Alpaca, Gnanaco, and Vicuna. 289 



ropes, they are taken and slain, and skinned on the spot. In 

 such excursions, the Indians in some cases are many weeks, 

 and even months, in those inhospitable regions, away from the 

 haunts of men, and at all times they suffer great privations. 

 The cold is always severe during night, in consequence of the 

 great altitude, and they are exposed to terrific storms of light- 

 ning and thunder, often accompanied with very large hail, or 

 rather pieces of ice. When unsuccessful in the chase, they 

 may be short of food and suffer severely. 



Though such expeditions are called hunting, yet sport is 

 not the object in view, but gain only. When the vicunas are 

 captured, they are not shorn as in olden times, and then let 

 go ; but are killed, and the skins put aside with the wool 

 on them ; then the Indians gorge themselves and their dogs 

 with the flesh, and if any portion of the carcase is left, the 

 condors devour it. 



In former times, the Indians were obliged by law to let all 

 female vicunas escape after being shorn, and also the males, 

 except a few which were allowed to be retained for food when 

 necessai'y ; and thus the continuance of the species was secured. 

 But for many years past, an indiscriminate slaughter has been 

 executed, and of course the number of vicunas is diminishing 

 every year ; and if stringent measures are not soon adopted 

 to give protection, there is reason to fear that the race of 

 vicunas will, ere long, become extinct, at least in so far as 

 relates to the obtainment of the wool. 



The reason assigned for flaying these creatures, instead of 

 merely sheai'ing them, is, that the wool is so valuable, that, 

 when put up in bales, it is fraudulently mixed with other 

 wool similar in colour, which in some cases is obtained both 

 from the llama and alpaca ; and, in these circumstances, mer- 

 chants are not so willing to buy it. The government of Peru 

 and Bolivia should immediately prohibit, under severe penal- 

 ties, the destruction of vicunas. These animals might be 

 shorn of their wool as in the time of the Incas, and as is done 

 now with other wool producers in those parts, such as lUunus, 

 alpacas, and the common sheep, of which latter there are 

 millions in Upper Peru. 



