364 TRINIDAD. 



gage the corn, it necessarily pulls the trigger, and generally 

 receives the contents in the head. Not a year passes during 

 which some person is not dangerously wounded, and sometimes 

 killed, from the setting of such unlawful snares. The most 

 common method, however, is the chase, in which the best dogs 

 for tatous and lapas are the pointer, the terrier, and our com- 

 mon breed, some of which are capital hunters, especially those 

 crossed with the Guamuno races. I have no doubt, however, 

 that the basset would prove superior. Whenever the lapa has 

 a long run to its retreat, or, more generally to the river, whither 

 it invariably resorts for safety, it may be caught by fleet dogs ; 

 otherwise it is killed in its own fastness, which is commonly a 

 hollow tree, or a cave in the midst of a labyrinth of roots, or 

 under the bank of some stream — the two latter with several 

 outlets. The tatou is always killed in its burrow, and it 

 necessary to dig or smoke it out when there is too great a di 

 culty in reaching it. The agouti is either shot, when pursued 

 by dogs, or on the watch ; sometimes also in its retreat — almo 

 invariably the hollows of the decayed interior of some fall 

 timber, or beneath the roots of trees. 



The chase of the pecari resembles, on a small scale, that 

 the wild boar in Europe. When in numbers, the pecaris not 

 only show fight to the dogs, but sometimes give them chase, 

 should the latter be few and of small size; several of these 

 animals may be shot, when met in a band ; but they are gener- 

 ally killed with the spear or cutlass when at bay, seldom with 

 the fowling-piece. The most pleasant sport, however, is deer- 

 hunting, for which the best dogs are unquestionably hounds. 

 The deer behaves, when chased, exactly like the roebuck : after 

 an hour or more of chase, it returns, by a circuit, to the very spot 

 whence it was started, and then makes a dart in a straight line. 

 If within the proximity of a river, it crosses the stream several 

 times; or, if shallow, walks down the bed, probably with a 

 view, by checking the scent, to set the hounds at fault, or to 

 divert the pursuer from the track ; if on the sea-board, it gener- 

 ally seeks refuge in the water, and sometimes swims out for 

 more than a mile ; it is nevertheless easily caught, if a canoe be 

 at hand, as in that element it is slow in its movements; or it 

 may be turned, and again compelled to seek the land. The deer 

 is also very commonly shot on the watch, particularly during the 



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