THIRD JOURNEY. 



143 



time enough to escape before we landed. As soon as 

 we got up to liini lie threw himself upon his back, and 

 defended himself in gallant style with his fore-legs. 

 " Come, poor fellow," said I to him, " if thou hast got 

 into a hobble to-day, thou shalt not suffer for it : Til take 

 no advantage of thee in misfortune ; the forest is large 

 enough both for thee and me to rove in : go thy ways 

 up above, and enjoy thyself in these endless wilds : it is 

 more than probable thou wilt never have another inter- 

 view with man. So fare thee well." On saying this, I 

 took a long stick which was lying there, held it for him 

 to hook on, and then conveyed him to a high and 

 stately mora. He ascended with wonderful rapidity, 

 and in about a minute he was almost at the top of the 

 tree. He now went off in a side direction, and caught 

 hold of the branch of a neighbouring tree ; he then 

 proceeded towards the heart of the forest. I stood 

 looking on, lost in amazement at his singular mode of 

 progress. I followed him with my eye till the inter- 

 vening branches closed in betwixt us ; and then I lost 

 sight for ever of the two-toed sloth. I was going to 

 add, that I never saw a sloth take to his heels in such 

 earnest ; but the expression will not do, for the sloth 

 has no heels. 



That which naturalists have advanced of his being so 

 tenacious of life, is perfectly true. I saw the heart of 

 one beat for half an hour after it was taken out of the 

 body. The wourali poison seems to be the only thing 

 that will kill it quickly. On reference to a former part 

 of these Wanderings, it will be seen that a poisoned 

 arrow killed the sloth in about ten minutes. 



So much for this harmless, unoffending animal. He 

 holds a conspicuous place in the catalogue of the animals 



