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feet, and the height, measured before, four feet 

 and three inches. The body is covered with very 

 long hair, of a reddish colour upon the back, and 

 whitish under the belly ; its head is round, the nose 

 pointed and black, the ears strait like those of a 

 horse, the tail short, and turned back like that of the 

 stag. The name guanaco^ by which it is commonly 

 known, is Peruvian ; it is called luan in Chili. The 

 guanaco appears to be less attached to a cold cli- 

 mate than the vicugna. In the beginning of winter 

 these animals quit the mountains they inhabit du- 

 ring the summer, and appear in the vallies in large 

 herds, usually of a hundred or two hundred. The 

 Chilians hunt them with dogs, but they commonly 

 take only the youngest, which are the least swift ; 

 the old ones run with astonishing rapidity, and it is 

 difficult to overtake them with a good horse. When 

 they are pursued, they turn from time to time to 

 look at the huntsman, neighing as loud as they can, 

 and then set off anew with increased velocity. It 

 sometimes happens that the Indians who are mount- 

 ed upon very swift horses, take them alive, by means 

 of a noose or sling, which they throw from a distance 

 between their legs. This noose, which the Indians 

 call laqui^ is made of a strip of leather about five or 

 six feet long, to each end of which is fastened a stone 

 of about two pounds weight. The huntsman, who is 

 on horseback, holds one of these stones in his hand, 

 and whirls the other around like a sling, as swift as 

 possible, in order to hurl it with more force ; when 

 he throws it at the animal he has singled out, whom 

 he is almost certain of striking, frequently at more 



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