442 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



of this creature are of an enormous difpropor- 

 tion, being of the fize of a hen's egg. It is a 

 very fierce enemy to all tame birds, and does a great 

 deal of damage in the maize fields. The Indians cat 

 the flefh, and fay it is not all difagreeable : but few 

 Europeans have much veneration for their tafte or 

 cookery. 



C H A P. IX. 



Phi^jiomena x)hferved in the mountainous Deferfs 

 and other Parts of this Province. Hunting 

 Matches. Dexterity of the American Horfes, 



TO the before-mentioned particulars of the moun- 

 tainous deferts, I fhall fubjoin the phaenomena 

 feen there, as fubjeds equally meriting the curiofity 

 of a rational reader. At firft we were greatly fur- 

 prized with two, on account of their novelty but 

 frequent obfervations rendered them familiar. One 

 we faw in Pambamarca, on our firll afcent thither-, it 

 was a triple circular iris. At break of day the whole 

 mountain was encompafled with very thick clouds, 

 which the rifing of the fun difperfed fo far as to leave 

 only fome vapours of a tenuity not cognizable by the 

 fight: on the oppofite fide to that where the iun 

 roie, and about ten toifes diflant from the place where 

 we were (landing, we faw, as in a looking- glafs, the 

 image of each of us, the head being as it were the 

 centre of three concentrick iris's : the laft or moft ex- 

 ternal colours of one touched the firft of the follow- 

 ing ; and at fome diftance from them all, was a fourth 

 arch entirely white. Thefe were perpendicular to the 

 horizon and as the perfon moved, the phaenomenon 

 moved aUo in the fame difpofition and order. But 

 v;hat was moft remarkable, though we were fix or 

 feven together, every one faw the phenomenon with 



regard 



