WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 91 



trived to reacli the leg of the table and fastened 

 himself on it, as if wishful to ascend. But this 

 was its last advancing step : life was ebbing fast, 

 though imperceptibly; nor could this singular 

 production of nature, which has been formed of 

 a texture to resist death in a thousand shapes, 

 make any stand against the wourali-poison. 



First, one fore-leg let go its hold, and dropped 

 down motionless by its side; the other gradually 

 did the same. The fore-legs having now lost their 

 strength, the sloth slowly doubled its body, and 

 placed its head betwixt its hind-legs, which still 

 adhered to the table; but when the poison had 

 affected these also, it sank to the ground, but sank 

 so gently, that you could not distinguish the move- 

 ment from an ordinary motion ; and had you been 

 ignorant that it was wounded with a poisoned 

 arrow, you would never have suspected that it 

 was dying. Its mouth was shut, nor had any 

 froth or saliva collected there. 



There was no subsultus tendinum, or any visible 

 alteration in its breathing. During the tenth 

 minute from the time it was wounded it stirred, 

 and that was all; and the minute after, life's last 

 spark went out. From the time the poison began 

 to operate, you would have conjectured that sleep 

 was overpowering it, and you would have ex- 

 claimed, "Pressitque jacentem, dulcis et alta 

 quies, pacidseque simillima morti." 



There are now two positive proofs of the effect 

 of this fatal poison ; viz., the death of the hog, and 

 that of the sloth. But still these animals were 

 nothing remarkable for size; and the strength of 



