HUNTING AND FISHING IN THE PROVINCE OF AMAZON. 105 
even a gijotted oe black jaguar, in quest, not of the clay, but, like tbe 
liuntor himself, of fleer or vuld liogs, which arc an easy spoil for 
its long tangs and powerfid paws. Tapirs, that is full-grown ones, do 
not fall victims so easily. These pachyderms — thanks to their skin of 
a finger’s thickness — dasli so swiftly througli the sluaibs and buslics, 
Avith a AV^eight that carries everything resistlcssly before them, that, 
in the first dense thicket of thorns and lianas, they Auoleirtly disengage 
themselAms of then’ teiTiblc riders, AAdio tightly clasp them round their 
necks, before the jaguar’s poAverful clutches penetrate beloAV their stout 
skin. 
In the endless virgin forests on the shores of the Parana, before 
us unvisited by European for two Inindi-od years at least, our hunters 
shot, at the mouth of the Ivahy, an old tapir, Avhieh had evidently 
bad a hard struggle Avith its sleek enemy. It liad one eye only, and 
its broad ba(!k shoAved <leep traces of the jaguar’s claws. And thus 
this poor patriarch of the Afmods, Avho Lad escaped the tooth of the 
tiger, at last fell a Auctim to the bullet of one of our half-caste 
Indians. 
The meat of the tapir is excellent, tasting much like beef. The 
fat hunch on its neck, covered Avith long black bristles, is a delicacy 
AAdiich would do houour to the table of a Lucullus ; and equally esteemed 
are its short trunk, and the feet, Avhich yield, Avhen boiled, a rich 
jelly. The Indians and mestizoes usually prepare the head in the 
folloAAung manner ; Avhich also serves for Avhole hogs and other game, 
A number of pebbles, of the size of one’s fist, or larger, are thoroughly 
heated in the fire, and then carefully placed in a hole prejjared for 
their reception, tAvo or three feet deep. The taph’s head (or the peccari), 
Avrapped in banana or Lehconia leaves, is laid thereon ; another layer 
of gloAving hot stones, together AAuth more leaves, is put over them, and 
the hole filled up Avith earth. At the end of six or eight hours a 
sujjply of the best and juiciest roast meat Avill thus be ready. 
Pesides the tapir, tAvo .species of Avild hog, and several kinds of 
deer, arc especially appreciated. Among the latter is an exceedingly 
jjretty one, scarcely tlircc spans high. Stags (and verj’^ poAverful ones 
too ), Avhose antlers are much thicker iu proportion, and taj)er much more 
sharply than those of the European species, are found only in the campos 
or prairies. 
Of the \Auld hogs, even the larger variety is conshlerably smaller 
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