DON iGXACio roisrposo. 123 



and in. a fit of rage, expressed by his gait and the move- 

 ment of his tail, carried off his prey to the forest. 



Continuing to descend the river, they met with a 

 great herd of tapirs which the tiger had put to flight, and 

 from whom he had selected his prey. These animals saw 

 them land very unconcernedly ; some were seated, and 

 gazed upon them, moving ' the upper lip like rabbits. 

 They seemed not to be afraid of man, but the sight of the 

 dog put them to flight. Their hind legs being longer 

 than their fore legs, their pace was a slight gallop, but 

 with so little swiftness that the travellers succeeded in 

 catching two of them. 



They passed the night in the open air, though in a 

 plantation, the proprietor of which employed himself in 

 hunting tigers. He wore scarcely any clothing, and was 

 of a dark brown complexion like a Zambo. This did not 

 prevent his classing himself among the whites. He called 

 his wife and his daughter, who were as naked as himself, 

 Dona Isabella and Dona Manuela. Without having 

 ever quitted the banks of the Apure, he took a lively 

 interest in the news of Madrid, enquiring eagerly re- 

 specting " those never-ending wars, and everything down 

 yonder." He knew, he said, that the king was soon to 

 come and visit the grandees of the country of Caracas, 

 but he added with some pleasantry, " as the people of 

 the court can eat only wheaten bread, they will never 

 pass beyond the town of Victoria, and we shall not see 

 them here." Humboldt had brought with him a tapir 

 which he had intended to have roasted; but his host 

 assured him that such ' Indian game ' was not food fit 

 for white gentlemen like the travellers and himself. 

 Accordingly he offered them some venison, which he 



