168 WANDERINGS IN 



JOURNEY. 



a t r y m S position. Were the floor of glass, or of 

 a polished surface, the sloth would actually be 

 quite stationary ; but as the ground is generally 

 rough, with little protuberances upon it, such as 

 stones, or roots of grass, &c., this just suits the 

 sloth, and he moves his fore-legs in all directions, 

 in order to find something to lay hold of; and 

 when he has succeeded, he pulls himself forward, 

 and is thus enabled to travel onwards, but at the 

 same time in so tardy and awkward a manner, as 

 to acquire him the name of Sloth. 



Indeed his looks and his gestures evidently 

 betray his uncomfortable situation : and as a sigh 

 every now and then escapes him, we may be 

 entitled to conclude that he is actually in pain. 



Some years ago I kept a sloth in my room for 

 several months. I often took him out of the 

 house and placed him upon the ground, in order 

 to have an opportunity of observing his motions. 

 If the ground were rough, he would pull himself 

 forwards, by means of his fore-legs, at a pretty 

 good pace ; and he invariably immediately shaped 

 his course towards the nearest tree. But if I put 

 him upon a smooth and well-trodden part of the 

 road, he appeared to be in trouble and distress : 

 his favourite abode was the back of a chair : and 

 after getting all his legs in a line upon the top- 

 most part of it, he would hang there for hours 

 together, and often with a low and inward cry, 

 would seem to invite me to take notice of him. 



