478 



A HISTORY OF 



yards distant on the sea-shore. I therefore 

 charged again with ball, and hit the bird un- 

 der the throat, which made it mine. I ac- 

 cordingly ran up to seize it; but even in 

 death it was terrible, and defended itself up- 

 on its back, with its claws extended against 

 me, so that I scarcely knew how to lay hold 

 of it. Had it not been mortally wounded, I 

 should have found it no easy matter to take 

 it; but I at last dragged it down from the 

 rock, and, with the assistance of one of the 

 seamen, I carried it to my tent, to make a 

 coloured drawing. 



" The wings of this bird, which I measured 

 very exactly, were twelve feet three inches 

 (English) from tip to tip. The great feathers, 

 that were of a beautiful shining black, were 

 two feet four inches long. The thickness of 

 the beak was proportionable to the rest of 

 the body; the length about four inches; the 

 point hooked downwards, and white at its 

 extremity ; and the other part was of a jet 

 black. A short down, of a brown colour, co- 

 vered the head ; the eyes were black, and 

 surrounded with a circle of reddish brown. 

 The feathers, on the breast, neck, and wings, 

 were of a light brown ; those on the back 

 were rather darker. Its thighs were covered 

 with brown feathers to the knee. The thigh 

 bone was ten inches long; the leg five inches; 

 the toes were three before, and one behind: 

 that behind was an inch and a half; and the 

 claw with which it was armed was black, 

 and three quarters of an inch. The other 

 claws were in the same proportion; and the 

 legs were covered with black scales, as 

 also the toes ; but in these the scales were 

 larger. 



" These birds usually keep in the moun- 

 tains, where they find their prey: they never 

 descend to the sea-shore but in the rainy sea- 

 son ; for, as they are very sensible of cold, 

 they go there for greater warmth. Though 

 these mountains are situated in the torrid 



I? zone, the cold is often very severe ; for a 

 great part of the year they are covered with 

 snow, but particularly in winter. 



" The little nourishment which these birds 

 find on the sea-coast, except when the tem- 

 pest drives in some great fish, obliges the con- 

 dor to continue there but a short time. They 

 usually come to the coast at the approach of 

 evening; stay there all night, and fly back in 

 the morning." 



It is doubted whether this animal be pro- 

 per to America only, or whether it may not 

 have been described by the naturalists of 

 other countries. It is supposed that the great 

 bird called the Rock, described by Arabian 

 writers, and so much exaggerated by fable, 

 is but a species of the condor. The great 

 bird of Tarnassar, in the East Indies, that is 

 larger than the eagle, as well as the vulture 

 of Senegal, that carries oflfchildren, are pro- 

 bably no other than the bird we have been 

 describing. Russia, Lapland, and even Swit- 

 zerland and Germany, are said to have known 

 this animal. A bird of this kind was shot in 

 France, that weighed eighteen pounds, and 

 was said to be eighteen feet across the wings : 

 however, one of the quills was described only 

 as being larger than that of a swan; so that 

 probably the breadth of the wings may have 

 been exaggerated, since a bird so large would 

 have the quills more than twice as big as 

 those of a swan. However this be, we are 

 not to regret that it is scarcely ever seen in 

 Europe, as it appears to be one of the most 

 formidable enemies of mankind. In the de- 

 serts of Pachomac, where it is chiefly seen, 

 men seldom venture to travel. Those wild 

 regions are very sufficient of themselves to 

 inspire a secret horror': broken precipices 

 prowling panthers forests only vocal with 

 the hissing of serpents and mountains ren- 

 dered still more terrible by the condor, the 

 only bird that ventures to make its residence 

 in those deserted situations. 



