440 AVOYAGETO Book VI, 



female lays but two eggs at a time, and thofe no 

 bigger than peas. They build in trees, and the coarfeft 

 materials of their nefls are the finefc ftraws they can 

 pick up. 



In the parts of this country, which are neither 

 taken up by mountains nor forells, only tame animals 

 are met withj whence it is probable, that formerly its 

 native fpecies were but very few ; mofl: of thefe having 

 been introduced by the Spaniards, except the llama, 

 to v^hich the Indians added the name of runa, tp de* 

 note an Indian Iheep, that beaft being now underftood 

 by the runa-Uama ; though properly llama is a general 

 name importing beaft, in oppofition to the hum^n 

 fpecies. This animal^ in feveral particulars, refembles 

 the camel ; as in the fhape of its neck, head, and 

 fome other parts; but has no bunch, and is much 

 fmailer ; cloven-footed, and different in colour : for 

 tliough mofl: of them are brown, fome are white, 

 others black, and others of different colours : its 

 pace refembles that of a camel, and its height equal to 

 that of an afs betwixt a year and two old. The In- 

 dians ufe them as beafts of carriage ; and they an- 

 fwer very well for any load under a hundred weight. 

 They chiefly abound in the jurifdiflion of Riobamba, 

 there being fcarce an Indian who has not one for car- 

 rying on his little trafiick from one village to another. 

 Anciently the Indians ufed to eat the flefh of them, 

 and ftill continue to make that ufe of thofe which are 

 pad labour. They fay there is no difference betwixt 

 it and mutton, except that the former is Ibmething 

 fweeter : it is a very docile creature, and eafily kept. 

 Its whole defence is, to ejedt from its noflrils fome 

 vifcofities, which are laid to give the itch to any on 

 which they fail ; fo that the Indians, who firmly be- 

 lieve this, are very cautious of provoking the llama. 



In the fouthern provinces of Peru, namely, in 

 Cufco, La Paz, La Plata, and the adjacent parts, are 

 two other animals, not very different froni the llama : 



