WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 141 



Of all animals, not even the toad and tortoise excepted, 

 this poor ill-formed creature is the most tenacious of life. 

 It exists long after it has received 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 himself 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 its body, and placed its head betwixt its 

 hind-legs, which still adhered to the table ; but when the 

 poison had affected these also, it sank to the ground, but 

 sank so gently, that you could not distinguish the move- 

 ment from an ordinary motion ; and had you been ignorant 

 that it was wounded with a poisoned arrow, you would 

 never have suspected that it was dying. Its mouth was 

 shut, nor had any froth or saliva collected there. 



There was no subsultus tendinum, or any visible altera- 

 tion in its breathing. During the tenth minute from the 

 time it was wounded it stirred, and that was all ; and the 

 minute after. Life's last spark went out. From the time the 

 poison began to operate, you would have conjectured that 

 sleep was overpowering it, and you would have exclaimed, 

 " Pressitque jacentem, dulcis et alta quies, placidseque 

 simiUima morti." 



There are now two positive proofs of the effect of this 



