ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 367 



bitants of the town bathe themfelves conftantly every day at eleven in the morning ; and 

 the Europeans fail not to follow an example fo pleafant and conducive to health. 



As thefe forefls almoft border on the houfes of the town, the tigers often make 

 incurfions into the ftreets during the night, carrying off fowls, dogs, and other domeftic 

 creatures ; and fometimes even boys have fallen a prey to them ; and it is certain, that 

 ravenous beafts, which provide themfelves with food in this manner, are afterwards 

 known to defpife what the forefts afford ; and that, after tailing human flefh, they flight 

 that of beads *. Befides the fnares ufually laid for them, the Negroes and Mulattos, 

 who fell wood in the forefls of the mountains, are very dexterous in encountering the 

 tigers; and fome, even on account of the flender reward, feek them in their retreats, ' ' ' 

 The arms in this combat, feemingly fo dangerous, are only a lance, of two or three yards 

 in length, made of a very ftrong wood, with the point of the fame hardened in the fire ; 

 and a kind of cimeter, about three quarters of a yard in length. Thus armed, they 

 (lay till the creature makes an afl'ault on the left arm, which holds the lance, and is 

 wrapped up in a fhort cloak of baize. Sometimes the tiger, aware of the danger, feems 

 to decline the combat ; but his antagonifl provokes him with a flight touch of the lance, 

 in order, while he is defending himfelf, to flrike a fure blow ; for, as foon as the crea- 

 ture feels the lance, he grafps it with one of his paws, and with the other flrikes at the 

 arm which holds it. Then it is that the perfon nimbly aims a blow with his cimeter, 

 which he kept concealed with the other hand, and hamflrings the creature, which 

 immediately draws back enraged, but returns to the charge ; when, receiving another 

 fuch flroke, he is totally deprived of his mofl dangerous weapons, and rendered inca- 

 pable of moving. After which the perfon kills him at leifure, and ftripping off the 

 Ikin, cutting off the head, and the fore and hind feet, returns to the town, difplaying 

 thefe as the trophies of his victory. 



Among the great variety of animals in this country, one of the mofl remarkable is 

 the Perico ligero, or nimble Peter, an ironical name given it on account of its extreme fWt<^4 

 fluggifhnefs and floth. It refembles a middling monkey, but of a wretched appearance, 

 its Ikin being of a greyifh brown, all over corrugated, and the legs and feet without 

 hair. He is fo lumpifh, as not to fland in need of either chain or hutch, for he never 

 flirs till compelled by hunger. When he moves, every effort is attended with fuch a 

 plaintive, and at the fame time fo difagreeable a cry, as at once produces pity and dif- 

 guft ; and this even on the flightefl motion of the head, legs, or feet ; proceeding pro- 

 bably from a general contraction of the mufcles and nerves of his body, which puts him 

 to extreme pain, v*fhen he endeavours to move them. In this difagreeable cry confifls 

 his whole defence ; for, it being natural to him to fly at the firft hoflile approach of any 

 beafl, he makes at every motion fuch bowlings as are even infupportable to his purfuer, 

 who foon quits him, and even flies beyond the hearing of his horrid noife. Nor is it 

 only during the time he is in motion that he utters thefe cries ; he repeats them while 

 he refts himfelf, continuing a long time motionlefs before he takes another march. 

 The food of this creature is generally wild fruits ; when he can find none on the ground, 

 he looks out for a tree well loaded, which, with a great deal of pains, he climbs j and, 

 to fave himfelf fuch another toilfome afcent, plucks off all the fruit, throwing them on 

 the ground; and to avoid the pain of defcending, forms himfelf into a ball, and drops from 



* This is an error. Beafts of prey in America are not fo fierce as in Africa and Afia ; they never ^ ., 



attack the human fpecies, but when forced by hunger, or provoked. It is affirmed by the natives, that 

 if an European, with his Negro and dog, were to meet with two hungry beafts of prey, whether tigers 

 or ounces, they would Teize the dog and Negro, and leave the European. But the truth I never knew 

 experienced. A. 



the 



