90 THE SLOTH. 



of its leaves. During the many years I have ranged the 

 forests, I have never seen a tree in such a state of nudity ; 

 indeed, I would hazard a conjecture, that by the time the 

 animal has finished the last of the old leaves, there would 

 be a new crop on the part of the tree he had stripped first, 

 ready for him to begin again, so quick is the process of 

 vegetation in these countries. 



" There is a saying among the Indians, that when the 

 wind blows, the Sloth begins to travel. In calm weather 

 he remains traaojuil, probably not liking to cling to the 

 brittle extremity of the branches, lest they should break 

 with him in pasiLlg from one tree to another ; but as soon 

 as the wind rises> the branches of the neighboring trees be- 

 come interwoven, and then the sloth seizes hold of them, 

 and pursues his journey in safety. There is seldom an 

 entire day of calm in these forests. /The trade wind gene- 

 rally sets in about ten o'clock in the morning, and thus the 

 Sloth may set off after breakfast, and get a considerable 

 way before dinner. He travels at a good round pace ; and 

 were you to see him pass from tree to tree, as I have done, 

 you would never think of calling him a Sloth. 



" Thus, k would appear, that the different histories we 

 have of this quadruped are erroneous on two accounts : 

 first, that the writers of them, deterred by difficulties and 

 local annoyances, have not paid sufficient attention to him 

 in his native haunts ; and, secondly, they have described 

 him in a situation in which he was never intended by na- 

 ture to cut a figure, I mean on the ground. The Sloth is 

 as much at a loss to proceed on his journey upon a smooth 

 and level floor, as a man would be who had to walk a mile 

 in stilts upon a line of feather-beds. 



" One day, as we were crossing the Essequibo, I saw a 

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

 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 



