FAGUAR. °° | 213 
in the midst of a troop of these animals, awoke at 
the approach of the canoe, and moved slowly into 
‘the stream without frightening the others. Near 
the Joval every thing assumed a wild and awful 
aspect. Here they saw an enormous jaguar stretched 
beneath the shade of a large zamang or mimosa. It 
had just killed a chiguire, which it held with one 
of its paws, while the zamuro-vultures were assem- 
bled in flocks around it. It was curious to observe 
the mixture of boldness and timidity which these 
birds exhibited, for although they advanced within 
two feet of the tiger, they instantly shrunk back at 
the ieast motion which he made. In order to examine 
more nearly their manners, the travellers went into 
the little boat ; when the tyrant of the forest with- 
drew behind the sauso-bushes, leaving his victim, 
which the vultures in the mean time attempted to 
devour, but were soon put to flight by his rushing 
into the midst of them.* 
* In the province of Tucuman, the common mode of killing the 
jaguar is to trace him to his lair, by the wool left on the bushes, if 
he has carried off a sheep, or by means of a dog trained for the pur- 
Bags On finding the enemy the gaucho puts himself intoa position 
or receiving him on the point of a bayonet or spear, at the first 
spring which he makes, and thus waits until the dogs drive him out ; 
an exploit which he performs with,such coolness and dexterity that 
there is scarcely an instance of failure. ‘ Ina recent instance, re- 
lated by our capitaz, the business was not so quickly completed. 
The animal! lay stretched at full length on the ground, like a gorged 
cat. Instead of showing anger and attacking his enemies with fury, 
he was playful, and disposed rather to am: ee with the dogs with 
good humour than to take their attack in sober earnestness. He 
was now fired upon, and a ball lodged in his shoulder; on which he 
sprung so quickly on his watching assailant, that he not only buried 
the bayonet in his body, but tumbled over the capitaz who held it, 
and they floundered on the ground together, the man being com- 
pletely in his clutches. ‘I thought,’ said the brave fellow, « I was 
no longer a capitaz, while I held my arm up to protect my throat, 
which the animal seemed in the act of seizing ; but when I expected 
to feel his fangs in my flesh, the green fire of his eyes which blazed 
