DON FELIX D AZARA. 63 



the jaguar, and therefore made my people draw the 

 horse to within a stone-throw of a tree, purposing to 

 return and wait for him. I had scarcely gone, 

 however, half a mile, when they came and informed 

 me, that the jaguar having swam across a broad 

 and deep river, had taken up the carcass in his 

 mouth, and dragging it along, without apparent 

 effort, for seventy paces, re-entered the river, and 

 carried it off to the woods on the other side. It is 

 universally asserted in the country, that the jaguar 

 draws along, with the greatest facility, not only one 

 dead horse, or bullock, but two, when they happen 

 to be tied together. They also state, that if it has 

 once tasted human flesh, it ever afterwards prefers 

 it to all other food. Certain it is, that since I have 

 been in Paraguay, the few jaguars remaining have 

 devoured six men, carrying them off from the middle 

 of their companions, whilst warming themselves by 

 the fire. They prey upon asses, horses, and oxen, 

 killing them in an extraordinary way. They pounce 

 upon the neck of their victim, and placing one paw 

 on the occiput and the other on the muzzle, crush 

 the skull in a moment. This animal is usually 

 hunted with immense packs of dogs, amounting to 

 a hundred. Sometimes it retires to the thick 

 jungle, and there obstinately remains. On such 

 occasions, some one is bold enough to follow ; when 

 wrapping a sheep-skin round his left arm, he enters 

 the jungle with his chuzo, and bending his body, 

 presents its point to the animal's breast. The 

 jaguar often rushes upon it ; but, be this as it may, 



