just killed a chiguire, which it held with one of its paws, while the zamuro-vultures were assembled in flocks around it. It was curious to observe the mixture of boldness and timidity which these birds exhibited, for although they advanced within two feet of the tiger, they instantly shrank back at the least motion which he made. In order to examine more nearly their manners, the travellers went into the little boat; when the tyrant of the forest withdrew behind the sauso-bushes, leaving his victim, which the vultures in the mean time attempted to devour, but were soon put to flight by his rushing into the midst of them.

Continuing to descend the river, they met with a great herd of chiguires that the tiger had dispersed, and from which he had selected his prey. These animals seemed not to be afraid of men, for they saw the travellers land without agitation, but the sight of a dog put them to flight. They ran so slowly that the people succeeded in catching two of them. It is the largest of the Glires, or gnawing animals. Its flesh has a disagreeable smell of musk, although

* In the province of Tucuman, the common mode of killing the jaguar is to trace him to his lair by the wool left on the bushes, if he has carried off a sheep, or by means of a dog trained for the purpose. On finding the enemy the gaucho puts himself into a position for receiving him on the point of a bayonet or spear, at the first spring which he makes, and thus waits until the dogs drive him out; an exploit which he performs with such coolness and dexterity that there is scarcely an instance of failure. "In a recent instance, related by our capitaz, the business was not so quickly completed. The animal lay stretched at full length on the ground, like a gorged cat. Instead of showing anger and attacking his enemies with fury, he was playful, and disposed rather to parley with the dogs with good-humour than to take their attack in sober earnestness. He was now fired upon, and a ball lodged in his shoulder; on which he sprang so quickly on his watching assailant, that he not only buried the bayonet in his body, but tumbled over the capitaz who held it, and they floundered on the ground together, the man being completely in his clutches. I thought,' said the brave fellow, 'I was no longer a capitaz, while I held my arm up to protect my throat, which the animal seemed in the act of seizing; but when I expected to feel his fangs in my flesh, the green fire of his eyes which blazed upon me, flashed out in a moment. He fell on me and expired at the very instant I thought myself lost for ever."—Captain Andrews's Travels in South America, vol. i. p. 219.

hams are made of it in the country, which are eaten during Lent; as this quadruped, according to ecclesiastical zoology, is esteemed a fish.

The travellers passed the night as usual in the open air, although in a plantation, the proprietor of which, a jaguar-hunter, half-naked, and as brown as a Zambo, prided himself on being of the European race, and called his wife and daughter, who were as slightly clothed as himself, Donna Isabella and Donna Manuela. Humboldt had brought a chiguire; but his host assured him such food was not fit for white gentlemen like them, at the same time offering him venison. As this aspiring personage had neither house nor hut, he invited the strangers to sling their hammocks near his own, between two trees; which they accordingly did. They soon found reason, however, to regret that they had not obtained better shelter; for after midnight a thunder-storm came on, which wetted them to the skin. Donna Isabella's cat had perched on one of the trees, and fell into a cot, the inmate of which imagined he was attacked by some wild beast, and could hardly be quieted.

At sunrise, the lodgers took leave of Don Ignacio and his lady, and proceeded on their voyage. The weather was a little cooler, the thermometer having fallen from 86° to 75°, but the temperature of the river continued at 79° or 80°. One might imagine that on smooth ground, where no eminence can be distinguished, the stream would have hollowed out an even bed for itself; but this is by no means the case; the two banks not opposing equal resistance to the water. Below the Joval the mass of the current is a little wider, and forms a perfectly straight channel, margined on either side by lofty trees. It was here about 290 yards broad. They passed a low island densely covered by flamingoes, roseate spoonbills, herons, and water-hens, which presented a most diversified mixture of colours. On the right bank they found a little Indian mission, consisting of

186

NOCTURNAL HOWLINGS.

sixteen huts constructed of palm-leaves, and inhabited by a tribe of the Guamões. These Christians were unable to furnish them with the provisions which they wanted, but hospitably offered them dried fish and water. The night was spent on a bare and very extensive beach. The forest being impenetrable, they had great difficulty in obtaining dry wood to light fires for the purpose of keeping off the wild beasts. But the night was calm, with beautiful moonlight. Finding no tree on the banks, they stuck their oars in the sand, and suspended their hammocks upon them. About eleven there arose in the wood so terrific a noise that it was impossible to sleep. The Indians distinguished the cries of sapajous, alouates, jaguars, cougars, pecaris, sloths, carassows, panakas, and other gallinaceous birds. When the tigers approached the edge of the forest, a dog which the travellers had began to howl and seek refuge under their cots. Sometimes, after a long silence, the cry of the ferocious animal came from the tops of the trees, when it was followed by the sharp and long whistling of the monkeys. Humboldt supposes the noise thus made by the inhabitants of the thicket, at certain hours of the night, to be the effect of some contest that has arisen among them.

On the 2d April they set sail before sunrise. The river was ploughed by porpoises, and the shore crowded with aquatic birds; while some of the latter, perched on the floating timber, were endeavouring to surprise the fish that preferred the middle of the stream. The navigation is rather dangerous, on account of the large trees which remain obliquely fixed in the mud, and the canoe touched several times. Near the island of Carizales, they saw enormous trunks covered with plotuses or darters, and below it observed a diminution of the waters of the river, owing to infiltration and evaporation. Near the Vuelta de Basilio, where they landed to gather