourself a rather light-colored Indian dressed in a
pair of leather unmentionables, without suspenders, button-
ing from the knee downwards, which are usually left open in
warm weather for comfort, and to exhibit the white drawers
underneath; a common cotton shirt; a red sash tied tightly
around the waist; a pair of sandals on his feet, and enor-
mous iron spurs on heel; with a heavy conical felt hat (that
could almost resist a sabre cut) on the head, and a long iron-
pointed aspen goad in hand, and you have a perfect picture
of the ranchero, or rather vaquero. Mounted on a spirited
pony, with a lasso at his saddle-bow, he is no mean adversary
for a single man to encounter. He rides well and fearlessly,
and throws the lasso with unerring aim. It is a beautiful sight
to see him with his old blanket (worn as a poncho in cold
weather) streaming in the wind, his head bent eagerly for-
ward, and lasso whirling in circles high in the air, chasing
down some refractory animal that he seldom fails to catch,
at the first throw, by the neck or hind foot, bringing him
violently to the ground..... It is amusing to see the young
urchins following the example of their elders, practising [sic]
on little pigs and tender kids, who by no means appear to
enjoy the fun. ... Every Mexican, whatever his condition
may be, is expert with the lasso, and the throwing of it may
be regarded as the national amusement. (George W. Hughes,
Memoir Descriptive of a Division of the United States Army,
under the command of Brigadier General John E. Wool,
from San Antonio de Bexar, in Texas, to Saltillo, in Mexico,
Sen. Ex. Doc. No. 32, 31st Cong., Last Sess., p. 41)
La reata, one of the most vital pieces of the vaquero's
equipment, evidently developed in the New World
rather than in Spain. As the vaqueros in Mexico be-
came more proficient with its use, they discovered that
the lariat had advantages over the hocking knife. They
could use it to capture cattle to brand them or check
their brands. Over time, vaqueros developed great skills
in the use of the lariat, so that by the time they arrived
in Texas, they had perfected its use. By then the vaquero
saddle, with its large saddle horn, was almost univer-
sal among the vaqueros. When branding, the vaqueroswould rope an animal and darle vuelta, or wrap the
lariat quickly around the saddle horn. The English
word for this process is to "dally." The animals to be
driven to market were branded on the shoulder with a
brand called el fierro para ventear (the brand for selling),
later called a "trail brand" by Anglo ranchers. Perma-
nent brands on cattle remaining with the rancher were
placed on the hip (Dary 1981).
Early lariats were made of rawhide, braided with
four, six, eight, or twelve strands. The cowhide would
be pegged to the ground until it was dry, at which
point the vaquero would take a sharp knife and, work-
ing from the outside of the hide, cut it into one long,
thin strip. He would then use the knife to shave the
hair from the strand of hide. When he had enough of
these strands for a lariat of adequate length (in early
Texas that would have been a hundred or so feet), he
would wet the strips, stretch them, wet them again,
and braid them to form a lariat about as thick as a
man's little finger. The lariat became the vaquero's most
important tool for handling cattle.
Vaqueros in Spain had developed the skills of con-
ducting roundups, long cattle drives, and marking and
branding livestock. These skills were also essential to
cattle raising in New Spain. By the 165os there were
regular cattle drives from the frontier regions to mar-
kets in Mexico City and other population centers.
Vaqueros would help drive herds of several thousand to
these markets or to new pasture lands along the north-
ern frontier (Dary 1981). These same skills would be
used by ranchers in South Texas, who drove large herds
of cattle to the interior of Mexico and cast to Louisi-
ana, well over a century before the great cattle drives to
northern markets following the Civil War (Graf 1942).
Roundups were conducted twice a year, once in the
spring and once in the fall. Vaqueros from local ranches
would drive all of the cattle from various directions
to a specified location, where they would brand the
calves with whatever brands the mothers bore, and
separate strays for returning to their proper owners
(Ranmirez I979).
During most of the year, when not engaged in
roundups or cattle drives, the vaqueros lived in campsThe Ranch in South Texas
29
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This book can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Book.
Graham, Joe S. El Rancho in South Texas: Continuity and Change From 1750, book, 1994; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc28328/m1/41/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Press.