100 A VOYAGE TO Book If. 



As tlieie foreñs almoft border on the Iioufesofthe 

 town, the tigers often make incurñons into the flreets 

 during the night, carrying oft' fowls, dogs, and other 

 dometlic creatures ; and fometimes even boys have 

 fallen a prey to them ; and it is certain, that ravenous 

 beans, which provide themfelves with food in this 

 manner, are aiierwards known to defpiie what the fo- 

 rcfts afford; and that, after tafling human ilefh, they 

 flight that of beails *. Beiides the fnarcs ulually 

 laid for them, the Negroes and Mulattos, who fell 

 wood in the foreiis of the mountains, are very dex- 

 terous in encountering the tigers; and fome, even on 

 account of the flcnder reward, feek them in their re- 

 treats. The arms in this combat, fecmingly fo dan- 

 gerous, are only a lance, of two or three yards in 

 length, made of a very ftrong wood, with the point 

 of the fame hardened in the fire; and a kind of 

 eimeter, about three quarters of a yard in lengtli. 

 Thus armed, they ñay till the creature makes an af- 

 fault on the left arm, which holds the lance, and is 

 wrapped up in a fnort tloak of baize. Sotnetimes the 

 tiger, aware of the danger, teems to decline the com- 

 bat ; but his antagonitl provokes him with a flight 

 touch of the lance, in order, while he is defending 

 bimlclf, to Itrike a fure blow ; for, as Toon as the 

 creature feels the lance, he grafps it with one of his 

 paws, and with the otlier Itrikes at the arm which 

 holds it. Then it is that the peribn nimbly aims a 

 blow with his eimeter, which he kept concealed with 

 the other hand, and hamfirings the creature, Vk^hich 

 immediately draws back enraged, but returns to the-^ 



* 'This is an error. Beails of prey in America are not fo fierce 

 as in Africa and Aiia ; they never attack the human fpecies, but 

 when forced by hunger, or provoked. It is affirmed by the natives, 

 ■that if an Eurofiean, with his Negro aiid dog, were to meet vvirh 

 two hungry l)eait.s of prey, whether tigers or' ounces, they would 

 feize the ciog and Negro, and leave the European. But the truth I 

 never knew exjjtrieiiced. A. 



charge ; 



