128 Q^U ADRUPEDS. 



land it is awkwarci and unwieldy^ n^oves but no"v<?Iy >; feldom forfakes 

 the margin of the river ; finks every flep it takes, if forced, by famine, 

 into the higher grounds, connmirs dreadful havock among the planta- 

 tions : the natives fee their poffeffions deftroyfd, without daring to refift 

 their invader; by lighting fires, firiking drum's, aJtd r^ifing a cry, they 

 generally frighten it back to its favourite clenneiit. Never attacks boats 

 as they go up or down the ftream ; but fhould they inadvertently ftrikc 

 againli or difturb ir, there is danger of its fending them to the bottom. 

 *' 1 have {^ctn,'* fays a mariner, "one of thefe animals open its jaws, asid 

 " feizing a boat between his teeth, at once bite and fink it to the bot-. 

 ** torn. I have feen it upon another occafion, place itfelf under one of 

 *^ our boats, and rifing under it, overfet it with fix men which were in 

 " it ; who, however, happily received no other injury." 



If this animal be attacked too powerfully at land, it returns to the 

 river, where it enters head fore m oft, and after a fhort time rifes to the 

 furface, loudly bellowing. Though the negroes will attack the fhark, or 

 the crocodile in their natural element, and deftroy them, they decline 

 to engage the hippopotamus. 



The hippopotamos lives on fiih, vegetables, and probably flefn, when 

 he can get it. The female comes on land to bring forth, it is fuppofed 

 one at a time. Thefe animals are then particularly timorous, and the 

 inftant the parent hears the flighteil noife, it dafhes into the ftream, and 

 the young one follows with equal alacrity. The young are faid to be 

 excellent eating. 



T H E T A P I I R. 



TH E Tapiir may be confidercd as the hippopotamus of the New 

 Continent, but degraded both as to fize and ferocity ; bears fomc 

 diltant reiemblance in form to a mule ; has a long frtout, which it 

 lengthens or contradls at pleafure. Ears fmall, long, and pendent j 

 neck and tail fliort $ claws llrong and firm, four on each foot ; Ikin 

 thick, covered with brown hair. The natives made fliields of it, which 

 could not be pierced by an arrow. Chiefly refides in water, but feeds 

 entirely on vegetables in the pafi:ures by the river-fide. Is very timorous; 

 the inftant it hears the leaft noife, plunges into the ftream. Are greatly 

 fought after by the natives; their flelh is confidcrcd as a delicacy, and 

 thought by feme not ir>ferior to beef. 



SCALY 



