Inaugural Address by the President. 23 



In 1881, when crossing the Pampas ot Uruguay, between the 

 Brazilian frontier and the city of Monte Video, in a dihgence, 

 with a party of Spaniards, I had a personal interview with a 

 skunk in a state of nature, and can therefore speak from 

 experience of its defensive or rather offensive armature. While 

 stopping to change horses I wandered a little way from the 

 station, searching for spiders. While in the act of catching 

 some red ones in a crevice among rocks, I heard a curious 

 sound like that emitted by a large moth or butterfly flapping 

 its wings. I peered down into the opening, expecting to see 

 some insect trying to get out, but instead, I saw a funny little 

 pig like nose and two bright eyes looking up at me with a very 

 comical expression. This explained where the hist ! hist ! hist ! 

 came from. But what was the thing. At first I thought it was 

 a young pig, but a pig does not make that noise, nor is it armed 

 with long claws as this animal was. It then began to show 

 signs of attack, and not liking the look of the long claws I 

 kept my distance and hallooed for the others, who soon came 

 running down to see what was wanted. When they came near 

 they did not seem to like the look of the creature. 



bome of the party would not go within yards, of the rock 

 where it was, but no one explained the nature of the beast and 

 why they feared it, except that it would not bite. Seeing they 

 were really in earnest that it would not bite I felt quite anxious 

 to capture it alive. So taking great precautions I slipped my 

 hand down the cleft until I got firm hold of the animal by the 

 back of the neck and, with difficulty, dragging it out, I began 

 to carry it to the diligence, congratulating myself on the hand 

 some capture I had made, for it looked very nice and mild with 

 its black body and long bushy tail. 



My companions seemed strangely elated and laughed im- 

 moderately. Indeed if I had not been such a self-satisfied 

 tenderfoot their strange behaviour would have aroused my 

 suspicions and I would have smelt a rat. The creature now 

 began to show signs of dissatisfaction as if it thought the joke 

 had gone far enough and being airaid it was making round to 



