428 



It bad just killed a chiguire, but had not yet 

 touched it's prey, on which it kept one of it's 

 paws. The zamuroes, a species of vulture which 

 we have compared above to the percnopterus of 

 Lower-Egypt, were assembled in flocks to de- 

 vour the remains of the jaguar s repast. They 

 afforded the most curious spectacle, by a singular 

 mixture of boldness and timidity. They ad- 

 vanced within the distance of two feet from the 

 jaguar, but at the least movement the beast 

 made they drew back. In order to observe 

 more nearly the manners of these animals, we 

 went into the little boat, that accompanied our 

 canoe. Tigers very rarely attack boats by swim- 

 ming to them; and never but when their fero- 

 city is heightened by a long privation of food. 

 The noise of our oars led the animal to rise 

 slowly, and hide itself behind the sauso bushes, 

 that bordered the shore. The vultures tried to 

 profit by this moment of absence to devour the 

 chiguire: but the tiger, notwithstanding the 

 proximity of our boat, leaped into the midst of 

 them; and in a fit of rage, expressed by his gait 

 and the movement of his tail, carried off his prey 

 to the forest. The Indians regretted, that they 

 were not provided with their lances, in order to 

 go on shore, and attack the tiger. They are 

 accustomed to this weapon, and were right in 

 not trusting to our musquets, which in an air 

 so excessively humid, often miss fire. 



