WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 221 



large two-toed slotli on the ground upon the bank ; how he 

 had got there nobody could tell : the Indian said he had 

 never surprised a sloth in such a situation before : he 

 would hardly have come there to drink, for both above 

 and below the place, the branches of the trees touched the 

 water, and afforded him an easy and safe access to it. Be 

 this as it may, though the trees were not above twenty 

 yards from him, he could not make his way through the 

 sand time enough to escape before we landed. As soon as 

 we got up to him he threw himself upon his back, and 

 defended himself in gallant style with his fore-legs. 

 " Come, poor fellow/' said I to him, " if thou hast got into 

 a hobble to-day, thou shalt not suffer for it: I'll take no 

 advantage of thee in misfortune ; the forest is large enough 

 both for thee and me to rove in : go thy ways up above, 

 and enjoy thyself in these endless wilds ; it is more than 

 probable thou wilt never have another interview with 

 man. So fare thee well." On saying this, I took a long 

 stick which was lying there, held it for him to hook on, 

 and then conveyed him to a high and stately mora. He 

 ascended with wonderful rapidity, and in about a minute 

 he was almost at the top of the tree. He now went off in 

 a side direction, and caught hold of the branch of a neigh- 

 bouring tree ; he then proceeded towards the heart of the 

 forest. I stood looking on, lost in amazement at his 

 singular mode of progress. I followed him with my eye 

 till the intervening branches closed in betwixt us ; and 

 then I lost sight for ever of the two-toed sloth. I was 

 going to add, that I never saw a sloth take to his heels in 

 such earnest ; but the expression will not do, for the sloth 

 has no heels. 



That which naturalists have advanced of his being so 

 tenacious of life is perfectly true. I saw the heart of one 

 beat for half an hour after it was taken out of the body. 



