APPENDIX. 



101 



No. 11. 



Extract from Falkner, pp. 61, 62, 63. 



I shall here give an account of a strange amphibious animal, 

 which is an inhabitant of the river Parana, a description of which 

 has never reached Europe ; nor is there even any mention made of it 

 by those who have described this country. What I here relate 

 is from the concurrent asseverations of the Indians, and of many 

 Spaniards, who have been in various employments on this river ; 

 besides, I myself, during my residence on the banks of it, which was 

 near four years, had once a transient view of one ; so that there 

 can be no doubt about the existence of such an animal. 



In my first voyage to cut timber, in the year 1752, up the Parana, 

 being near the bank, the Indians shouted, ''yaquaru!" and look- 

 ing, I saw a great animal, at the time it plunged into the water from 

 the bank ; but the time was too short to examine it with any degree 

 of precision. 



It is called yaquaru, or yaquaruigh, which (in the language of that 

 country) signifies the water tiger. It is described by the Indians 

 to be as big as an ass, of the figure of a large overgrown river-wolf 

 or otter, with sharp talons and strong tusks, thick and short legs, 

 long shaggy hair, with a long tapering tail. 



The Spaniards describe it somewhat differently : — as having a 

 long head, a sharp nose like that of a wolf, and stiff erect ears. 

 This difference of description may arise from its being so seldom 

 seen, and, when seen, so suddenly disappearing; or perhaps there 

 may be two species of this animal. I look upon this last account as 

 the most authentic, having received it from persons of credit, who 

 assured me that they had seen this water- tiger several times. It is 

 always found near the river, lying on a bank, from whence, on 

 hearing the least noise, it immediately plunges into the water. 



It is very destructive to the cattle which pass the Parana, for 

 great herds of them pass every year ; and it generally happens that 

 this beast seizes some of them. When it has once laid hold of its 

 prey, it is seen no more, and the lungs and entrails soon appear 

 floating upon the water. 



It lives in the greatest depths, especially in the whirlpools made 

 by the concurrence of two streams, and sleeps in the deep caverns 

 that are in the banks. 



