Alpaca, Guanaco, and Vicuna. 291 



quantity is now annually consumed in the elevated districts. 

 He is often insulated from neighbours and from his family 

 while tending his flocks on the " ichuales," or on some long 

 journey with them. In these circumstances, the Indian looks 

 on his charge more as companions than as mere beasts of 

 burden. I have often been amused to hear an Indian speak 

 to a llama or alpaca as if it had undei'stood him ; and the 

 plaintive instrumental music of the Indian, called yai-avies, 

 consisting of a succession of doleful and monotonous sounds, 

 produced by blowing into one end of a reed, which is held 

 like a clarionet, is supposed by them to be much appreciated 

 by the llama. Those brutal acts of cruelty, which are so often 

 inflicted on the dumb creation in some parts of Europe, are 

 never imposed by the Peruvian on his fleecy charge ; he rather 

 adopts every means in his power to make them happy, and on 

 a march with cargoes, he is ever on the watch to render 

 assistance to a llama or alpaca whose burden may have shifted 

 from its place, or where symptoms of weakness or weariness 

 may appear. 



Llamas, in their native clime, are on an average rather 

 more than four feet in height from the spine to the ground, 

 and the alpaca is a few inches less ; but the latter is a much 

 more handsome and interesting animal. There is a brilliancy 

 and expression in the eye of the alpaca, as seen when on the 

 punas of the Andes, which are not so striking to the observer 

 who sees it on the coast only. 



Indeed, there is a greater degree of vigour and vivacity in 

 all the movements of these creatures when on their native 

 soil, where the atmosphere is little more than half the density 

 of that at the sea-level. The llama receives the male in the 

 recumbent position, with its limbs doubled under its body, in 

 the same manner as when asleep or at rest. Gestation con- 

 tinues seven months ; one at a time is produced ; it begins 

 to breed the third year, and the duration of life is ten or 

 twelve years. These animals are invaluable to the Indians 

 of the Andes, who cannot afford to keep mules, even did the 

 climate admit, but who, with a troop of llamas and alpacas, 

 manage both to maintain their position in the social circle, 

 and to save money when not plundered by the operations of 



