494 THE SLOTH 



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 came 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 '11 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 up 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 neighbouring 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 lost 

 sight for ever of the 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." 



The Indians, to whom no one will deny the credit of being 

 acute observers of animal life, say that the sloth wanders prin- 

 cipally when the wind blows. In calm weather he remains 

 still, probably not liking to cling to the brittle extremity 

 of the branches, lest they should break under his weight in 

 passing from one tree to another ; but as soon as the breeze 

 rises, the branches of the neighbouring trees become interwoven, 

 and then he seizes hold of them and pursues his journey in 

 safety. There is seldom an entire day of calm in the forests of 

 Guiana. The trade-wind generally sets in about ten o'clock in 

 the morning, and since the sloth, as we have just seen, is able to 

 travel at a good-round pace when he has branches to cling to, 

 there is nothing to prevent him making a considerable way 

 before the sun sinks, and the wind goes down. 



During night, and while reposing in the day-time, the sloth 



