SOUTH AMERICA. 69 



the following 1 instance of the sloth, life sunk in PIK8T 



JOURNEY. 



death without the least apparent contention, with- 

 out a cry, without a struggle, and without a 

 groan. This was an Ai, or three-toed sloth. It 

 was in the possession of a gentleman who was 

 collecting curiosities. He wished to have it killed, 

 in order to preserve the skin, and the wourali 

 poison was resorted to as the easiest death. 



Of all animals, not even the toad and tortoise 

 cxcepted, this poor ill-formed creature is the most 

 tenacious of life. It exists long after it has re- 

 ceived wounds which would have destroyed any 

 other animal ; and it may be said, on seeing a 

 mortally wounded sloth, that life disputes with 

 death every inch of flesh in its body. 



The Ai was wounded in the leg, and put down 

 on the floor, about two feet from the table; it 

 contrived to reach the leg of the table, and 

 fastened itself on it, as if wishful to ascend. 

 But this was its last advancing step : life was 

 ebbing fast, though imperceptibly ; nor could 

 this singular production of nature, which has 

 been formed of a texture to resist death in a 

 thousand shapes, make any stand against the 

 wourali poison. 



First,, one fore-leg let go its hold, and dropped 

 down motionless by its side ; the other gradually 

 did the same. The fore-legs having now lost their 

 strength, the sloth slowly doubled it body, and 

 placed its head betwixt its hind-legs, which still 



