THE LAMA. 353 



Habits, &c. 



dug out -of the mines of Potosi; and Bolivar in- 

 forms us, that, in his time, above three hundred 

 thousand were thus kept at work continually. 



The growth of these animals is rapid, and their 

 lives but of short duration. Like the American 

 Indians, they are gentle and phlegmatic, and do 

 every thing with the utmost leisure and caution. 

 When they stop on their journies to rest, they 

 bend their knees very carefully, in order to lower 

 their bodies without disordering their load ; and 

 at the accustomed signal of their driver, they 

 rise up again with the same precaution, and re- 

 sume their journey. They feed as they go along, 

 on the grass they meet with in their way, but 

 never eat in the night; making use of that time 

 to ruminate. 



When overloaded or completely fatigued, they 

 sink to the ground, and neither the threats nor 

 chastisement of their driver can induce them to 

 rise again ; but if he persist in beating them, the 

 animals become desperate, and are sometimes 

 known to kill themselves, by beating their heads 

 against the earth. They do not make any de- 

 fence, either with their feet or teeth, and they 

 have, in fact, no other arms than those of indig- 

 nation. When persecuted, however, they eject 

 a saliva against their tormentors : and the In- 

 dians assert, that this is of so acrimonious a na- 

 ture as to cause very unpleasant, and even dan- 

 gerous eruptions on the skin. 



^he wild lamas, which are called huanacus by 

 2 Y 2 



