lb'0 



THE JAGUAR. 



and much less liable to be wasted in its con 

 veyance. 



The day before we reached St. Luzia, our 

 resting-place at mid-day was under some trees, 

 and not far from a cottage. I observed the skin 

 of a jaguar, the on$a pintada, in the language of 

 the country, stretched upon several pieces of 

 wood ; it had the appearance of being quite 

 fresh. I had afterwards some conversation with 

 the cottager, and he told me, that he had killed 

 the animal to which the skin had belonged, with 

 the assistance of three dogs, only the day before. 

 It had committed great destruction, particularly 

 among the sheep ; but had escaped for a length 

 of time, from never appearing at the same place 

 twice successively. The preceding day this man 

 had gone out with his three dogs, as was occa- 

 sionally his practice ; his musket was loaded, but 

 he was without any farther supply of ammuni- 

 tion, and he had his long knife in his girdle. One 

 of the dogs got scent of the jaguar, and followed 

 it up to the den ; the beast was within, the dogs 

 attacked it ; one of them was killed, and another 

 much maimed, which we saw, and even the third 

 was hurt. The man fired as soon as the jaguar 

 came out, and wounded it ; and when he saw 

 that it was considerably disabled, he ran in upon 

 the animal with his knife, and killed it ; in doing 

 which, one of his arms was much lacerated, and 

 this was bound up at the time I conversed with 



