The driving a _coche de colleras_ is quite a science of itself, and is observed in conducting _diligences_; it amuses the Spanish “_majo_” or fancy-man as much as coach-driving does the fancy-man of England; the great art lies not in handling the ribbons, but in the proper modulation of the voice, since the cattle are always addressed individually by their names; the first syllables are pronounced very rapidly; the “_macho_,” the male mule, who is the most abused, is the only one who is not addressed by any names beyond that of his sex: the word is repeated with a voluble iteration; in order to make the two syllables longer, they are strung together thus, _măchŏ--măchŏ--măchŏ--măcho-ŏ_: they begin in semiquavers, flowing on crescendo to a semibreve or breve, so the four words are compounded into one polysyllable. The horse, _caballo_, is simply called so; he has no particular name of his own, which the female mules are never without, and which they perfectly know--indeed, the owners will say that they understand them, and all bad language, as well as Christian women, “_como Cristianas_;” and, to do the beasts justice, they seem more shocked and discomfited thereby than the bipeds who profess the same creed. If the animal called to does not answer by pricking up her ears, or by quickening her pace, the threat of “_lă vărā_,” the stick, is added--the last argument of Spanish drivers, men in office, and schoolmasters, with whom there is no sort of reason equal to that of the bastinado, “_no hay tal razon, como la del baston_.” It operates on the timorous more than “unadorned eloquence.” The Moors thought so highly of the bastinado, that they held the stick to be a special gift from Allah to the faithful. It holds good, _à priori_ and _à posteriori_, to mule and boy, “_al hijo y mulo, para el culo_;” and if the “_macho_” be in fault, and he is generally punished to encourage the others, some abuse is added to blows, such as “_que pĕrrō-ō_,” “what a dog!” or some unhandsome allusion to his mother, which is followed by throwing a stone at the leaders, for no whip could reach them from the coach-box. When any particular mule’s name is called, if her companion be the next one to be abused, she is seldom addressed by her name, but is spoken to as “_a la ŏtrā-ā_,” “_aquella ŏtrā-ā_,” “Now for that other one,” which from long association is expected and acknowledged. The team obeys the voice and is in admirable command. Few things are more entertaining than driving them, especially over bad roads; but it requires much practice in Spanish speaking and swearing. [Sidenote: SPANISH OATHS.] [Sidenote: HINTS FOR HIRING.]